100 DAYS! 13 Annual GAS Countdown.

[GreatAppSt]

Only 100 days left!!!

Welcome one and all to the 13th Annual GreatAppSt Countdown!! It's that time again girls n' boys, WOOOOT!!!


Who cares about Memorial day shopping, Fouth of July, and Lazy days of Summer. I'm looking past all that yet again, towards College football season, fall weather, outdoor culinary delights, good spirits, ;-} and gatherings of friends young and old, and even many friends from opposing teams.

I know that if you're here reading this (again)you're looking forward with as much enthusiasm and anticipation as I am.
13 Years, to old to even type a new intro just cut n paste. I like to thank all the fans from many teams and different boards, who have joined in and expressed their enjoyment of the countdown over many years. Again, it has been and is still a great pleasure for me to do the countdown for Y'all.

Pardon my musing back for awhile. Just 13 years ago my computer was running on the then new Windows 98, and a 56k dialup modem was the shize. I had just traded my pager for a new fangled analog cell phone. 13 years was 4 homes ago (soon to be 5 homes. I was still living in my first house. I was still working at my first real job and Soldiering a weekend a month. Still had my first Dog from the college days.


I was 32 and fit, now 45 and flabby, Lulu was still in her 20's. Keeping up with the I-AA football teams required some detective work back then, and tuning in to Headline News into the wee hours, upon returning from games to watch the score ticker. I fought a lot of fights with FBS I-A trolls on the ESPN board before they essentially kicked the then I-AA areas off their site. So many fast paced chages have happened it's bewildering if you dwell on it much. However, I must confess, I do take some comfort in a few things that remain the same and will always be so, since then. GSU still stinks and Cappy was already fat.

Now on to the same ol' yearly intro!!!!

The G.A.S. Countdown is NOT just the often used impersonal, automatic backwards clock ticker (when I started this there were no others of any kind that I could find and trust me I looked). This countdown IS a work of passion for the enjoyment of others and myself. The G.A.S. countdown IS the often IMITATED but never duplicated ORIGINAL (like a Coney Island hot dog) build up to a new season of thrills, chills, and spills. Fun for ALL and all are welcomed along for the (like all Italian pizzeria's claim), Worlds Best Countdown!

THE RULES
1.) This is the G.A.S. Countdown.


2.) Only full 24 hr Calendar days
left before 12:01am of gameday are counted. The day before gameday is counted at Zero, as are only hours are left then.


3.) I countdown to Gameday, the beginning of what my heart is passionate for, the start of APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITIES FOOTBALL SEASON!!!


4.) Barring catastophic events the day will be posted this is my pledge. Please be patient it may be later in the evening before I have a chance to post.


5.) Follow up posts with player info from other I-AA teams are encouraged and warmly welcomed. I love reading about players bios and stats from the competion.


6.) (Actually more of a pet peeve/request) I understand that some teams start their season before ASU and some after, this is the case every year. I assume most AGS posters have or are working on some level of higher education. So if your team has one of the other start dates just subtract or add those days in your head for your own count. Please just post your player with the rest of us, your more than welcome to do so without starting a new thread with a different count. It clutters the board. Also, please post follow ups only to the current days thread, it's very confusing to look at the board and 86 days is ahead of 80 days which is ahead 79 days. If you miss posting of a player on a previous day just add it to the current days thread, we'll more than understand . Thanks Y'alls help for a smooth countdown will be much appreciated.

FCS IS BEST, ENJOY!!

ERIC aka G.A.S.

No player with # 100, so here's the Traditional Coaches posting.

Apps HC Jerry Moore




Jerry Moore just completed his 22'nd season at the helm of Appalachian State University’s football program.

Honors

AFCA National Coach of the Year:
2005, 2006, 2007

Eddie Robinson Award:
2006
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year:
1994, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2008

SoCon Coach of the Year:
1991, 1994, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2008

The winningest football coach in ASU and Southern Conference history, Moore is 178-73 in 20 seasons at Appalachian and 205-121-2 in 27 years as a head coach, which includes stints at North Texas (1979-80) and Texas Tech (1981-85). He is one of only four active NCAA Division I FCS head coaches with 200 career victories and 23rd among all NCAA Division I coaches (FCS or FBS) in all-time victories.

Despite the success that Moore has enjoyed at nearly every stop of his 48-year coaching career, the past four seasons have cemented his standing as one of the game’s all-time great mentors.

Moore led the Mountaineers to three-consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS — formerly Division I-AA) national titles from 2005-07. He also led the Apps to their fourth-straight SoCon title in 2008 with a perfect 8-0 conference record, marking just the fourth time in the 76-year history of the venerable league that a program has won four championships in a row.

Since the beginning of the title run in 2005, Moore’s Mountaineers compiled a 50-9 record and etched themselves in the record books with a number of other “firsts.” Most notably, the Apps became the first institution from the state of North Carolina to ever win an NCAA football championship at any level when it defeated Northern Iowa, 21-16, in the 2005 Division I-AA national title game — a feat they repeated with wins over Massachusetts (28-17) and Delaware (49-21) in the 2006 and ‘07 NCAA Division I national championship tilts.

Additionally, Appalachian became a household name when Moore led his troops to perhaps the biggest upset in college football history, a 34-32 triumph over Michigan in the 2007 season opener. The victory over the Wolverines, college football’s all-time winningest program which came into the contest ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 college football poll, marked the first time that an FCS team ever toppled a nationally ranked FBS opponent.

However, Moore’s success at ASU did not begin in 2005, as the Mountaineers’ triumphs over the past four seasons has enhanced Moore’s standing as one of the nation’s finest coaches rather than defined it. In addition to racking up 178 victories at ASU – 68 more than the second-winningest coach in SoCon history, legendary Duke mentor Wallace Wade – Moore has led ASU to seven conference championships and 14 postseason appearances. In his 20 seasons at ASU, 54 of his players have earned all-America recognition a total of 76 times.

Moore is no stranger to individual awards himself, as he is a three-time American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007) and the only Division I (FCS or FBS) mentor in the 74-year history of the award to win it three years in a row. He also won the 2006 Eddie Robinson Award (National Coach of the Year) from The Sports Network, is a five-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (1994, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2008) and record six-time SoCon Coach of the Year (1991, 1994, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2008). In 2009, he will be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

In addition to his 20-year tenure at ASU, Moore served as head coach at North Texas (1979-80) and Texas Tech (1981-85) and spent 15 seasons on the staffs of legendary mentors Hayden Fry, Tom Osborne and Ken Hatfield at SMU (1965-72), Nebraska (1973-78) and Arkansas (1988). He continued to add to his already impressive coaching resume in January 2006 when he served as an assistant coach at the annual Hula Bowl all-star game in Honolulu.


Moore began his coaching career with four seasons as an assistant at Corsicana H.S. in Texas after graduating from Baylor in 1961. At Baylor, he finished among the nation’s top 10 in receptions as a wide receiver and was a team captain for the 11th-ranked Bears as a senior.

A native of Bonham, Texas, Moore was an all-state performer on the gridiron and earned 14 varsity letters in four sports at Bonham H.S. He is a member of the Bonham Athletics Hall of Fame.


An active and well-respected member of the American Football Coaches Association, Moore is also active in various church and civic groups. His sense of community has never been more evident than in the months following ASU's three national-championship runs, when he practiced a “never say no” philosophy with regards to the numerous speaking engagements that he was asked to participate in. As many as five nights a week, Moore has traveled across the Carolinas and the Southeast to appear at as many of the banquets, clinics and other engagements that he was asked to speak at as possible.

[ODUalum11]

Been looking forward to this for a while GAS.

ODU also has no player with the #100 so ODU Monarch Football Head Coach Bobby Wilder.







When he was hired on February 13, 2007, Bobby Wilder's goal was to "AIM HIGH" in everything he did in resurrecting the Old Dominion football team from a 69-year absence. After two years of orchestrating every piece of the puzzle, Wilder's vision has become reality as he has built a program that has not only been the buzz of the Hampton Roads community, but has become the most successful start-up FCS program in history.

Wilder and his staff's inaugural season of play at the Football Championship Subdivision level went well beyond expectations. From the celebrated kickoff versus Chowan, to the heart pounding first FCS victory against Jacksonville, to ensuring a winning season at Savannah State, to extending the win-streak to six in the season finale at VMI, history was made every step of the way. The Monarchs concluded the 2009 season at 9-2 overall writing their way into history.

