UNCBearsFan
December 27th, 2005, 07:09 PM
GREELEY, Colo. - The University of Northern Colorado has named Nebraska assistant coach Scott Downing the 15th head coach in Bears football history, Athletic Director Jay S. Hinrichs announced Tuesday.
Downing, 49, comes to Northern Colorado after three years as recruiting coordinator while also coaching tight ends and kicking specialists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Downing previously was an assistant coach at Division I-A universities Purdue and Wyoming. He was head coach at his alma mater, Sterling College, an NAIA school in Sterling, Kan.
"Coach Downing has the ability to change the perception and change the culture here at Northern Colorado," Hinrichs said. "He will build with upperclassmen, bring in great recruiting classes and definitely outwork the competition. This job does not come without some great expectations; we know that Coach Downing is the best person for this program at this point in our reclassification.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the advisory committee and chair Sherri Frye for all of their work during this process. We are all very excited to have Scott and his wife Karen and their three sons join us in Greeley."
Northern Colorado, which will finish the four-year National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) reclassification process to Division I (I-AA in football) in 2006, will join the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2006, and the program will face a full Big Sky schedule next season.
"It is an honor to become the head football coach at the University of Northern Colorado," Downing said. "Our staff will do our very best to carry on the winning tradition and lead us into the Big Sky. My family and I are excited to become part of this Northern Colorado family."
As an assistant to head coach Bill Callahan at Nebraska (2003-05), Downing helped coordinate recruiting efforts that landed the Cornhuskers one of the top-rated recruiting classes in the nation. His recruiting efforts helped Nebraska shake off its first losing campaign in 43 seasons in 2004, improving to 7-4 in 2005 and earning an appearance in the Alamo Bowl to be played Wednesday night versus Michigan.
Downing also helped the Cornuskers' punters gain national recognition. He coached current Cincinnati Bengal Kyle Larson, who earned first-team All-American honors for the Cornhuskers. Larson was also a finalist for the 2003 Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top punter. The past two seasons, Downing has coached Sam Koch, who finished the 2004 season with a 41.3 yards/punt average and helped NU to a No. 16 national ranking in net punting (38.39 ypp). This season, Koch is third nationally in punting (45.9/punt) and Nebraska ranks second nationally in net punting (39.83 ypp).
Before Nebraska, Downing spent six seasons (1997-02) as assistant head coach and running backs and special teams coach at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., under head coach Joe Tiller. He guided the Boilermakers' Travis Dorsch to All-American honors as both a kicker and punter. Dorsch won the 2001 Ray Guy Award and finished his career as the Big Ten's all-time leader in field goals (68) and kicking points (355). As running backs coach, he guided Joey Harris to a 1,115-yard rushing season and eight touchdowns in 2002.
Downing also spent 10 seasons (1987-96) at the University of Wyoming, the final six under Tiller. From 1987-90, he was the linebackers coach for the Cowboys before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1991. He served in that capacity from 1991-94 and then served as assistant head coach, coaching running backs and special teams in 1995 and 1996. During his time in Laramie, UW made four bowl appearances and won Western Athletic Conference (WAC) titles in 1987, 1988 and 1993 and the WAC Pacific Division title in 1996.
Before Wyoming, Downing served as a graduate assistant under legendary Nebraska coach Tom Osborne and was the Huskers freshman head coach in 1986. During his first stint in Lincoln, NU had a 29-7 record and played in the 1985 and 1987 Sugar Bowls and 1986 Fiesta Bowl.
Downing earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1979 from Sterling (Kan.) College. He was a four-year letterwinner (1975-78) for the Warriors at offensive guard. He was the squad's co-captain in each of his final two seasons. Following graduation, he was an assistant coach at Sterling for two seasons (1980-81) and was the program's head coach from 1982-83. During his two years as head coach, Sterling was 13-4-1 overall and ranked in the NAIA's final top 20 poll for the first time in school history. Downing was inducted into the Sterling Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
A native of Kansas City, Mo, Downing and his wife, Karen, have three sons, Matthew (18), Andrew (15) and Zachary (12).
