100 DAYS! (AGS Countdown 2019)

[bonarae]

The countdown has officially begun! I'm excited to lead this year's countdown and thank you for being patient with me and Ursus.

Rules for the Countdown are in this post -> http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?229081-In-ONE-Week-The-2019-AGS-Countdown-Begins&p=2770630&viewfull=1#post2770630

Kindly read the rules first before posting if you are a first-timer to the Countdown.

My post about Harvard's HC will follow.

[bonarae]

Harvard's Head Coach for 2019:

Tim Murphy
https://gocrimson.com/sports/fball/coaches/FBL_0708_Murphy_Tim_004_headshot.jpg?max_width=160&max_height=210

26th Season

Harvard Record: 174-75 (25 seasons)
Best seasons at Harvard: 2001 (9-0, first game cancelled due to 9/11), 2004 and 2014 (10-0)
Previous HC Stops at Maine (1987-1988, 15-8) and Cincinnati (1989-1993, 17-37-1)
Overall HC Record: 206-120-1
Played LB at D-III Springfield College from 1974-1977

https://gocrimson.com/sports/fball/coaches/murphy_tim?view=bio

[Tribe4SF]

W&M

Head Coach Mike London

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=30541&stc=1

​
Tremendously successful and widely respected, Mike London enters his first season as head coach of the William & Mary football program.

London, a former assistant under longtime Tribe head coach Jimmye Laycock, returns to Williamsburg with an impressive list of accomplishments as a head coach that includes winning a national title at the University of Richmond (2008) and earning Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year distinction at the University of Virginia (2011).

[dewey]

There is no #100 for the 15 time National Champions the North Dakota State University Bison so I will highlight the head coach.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190523/5ffb512d52ded8c99dc9c7ce914f840e.jpg

Matt Entz
Head Coach

Matt Entz was named head football coach at North Dakota State University for the 2019 season after spending five seasons as the NDSU's defensive coordinator. He is the 31st head coach in program history.

This is the first head coaching job for Entz, a 21-year veteran assistant coach with 15 years of experience as a defensive coordinator and eight as an associate head coach in two programs. At NDSU, he’s been part of five Missouri Valley Football Conference championships and four NCAA national championships with the Bison.

“Having watched Matt as the defensive coordinator for the past five years,” said NDSU athletic director Matt Larsen, “I knew he possessed the qualities to be the head football coach at North Dakota State: leadership, integrity, toughness, and a sincere appreciation for the history and tradition of Bison football.”

Entz, who was named the 2018 FCS Coordinator of the Year in his third time as a finalist for the award, has led a Bison defense that allowed less than 14 points per game over his five seasons as the defensive coordinator and consistently ranked in the top five of FCS in scoring defense and total defense.

NDSU had eight FCS All-America honorees on defense the past five seasons, including linebackers MJ Stumpf, Nick DeLuca and Jabril Cox. Two of Entz’s former linebackers, DeLuca and Chris Board, are currently playing in the NFL.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference is familiar territory for Entz. He came to NDSU in January 2014 under head coach Chris Klieman after one season as the associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Western Illinois in 2013, and spent three previous years at Northern Iowa.

He was named defensive line coach in 2010 at Northern Iowa and assumed the defensive coordinator duties at UNI in 2012 after Klieman departed for NDSU.

Entz was the defensive coordinator from 2002 to 2009 at Winona State, where he was promoted to associate head coach in 2003 and was with the defensive line for three years before becoming linebackers coach in 2005. He was named the AFCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008.

Prior to that, Entz was the assistant head football coach and linebackers coach at Wayne (Neb.) State from 1999 to 2001 and the defensive coordinator at Illinois College in 1998. He holds certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach during his time at Wayne State.

Entz earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Wartburg College in 1995 and a master's degree in education and exercise science from Wayne (Neb.) State College in 1998.

He and his wife, Brenda, have two sons, Kellen and Konner.

Good luck with the upcoming season coach Entz.

Go Bison!

Dewey

[SFA 93]

https://sfajacks.com/images/2018/12/2/Carthel_Headshot_cropped.jpg?width=300
HEAD COACH - Colby Carthel (SFA) 1st Season

Director of athletics Ryan Ivey and acting university president Dr. Steve Westbrook announced the hiring of Colby Carthel as SFA’s 20th head football coach on Tuesday, Dec. 4 inside the Baker Pattillo Student Center Movie Theater. Carthel, a proven winner and national champion with deep Texas ties, arrives in Nacogdoches after leading Texas A&M-Commerce to the pinnacle of NCAA Division II football.

Hired as the 19th head coach in A&M-Commerce history on January 22, 2013, Carthel spent the previous six seasons guiding the Lions, where he captured the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship in his fifth year at the helm. Owning an eye-popping .766 winning percentage as a head coach, Carthel posted an 59-18 overall record at A&M-Commerce with an impressive 36-8 (.818) conference record. In addition to three Lone Star Conference championships, Carthel led the Lions to six consecutive postseason appearances and four-straight NCAA playoff appearances.

Owning four coach of the year awards, Carthel’s 35 total wins over the last three seasons is nearly unprecedented in college football. Of the 27 scholarship programs in Texas, only Carthel-led A&M-Commerce and three other programs - Baylor, TCU and Sam Houston State - have had three-straight 10-win seasons in the last 10 years.

Under Carthel’s tutelage as a head coach, his players have captured four national player of the year awards, two regional player of the year awards and nine conference player of the year awards. While at A&M-Commerce, Carthel witnessed his student-athletes garner 56 All-American honors, including 21 All-American First Team selections, not to mention 20 all-region accolades and 141 all-conference plaudits.

Mentoring young men not only on the field, but in the classroom as well, Carthel has had his players collect numerous all-academic honors. Coaching one academic player of the year, Carthel’s Lion student-athletes earned two College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Google Cloud Academic All-America® and All-District® Team spots, in addition to 11 academic all-conference selections.

A native of Friona, Texas, and a four-year letter winner at both Friona High School and Angelo State, Carthel’s footprint has been in the Lone Star State for quite some time. Recruiting heavily within the state, all but one of Carthel’s 285 high school signees across six signing classes as a head coach have hailed from Texas. With a major concentration in east Texas, Carthel has made it a point to recruit locally. In his initial signing class at A&M-Commerce in 2013, Carthel signed 24 of his 37 incoming freshmen (65 percent) from within 150 miles of campus, which included a good portion of east Texas.

In the fall of 2018, Carthel completed yet another ultra-successful season at A&M-Commerce. His Lions reached their third-straight NCAA Division II Regional Semifinal in the last three years after going 10-3 overall and notching a 7-1 league mark. Being named Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in his career, Carthel guided A&M-Commerce to a 33-17 upset road win over second-seeded Minnesota Duluth in the regional quarterfinals.

A total of 25 players gathered All-Lone Star Conference recognition following the completion of the 2018 season, highlighted by place-kicker Kristov Martinez being named academic player of the year and a total of seven Lions garnering first-team honors. Additionally, linebacker Garrett Blubaugh and Martinez were CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District® selections.