The Monarchs finished the year ranked in the top ten in five statistical categories as a team including second in sacks allowed, third in scoring offense, turnover margin, and net punting, and ninth in rushing offense. Individually, ODU had its first football All-Americans named in punter Jonathan Plisco and long snapper Dustin Phillips with Plisco leading the nation in punt yardage averaging 44.84 yards per contest. Quarterback Thomas DeMarco was also ranked in the top ten in scoring and was the second leading FCS signal caller in rushing. Wilder meanwhile received the Tom Fergusson Memorial Award at the 65th Norfolk Sports Club Jamboree named as the Metropolitan Person of the Year in Sports.

Year two proved to be just as successful. The Old Dominion football team finished its second season of football at 8-3 in 2010 and over the last two seasons has combined for a 17-5 mark as the winningest FCS start-up program in the books. The Monarchs, who upgraded their schedule in year two in preparation for joining the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), added a pair of ranked opponents in #12/13 William & Mary and #14/16 Cal Poly and continued to play in front of capacity crowds of 19,782 in all seven of its home games. Statistically speaking, the Monarchs finished their second season of gridiron action fourth in kickoff returns, ranked eighth in scoring offense, eighth in sacks allowed, and 15th in passing offense. Under Wilder's tutelage, punter Jonathan Plisco ranked second nationally in punting, quarterback Thomas DeMarco continued to rank among the top 10 in total offense, newcomer Colby Goodwyn ran this way to third nationally in punt returns, and Ronnie Cameron pushed his way into eighth overall among FCS defenders in tackles for loss.

In addition to his recruiting efforts, Wilder has also been an essential part in the planning and development of what are among the top football facilities in the country. The state-of-the-art $17 million Powhatan Sports Complex that houses the ODU football offices, athletic and strength training areas, locker rooms and two practice fields with artificial surface and the $24.8 million Foreman Field Football Complex, which includes the Ainslie Game Day Building, Astoturf GameDay Grass 3D field surface, scoreboard, sound system, field enclosure and a contiguous parking garage, are among the best the FCS has to offer.
Wilder, his coaching staff, and the football Monarchs now gear up for the biggest challenge yet in 2011. The squad joins the CAA in 2011, the toughest FCS conference in the nation that featured four teams in this past season's playoffs including runner-up Delaware, as well as 2009 FCS champion Villanova, along with William & Mary and New Hampshire.

Since arriving in Norfolk, Wilder has hit the ground running and has not stopped in his quest to make Old Dominion one of the top programs in the country. Both on and off the field, the Monarch head coach is always making sure that the Old Dominion football program is visible throughout the campus, the community and the state. He has honored over 300 speaking engagements to a variety of organizations, but his most important talks have come with high schools coaches throughout the state. Wilder and his staff have made it a point to build a fence around the Hampton Roads community and the state of Virginia, with plans of building a first rate program with players a stones throw from the ODU campus.

Wilder has also been instrumental in getting his team active in the Hampton Roads Community. In what has become an annual event, the ODU Football Monarchs host a bone marrow registry drive and to date has helped register over 450 members of the ODU student body, faculty/staff, and the Hampton Roads community to the registry in an attempt to help save lives from life-threatening diseases nationwide. The Monarchs have also been active volunteering with Special Olympics, hosting youth clinics, and participating at reading and career days at many of the area's elementary and middle schools.

Prior to his arrival at ODU, Wilder served on the Maine staff for the past 17 years and was promoted to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2000 before moving to associate head coach in 2001.

As coordinator, Wilder has orchestrated a balanced attack. The Black Bears averaged 29.1 points per game in 2004, and scored 29 or more in seven of 11 games. Wilder helped tutor running back Marcus Williams, who rushed for 1,077 yards during his senior season, which moved him into first place in school history for career rushing yards. Maine also threw the ball a lot during the campaign as eight different receivers each had double-digit receptions. Ron Whitcomb was at the head of the passing attack as his completions (213) and attempts (350) were the fourth most in a single season since 1950. His 22 touchdown tosses were tied for third most since 1950. Overall, the offense averaged an impressive 5.2 yards per play.

Wilder was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston in 2004, which is p resented annually to the top assistant coach in New England.

In 2003, the Black Bears had over 2,000 yards rushing and passing with 4,142 total yards. The ground game was anchored by Williams and the passing game was in the hands of then-freshman Ron Whitcomb, who was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year as he posted 2,428 yards - the fifth most in a season at Maine.

The 2002 Black Bears finished the season with 4,702 yards in total offense, the most since a school-record 4,861 yards in 1989. In 2001, for the first time in school history, the offense boasted a 2,000-yard passer in Jake Eaton, a 1,000-yard rusher in Royston English, and a 1,000-yard receiver in Stefan Gomes.

Prior to moving to the coordinator post, Wilder served as quarterbacks coach during one of the most explosive eras in Maine history for Black Bear quarterbacks.

Wilder guided four-year starter Mickey Fein to 17 University marks, including the two highest season totals for touchdown passes. Fein ended his career as Maine's second all-time leading passer.

In 2000, Wilder's first full season as offensive coordinator, the Black Bears ranked third in the Atlantic 10 with 29.0 points per game. The rushing game increased its output by 41 yards per game from the previous season and Eaton garnered All-New England honors. Two wide receivers from that team, Dwayne Wilmot and Phil McGeoghan, signed pro contracts and were in NFL camps in 2001. In 2002, Maine tight end Chad Hayes signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and then played briefly with the Cincinnati Bengals.

A 1987 graduate of Maine with a degree in physical education, Wilder captained the Black Bears to the Yankee Conference Championship his senior year. An All-New England quarterback in 1985, he left Maine as the school's all-time leading passer with 4,493 yards, and is currently sixth behind Mike Buck, Emilio Colon, Fein, Eaton and Whitcomb on the career passing list. Wilder coached four of those former players and played with the fifth.

A 1982 graduate of Madison High School in Madison, Maine, Wilder was a highly recruited quarterback his senior year. He opted to attend Maine and in his sophomore year and led the Black Bears to their first of five consecutive winning seasons.

Upon graduation, Wilder served as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons under Jack Bicknell at Boston College, where he earned his master's degree in educational administration in 1990.

Wilder and his wife, Pam, live in Norfolk with their sons, Derek (13) and Drew (9).

[BDKJMU]

GAS- My 3rd pre season on here after 3 pre seasons on AGS, and I never saw those 1/2 doz rules/explanaitons rules posted (probably because I missed them). Maybe could those rules be posted on the beginning of each day's thread for those folks who don't come on here everyday and have never seen them? Just an idea..

[ODUalum11]

GAS- My 3rd pre season on here after 3 pre seasons on AGS, and I never saw those 1/2 doz rules/explanaitons rules posted (probably because I missed them). Maybe could those rules be posted on the beginning of each day's thread for those folks who don't come on here everyday and have never seen them? Just an idea..

+1

[BDKJMU]

Mickey Chester Matthews- the most beloved coach in the CAA!


Mickey Matthews
Position: Head Coach
Hometown: Andrews, Texas
Alma Mater: West Texas State, 1976

Mickey Matthews during 11 seasons (1999-2009) has firmly established James Madison University football among the nation's leading Football Championship Subdivision programs. While becoming the winningest coach in JMU football history, he has led the Dukes to an NCAA championship (2004) and to four other playoff appearances (1999, 2006, 2007, 2008).

Matthews has an 82-51 (.617) JMU record and during the 2008 season surpassed Challace McMillin's (1972-84) program record for wins. McMillin, JMU's first football coach, had a 67-56-1 mark. Matthews' teams are 55-20 during the last six years and have won the program's national title and received four post-season bids during that time. JMU tied for the 2004 Atlantic 10 championship and won the 2008 Colonial Athletic Association title with an 8-0 record. The Dukes are 37-11 in league play during the last six seasons.

Matthews three times has been national coach of the year (1999 Eddie Robinson Award by The Sports Network; American Football Coaches' 2004 award; 2008 Robinson Award and an award by Liberty Mutual) and was Atlantic 10 coach of the year in 1999 and CAA coach of the year in 2008.

JMU in 2004 was 13-2 and the first team to reach the Division I-AA title game with three road wins. JMU won at Lehigh (14-13), Furman (14-13) and William & Mary (48-34) and beat Montana (31-21) for the national crown. The 13 wins set a team season record.

JMU's 2004 losses were to nationally ranked Division I-A West Virginia and to a William & Mary team it later beat during the playoffs. The Dukes beat four nationally ranked teams during the regular season.

JMU reached the 2006 playoffs while going 9-3 and 2007 post-season play while going 8-4.