A formal opportunity to meet Coach Downing will be held on Wednesday January 11th at 4:00 p.m. at the Butler Hancock Athletic Center prior to the men's basketball game versus Denver.
Downing, 49, comes to Northern Colorado after three years as recruiting coordinator while also coaching tight ends and kicking specialists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Downing previously was an assistant coach at Division I-A universities Purdue and Wyoming. He was head coach at his alma mater, Sterling College, an NAIA school in Sterling, Kan.
"Coach Downing has the ability to change the perception and change the culture here at Northern Colorado," Hinrichs said. "He will build with upperclassmen, bring in great recruiting classes and definitely outwork the competition. This job does not come without some great expectations; we know that Coach Downing is the best person for this program at this point in our reclassification.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the advisory committee and chair Sherri Frye for all of their work during this process. We are all very excited to have Scott and his wife Karen and their three sons join us in Greeley."
Northern Colorado, which will finish the four-year National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) reclassification process to Division I (I-AA in football) in 2006, will join the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2006, and the program will face a full Big Sky schedule next season.
"It is an honor to become the head football coach at the University of Northern Colorado," Downing said. "Our staff will do our very best to carry on the winning tradition and lead us into the Big Sky. My family and I are excited to become part of this Northern Colorado family."
As an assistant to head coach Bill Callahan at Nebraska (2003-05), Downing helped coordinate recruiting efforts that landed the Cornhuskers one of the top-rated recruiting classes in the nation. His recruiting efforts helped Nebraska shake off its first losing campaign in 43 seasons in 2004, improving to 7-4 in 2005 and earning an appearance in the Alamo Bowl to be played Wednesday night versus Michigan.
Downing also helped the Cornuskers' punters gain national recognition. He coached current Cincinnati Bengal Kyle Larson, who earned first-team All-American honors for the Cornhuskers. Larson was also a finalist for the 2003 Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top punter. The past two seasons, Downing has coached Sam Koch, who finished the 2004 season with a 41.3 yards/punt average and helped NU to a No. 16 national ranking in net punting (38.39 ypp). This season, Koch is third nationally in punting (45.9/punt) and Nebraska ranks second nationally in net punting (39.83 ypp).
Before Nebraska, Downing spent six seasons (1997-02) as assistant head coach and running backs and special teams coach at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., under head coach Joe Tiller. He guided the Boilermakers' Travis Dorsch to All-American honors as both a kicker and punter. Dorsch won the 2001 Ray Guy Award and finished his career as the Big Ten's all-time leader in field goals (68) and kicking points (355). As running backs coach, he guided Joey Harris to a 1,115-yard rushing season and eight touchdowns in 2002.
Downing also spent 10 seasons (1987-96) at the University of Wyoming, the final six under Tiller. From 1987-90, he was the linebackers coach for the Cowboys before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1991. He served in that capacity from 1991-94 and then served as assistant head coach, coaching running backs and special teams in 1995 and 1996. During his time in Laramie, UW made four bowl appearances and won Western Athletic Conference (WAC) titles in 1987, 1988 and 1993 and the WAC Pacific Division title in 1996.
Before Wyoming, Downing served as a graduate assistant under legendary Nebraska coach Tom Osborne and was the Huskers freshman head coach in 1986. During his first stint in Lincoln, NU had a 29-7 record and played in the 1985 and 1987 Sugar Bowls and 1986 Fiesta Bowl.
Downing earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1979 from Sterling (Kan.) College. He was a four-year letterwinner (1975-78) for the Warriors at offensive guard. He was the squad's co-captain in each of his final two seasons. Following graduation, he was an assistant coach at Sterling for two seasons (1980-81) and was the program's head coach from 1982-83. During his two years as head coach, Sterling was 13-4-1 overall and ranked in the NAIA's final top 20 poll for the first time in school history. Downing was inducted into the Sterling Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
A native of Kansas City, Mo, Downing and his wife, Karen, have three sons, Matthew (18), Andrew (15) and Zachary (12).
A formal opportunity to meet Coach Downing will be held on Wednesday January 11th at 4:00 p.m. at the Butler Hancock Athletic Center prior to the men's basketball game versus Denver.