Carthel led A&M-Commerce to the most successful season in the school’s athletics history in 2017 with the national championship capping a spectacular run. The Lions defeated West Florida 37-27 in the national championship game in Kansas City, ending the year with a nation-best 10-game winning streak and the first NCAA title in school history.

A&M-Commerce completed the season with a 14-1 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference. The Lions won three-straight road games in the playoffs as Super Region Four’s fifth seed. The three teams they defeated on the road came into the games with a combined record of 34-1, marking the toughest road to a national semifinal in Division II history. A&M-Commerce finished third in the nation in cumulative attendance and fifth in the nation in average attendance, as 8,580 fans per game turned out to support the national champions.

The Lions became the first team ever to claim the “Triple Crown” with the national championship, Harlon Hill Trophy, and NCAA Elite 90 Award in the same season.

Quarterback Luis Perez became the first A&M-Commerce player to win the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the top player in Division II football. He completed 421-of-596 passes for 4,999 yards and 46 touchdowns on the season and set Division II playoff records in all passing categories. Linebacker Blubaugh won the Elite 90 Award, given to the student-athlete at the championship site with the highest cumulative grade point average.

In 2017, three A&M-Commerce players - Perez, offensive lineman Jared Machorro, and cornerback Yusef Sterling-Lowe - accumulated seven All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association, Division II Conference Commissioners Association, and Associated Press. The Lions became the first team to ever have three AFCA Division II All-Americans in the same season.

A total of 29 players were recognized with honors from the Lone Star Conference at the end of the regular season, including Perez winning the J.W. Rollins Award as the top offensive player in the league and Machorro earning offensive lineman of the year.

The 2016 season saw the Lions achieve new heights with their third consecutive Lone Star Conference championship and first Division II playoff win in 25 years. A&M-Commerce hosted its first postseason game since 1991 and defeated Colorado Mesa 34-23 in the opening round of the playoffs. Going 11-2 overall with an 8-1 league record, the Lions matched the program record with 29 All-Lone Star Conference honors, including defensive back of the year Uriah Harris as running back Richard Cooper and wide receiver Lance Evans repeated as first-team performers.

In his third season as head coach in 2015, Carthel led A&M-Commerce to its second-straight Lone Star Conference regular season title. The Lions went 8-4 on the year and earned the seventh seed in the Division II playoffs, advancing to the NCAA postseason for the first time since 1995. With an undefeated Lone Star Conference regular season, A&M-Commerce garnered a school-record 27 all-conference honors. The Lions also collected three All-American awards, while Cooper was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Back of the Year.

Following Carthel’s second year at the helm of A&M-Commerce football in 2014, the Lions saw 26 student-athletes named All-Lone Star Conference as six players earned NFL preseason roster spots. The 2014 unit went 9-3 overall and 6-1 in league play to earn the program’s 21st Lone Star Conference title and first since 1990. The team earned its second-straight postseason appearance with a trip to the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, which resulted in a 72-21 rout of East Central University. The bowl appearance was the first time since 1990-91 A&M-Commerce made consecutive postseason trips.

Vernon Johnson took home the Lone Star Conference Wide Receiver of the Year Award, while defensive end Toni Pulu earned defensive player of the year honors. Five Lions, Johnson, Ricky Collins, Pulu and Saul Martinez claimed All-American status from various publications, while five players made postseason all-star bowl appearances with Joe Bergeron and Johnson appearing in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Collins, Charles Tuaau and Ashton Dorsey playing in the College Gridiron Showcase.

A&M-Commerce opened the season by scoring 98 points and an NCAA record 986 total yards of offense. The pace saw the Lions end the season with the NCAA’s No. 1 offense in terms of total yards per game (535.4) and scoring per game (54.1), while finishing tops in the nation in tackles for loss per game (10.8).

Carthel led A&M-Commerce to a 7-5 record in his first season in Commerce in 2013, a far cry from the combined 5-26 record the program had in the three seasons prior to his arrival. That turnaround, one that included wins over nationally-ranked Delta State and Tarleton State, earned the Lions a postseason berth in the Live United Texarkana Bowl - the program’s first postseason berth since 1995.

Although Carthel was previously a defensive coordinator, A&M-Commerce made huge strides on the offensive side of the ball in his first season, averaging 35 points per game, a 22.4 points per game increase and the most by a Lion team since 1990. The Lions garnered 15 All-Lone Star Conference selections in 2013, including three first-team recognitions. Defensive lineman Tuaau was named the league’s top defender and earned All-America status, while Johnson was heralded as the league’s top wide receiver after hauling in over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Carthel arrived in Commerce with strong ties to the Lone Star Conference, spending the previous seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at West Texas A&M (2006-12) and playing a key role in establishing the Buffs as one of the top teams in the region. During his seven years at West Texas A&M, the Buffs captured four Lone Star Conference titles while making an appearance in the postseason each year, including a trip to the NCAA semifinals.

Prior to his time at West Texas A&M, Carthel spent six seasons at fellow Southland Conference member Abilene Christian (2000-05). While in Abilene, Carthel served as the Wildcats’ defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

All told, Carthel has made 12 consecutive trips to the postseason as a Division II coach, both as an assistant and head coach.

Carthel was a standout player at Angelo State, where he started at middle linebacker and helped lead the Rams to the Lone Star Conference South Championship by recording 59 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery as a senior in 1999. Also a four-year letter winner on the Angelo State track and field team, Carthel competed in the discus throw. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Angelo State in 2000 and later his master’s degree from West Texas A&M in 2000.

Colby is married to former West Texas A&M All-American volleyball player and A&M-Commerce associate head volleyball coach Sarah Carthel. The two have a pair of sons, Major and Bear.

https://sfajacks.com/images/2018/12/4/Carthel_Ivey_Introductory_Press_Conference.jpg?wid th=1024&height=576&mode=crop

The Carthel File
Hometown: Friona, Texas
High School: Friona
Colleges: Angelo State (2000); West Texas A&M (2007)
Playing Experience: Angelo State (starting middle linebacker and four-year track and field letter winner in the discus throw)
Family: Sarah (wife), Major and Bear (sons)

Coaching Experience
2018-Present: SFA | Head Coach
2013-18: Texas A&M-Commerce | Head Coach
2006-12: West Texas A&M | Defensive Coordinator
2000-05: Abilene Christian | Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dyb_pPVUUAEIT7w.jpg

By the Numbers
1 | National Championship • 2017
1 | Regional Championship • 2017
3 | Consecutive 10-Win Seasons • 2016-18
3 | Conference Championships • 2014-16
4 | Coach of the Year Awards
4 | Consecutive NCAA Playoff Appearances • 2015-18
6 | Consecutive Postseason Appearances • 2013-18
6 | Years as a Head Coach • 2013-18
35 | Wins over the Last Three Seasons
36 | Conference Victories
59 | Victories as a Head Coach
.766 | Winning % as Head Coach
.818 | Conference Winning %