The Dukes in 2008 lost their opener at Football Bowl Subdivision Duke but went on to a 10-1 regular-season record and the top seeding in the NCAA playoffs. JMU tied its team record with 12 straight wins, set a team mark for regular-season wins, and was the nation's top-ranked team from late September through the end of the regular season. The Dukes played three playoff games at home and reached the national semifinals.

Matthews led JMU to a share of the Atlantic 10 title and to the league's automatic playoff bid in 1999 during his first year as a head coach. The Dukes were 8-3 during the regular season after being 3-8 the previous year.

In 2004 he was Virginia coach of the year by the state's sports information directors and the Norfolk and Portsmouth sports clubs, Division I-AA coach of the year by the All-America Football Foundation, and recipient of the Amarillo (Texas) chamber of commerce's achievement award. In 2006, he was the Richmond Touchdown Club's Virginia coach of the year.

* * * * *

Matthews' JMU players have received eight league player of the year awards. Curtis Keaton was league offensive player of the year and Chris Morant defender of the year in 1999; Derrick Lloyd was co-defender of the year and received the Buck Buchanan Award as national defender of the year in 2001; Tony LeZotte was league defender of the year in 2005 and 2007; Akeem Jordan was league defender of the year and national defender of the year by College Sporting News in 2006; Rodney Landers was league offensive player of the year and Scotty McGee league specialist of the year in 2008; and Arthur Moats was league defender of the year and received the Buck Buchanan Award as national defender of the year in 2009. Jordan was second in the Buchanan Award voting in 2006 and Landers was second in the voting for the Walter Payton Award in 2008.

* * * * *

Matthews in 1999 took his JMU job a week before spring practice was to begin, inheriting a team that had won but five of its previous 18 games and was picked to finish next to last in the Atlantic 10. The Dukes lost at Division I-A national runner-up Virginia Tech but then won seven straight games, finished the regular season 8-3 overall and 7-1 in the Atlantic 10, reached post-season play for the first time in four years.

The Dukes were named to 12 spots on the league's three all-star teams, and Keaton and Morant receiving player of the year honors was the first time in the league since 1980 that teammates won the awards. Never before had the same program gotten both player awards and the coaching honor.

Matthews was introduced as JMU's fifth head coach March 22, 1999, succeeding Alex Wood, who left to become quarterbacks' coach with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

* * * * *

Matthews' 2000 team was nationally ranked for most of the year before finishing 6-5 and had nine players receive all-league honors. His 2001 team, with only 11 seniors and 54 freshmen and red-shirt freshmen, was 2-9 with seven games decided by seven or fewer points.

JMU in 2002 was 5-7 and won two of its final three games with a squad that included only six seniors and five juniors. The Dukes won two overtime games, and six of their other contests were decided by seven or fewer points. JMU had eight All-Atlantic 10 honorees. JMU in 2003 was 6-6 with a team that had but four seniors.

His 2004 team won seven games by 10 or fewer points and two others that were scoreless into the second half. The balanced and deep JMU squad had only three first-team all-league honorees, including first-team All-Americas in offensive guard Matt Magerko and LeZotte, but had seven members named to the second and third all-league units.

JMU's 7-4 team in 2005 had a first-team All-America in LeZotte, and in 2006 Jordan was runner-up for the Buchanan Award. The 2006 Dukes had seven first-team all-league picks, and JMU was first nationally in kickoff return average (27.1 yards), second in sacks (4.0 per game), and fourth in rushing defense (84.8 yards per game) and passing efficiency (162.5).

The 2007 Dukes were 8-4 after falling 28-27 to eventual champion Appalachian State in the first round of NCAA play. LeZotte received his second league defender of the year award and All-America honors for the fourth time, and JMU was the national leader in fewest quarterback sacks allowed (0.5 per game).

JMU during the 2009 season won its final four games - all against league opponents - to finish 6-5. The 2009 Dukes won at Delaware for the first time since 1994 and at Massachusetts for the first time since 1987 during their season-closing four-game winning streak.

* * * * *

Matthews coached the linebackers and defensive backs at Georgia (1996-98), which won two bowl games during his tenure. He also coached Champ Bailey, the nation's top defender and Washington's first-round choice in the 1999 NFL draft.

Georgia was 5-6 in 1996, 10-2 in 1997 and 9-3 in 1998. The Bulldogs completed 1998 having won 20 of 25 games, including a Peach Bowl win over Virginia (35-33) and an Outback Bowl win over Wisconsin (33-6). With a supposedly rebuilding team in 1998, Georgia won four SEC road games and was second in the league and 16th nationally in scoring defense (17.2 points per game).

At Marshall from 1990-95, Matthews was part of a program that won the Division I-AA title in 1992, was runner-up in 1991, 1993 and 1995, and was a 1994 semifinalist. The Herd led the nation in scoring defense in 1993 and was seventh nationally in 1990 and 1995.

Marshall won 64 games during Matthews' six years (58 the last five seasons) and won 11 or more games and made the playoffs from 1991-95. The Herd was 45-4 at home and 15-4 in post-season play. Marshall led the Southern Conference in total defense four times (1990, 1993-95), scoring defense three times (1990, 1993-94), passing defense twice (1990, 1994) and rushing defense twice (1992, 1995).

Matthews Biographical Information

Born
Nov. 8, 1953 in Andrews, Texas.

High School
Andrews (Texas) High School

College
Bachelor's in education from West Texas State (1976). Has done graduate work at Texas Christian.

Playing Career
Four letters as a halfback and receiver at West Texas State after earning 12 letters in four high school sports. Rated by Texas Football magazine as a "blue chipper" and was All-South Plain player of the year in 1971 and a National Honor Society member.


Coaching Career

1999-Present: Head coach, JMU.
1996-98: Assistant, Georgia (LB, 1996-97; DB, 1998). Georgia won two bowl games (Outback, Peach) during his tenure, and he coached first-round NFL draftee Champ Bailey.
1990-95: Assistant, Marshall (defensive coordinator, assistant head coach).
1988-89: Assistant, Southwest Texas State (defensive coordinator, assistant head coach).
1987: Assistant, Texas Christian (DB).
1986: Assistant, Houston (OLB, special teams).
1982-85: Assistant, Texas-El Paso (DB).
1980-81: Assistant, West Texas State (DB, recruiting coordinator).
1978-79: Part-time assistant, Kansas State (RB).
1976-77: Assistant, Lamar (Texas) High School (offensive backs).

Personal Data
Michael Chester Matthews... married the former Kay Bolger of Irving, Texas... they have a daughter, Meredith Anne; a son, Clayton, who played for JMU in 2001 and 2002 and who is a JMU assistant coach; and two grandchildren.

[BDKJMU]

[youtube][/youtube]

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Craig Bohl


North Dakota State head football coach Craig Bohl directed the football program through the five-year obstacle course known as "reclassification", and is focused on building a solid and consistent NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program.

The tireless Bohl enters his ninth season with a 61-30 record including a 4-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. Bohl led the Bison to their first home and road playoff wins in 2010 - defeating Robert Morris and scoring an upset over Montana St in Bozeman.

[Skjellyfetti]

[UAalum72]