Under Carthel's Tutelage as Head Coach
1 | Academic Player of the Year Award
2 | Regional Player of the Year Awards
2 | CoSIDA Academic All-America Selections
2 | CoSIDA Academic All-District Selections
4 | National Player of the Year Awards
9 | Conference Player of the Year Awards
11 | Academic All-Conference Selections
20 | All-Region Honors
21 | All-American First Team Selections
56 | All-American Honors
141 | All-Conference Honors

Accomplishments
• Of the 27 scholarship programs in Texas, only Carthel-led Texas A&M-Commerce and three other programs (Baylor, TCU and Sam Houston State) have had three-straight 10-win seasons in the last 10 years.
• Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year • 2018
• National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter College Coach of the Year • 2017
• Don Hansen Super Region 4 Coach of the Year • 2017
• Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame Coach of the Year • 2017
• 59-18 Overall Record as Head Coach
• 36-8 Conference Record

Carthel's Career Record

Year
School
Overall
Pct.
Conf.
Pct.
Postseason


2013
Texas A&M-Commerce
7-5
.583
2-4
.333
Live United Texarkana Bowl


2014
Texas A&M-Commerce
9-3
.750
6-1
.857
C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl


2015
Texas A&M-Commerce
8-4
.667
6-0
1.000
NCAA Division II Playoffs First Round


2016
Texas A&M-Commerce
11-2
.846
8-1
.889
NCAA Division II Playoffs Regional Semifinal


2017
Texas A&M-Commerce
14-1
.933
7-1
.875
NCAA Division II National Champion


2018
Texas A&M-Commerce
10-3
.769
7-1
.875
NCAA Division II Playoffs Regional Semifinal



TOTALS
59-18
.766
36-8
.818
Six Postseason Appearances



https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7QhLDBWwAAiSe1.jpg:large

[UAalum72]

http://www.albany.edu/Images/Header/University-at-Albany-logo.gif

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics33/640/SN/SNWHPXGKMUNFMOP.20140814192717.jpg


Greg Gattuso
Head Coach
..
Penn State '83
Hometown - Pittsburgh, PA
High School - Seton-LaSalle

Head Coaching Records
Albany 24-32 (6 seasons)
Duquesne 97-32 (12 seasons)
Seton-LaSalle High School 28-10-1 (3 seasons)
Full Bio - http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15800&ATCLID=209335267

[BEAR]

https://ucasports.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&image_path=/images/2018/7/12/NathanBrownPressConference_2.jpg

[Daytripper]

Head Coach K.C. Keeler
http://www.gobearkats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19900&ATCLID=209384109

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics33/800/RU/RUDRUMUCJSUYYVQ.20170809191705.jpg
2016 EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD WINNER
In five seasons as head coach at Sam Houston State University, K.C. Keeler has directed the Bearkats to a 52-17 record that includes eight victories over top-10 ranked opponents and nine wins in NCAA postseason action. His SHSU teams made the playoffs in each of his first four seasons at the helm, including FCS semifinals appearances in 2014, 2015 and 2017 along with a pair of Southland Conference championships.
In 2016 he led the Bearkats to their second conference title in three seasons and a national No. 1 ranking for the final six weeks of the regular season on their way to being the nation's lone unbeaten team entering the FCS playoffs. That run helped him become the first Bearkat coach to claim the Eddie Robinson Award as the top head coach in the FCS in a season that also saw Sam Houston's quarterback, Jeremiah Briscoe, earn the Walter Payton Award as the nation's top offensive player.
http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics33/400/SK/SKUFCQKAMYQRIAI.20141123012225.jpgDuring 25 years as a head football coach, Keeler has produced a record of 226 victories, only 90 losses and one tie. His teams at Rowan University, Delaware and Sam Houston State have combined for 15 NCAA post-season playoff appearances, nine conference championships and played in eight national championship games.
Keeler was named as Sam Houston's 15th head football coach on January 23, 2014. He has coached nine National Football League draft picks including Super Bowl XLVII MVP quarterback Joe Flacco and 2018 second-round pick PJ Hall. He has tutored 76 All-America players and 22 student-athletes who have earned either national or district CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
As head coach at Delaware, Keeler rolled up an 86-52 record in 11 seasons from 2002 to 2012. His Fightin' Blue Hens won the FCS national championship in 2003 and reached the national championship game in 2007 and 2010. His squads won Atlantic 10 Conference titles in 2003 and 2004 and the Colonial Athletic Association championship in 2010. Delaware went 11-3 in the program's four trips to the FCS playoffs.
At Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., Keeler produced an 88-21-1 record from 1993 to 2001 that included seven NCAA Division III playoff appearances including five trips to the National Championship game. His teams posted a 21-7 record in NCAA Division III playoff action.
Among Keeler's coaching honors are selections as AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year, Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, Maxwell Club Tri-State Coach of the Year and the All-America Football Foundation Johnny Vaught Head Coach Award.
Keeler began his coaching career as an assistant at Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1981, then moved to Rowan University in 1986. He was named head coach at Rowan in 1993.
The Profs won four New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and finished as runner-up in the league twice in Keeler's nine seasons.
Keeler was a four-sport letterman at Emmaus, Pa., High School. He earned all-league honors and was football team captain as a tight end and linebacker.
He played linebacker for head coach Tubby Raymond at Delaware from 1978 to 1980, helping lead the Blue Hens to the 1979 NCAA Division II national championship. In 1980, he signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kurt Charles “K.C.” Keeler was born July 26, 1959, in Emmaus, Pa. He and his wife Janice are the parents of daughter Kate and son Jackson

[OL FU]

The countdown has officially begun! I'm excited to lead this year's countdown and thank you for being patient with me and Ursus.

.


xthumbsupxxthumbsupxxthumbsupxxnodxxnodxxnodx:D:D: Dxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxx hurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhurrayxxhu rrayxxhurrayxxhurrayx

[The Cats]

Western Carolina


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdU6d-_U8AEOlKd.jpg


Day 100

Mark Speir
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/WhD3CNKUMpZhmXzz37322rYj9sqsNBI--0MRu2syHo0k27Dp22VX2QDKETAaGES0-GnEoMqhUeCmvmwDT3F3ds062VuGeyLVxoPbJcBqIQl-kmjBsrOvBuXGomjeCvsWijPsKlZE8k4=s0-d (http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/wcar/sports/m-footbl/auto_headshot/12041648.jpeg)

Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Position: Head Football Coach
Alma Mater: Clemson & Western Carolina
Graduated: 1990 / 1994


Mark Speir, who has spent the bulk of his collegiate coaching career at the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, was named head football coach at Western Carolina University as announced by Director of Athletics Randy Eaton during a press conference held in the Ramsey Center on Dec. 22, 2011.

Speir (pronounced "spear"), who got his coaching career start at Western Carolina under former Catamount head coach Steve Hodgin from 1991-96, is the 13th head coach of the WCU football program all-time.

Since his arrival in Cullowhee, Speir has been a driving force in the revitalization of Catamount football, guiding WCU to back-to-back seven-win seasons in both 2015 and 2014, the latter its first winning record in a decade with the 7-5 finish. It was just the second finish above .500 since 2001 for the Catamounts. Speir led the Catamounts to a second-place finish in the Southern Conference in 2014, its highest finish in the final standings since 1986 -- and just the fourth runner-up finish since joining the league in 1977 -- before following it up with a third-place showing in 2015.

For their plaudits, Speir and his staff were finalists for the 2014 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award given at the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.

During the off-season following the success of the 2014 season, Speir was granted a four-year contract extension which was approved by the WCU Board of Trustees in February of 2015. With the extension, Speir is under contract June of 2020.

Since taking over as head coach in 2012, 28 Catamounts have earned All-Southern Conference first-or-second team accolades while 16 have earned All-Freshman distinction. In 2014, a school-record tying 14 Catamounts received all-conference plaudits with 13 collecting honors following the successful 2015 campaign.

Also, eight players have earned Capital One All-District III selections from CoSIDA with running back Darius Ramsey garnering Academic All-America honors in 2014.

Speir's return to Cullowhee in late-2011 came after spending the nine previous seasons at Appalachian State where he was a part of three-consecutive FCS National Championships from 2005-07, serving as the program's recruiting coordinator from 2004 through 2011 while coaching the inside linebackers prior to the move. He also coached the Mountaineers' running backs (2003-04), defensive line (2005-08) and defensive ends (2009-10) while on staff at Appalachian State.

In 2009, Speir was tabbed as the NCAA Division I FCS Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The award has been handed out every year since 1997 at the five levels of football including the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), FCS, Division II and III, as well as NAIA levels.

Prior to Appalachian, Speir also made coaching stops at both at Presbyterian (1997-99) while the Blue Hose was an NCAA Division II member institution, and at Elon (2000-02) the year after the program made the transition to an NCAA Division I school.

A native of Kannapolis, N.C., Speir broke into coaching while an undergraduate at Clemson University, working as a student assistant from 1986 through 1989, helping the Tigers to three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships during his four years. Following his graduation with a bachelor's degree in secondary education in 1990, Speir landed on Hodgin's staff in Cullowhee, first working with the running backs from 1991-93, then the linebackers in 1994 before coaching the defensive line and serving as the program's recruiting coordinator from 1995-96.

Throughout his collegiate coaching career, Speir has made a name for himself through the recruiting process. He has held the title of recruiting coordinator at three NCAA FCS institutions (WCU, Elon and ASU), most recently organizing the efforts that landed Appalachian State six-consecutive crops of freshmen that have been widely considered to be among the top in NCAA Division I FCS recruiting classes and that helped the Mountaineers to three-straight national titles.

On the field, Speir has coached multiple All-Southern Conference selections. In all, he was a position coach for nine all-conference honorees that have earned the distinction 13 times in his nine seasons on staff in Boone.

Six of Speir's position players have garnered All-America honors during his tenure at ASU including the most recent recipient, linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough, who was selected to the second team by The Sports Network. Additionally, defensive ends Jabari Fletcher, Jason Hunter, Marques Murrell and Gary Tharrington and defensive tackle Anthony Williams combined for All-America honors a total of six times.

Speir's most notable pupils, Hunter and Murrell, tied for the SoCon lead with 13 sacks apiece and accounted for six defensive touchdowns between them in 2005. Murrell also led the nation with 13 sacks in `06. Both have enjoyed productive NFL careers, with Hunter entering his sixth pro season this year with the Denver Broncos.

Off the field, Speir is involved in many charitable causes. His efforts through Samaritan's Purse have helped raised more than $100,000 to help rebuild the Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh. Part of the fundraising came through his participation in the 2008 Music City Marathon in Nashville, which he finished in 4:01; the 2009 Boston Marathon, which he completed in 3:59; and the 2010 Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. Most recently, Speir completed the grueling 2015 Boston Marathon alongside his brother.

In 2009, he traveled to Bangladesh to provide much-needed medical supplies and volunteer at the hospital for 10 days.

In 2011, Speir turned to organizing and participating in motorcycle tours as a way to continue to raise funds for the worthy cause. After five years of the motorcycle rides, Speir has helped raise $75,000 for Operation Heal Our Patriots, another Samaritan's Purse initiative.

Jerry Moore, the former head coach at Appalachian State where Speir has worked for nine seasons, praised WCU for its decision.

"Western Carolina is very lucky to get Mark. He is a perfect fit; he knows Western Carolina and knows it well. WCU is very, very fortunate to get Mark Speir. He is a great coach and a better man; he is the kind of guy that you would love your son to go play for," said Moore upon Speir's hiring at WCU.

Former Catamount football standout Brad Hoover, who went on to play nine seasons in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, credits Speir as "... one of the main reasons I went to WCU." "It was because of the level of Mark Speir's sincerity and his positive attitude during my recruitment experience with him that drew me to commit to Western Carolina," said Hoover.

Speir is married to the former Paige Holt of Pickens, S.C., and the couple has two sons -- Zeb, who is in his second year at Appalachian State and a walk-on for the Mountaineer football team, and Jackson.

SPEIR AT A GLANCE Coaching Experience
1986-89: Clemson (Student Assistant)
1991-93: Western Carolina (Running Backs)
1994: Western Carolina (Outside Linebackers)
1995-96: Western Carolina (Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator)
1997-99: Presbyterian (Defensive Line/Strength and Conditioning)
2000-01: Elon (Running Backs/Special Teams/Recruiting Coordinator)
2002: Elon (Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator)
2003-04: Appalachian State (Running Backs)
2005-09: Appalachian State (Defensive Line)
2004-11: Appalachian State (Recruiting Coordinator)
2009-10: Appalachian State (Defensive Ends)
2011: Appalachian State (Inside Linebackers)

Alma Mater: Clemson, 1990 (Master's -- Western Carolina, 1994)
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Wife: Paige (Holt)
Sons: Zeb and Jackson



https://youtu.be/pGbdAP4thHw

[CenMEBlackBearFan]

https://goblackbears.com/images/2016/8/10/Nick_Charlton.jpg?width=300
NICK CHARLTON


TITLE Head Coach
EMAIL ADDRESS [email protected]
PHONE 207-581-1062
TWITTER @Coach_Charlton (https://twitter.com/@Coach_Charlton)
PRIMARY RECRUITING Northern NJ
IN-STATE RECRUITING Oxford County, Androscoggin County
SECONDARY RECRUITING OK, AR, KS, MO




Nick Charlton (https://goblackbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=278) was been named the 36th head football coach of the University of Maine on Dec. 21, 2018.