Bob Ford
University at Albany
Football Head Coach

The architect of the University at Albany's football program, Bob Ford has established a solid reputation with his positive attitude and a coaching philosophy that instills loyalty among each member of his team and staff.
Ford, who has been UAlbany's only head coach since the program was reinstated after a 46-year absence, was appointed on April 27, 1970. Since then, he has compiled a 37-year varsity record of 232-147 as the Great Dane mentor, while his 241 career victories rank first among active NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) head coaches. His UAlbany teams own a 74-47 mark for a .612 winning percentage as a Division I FCS program.
The Great Danes posted a 7-4 record and finished second in the Northeast Conference standings last year. UAlbany also defeated No. 20 Maine, 20-16, the first victory over a national top-20 opponent since the 2006 campaign.
In 2008, The Great Danes put together their second consecutive championship season with a NEC crown and a victory over Jacksonville in the Gridrion Classic. Ford's squad became the first NEC program to win the Gridiron postseason game. UAlbany finished with a 9-3 record, the most victories in a Division I FCS campaign. Ford, who was voted NEC coach of the year for the third time, led UAlbany to an undefeated league season for the second straight year. Tailback David McCarty, the school's career rushing leader, and offensive tackle Raphael Nguti were both chosen as All-Americans.
UAlbany also won the NEC championship in 2007, when Ford was named the conference's top coach. The Great Danes made their fifth postseason appearance in team history when they played Dayton for the FCS mid-major national title in the Gridiron Classic. UAlbany posted an 8-4 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark against league opposition.
Ford, who was honored at the 69th annual Maxwell Awards for recording his 200th career win at UAlbany on Nov. 5, 2005, has produced 12 All-America players and 114 all-conference selections at the FCS level. Offensive tackle Raphael Nguti became the fourth Great Dane to be selected to the AFCA FCS All-America first team in 2008, joining J.T. Herfurth (2000), Geir Gudmundsen (2004) and Colin Disch (2006).
In 2003, UAlbany shared its second consecutive Northeast Conference crown by finishing in a tie for first place in the conference standings with a 7-4 overall mark. The Great Danes were fourth among the FCS Division I leaders in rushing, while tailback Gary Jones was named to the Associated Press All-America Team for the second time in his career.
The Great Danes put together one of their most celebrated seasons in 2002 by winning the program's first-ever Northeast Conference title and capping the year with a 24-0 upset of previously unbeaten Duquesne in the ECAC Division I-AA Football Classic. Ford, who directed his team to an 8-4 record, was named the NEC Coach of the Year. UAlbany placed 14 players on the all-conference squad.
Ford, who served as president of the American Football Coaches Association to begin this decade, led UAlbany to a 7-2 record in its inaugural campaign as a I-AA program in 1999. The Great Danes garnered seven wins in 2001, and finished among the conference's top teams for the third straight year.
As a Division II program, Ford led the Great Danes to their second consecutive Eastern Football Conference championship, an EFC Atlantic Division title, and a 10-1 record in 1998. He was named the conference's coach of the year for the second straight season. Ford also received the Gordon White-Herschel Nissenson Division II Coach of the Year Award by the Metropolitan New York Football Writers Association.
Ford coached his 1997 team to a school-record 11-1 mark and an EFC championship. For his efforts, he was named the Football Gazette Division II non-scholarship national Coach of the Year, and voted the top Region I coach by GTE and the American Football Coaches Association.
At one time, Ford was the youngest head football coach in the nation, when the 26-year-old took over the reins at St. Lawrence University in 1965. In his first season, he guided the Saints to an Independent Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC) title. He arrived in the Capital Region five years later to start the first gridiron squad at the University since 1924.
After three seasons at the club level, the program was upgraded to varsity status in 1973, and finished with a 7-2 record. One year later, the Great Danes completed the school's only undefeated season with a 9-0 mark.
Ford's 1977 team earned a NCAA Division III playoff berth. After a season-opening loss, the Great Danes rebounded with nine consecutive victories. UAlbany defeated Hampden-Sydney in a thrilling 51-45 contest to begin the postseason before losing to eventual national champion Widener in the semifinals.
In 1978, Coach Ford's mystique grew before a national audience on ABC television. His last-minute addition of a field goal kicker direct from the soccer team paid off in a victory over third-ranked Ithaca. Dario Arango kicked a 45-yard field goal in the last two minutes to provide a 9-6 victory.
In 1985, the Great Danes rallied from a three-touchdown deficit for a 33-21 victory over Plymouth State and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) North championship. The '85 team, which produced one of the greatest comebacks in Ford's coaching career, boasted offensive and defensive units which were nationally ranked, and supported by five Pizza Hut and one Associated Press All-America players.
UAlbany's football program is also known for the high standards required of its coaching staff. Ford's "coaching factory" has allowed many of his assistants to earn their master's degrees while working at the collegiate level. According to a recent review, more than 100 coaches, who have started their careers under Ford's tutelage, are currently employed with 60 different high schools, colleges, and professional teams from around the nation and the world.
A starting quarterback in his senior year at Springfield College in Massachusetts, Ford was given the "Greatest Desire to Improve" Award by the school's athletic department. He received an undergraduate degree in physical education from Springfield in 1959, and later would earn his doctorate from the College in the same discipline. He gained a master's degree from St. Lawrence in educational administration in 1960.
Ford's first coaching opportunity came as an assistant at St. Lawrence in the fall of 1959. He then moved to Albright College in Pennsylvania as an assistant for four seasons, where he coached the secondary and offensive backfield, and was part of a program which produced a 21-game winning streak.
At Albright College, Ford also coached the wrestling and golf teams. He returned to Springfield in 1964 as a secondary coach, and later was named defensive coordinator at his alma mater in 1969.
Beginning in 1977, Ford was UAlbany's director of athletics for five years. During that time, he managed a program which sponsored 25 varsity sports for men and women.
A 1986 inductee into the Wachusett Regional High School Hall of Fame, Ford is presently active in the National Football Foundation & Hall of Fame, and serves as vice president of the NFFCHF's Capital District Chapter. He was honored by that organization in 2000 with its Service to Football Award.
Ford, 72, has been a member of the American Football Coaches Association's Board of Trustees since 1994, and presently is serving on the AFCA's Division I FCS All-America Team Selection Committee. Ford received the New York State Athletic Administrators Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
In August of 2010, Ford was recognized by the National Football Foundation Capital District Hall of Fame with its Service to Football Award. Ford was previously presented by the UAlbany Alumni Association with its Citizen of the University Award in 2007 which recognizes outstanding contributions to the University by a non-alumnus or alumna through leadership, service or a special gift.
Ford and his wife, Donna, reside in the Capital Region. They have three children, Sherri, David and Marc, and four grandchildren, Aiden, Kyra, Joe and Luke.

COACHING RECORD
1959 St. Lawrence University Runnings Backs, Secondary
1960 Albright College Secondary, Offensive Backs
1961 Albright College Secondary, Offensive Backs
1962 Albright College Secondary, Offensive Backs
1963 Albright College Secondary, Offensive Backs
1964 Springfield College Secondary
1965 St. Lawrence University Head Coach (4-4)
1966 St. Lawrence University Head Coach (2-6)
1967 St. Lawrence University Head Coach (1-6-1)
1968 St. Lawrence University Head Coach (2-6)
1969 Springfield College Defensive Coordinator
1970* University at Albany Head Coach (2-4)
1971* University at Albany Head Coach (4-4)
1972* University at Albany Head Coach (6-1-1)
1973 University at Albany Head Coach (7-2)
1974 University at Albany Head Coach (9-0)
1975 University at Albany Head Coach (7-2)
1976 University at Albany Head Coach (4-5)
1977 University at Albany Head Coach (9-2)
1978 University at Albany Head Coach (7-3)
1979 University at Albany Head Coach (6-3)
1980 University at Albany Head Coach (5-5)
1981 University at Albany Head Coach (7-3)
1982 University at Albany Head Coach (6-3)
1983 University at Albany Head Coach (3-7)
1984 University at Albany Head Coach (5-5)
1985 University at Albany Head Coach (9-2)
1986 University at Albany Head Coach (4-6)
1987 University at Albany Head Coach (5-5)
1988 University at Albany Head Coach (5-5)
1989 University at Albany Head Coach (5-4)
1990 University at Albany Head Coach (3-7)
1991 University at Albany Head Coach (5-5)
1992 University at Albany Head Coach (6-4)
1993 University at Albany Head Coach (6-4)
1994 University at Albany Head Coach (4-6)
1995 University at Albany Head Coach (3-7)
1996 University at Albany Head Coach (7-3)
1997 University at Albany Head Coach (11-1)
(Eastern Football Conference Champion)
1998 University at Albany Head Coach (10-1)
(Eastern Football Conference Champion)
1999 University at Albany Head Coach (7-2)
2000 University at Albany Head Coach (5-6)
2001 University at Albany Head Coach (7-3)
2002 University at Albany Head Coach (8-4)
(Northeast Conference Champion)
2003 University at Albany Head Coach (7-4)
(Northeast Conference Co-Champion)
2004 University at Albany Head Coach (4-7)
2005 University at Albany Head Coach (5-6)
2006 University at Albany Head Coach (7-4)
2007 University at Albany Head Coach (8-4)
(Northeast Conference Champion)
2008 University at Albany Head Coach (9-3)
(Northeast Conference Champion)
2009 University at Albany Head Coach (7-4)
2010 University at Albany Head Coach (6-5)
*club teams

[CatMom]

This is gonna be tough to do because TXST is not posting a Fall Roster or any player Bios for such. Last years returning player Bios have been wiped off the website but I'll do my best.

(It's my last year to do this here )

Texas State

Dennis Franchione
Head Coach
Years - 1st, previously coached @ TXST (then SWT) 1990-91

Franchione's collegiate head coaching career began at Southwestern in 1981, and he compiled a 14-4-2 record. In 1982, he led his team nine wins, a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championship and a Sunflower Bowl win. The nine wins tied the school record for most wins in a season and were the most at Southwestern since 1967.