"I am extremely excited and humbled to be named the head football coach of the University of Maine," says Charlton, who has served as offensive coordinator at UMaine since February. "My family and I are very passionate about the UMaine community and the direction Dr. Ferrini-Mundy and Ken Ralph (https://goblackbears.com/staff.aspx?staff=1235)are taking our university. We are already hard at work to elevate the new standard we have set for Black Bear Football."

Charlton brings a depth of experience, and demonstrated leadership at the University of Maine and Boston College, says UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. "He knows UMaine and our program, and has been a mentor to our student-athletes, on and off the field. With his help, UMaine football ignited Black Bear Nation this fall. We look forward to the 2019 season."

"We are thrilled Nick has agreed to become the next head coach of the University of Maine Black Bears football program," says Ken Ralph (https://goblackbears.com/staff.aspx?staff=1235), director of athletics. "It was important to us to keep the momentum going with the program and Nick has demonstrated he is ready for this next challenge in his professional life. I know our players share a strong personal connection with Nick, and he is fully capable of helping each of them reach their academic and athletic goals."

Charlton, who will enter his fifth year on staff at UMaine in 2019, spearheaded an offense that helped guide the Black Bears to the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) outright championship and Maine's first-ever spot in the Football Bowl Championship (FCS) semifinals. Under his leadership, UMaine produced its best scoring offense (26.5 points per game) since the 2013 season.

Individually, Charlton schemed an offense that helped pave the way for Ramon Jefferson (https://goblackbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4273) to become the first freshman in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Jefferson completed the season ranked fourth in the CAA at 86.4 rush yards per game.

Charlton also mentored second-year quarterback Chris Ferguson (https://goblackbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4267) to a career year, which saw him pass for 2,372 yards and 22 touchdowns while earning a spot on the College Football Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Year Watch List. Ferguson's most impressive performance came in Maine's FCS second-round victory over Jacksonville State. Charlton's play calling helped guide Ferguson to a career-high, and Maine playoff record, five touchdown passes. Maine's offense racked up a season-high 55 points and 427 total yards in the postseason victory.

In addition, Maine's receiving core thrived under the guidance and offensive creativity of Charlton. Three Black Bears finished the season ranked in the top 10 of CAA leaders in receptions led by Earnest Edwards (https://goblackbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4265), who tallied 53 catches for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior Micah Wright (https://goblackbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4309) racked up 47 receptions and six touchdowns, capping his career ranked fifth on Maine's all-time receptions list (168) and fifth all-time in receiving yards (2,233). Individually, the Black Bears earned five CAA all-conference offensive accolades.

Charlton joined the UMaine staff in spring 2015 as an assistant coach with the wide receivers. He was named UMaine's special teams coordinator in April 2016, a role he held until this past February. In all, Charlton has helped produce 12 all-conference players during his time at UMaine.

Throughout the 2017 season, Maine's special teams production proved to be consistently impressive. The Black Bears' kickoff return game, led by Edwards, the All-CAA kick return selection, ranked second overall in the CAA at 22.5 yards per return. Edwards led all kickoff returners (24.5 yards per return), including a 95-yard touchdown return against UMass at Fenway Park.

Maine's special teams unit ranked in the top five in the CAA in three categories, including kick return (second), kick coverage (third with 40.6 net) and punt return (fifth with 8.7), led by All-CAA specialist Mozai Nelson (https://goblackbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4284). Offensively, Charlton's wide receiving corps helped usher in first-year quarterback Ferguson. The Black Bears finished the year fifth in the CAA at 214.2 passing yards per game, with three of its receivers ranking among the CAA's top 20 in receiving yards per game.

Under Charlton's tutelage in 2016, Maine's wide receiver unit ranked third in the league in pass offense. Despite playing in only nine games, Wright ranked in the top five of league leaders in receiving yards per game and receptions per game. Charlton's guidance helped Wright to an All-American honorable mention accolade, as well as an all-conference first team selection.

Aside from the production he mentored at the wide receiver position, Charlton also made strides with Maine's special teams unit in his first year as coordinator. Maine's kickoff unit ranked second in the CAA, while the punt return team finished third in the league. Wright, who earned a second team all-conference nod at punt return, led the league in punt return average. Edwards also earned an all-conference honor for his performance on kickoff return. Each player also was honored as CAA Special Teams Player of the Week.

In 2015, Charlton led one of only two receiver units in the CAA with two All-Conference performers. Wright recorded the best statistical season for a freshman receiver in Maine history — 61 receptions, 818 yards and five touchdowns while earning second team All-CAA honors. Jordan Dunn also was named third team All-CAA with 56 receptions, 595 yards and three touchdowns.

Charlton came to Maine after serving three years at Boston College as a graduate assistant under head coach Steve Addazio and then Boston College offensive coordinator, and now Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, where he worked on offense with the quarterbacks in 2014. Charlton helped mentor Boston College quarterback and Pittsburgh Steelers signee Tyler Murphy, who set the ACC single-season quarterback rushing record with 1,184 yards.

During the 2013 campaign, Charlton was part of a Boston College offense that manufactured a record-setting rushing attack, with Heisman Trophy finalist Andre Williams and three future NFL offensive linemen. Also in 2013, Charlton assisted in coaching Boston College's all-time leading receiver Alex Amidon and future San Diego Charger quarterback Chase Rettig. Charlton, as part of back-to-back bowl appearances with the Eagles, participated in the Advocare V100 Bowl and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

In 2012, Charlton served as the recruiting graduate assistant and assistant to the special teams coordinator.

Charlton graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy . He received a master's degree from Boston College's Woods School of Advancing Studies.

Charlton, a Salem, Massachusetts native, and his wife, Maria, have a daughter, Madeline.

The Nick Charlton (https://goblackbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=278) File:
Birthdate (Age): December 20, 1988 (30)
Birthplace: Virginia Beach, Va.
Family: Wife, Maria; daughter, Madeline (Age 1)
High School: Salem High School (Mass.)
College: Boston College, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, minor in History (May 2011); Boston College Master of Science in Administrative Science (Dec. 2013)

Coaching Experience:
UMaine Head Coach: Dec. 2018
UMaine Offensive Coordinator/QBs: Feb. 2018–Dec. 2018
UMaine Special Teams Coordinator/WRs: April 2016–Feb. 2018
UMaine Wide Receivers Coach: March 2015–April 2016
Boston College Offensive Graduate Assistant: Feb. 2013–Feb. 2015
Boston College Recruiting Graduate Assistant: Jan. 2012–Jan. 2013
Boston College Assistant to the Special Teams Coordinator: Sept. 2012–Dec. 2012

What they're saying about Charlton:

"I think Nick Charlton (https://goblackbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=278) is a terrific coach who is going to be outstanding as the head coach for the University of Maine," said Ryan Day, who takes over as Ohio State University head coach on Jan. 2. "Nick and I worked closely together for three seasons at Boston College. He is a wonderful person who will lead, educate, mentor and care deeply about the young men in his program." - Ryan Day, Head Coach, Ohio State

"Nick is ready to lead the UMaine football program. His work ethic and accountability to his players will be evident right from the start. I am excited to see him lead the program." - Joe Harasymiak, former UMaine head coach

"Coach Charlton has a passion for football that is special. After working closely with him this past year, I don't think there is a better person to lead this team. He truly cares for his players. He is going to continue this culture of UMaine football that we have been building and he is going to have fun while doing it." -Chris Ferguson (https://goblackbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4267), UMaine Quarterback

[FUBeAR]

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https://mercerbears.com/images/2018/8/9/20180808_CP_7742.jpg?width=300

BOBBY LAMB - Head Coach

Since guiding the Bears through a return to the gridiron in 2013, following a 72-year hiatus, Bobby Lamb has continued to build the Mercer football program into a focal point of Macon and the surrounding Middle Georgia communities.