He also served as the head coach at his alma mater, Pittsburgh State, from 1985-89. During his five seasons, Franchione led the Gorillas to a 53-6 record, 37-1 conference mark, five Central States Intercollegiate Conference championships and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year twice. His teams tied the school record for victories in a season three times before breaking it with a 12-win campaign in 1989.

The following year, he served as the head coach at Texas State (formerly Southwest Texas State) in 1990-91 and led the Bobcats to two straight winning seasons, a feat that was not duplicated until 2008-09. Franchione compiled a 13-9 record at Texas State before taking his first FBS job at New Mexico in 1992. He led the Lobos to a 33-36 overall record, including a 9-4 mark in 1997 when New Mexico won the WAC's Mountain Division championship and earned an invitation to play in the Insight.com Bowl, the school's first bowl game since 1961. During the 1996 and 1997 seasons, one of his players was NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher.

He was named head coach at TCU in 1998 and quickly turned around the fortunes of the school's football program. After the Horned Frogs finished the previous season with a 1-10 record, Franchione led them to a 7-5 mark and a victory over USC in the Sun Bowl in his first year. He also led TCU to a bowl game in 1999 before the Horned Frogs finished the 2000 season with a 10-1 record, a WAC co-championship and a berth to the Mobile Alabama Bowl. His offense featured Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman finalist LaDainian Tomlinson at running back.

Franchione's next stop as head coach was at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide to a 7-5 record in 2001 after the Tide had posted a 3-8 record the prior season. The team also won the Independence Bowl that season, which was Alabama's first bowl victory in five years. In 2002, he led the Crimson Tide to a 10-3 mark and a SEC West Division championship with a 6-2 league record. Following Alabama's victory over Hawaii that season, Franchione was named head coach at Texas A&M.

During the next five seasons, his Aggies posted three winning records and played in three bowl games. Texas A&M finished the 2004 season with a 7-5 mark and played in the Cotton Bowl, the first bowl game in which the Aggies had played in three seasons. His best season at the school came in 2006 when the Aggies won nine games and played in the Holiday Bowl. The next year, Texas A&M posted a 7-5 record and qualified to play in the Alamo Bowl. However, Franchione resigned as head coach prior to the bowl game and ended his tenure at the school with a 32-28 record. His recruiting classes were ranked among the Top 13 nationally from 2003-05.

Born March 28, 1951 in Girard, Kan., Franchione resides in Horseshoe Bay, Texas and was an analyst for ESPN Radio broadcasts in 2008 and 2009. He is married to the former Kim Kraus, and they have two daughters Libby and Ashley. He also has a son, Brad. Brad and his wife, Rebecca, have three children.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Robin Pflugrad
2nd. Season
53 Years Old
Portland St. '80 (Undergrad)
Eugene, OR
North Eugene HS


Overall Record: 7-4
Big Sky Record: 5-3
Playoff Record: 0-0


Previous Coaching Experience

Grad Assistant - Portland St. (1980)
WRs - South Eugene HS (1981)
Dir. of Football Operations - Portland St. (1982)
WRs/TEs - Portland St. (1983-85)
WRs/RBs - Montana (1986-90)
Assistant HC & QBs/WRs - Montana (1991-94)
WRs & Recruiting Coordinator - Arizona St. (1995-2000)
Assistant HC & Offensive Coordinator - Northern Arizona (2001)
Assistant HC, Recruiting Coordinator & TEs - Washington St. (2001-05)
WRs - Oregon (2006-08)
WRs - Montana (2009)
Head Coach - Montana (2010-present)

[Screamin_Eagle174]

EWU - Head Coach Beau Baldwin





Experience: 4th season at EWU, 5th season as HC
Record: 27-11 at EWU (18-6 BSC), 37-14 overall.

Beau Baldwin was named as the 2010 coach of the year by CSN after guiding the Eagles to the national title. Baldwin won a close vote over four other coaches for the coach of the year honor. Others to receive support were Jeff Monken of Georgia Southern and Brian Jenkins of Bethune-Cookman — both in their first year as head coaches — along with Tony Samuel of Southeast Missouri State and Andy Coen of Lehigh.

Baldwin, who was also a Liberty Mutual FCS coach of the year finalist, just completed his third year as Eastern Washington's head coach. After guiding the Eagles to a 6-5 record in 2008, he led EWU to the FCS playoffs with an 8-4 record in 2009 and a 13-2 mark this season that included a co-championship with Montana State in the Big Sky.

Baldwin served as the head coach at Central Washington in 2007, leading the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. He also was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for EWU from 2003-06.

In a short amount of time, Baldwin has taken a perennial playoff participant and honed it into a national champion. Ironically, many observers didn't even have EWU ranked as a top 25 team before the season.

A 1996 graduate of Central Washington, Baldwin’s entire 20-year career as a player and coach has been spent at either CWU or EWU. His record as a collegiate coach is 105-70-1 (.599) with a 59-33 league mark (.641).

Baldwin first came to Eastern in 2003 and spent four seasons in EWU’s program as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. After helping lead the Eagles to FCS Playoff appearances in 2004 and 2005, Baldwin led Central to the 2007 NCAA Division II Playoffs. Baldwin then returned to become EWU’s 20th head football coach and lead the school in its 100th football campaign in his debut season in 2008. He followed that 6-5 season with a FCS playoff berth in 2009.

In his debut season, Eastern ranked seventh nationally in passing (299.9 per game) and 24th in total offense (398.5). Individually, national awards candidates Greg Peach and Matt Nichols led the way. Peach, who would go on to win the Buchanan Award given to the top defensive player in FCS, led the nation in sacks (1.64 per game) and tackles for loss (2.1). Nichols, a Payton Award candidate given to the top offensive player, ranked fifth in total offense (306.9) and sixth in passing offense (299.4).

That team finished 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Sky Conference, and set the tone for what the Eagles would accomplish in 2009.

Eastern finished the 2009 season 8-4 and advanced to the playoffs for the fourth time in the last six seasons. The Eagles finished as the runner-up in the Big Sky Conference with a 6-2 mark, winning their last four regular season games by a combined 172-107 margin. Fighting injuries and fatigue from the long season, Eastern’s run came to an end with a 44-33 playoff loss at Stephen F. Austin.

[clenz]

Mark Farley...aka Skeletor...aka The Walk-on from Waukon


Hometown: Waukon, Iowa
Position: Head Coach
Birthdate: 04/05/1963
Alma Mater: UNI, 1987, 1994



UNI head coach Mark Farley, once known as the "walk on from Waukon," has led Panther football to eight top-25 final rankings including five top-five national finishes in the nine seasons he has been at the helm of the program. It is very clear that coach Farley has returned Panther football to its rightful home among the FCS elite.

Heading into his 11th year as the Panther mentor, Farley never has felt more at home. Through his leadership, the Panthers have returned to the glory days when they won seven straight conference titles and made seven consecutive FCS playoff appearances in the decade of the `90s. In Farley's 10 years at the helm, UNI has won at least a share of six Missouri Valley Football Conference titles. UNI has also advanced to the quarterfinals (2003, 2007), semifinals (2001, 2008), and the national title game (2005) in each of those five seasons. Eight of Farley's nine previous Panther teams have finished the season ranked in the top 25. Farley guided the Panthers to back-to-back conference titles in 2007 and 2008.

In 2009, the Panthers rose to No. 2 in the national polls following a 5-1 start to the season. I ncluded in that run was a near-upset of the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium.

In 2008, Farley directed the Panthers to back-to-back conference championships for the first time since the 1995-1996 seasons. The Panthers posted a mark of 12-3 overall and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. UNI scored a pair of playoff wins over Maine and New Hampshire to up Farley's postseason record to 9-5 since he took over the program in 2001.

In 2008, Farley directed the Panthers to back-to-back conference championships for the first time since the 1995-1996 seasons. The Panthers posted a mark of 12-3 overall and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. UNI scored a pair of playoff wins over Maine and New Hampshire to up Farley's postseason record to 9-5 since he took over the program in 2001.

The Panthers' 2007 season will go down in the books as one of the finest ever. UNI became the first team in the 23-year history of the Gateway Football Conference to post a perfect 11-0 regular season. UNI also became the first Gateway team to record a perfect 6-0 mark in road games. The Panthers attained the No. 1 ranking in the Sports Network poll and held the top spot for the final six weeks of the regular season.

As a result of the Panthers' success in 2007, fans came out in droves to the UNI-Dome. UNI set a single-season average attendance record by drawing 16,118 fans per game. Also, for the first time in school history UNI sold out three straight games in the Dome beginning with a Homecoming crowd of 17,074 vs. Southern Illinois, followed by Youngstown State with 16,528 and Indiana State with 16,624.