Lamb enters his seventh season as Mercer’s head football coach in 2019.

Named the 19th head football coach in program history in 2011, Lamb led the Bears to immediate success in their first season of action in 2013, claiming the third 10-win season of his coaching career and setting the NCAA Division I record for wins by a first-year program with a 10-2 campaign. The 2013 win total also set a school record for victories, surpassing the previous mark (7), which was set by Lake Russell’s 1931 & 1932 squads. For his efforts, Lamb finished third in the PFL Coach of the Year voting & ranked among the top 11 finalists for FCS National Coach of the Year.

Since taking the helm at Mercer, Lamb’s players have excelled as model student-athletes in the classroom and in the community, participating in numerous volunteering initiatives with local schools, educational programs and more. Three Bears – John Russ, Thomas Marchman and Isaiah Buehler – have been AFCA Good Works Team nominees, recognizing them as outstanding community service leaders.

Lamb’s football program has helped the Mercer athletics department rank atop the Southern Conference in academic standing for three consecutive years by winning three straight Barrett-Bonner Awards and leading the league in academic all-conference selections for three straight years as well.

In 2018:
Lamb earned his 100th career victory in a 45-3 win over Jacksonville on Sept. 8 at home and guided the Bears to their fourth consecutive season with four Southern Conference wins. He earned a signature road victory at No. 9 nationally-ranked Samford in week three, as newly-announced starting quarterback Robert Riddle threw for 316 yards and rushed for two touchdowns in a 30-24 upset. Lamb played a key role in the development of Riddle, who was sidelined with a season-ending injury in week four.

Lamb saw the Bears rank third nationally in red zone offensive efficiency (92.1 percent). The Bears had seven players earn All-SoCon postseason honors while Tyray Devezin and David Durden - both returnees for the 2019 campaign - earn HERO Sports FCS All-American accolades. Lamb and his staff continued to thrive on the recruiting trail after the end of the 2018 season, as the Bears brought in a 22-man 2019 signing class that ranked among the nation's best.

Lamb additionally played a role in the installation of a video board that measures 30 feet tall and 72 feet wide.

In 2017:
Lamb led the Bears through a difficult 11-game slate in 2017 and matched the program’s most conference wins since joining the SoCon (4). Mercer went 5-6 overall (4-4 SoCon) with two road wins over FCS nationally-ranked No. 17 The Citadel (Oct. 7) and No. 25 Western Carolina (Nov. 11).

The Bears faced a tall task as the only collegiate football team to play at both Auburn and Alabama in 2017. Despite two losses to the historic powerhouse programs, Mercer trailed Auburn by just seven points with five minutes remaining in the contest and forced the Tigers into five turnovers, their most in a single game since 2012.

A program-record 12 Bears captured all-conference honors at the conclusion of the season, led by freshman quarterback Kaelan Riley, who was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year. Under Lamb’s guidance, Riley was named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award and set the program record for completion percentage (59.4). The young quarterback set Mercer freshman records in attempts (288), completions (171) and passing yards (2,030) while assuming a position held formerly by John Russ for four years.

Mercer was the FCS national leader in fumbled recovered (16) and kickoff return defense (14.41 yards allowed per return) and ranked fifth nationally in red zone offense (91.4 percent). The Bears also led the SoCon in turnovers gained (25), turnover margin (+9) and red zone defense (.750).

In 2016:
Mercer doubled its conference wins total for the third straight year, going 4-4 en route to its second winning season (6-5) since returning to the gridiron. The Bears picked up wins against Tennessee Tech, VMI, Western Carolina, Austin Peay, ETSU & Furman while going 4-1 at Five Star Stadium.

Sophomore Marquise Irvin had a breakout year at wide receiver, setting single-season program records in receptions (65), yards (755) and touchdowns (7) while helping senior quarterback John Russ pace the Bears with 2,999 total offensive yards.

Lamb and the Bears also saw their first four-year class of 30 student-athletes graduate at the end of the year.

In 2015:
The Orange and Black compiled a 5-6 record (2-5 SoCon) in their second season in the SoCon. Mercer’s campaign was highlighted by an upset victory over No. 3 Chattanooga, 17-14, at Five Star Stadium on Nov. 7. The win marked Mercer’s first victory over a nationally-ranked Top 25 FCS opponent and its first SoCon win at home.

Five of Mercer’s six losses came by seven points or less in the closely-fought season. The Bears boasted a league-best defense that allowed just 21.6 points per game and also led the SoCon in turnover margin (+11). Nine Bears earned all-conference honors at the end of the year.

In 2014:
Lamb led the Bears into the highly-touted Southern Conference in 2014, just one year removed from the program’s return to football. The SoCon served as a familiar league for the veteran coach, who ranks inside the top five on the conference’s all-time wins list. Despite featuring a roster of primarily underclassmen, Lamb guided Mercer to a 6-6 overall record as well as the program’s first SoCon victory in a 27-24 triumph at VMI.

Boasting one of the SoCon’s most dynamic offenses and a defense that ranked among the nation’s leaders in forced turnovers, Lamb’s team was once again well represented in both conference and national postseason honors. The Bears had seven players garner All-SoCon recognition, including First Team selections Chandler Curtis and Alex Lakes. The freshman duo were each named Jerry Rice Award finalists, becoming the third and fourth Bears to receive the honor in the program’s first two seasons.

Curtis, a dynamic return man, did not stop there, as he became the first player in program history to garner FCS All-America honors while also receiving College Football Performance Awards’ FCS Returner of the Year accolades.

In 2013:
Lamb led Mercer to unprecedented success for a first-year program in 2013 with a program record of 10 wins, including a perfect 8-0 mark at home.

Mercer ranked second in the FCS in rushing, using a balanced attack to pour on 277.9 rushing yards per contest. The Bears had three players gain over 750 yards on the ground, led by freshman quarterback John Russ. The dual-threat quarterback was named a Jerry Rice Award finalist and an All-PFL Second Team selection following an impressive year that saw him compile 1,916 yards through the air and 9-3 yards on the ground to go along with 33 total touchdowns.

Despite seeing the Bears picked to finish 11th in the Pioneer Football League Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Lamb led Mercer to a 6-2 conference record and third-place finish in the league. For his efforts, he finished third in the PFL Coach of the Year voting and ranked among the top 11 finalists for FCS National Coach of the Year.

The Bears showed immediate success in the classroom as well under Lamb, compiling a team grade-point average above 3.0 during both semesters in 2013-14. The team featured 46 players on the Pioneer Football League’s Academic Honor Roll for the 2013 fall semester, while Caleb Brown, Rob East and John Russ were named Academic All-PFL.

Before Mercer:
Lamb’s Furman teams posted outstanding academic credentials. In the seven seasons since the NCAA instituted the Academic Progress Rate (APR) monitoring system – which tracks eligibility, retention and graduation – Furman’s program produced the highest APR scores among Southern Conference schools.

Likewise, Furman football had the SoCon’s top results on the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) with a score of 97 percent in 2009-10.

During his tenure guiding Furman’s program, Lamb had a 67-40 record (.626) as its head coach. He led the Paladins to winning records in eight of his nine seasons and made four trips to the NCAA I-AA (now Football Championship Series) playoffs, reaching the quarterfinals in 2004 and the semifinals in 2005.

His 2004 squad won the SoCon championship and Lamb was tabbed as the league’s Coach of the Year. He also produced three runner-up, two third-place and two fourth-place SoCon finishes during his tenure. Lamb’s Paladins achieved national rankings of No. 5 in 2004 and No. 3 in 2005.

Including his 16 seasons as an assistant coach – where he spent the majority of his time as the passing game coordinator and working with quarterbacks – Lamb’s Furman teams compiled a composite record of 193-105-3 (.646) in 25 seasons. When you factor in Lamb’s four seasons as a quarterback for the Paladins from 1982 to 1985, when Furman was 39-10-1, his aggregate won-loss record jumps to .667. In 30 seasons of coaching on the collegiate gridiron, Lamb has only been involved with four below .500 campaigns.

As a player at Furman, Lamb was a part of three SoCon championship teams and three NCAA I-AA playoff berths. As a senior, he was the SoCon Player of the Year, the NCAA I-AA passing efficiency national leader and led the Paladins to an NCAA I-AA national runner-up finish. He is also a member of Furman’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

“I have been very impressed with President Underwood and Athletic Director Jim Cole and the vision and leadership they are providing at Mercer,” said Lamb of his decision to come to the Macon institution. “One of the qualities that most attracted me to Mercer was their emphasis on the true student-athlete. I have spent the past 29 years at an institution with very similar expectations.

“Sometimes the term student-athlete is used nonchalantly. People forget that it is student first and athlete second. I have always stressed the importance of academics before athletics as a player, coach, and father. I believe my philosophy for building strong men who will become leaders in their communities, will be a perfect fit with Mercer.

“God has provided this tremendous opportunity for me to assist in the reinstatement of football at Mercer. I look forward to leading Mercer football to the top”

Lamb is a 1982 graduate of Commerce (Ga.) High School and went on to earn his B.A. in health and exercise science from Furman in 1987. He also earned his M.Ed. degree from Furman in health and exercise science in 1992.

Lamb, who was born on Christmas Eve in 1962, is married to the former Allyson Acker. The couple has two children: a daughter, Sallie, and a son, Taylor.


Year by Year with Bobby Lamb



Year
School
Position
Record
Postseason
Notes


1986
Furman
Student Assistant/QBs
7-3-2
NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals



1987
Furman
Defensive Ends
7-4




1988
Furman
Defensive Ends
13-2
NCAA I-AA National Champions
SoCon Champions


1989
Furman
Quarterbacks
12-2
NCAA I-AA Semifinals
SoCon Champions


1990
Furman
Quarterbacks
9-4
NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals
SoCon Champions


1991
Furman
Quarterbacks
7-4




1992
Furman
Quarterbacks
6-5




1993
Furman
QBs/Receivers/Passing Game Coord.
5-5-1




1994
Furman
QBs/Receivers/Passing Game Coord.
3-8




1995
Furman
QBs/Receivers/Passing Game Coord.
6-5




1996
Furman
QBs/Receivers/Passing Game Coord.
9-4
NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals



1997
Furman
QBs/Receivers/Passing Game Coord.
7-4




1998
Furman
QBs/Receivers/Passing Game Coord.
5-6




1999
Furman
QBs/Passing Game Coord.
9-3
NCAA I-AA Playoffs
SoCon Champions; defeated UNC, 28-3


2000
Furman
QBs/Passing Game Coord.
9-3
NCAA I-AA Playoffs



2001
Furman
QBs/Passing Game Coord.
12-3
NCAA I-AA National Runner-Up
SoCon Champions










2002
Furman
Head Coach
8-4
NCAA I-AA Playoffs



2003
Furman
Head Coach
6-5




2004
Furman
Head Coach
10-3
NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals
SoCon Champions


2005
Furman
Head Coach
11-3
NCAA I-AA Semifinals



2006
Furman
Head Coach
8-4
NCAA I-AA Playoffs



2007
Furman
Head Coach
6-5




2008
Furman
Head Coach
7-5




2009
Furman
Head Coach
6-5




2010
Furman
Head Coach
5-6












2013
Mercer
Head Coach
10-2

NCAA record for most wins by first-year program


2014
Mercer
Head Coach
6-6




2015
Mercer
Head Coach
5-6

Program's first win over nationally-ranked opponent


2016
Mercer
Head Coach
6-5




2017
Mercer
Head Coach
5-6

Twice defeated nationally-ranked opponents


2018
Mercer
Head Coach
5-6

Defeated nationally-ranked opponent





104-71

[Gangtackle11]