When the year was done the accolades rolled in with Farley earning National Coach of the Year honors in winning the Eddie Robinson Award, an honor given to the top FCS coach by The Sports Network. Farley was also named the 2007 Bruce Craddock Gateway Coach of the Year.

In 2006, Farley guided the Panthers to another top-25 ranking and a second-place finish in the ultra-competitive Gateway Football Conference. UNI's offense finished the year ranked No. 4 in the nation and senior defensive back Dre Dokes led the nation with seven interceptions.

Farley's 2005 Panthers made school history by reaching the first NCAA FCS national championship game in the program's history. The Panthers reached the final by edging out No. 15 Eastern Washington (38-35), No. 1-ranked New Hampshire (24-21) and No. 4 Texas State (40-37) in overtime.

UNI's 2005 Gateway Conference title run is one that will stick in the memory banks of all Panther fans. UNI dropped to 2-2 in the Gateway and 4-3 overall after a disappointing 38-3 loss to Illinois State. "We talked after that game that our goal was to go from worst to first - and not just first in the Gateway Conference," Farley said.

The Panthers then pulled off the unthinkable as they knocked off three-ranked opponents in three weeks to capture a share of the Gateway Conference title.

UNI scored a 21-7 home win over No. 11-ranked Youngstown State. UNI followed it up with an amazing 23-20 double-overtime win at No. 6 Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky was set to win the game on the final play, but UNI's Everette Pedescleaux blocked the field goal and the Panthers eventually won the game on a 20-yard touchdown strike from Eric Sanders to Justin Surrency.

The Panthers concluded their conference run with a dramatic, come-from-behind thriller with No. 4-ranked Southern Illinois in a raucous UNI-Dome in front of 15,536 fans. The Panthers trailed 24-10 entering the fourth quarter but responded with 15 points in the final 15 minutes to score a 25-24 win. UNI scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4th-and-2 when Sanders hooked up with Jamie Goodwin for a 35-yard score. UNI then held the Salukis when senior linebacker Darin Heideman nabbed SIU running back Arkee Whitlock short of the first down marker and the celebration was on.

"I think it's the most quality team you could put together," Farley said. "When I say a team, it was 56 guys who stepped up, put together a run and beat many teams, and we had to do it on the road. It's hard to put together a team like this without any superstars, but with guys who were always there for you and believed in each other. It's a special group."

Farley earned Northwest Region Coach of the Year honors from Don Hansen's Football Gazette, and he finished 15th in the Eddie Robinson Award balloting.

"This is home to me," he said at the time of his selection as UNI's head coach. "Through football, I've been presented with great opportunities in my life and this is by far the best experience. I am so excited for this opportunity."

In his first season, Farley led the Panthers back to the FCS elite. UNI finished 11-3 overall in 2001, placed first in the Gateway Football Conference with a 6-1 mark, and advanced to the FCS national semifinals for the fifth time in school history. It was the Panthers' first conference title and playoff appearance since 1996.

During the season, UNI defeated five ranked FCS opponents and FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) opponent Ball State, which went on to defeat Motor City Bowl-bound Toledo later in the year. The Panthers finished the season ranked fourth in both The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today final FCS polls.

The conference and the nation took notice. Farley was named the league's Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 4 Coach of the Year. He placed third in the Eddie Robinson Award balloting. He received 16 first-place votes, the most of any candidate. He still sits atop the Gateway Conference with the best record for rookie coaches.

The following year did not live up to pre-season expectations following the success of 2001 as the Panthers finished 5-6 overall. Injuries, graduation and inexperience on defense took a toll.

The Panthers re-grouped in 2003 to claim a share of the conference title when it won a hard-fought, come-from-behind contest against previously undefeated and No. 2-ranked Southern Illinois in the final regular season game. UNI went on to defeat No. 24-ranked Montana State in the UNI-Dome in the first round of the playoffs, then was sent on the road to No. 3 and eventual national champion Delaware, where it fell 37-7 on a cold and snowy afternoon to finish 10-3 overall. The Panthers were ranked fifth in The Sports Network/CSTV final Top 25.

Throughout the season, UNI defeated four ranked teams and appeared on television five times. Farley again was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.

When all was said and done in 2004, the Panthers were judged on their first five games, and not their final six. Despite six consecutive victories by an average margin of 23.7 points, UNI couldn't overcome a 1-4 start to begin the year. As a result, the Panthers were passed over for the FCS playoffs but finished on a high with a 7-4 record, including a 5-2 mark in the always tough Gateway to place third behind post-season selections Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky. Their strong finish earned them a No. 25 ranking in both The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today final polls.

Farley grew up not far from Cedar Falls, and the UNI-Dome, in a small community called Waukon. He was a three-sport standout at Waukon High School. He played quarterback his junior year and tailback his senior year, while also seeing time at strong safety. He was a forward on the basketball team (all-conference two years) and a pitcher and short stop for the baseball team (all-conference three years). Despite his success, he wasn't highly recruited and he took a year off before pursuing his college degree.

His job as a truck driver brought him through Cedar Falls each Monday. He would drop into the UNI-Dome to check out the Panther football team. In the fall of 1982, he walked on to the team, redshirting that first season. He received the Special Team Award his second year, then became a starting inside linebacker three years. He earned honorable mention all-America honors twice, was named Gateway Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year, was selected a team co-captain, and was named a two-time academic all-American. He led the team in tackles three consecutive years.

During Farley's three years as a starter, UNI compiled a 27-7-1 record and advanced to the 1985 FCS semifinals.

"When I came (for the interview), I wanted to stop back (in the Dome)," Farley said. "I came to the doors and I stood on that balcony on the concourse. I just wanted to get that energy from the Dome, because there's still something about this place. I looked at the banners and remembered the players that were here. We can be proud of this university in football."

Farley went straight from a player to a graduate assistant for two years under Coach Darrell Mudra and then was elevated to a full-time assistant. Between 1987-96, he was the position coach for such former UNI stars as Bryce Paup, James Jones, William Freeney and Andre Allen. Paup and Jones went on to play in the NFL, of course, while Allen and Freeney played in the Arena League and CFL. Four times Farley's players were named league Defensive Players of the Year.

In total, he coached five UNI all-Americans and 22 all-conference selections the first time around on staff. He also was the punt return specialist. That segment had a NCAA average ranking of sixth from 1989-1993, with two second-place statistical rankings. He also served as the team's Strength and Speed Coordinator. He was a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Certified Level 1 Coach of the U.S. Weightlifting Federation. He designed and coordinated the reconstruction of UNI's strength facility and implemented individualized computer weight training programs.

With the success of individual players, the Panther program grew into a national power under Mudra and then, Terry Allen. As previously mentioned, UNI won seven consecutive Gateway titles, made seven straight FCS playoff appearances between 1990-1996, eight total, including advancing to two semifinal games. The Dome was packed with several sellouts.

In an interview following Farley's hiring, Mudra, a former head coach at Florida State, now retired and living in Florida, said, "I had three helpers who went on to become NFL head coaches. Farley is as good as any coaching prospect I worked with. I just feel like (UNI) couldn't have hired a better guy. He's a perfect fit for that situation. I think he's bright - real bright. Probably the most important thing is, he's really involved in football. If you cut his head open, nothing would come out but footballs. He's real intense."

Jones, a 1991 NFL third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns, said of Farley in a post-hire interview, "He makes athletes get the most out of themselves. One thing all of us under him did was work hard. That's the way he coached it, and that's what he expected out of you. He was just one of those coaches you wanted to go out there and play your hardest for. He'll probably still have (that) energy when he's 65. That's just Coach Farley."

When Terry Allen left the Panthers in 1997 to become head coach at the University of Kansas, Farley was one of UNI's assistants to follow. Farley was the Jayhawks' inside and outside linebacker coach. In Lawrence, he coached two all-Big 12 players, one all-American and five Players of the Week. He produced the KU all-time sack leader for season and career and recruited the 1999 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. He was rated one of the top recruiters in the Midwest by MoKan Recruiting Service. He also assisted with the punt return and block specialists. His players blocked or returned a punt for a touchdown against 11 of the league teams at least once.

Having worked under, or played for, three of the best football minds in Mudra, Earle Bruce and Allen, there's little doubt Farley knows football. However, it is also his passion, not only for the game, but for the University of Northern Iowa, that has helped carry the Panthers back to the top of FCS football.

"This program is not broken," Farley said upon his appointment. "(The previous staff did) a good job...We just want to take it a step higher, raise the bar to our expectations at the University of Northern Iowa. We want to win the Gateway - we WILL win the Gateway ... people are scared to come in (the UNI-Dome). We want to fill this place. You don't know how exciting it was as a player and as a coach with 16,000 people, keys ringing all the time on kickoffs. That's neat. I love it when the opposing team stands at that doorway down there and that is all happening.

"I want our players to feel that because that is a special feeling, and that is why we're here and that's what we're after to achieve, because if you win the Gateway, you can win the national championship. That's how tough this conference is."

Farley also is a players' coach, a coach willing to listen to his players, but who also sets high standards for his team. He set the tone in his first meeting with the squad.

"The first thing that we talked about was this program," he said. "This program is the most important thing. It was here before we were here, and it will be here after we leave. Right now, we represent this program and this university. We represent the community, we represent the state, and we will do everything that we can to put UNI football at the level we're proud of and always have been at this university. This place is important to alumni, just as it is to me."

Farley served as UNI's interim Director of Athletics from Feb. 1, 2008 until July 1, 2008.

The Farley File

Awards & Honors
2007 Eddie Robinson Award recipient
2007 Schutt Sports FCS Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly
2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalist
2007 Led UNI to first perfect regular season in Gateway history
2005 Guided UNI to first national title game appearance
2005 Northwest Region Coach of the Year (Football Gazette)
2001, 2007 AFCA NCAA FCS Region 4 Coach of Year
2001, 2007 Gateway Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year
Placed 3rd in 2001 Eddie Robinson Award balloting
Placed 10th in 2003 Eddie Robinson Award balloting
Placed 12th in the 2008 Eddie Robinson Award balloting
Placed 15th in 2005 Eddie Robinson Award balloting
Best record (11-3) for MVFC rookie coach

Coaching Experience
1986-88 Graduate Assistant, University of Northern Iowa
1989-97 Assistant Coach, University of Northern Iowa (Inside & Outside Linebackers, Punt Return Specialist, Strength & Speed Coord.)
1996 Recruiting Coordinator, University of Northern Iowa
1997-2000 Assistant Coach, University of Kansas (Inside & Outside Linebackers, Punt Block/Return Specialist)
2001-Present Head Coach, University of Northern Iowa

Education
Waukon (IA) High School, 1981
University of Northern Iowa, 1987 (Bachelor of Arts, Education)
University of Northern Iowa, 1994 (Master's in Health Education)

Playing Experience/Highlights
University of Northern Iowa, 1983-86
Three-year starter at inside linebacker
Led the team in tackles 1984-86
1985 Gateway Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Co-captain of 1985 1-AA national semi-final team
Three-time first team all-conference
Two-time honorable mention all-American
Two-time academic all-American
Outstanding Senior Athlete-Variety Club of Iowa
UNI Purple and Old Gold Award

Familiar Names Played With
Brian Baker, Bill Bealles, Jeff Bealles, Carl Boyd, Mark Caballero, Spencer Cowan, Joe Fuller, Mark Hanssen, Larry Miller, Mike Molstead, Joe O'Brien, Bryce Paup, Errol Peebles, Mike Smith, Mark Steines, Art Stelken, Bob Storbeck

Familiar Names Coached
Andre Allen, Brannon Carter, Dre Dokes, William Freeney, Brandon Keith, James Jones, Bryce Paup, Chad Rinehart, Eric Sanders, Benny Sapp, Brian Wingert, Austin Howard, James Ruffin, Quentin Scott, Corey Lewis


Oh, and in case you missed the Skeletor reference

[bonarae]

Harvard's one and only Tim Murphy - our coach since 1994...

By any measure, Tim Murphy has led Harvard's storied football program to its most prosperous and successful era since the early 20th century - a trend he hopes to continue into 2011-12 as he enters his 18th year as the Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football.

One of the game's finest teachers and motivators, Murphy took charge of the Harvard program prior to the 1994 season and has since led the program to a dominant state within the Football Championship Subdivision.

He is the first Harvard coach since the legendary Percy Haughton to lead the Crimson to two unbeaten, untied seasons in his tenure.

In 2009, Harvard football put the finishing touches on a decade that saw Harvard post the second highest national winning percentage in the Football Championship Subdivision and seventh highest in all of Division I. Harvard's .768 winning percentage (76-23) from 2000-09 trailed only Montana while FBS schools Texas, Boise State, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Florida were the only schools to finish ahead of Tim Murphy's Crimson. Rounding out the national top 10 in the decade was LSU, USC and Appalachian State.

In accumulating a 7-3 record in 2010, Harvard continued its streak as the first and only team in Ivy League history to record 10 consecutive seasons with at least seven victories. Harvard's current stretch is the program's best 10-year run since a 28-year stretch of seven-plus win seasons came to an end in 1911. The team's nine-year win total of 70 (70-19) is one shy of its program-record output from 1908-1916.

Just the fourth head coach to man the Harvard sideline in the last 57 years, Murphy enters the 2011 season with a 111-58 record with the Crimson. His overall head coaching record stands at 143-103-1 through 24 years, including five seasons as head coach at Cincinnati and two at Maine.

Equally as impressive, every four-year player recruited by Murphy to Harvard has both graduated from the university and been part of at least one Ivy League championship team.

Murphy enters the 2011 season ranked second in school history in total wins, trailing only the legendary Joe Restic (who won 117 games with the Crimson) on the all-time chart. The two coaches are closely linked and remain close. In the spring of 2008, Murphy joined Restic as Harvard coaches to be honored with the National Football Foundation Eastern Chapter's Ron Burton Distinguished America Award, given to a former football player who has carried the lessons learned on the field to his larger community.

Murphy has guided the Crimson to four outright, and five overall, Ivy League titles in the past 14 years.

More info at - http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/fball/c ... murphy_tim

[tampajag]

LYVONIA "STUMP" MITCHELL
HEAD COACH

Lyvonia "Stump" Mitchell is the 17th head football coach of Southern University and A&M College.Mitchell comes to Southern after two year stint as the Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs coach for the NFL's Washington Redskins.

"Stump Mitchell's 21 years in the NFL, 10 as a player and 11 years as a assistant coach, combined with his head coaching experience, will bring a wealth of diverse knowledge to our football program", says Greg LaFleur, Southern's Director of Athletics.

Stump Mitchell joined the Redskins' coaching staff in 2008, adding a fresh perspective to the Redskins' talented group of running backs. He arrived at Redskins Park from the Seattle Seahawks, where he had spent the previous nine seasons coaching the running backs.

From 2001-07, he coached alongside former Redskins head coach Jim Zorn, who was quarterbacks coach there at the time.

Under Mitchell's tutelage, running back Clinton Portis had his second-best season as a Redskin, rushing for 1,487 yards and nine touchdowns, and catching 28 passes for an additional 218 yards. His rushing yards and total yards both ranked fourth in the NFL for the year, and when Portis rushed for more than 100 yards, as he did six times, the Redskins lost only one game.

Mitchell coached a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his first seven seasons in Seattle (Ricky Watters for two years, Shaun Alexander for five years).

Mitchell joined the Seahawks following three years as head coach at Morgan State University. He originally joined the MSU staff in 1995 as offensive coordinator, earning a promotion to head coach the following year. Under Mitchell's tutelage, the Bears boasted a strong rushing attack that averaged 148.9 yards per game in 1997.

Mitchell's coaching career began in 1991, when he served as an assistant coach on the World League of American Football's San Antonio Riders' staff. He then accepted a position as the head coach at Casa Grande (Ariz.) High School (1991-94), where he led the team to a playoff berth in his second year.

Mitchell played nine years in the NFL as a standout running back with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals. He was a ninth-round draft choice by the Cardinals in 1981 and would go on to become one of the great running backs and kick returners in Cardinals history. Mitchell is the Cardinals' all-time leader in combined yardage with 11,988 yards and ranks second with 4,649 yards rushing on 986 attempts and 32 touchdowns. His 177 kickoff returns for 4,007 yards are both franchise records. He posted 14 100-yard games and finished with a 4.7-yard rushing average, second-best in the franchise history.

With a 5.6-yard rushing average as a rookie in 1981, Mitchell earned All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly. In 1984, he earned All-NFC honors as a kickoff returner by Pro Football Weekly. On Nov. 17, 1985, he set a career high with 179 rushing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2010 his first year, Stump Mitchell led Southern University to a 2-9 record. Which is the worst record in school history.

Mitchell was honored with the Chuck Drulis Award for community service in 1982 and the Byron "Whizzer" White Humanitarian Award for charity work in 1984. He was born on March 15, 1959, in Kingsland, Ga.