https://villanova.com/images/2018/5/10/12732924.jpeg?width=300
MARKFERRANTE


TITLE Head Coach
EMAIL [email protected]
PHONE 7787




A longtime member of the Wildcats coaching staff, Mark Ferrante takes over the reins of the program for his first season as head coach in 2017. Ferrante was an assistant coach under Andy Talley for the past 30 years, including the last 18 seasons as Assistant Head Coach. It was announced at a press conference on January 30, 2016 that Ferrante would become the 30th head coach of the Villanova Football program following Talley's retirement at the end of the 2016 season.Ferrante will lead one of the nation's elite FCS programs after playing an instrumental role in the Wildcats rise to national prominence over the past three decades. He has been a part of the coaching staff for all 12 of the team's FCS playoff trips, including three national semifinal appearances and winning the 2009 national championship. Villanova has also won six conference titles, three Lambert Meadowlands Cups and three ECAC Team of the Year awards. Six of the Wildcats playoff appearances have come in the past nine years alone, and the team has been a mainstay in the national rankings for much of that recent span.
Others have taken note of the success that Ferrante has been a part of throughout his time on the Main Line. At the end of the 2015 season, he was named the FCS Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.
Those characteristics exemplify Ferrante's dedication to the complete student-athlete experience, evidence of which can be seen in the program's consistent academic success. The football team has earned public recognition awards from the NCAA in each of the last two years for ranking in the top 10 percent of FCS programs in academic performance measured by the multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR). In addition, a Villanova student-athlete has been named the CAA Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year four times in the past 10 years. More than 40 student-athletes from the Wildcats have been named to the CAA All-Academic Team in each of the past two academic years.
One of Ferrante's biggest success stories was coaching Jake Prus on the Villanova offensive line. Prus was identified as a bone marrow match for a patient in need at the start of his senior year in 2015, and took time out of the season to donate peripheral blood stem cells to the patient he was a match for. Prus excelled both on and off the field for the Wildcats, and was named the winner of the CAA Football Chuck Boone Leadership Award following the 2015 season. He was also selected as the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2015-16 academic year, and was a two-time Capital One Academic All-District selection.
As Andy Talley's right-hand man for so many years, Ferrante was involved in every facet of the Wildcats program. On the field, he coached the Villanova offensive line for the last 27 seasons and developed a unit that is traditionally one of the best in CAA Football. Over the years he has coached three All-Americans, 11 All-East performers and 15 first team all-conference selections.
Two of Ferrante's players went on to be NFL draft picks, including second-round selection Ben Ijalana by the Indianapolis Colts (2011) and seventh-round pick Brad Seaton by the Tennessee Titans (2017). Seaton was a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection in 2016, when the offensive line enabled Villanova to average 206.3 rushing yards and 378.7 yards of total offense per game. The Wildcats ranked third in CAA Football and 24th in the nation in rushing offense, in addition to ranking fourth in the league in total offense and fifth with a scoring average of 24.4 points per game.
Ijalana was an All-American in both 2009 and 2010, as well as being a three-time first team All-CAA selection during his collegiate career. Villanova reached the FCS playoffs in each of Ijalana's last three seasons on the team, winning the 2009 national title and advancing to the semifinal round a year later. The other All-Americans who Ferrante has mentored are Eamonn Allen (2001) and Bryan Russo (1989). Allen earned first team Associated Press All-America recognition in 2001 and was also a first team All-East and first team All-Atlantic 10 selection.
Villanova's offensive line has produced 17 all-conference performers in the last nine years, including six first team selections, five second team picks and six third team honorees in that span. In addition to Ijalana, the other first team selections are Brant Clouser (2010), Dan Shirey (2011) and Vince Kowalski (2014).
Ferrante was a standout collegiate player in his own right prior to joining the coaching ranks. He was the quarterback for Andy Talley at St. Lawrence University, where he was named a second team All-American in 1982 and also earned first team All-East honors. Ferrante directed the offense for a St. Lawrence team that went 10-1 during the 1982 season and reached the national semifinals in the playoffs.
Ferrante went on to join Talley's coaching staff at St. Lawrence, and spent one season as the running backs coach in in 1983. His other coaching stops before coming to Villanova include coaching the running backs at Wagner (1984) and Lafayette (1985-86).
Ferrante and his wife, Georgea, reside in Phoenixville, Pa. The couple have a 21-year-old son, Jimmy, who will begin his senior year at Villanova in the fall of 2017.

[dbackjon]

Northern Arizona Head Coach Chris Ball

https://nauathletics.com/images/2019/2/5/Ball_Chris_H_18_.jpg?width=300


Chris Ball was named as the 30th head coach in the 104-year history of NAU Football on December 10, 2018.

Ball, who has over 30 years of college football coaching experience, arrives at Northern Arizona after serving for three seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Memphis under head coach Mike Norvell.

Ball has a reputation of producing defenses that create turnovers, and he didn’t disappoint in his three seasons at the helm of the Memphis defense. Ball’s defense at Memphis ranked as one of the nation’s most-opportunistic units during his tenure with the Tigers, forcing the fifth-most turnovers over a three-year span among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) squads with 80 (29 in 2016/31 in 2017/20 in 2018). The 31 caused turnovers were tied for third nationally in 2017, and the 29 forced in 2016 were tied for fifth nationally.

Of the 80 forced turnovers, 40 were fumble recoveries (13 in 2016/15 in 2017/12 in 2018), which is among the FBS’ top-10 over the last three campaigns. In 2016, the 13 fumble recoveries were tied for sixth in FBS in 2016, the 15 in 2017 were tied for fourth nationally and 12 recoveries in 2018 ranked ninth among national FBS leaders.

Not only did the Tigers force turnovers, they made a habit of capitalizing on their opponents’ miscues. Of the 80 turnovers by opponents from 2016-18, Memphis scored 44 times, including seven defensive touchdowns (six interception returns/one fumble recovery). The defense also ranked in top-20 in FBS in turnover margin in both 2016 and 2017 and sat among the top 50 national leaders in 2018 (+4). In 2016, the Tigers were 18th nationally in turnover margin at +8. The 2017 season saw Memphis nearly double its turnover margin at +15, which was third in FBS. The +15 turnover margin marked the Tigers’ best in the 21st century.

Ball’s aggressive style of defense has helped players develop and flourish in his system. Linebacker Genard Avery, who set the Memphis school record with 22 TFL in 2017, was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference first team selection and became the Cleveland Browns’ fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. TJ Carter, a highly-recruited talent, further developed his skills in Ball’s defense. Carter, the 2017 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, picked off a Memphis freshman-record five passes. The five interceptions were tied for 15th in FBS overall and deadlocked for third nationally among FBS freshmen. Carter also earned Freshman All-America honors in 2017. Former defensive back Arthur Maulet thrived in 2016. Maulet led the team with 13 pass breakups and also had two interceptions. From his secondary position, Maulet logged 7.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks. In May 2017, Maulet signed a free-agent contract with his hometown New Orleans Saints. He made six appearances for the Saints in 2017.

Prior to Memphis, Ball was at Arizona State from 2012-15 and served as the defensive passing game coordinator and safeties coach in 2012, before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator the following season. In his four seasons in Tempe, Ball helped guide seven Sun Devils defensive backs to All-Pac-12 honors. One of Ball’s pupils was All-Pac-12 first team honoree Damarious Randall, who was a first round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.

[mvemjsunpx]

Montana HC:

https://s31.postimg.cc/jv511vdsb/image_handler.jpg


Bobby Hauck
2nd. Season (2nd. stint—9th. season total)
54 Years Old (55 @ season start)
Montana '88 (B.A.)
UCLA '91 (M.S.)
Big Timber, MT
Big Timber HS


Overall Record (total): 101-72 (.584)
Overall Record (@ UM): 86-22 (.796)
Big Sky Record: 51-10 (.836)
FCS Playoff Record: 11-7 (.611)


Coaching Experience

DB/DL - Montana (1988-89)
Grad Assistant - UCLA (1990-92)
OLB - Northern Arizona (1993-94)
S/OLB/ST Coordinator - Colorado (1995-98)
DB/ST Coordinator - Washington (1999-02)
Head Coach - Montana (2003-09)
Head Coach - UNLV (2010-14)
ST Coordinator/Associate HC - San Diego St. (2015-17)
Head Coach - Montana (2018-present)