[Tribe4SF]

Head Coach Jimmye Laycock

Laycock is one of the nation's longest tenured and most respected head coaches. He has authored a school-record 200 wins (against 141 losses and two ties) and 20 winning ledgers since first taking over the program in 1980. The Tribe has also appeared in 12 postseason contests with Laycock at the helm and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals twice in the last six years.

On June 21, 2008, the College dedicated the $11 million Jimmye Laycock Football Center with a ceremony that featured more than 500 friends and alumni of the program. While the building carries his name and stands as a strong symbol of what Laycock has meant to the Tribe, it makes a stronger statement about the school's commitment to football and the program's proud tradition. The state-of-the-art center provides the College with one of the finest facilities in the Football Championship Subdivision and, paired with Laycock's steady leadership, gives the Tribe the necessary resources to compete at the highest level.

As the architect of what is easily the most extended run of success in William and Mary's 115-year football history, Laycock has never compromised academic standards for athletic success, as his program earned recognition from the NCAA in each of the first six seasons the organization has awarded outstanding academic achievement. When Laycock, a 1970 grad, returned to coach his alma mater prior to the 1980 season, he inherited a program that had won six or more games in a season just four times in the previous 25 years. Few could have predicted that the College would produce more than three times that amount of seven-win seasons over the next quarter century.

The accumulated successes, both on and off the field, have led to an era of unprecedented interest and support for his program. Evidence of this is provided in the fact the Tribe averaged more than 10,000 fans per game over the last four seasons.

During Laycock's tenure, the fans at Zable have consistently been treated to a winner on the field, as the program's mentor ranks in the top 10 of all active FCS head coaches in terms of career wins. Laycock is also second among active conference head coaches in career league wins with 82.

Laycock has made the home turf in Zable Stadium into unfriendly territory for opponents as the Tribe has won 71.7 percent of its games (107-42-1) in Williamsburg in the last 26 years. W&M has turned in eight undefeated regular season home campaigns.

Individual accomplishments under Laycock have been plentiful, as he has also tutored 33 players to 86 All-America honors from the William and Mary ranks and has coached 11 Academic All-Americans. Former quarterback Lang Campbell is the most decorated of all, as the 2004 season saw him earn the prestigious Payton Award, given annually to the nation's top offensive player in the FCS ranks, consensus first team All-America honors, as well as the A-10's Offensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Tribe has produced an astounding 161 all-conference selections since 1993.

While no one season can define a career that spans three decades, the 2009 campaign was exceptionally remarkable. The Tribe equaled a school record with 11 victories and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in the last six seasons. En route to being ranked as high as third nationally in the final polls, the College led the nation in rushing defense by surrendering just 61.14 yards per game - a school record. Additionally, W&M ranked second nationally in total defense (229.79) and scoring defense (12.07), while it ranked third in sacks (3.43) and eighth in tackles for a loss (8.00). Laycock also became part of the exclusive 200-win club as he became just the 13 FCS head coach to reach the milestone with the NCAA Quarterfinal victory at top-ranked Southern Illinois.

Prior to the '09 season, the 2004 campaign highlighted Laycock's resume as W&M set a school record for wins (11), won the Atlantic 10 Football Conference's automatic NCAA bid, hosted a NCAA semifinal game before a standing room only crowd at Zable Stadium in front of a national television audience and finished the year with a school record No. 3 final national ranking. Along the way, a bevy of school single-season records fell; total points (486), total yards (6,044) and home wins (seven), to name just a few.

But, none of these achievements spoke more succinctly to Laycock's approach than the program's 100 percent official NCAA graduation-rate report for all student-athletes receiving athletics aid. This showed W&M graduated all of its scholarship football players who entered the program as freshmen during the 1997-98 school year. The Tribe not only carried the highest graduation rate in the conference, but also was far and away the top figure of any team ranked in the final national top 25 for that season. To prove this lofty number was no fluke, the team repeated the feat just two years later, as the 1999-2001 cohort also graduated at 100 percent.

When looking at the NCAA Division I Championship Division world, the Tribe's stellar 185-89-2 (.674) record against fellow Championship Division foes during Laycock's career also confirms the success of his formula. The College also boasts a 82-56 mark in league play.

The 2001 campaign stood as a testament to Laycock's program's stability, as the team rebounded from a then nine-year low 5-6 record in 2000 to post an 8-4 mark, claiming a share of the Atlantic 10 Crown and earning a spot in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs.

The 1996 campaign is another prime example of how Laycock has perpetuated a winning tradition within W&M's rigorous classroom standards, as he led a youth-laden squad to a quarterfinal showing in the NCAA playoffs, a 10-3 overall record (7-1 in league play), the Tribe's first Yankee Conference Championship, and a fifth-place national ranking.

One trademark of a Laycock-coached team is a prolific and intricate offensive attack. The Tribe offense has averaged nearly 400 yards a game over Laycock's 30 previous years in the program.

Prior to the deep playoff runs during the last six years, the 1990 season stood as the benchmark for the Tribe program. That season, Laycock was honored by his peers as Coach of the Year in Region II and the state of Virginia for guiding the Tribe to 10 wins and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs.

That 1990 squad, ranked No. 7 in the final NCAA poll, refashioned many pages in the school record book. W&M led the country in total offense by averaging almost 500 yards per game and claimed the Lambert Cup for I-AA supremacy in the East. Even the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution commending Laycock's accomplishments. The Tribe's 1996 squad led the conference in both total offense and defense en route to earning its own Lambert Cup and ECAC Team of the Year honors.

After some lean years early in his tenure, Laycock's teams began building respectability among all opponents. After a pair of 6-5 seasons, W&M carved out a 7-4 mark in 1985 and a national ranking of No. 16. The winning ways continued in 1986 with a 9-3 record and an eighth-place final ranking. In that season, the Tribe advanced to the I-AA playoffs for the first time and had three players drafted by the NFL.

Although William and Mary dipped to a 5-6 slate in 1987, the Tribe recovered to post a 6-4-1 overall record in 1988. That memorable season climaxed with a trip to Japan and a 73-3 victory over the Japanese College All-Stars in the first Epson Ivy Bowl. The Tribe returned to the NCAAs in 1989 with an 8-2-1 regular season record.

The Tribe is well represented in the pro ranks, as 2008 team captain Derek Cox was drafted in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The College is also represented in the NFL by four-time Pro Bowl free safety Darren Sharper (New Orleans Saints), a second round draft pick of the Green Bay in 1997, and Mike Leach (Arizona Cardinals). Including Cox, the College has had a total of six players sign free agent contracts after their senior season since the end of the 2004; Lang Campbell (2005, Cleveland Browns), Dominique Thomspon (2005, St. Louis Rams), Adam O'Connor (2007, Carolina Panthers), Drew Atchison (2008, Dallas Cowboys) and Mike Potts (2008, Pittsburgh Steelers). Former all-conference defensive back Billy Parker also played professionally in 2008, as he started every game for the New York Dragons of the Arena League. Former standout wide receiver Rich Musinski has been a fixture with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Barons for the past two seasons. Michael Clemons (Class of 1987) had been one of the CFL's most explosive players after joining the Toronto Argonauts in 1989, and now serves as the team's Vice Chair.

As a 1970 graduate of the College, Laycock played football under two gurus of the game. For three years, he learned the details under the watchful eyes of Marv Levy, the legendary former head coach of the Buffalo Bills. In his last season, collegiate coaching legend Lou Holtz schooled Laycock in the finer aspects of psyche and motivation. As a sophomore, Laycock was a starter in the defensive secondary, but he was soon switched to quarterback where he completed 96 of 218 passes for 1,366 yards.

Laycock's first full-time coaching position came at The Citadel as the offensive backfield coach under Bobby Ross, who went on to coach the NFL's San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions. In 1975, Memphis State tabbed Laycock as its quarterback's coach and he helped the Tigers to consecutive 7-4 records.

In 1977, Laycock traveled to Clemson to serve as offensive coordinator for three years. During his tenure, he helped the Tigers fashion records of 8-3-1, 11-1 and 8-4. Clemson played in bowl games each year, defeating Ohio State 17-15 in the 1978 Gator Bowl. At that time, Laycock coached two-time All-ACC performer Steve Fuller, the Tiger quarterback who later played in the NFL, and Dwight Clark, an All-Pro receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.

A native Virginian, Laycock played football, basketball and baseball at Loudoun Valley High School, where he won 12 letters and has since had his number retired.

Laycock is married to Deidre Connelly, a sports psychology consultant at the College. They have three children: Michael, Mimi and James.

Laycock's daughter Melanie is married to Doug Johnson and is a school administrator in Atlanta, Ga. The couple had a daughter, Grail, last spring.