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Only 100 days left!
Welcome one and all to the 11th Annual GreatAppSt Countdown!! It's that time again girls n' boys, YEESSSSS!!!


Who cares about Memorial day shopping, Fouth of July, and Lazy days of Summer. I'm looking past all that 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 you're looking forward with as much enthusiasm and anticipation as I am.
WOW 11YEARS! When I started this tradition for the first time I had no idea what I was getting myself into. first I'd like to thank the Academ......Ooops wrong speech. 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 the last decade. Again, it has been and is still a great pleasure for me to do the countdown (sniff sniff I'm choking up) for Y'all .

Pardon my musing back for awhile. Just 11 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. 11 years was 3 homes ago (soon to be 4 homes as Lulu has found a new job after six months of unemployment in sunny South Carolina). 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 43and fatter and my wife Lulu was still in her 20's Keeping up with the I-AA football teams required some detective work, 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.


Last year after ten years I tought I may hang it up but over the off season the countdown bug has biten anew.


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 the beginning what MY own heart is passionate and concerned with, 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 and I'm an hour behind EST now that I'm in Texas.


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 is Apps HC Jerry Moore



A bona fide legend in the college football coaching ranks, Jerry Moore just completed his 20th 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.

Great thread G.A.S.

Was counting down the day to this thread!!

NAU Head Coach Jerome Souers

Entering his 11th year as head coach of the Northern Arizona football program, Jerome Souers, the dean of the Big Sky Conference coaches, has taken the Lumberjack program to new heights. After back-to-back winning season, Souers has the Lumberjacks poised for a run at the playoffs in 2008.

Under Souers NAU made a record-breaking NCAA I-AA Quarterfinal appearance in 2003, won the first Big Sky Conference title since 1978, recorded two playoff berths and posted six winning seasons. During his 10-year tenure, Souers has coached 78 student-athletes to all-conference honors a combined 124 times with 30 first-team selections and 26 All-Americans accolades.


Souers, who was named the 1999 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in a vote by his colleagues, also has the Lumberjacks posting impressive results in the classroom. The football program has produced the Golden Eagle Scholar Athlete of the Year six times in the last eight years (Blair Boynton, Eric Damko, Steve Gomez, Mark Gould, Paul Ernster and Jeff Wheeler) and had nine student-athletes named to the 2007 Big Sky Fall All-Academic team. Overall, 45 student-athletes have earned 81 Big Sky academic honors over the last 10 seasons. There have also been five Academic All-Americans, as well.

But there is still work ahead. After finishing third in the league in 2007, the Lumberjacks are ready to contend again this season. Souers, who has coached a national champion, strives everyday to get his Lumberjack program in position to play for the title not just a playoff appearance or high ranking. And the 2003 season was his best effort to date, earning him finalist honors for the 2003 Eddie Robinson Award, an award presented by The Sports Network to the top head coach in I-AA football.

Behind the play of true freshman Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year Jason Murrietta, the Lumberjacks upset top-seeded McNeese State on the road and played host to the first home playoff game since 1996 with a quarterfinal appearance against Florida Atlantic. NAU finished ranked 10th in the national polls as Souers’ players were honored on and off the field for their performances. Eighteen players were recognized with All-Big Sky honors highlighted by first-team All-America accolades for punter Mark Gould, who was recognized by five different organizations. Gould led the accolades off the field, too. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for the second consecutive season as NAU led the nation with five CoSIDA academic all-district selections.

In 2006, Murrietta led a reemergence that produced significant improvements in the offensive production, resulting in a winning season with six wins and ranking among the top turnarounds in the country. Murrietta had a stellar senior season highlighted by a runner-up finish for the Walter Payton Award, All-America honors and his second Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year award. He threw for 2,827 yards with a 65.0 completion percentage and a school-record 34 touchdowns, leading the Big Sky in passing efficiency (168.2) and total offense (243.1), while ranking fifth and 11th nationally.

Souers arrived in Flagstaff after spending 12 years at Montana with a proven track record. His last eight seasons in Missoula he served as defensive coordinator. During his stay with the Grizzlies, Montana was transformed from a Big Sky also-ran into a perennial league and national title contender. Souers’ tenure in Missoula produced 12 straight winning seasons, seven playoff berths, four appearances in the national semifinals, a national runner-up finish (1996) and a national title (1995). Montana won three Big Sky titles during that span.

Souers showed his winning touch from the start in January 1998 when he took over a program in limbo, becoming the first NAU coach since Dwain Painter in 1979 to begin his career with a winning record.

Despite dressing only 44 players for his first spring practice, including walk-ons, Souers led the Lumberjacks to a winning season. Highlights from Souers’ first season at NAU included the Lumberjacks’ first shutout of a Division I opponent (NAU 9, Cal Poly 0) in 31 games, two near road victories against league title contenders Eastern Washington and Montana State and a season-ending two-game winning streak.

In 2001, the Lumberjacks posted one of the nation's most improved records, recording an 8-4 mark to tie for second place in the Big Sky Conference. NAU earned a berth in the I-AA playoffs for the second time in school history before dropping a 34-31 decision at Sam Houston State in the first round.

The success of the NAU football team in 2001 was evident in the accolades bestowed on the program. Fifteen student-athletes were recognized with All-Big Sky Conference honors. All-Big Sky first-team selections linebacker Keith O'Neil signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys and recently won a Super Bowl title with the Indianapolis Colts in his fourth year in the NFL. Senior tackle Eric Damko was named to the Verizon Academic All-America squad for the second consecutive season.

Jerome Souers was born May 20, 1958, in Oregon. He attended North Eugene High School, along with another future coach, Danny Ainge of the Phoenix Suns.

He began his coaching career while still attending Oregon. Souers spent time on the staff at North Eugene High School and Williamette, working in the same area of the state where his father, Dwight, was a successful prep coach. Souers earned his degree in physical education in 1983 and upon graduation returned to the high-school ranks. He spent eight years coaching in Oregon high schools before making the move into college football.

In 1984 he made his foray into the collegiate ranks, joining the staff at Western Washington where he coordinated the defense and coached the defensive backs.

A year later, Souers joined Don Read’s staff at then-Division II Portland State. After one year serving as the Viking's running backs coach, Souers followed Read to Montana.

With Souers coaching the secondary, the new staff in Missoula produced records of 6-4 and 6-5 during its first two years. A hint of things to come came in 1988 when the Grizzlies went 8-4 and led the Big Sky Conference in all defensive categories.

In 1989, Souers added defensive coordinator to his duties and the Grizzlies posted an 11-2 record with an appearance in the national semifinals. Montana also tied a national interception record in one game with 10 picks vs. Boise State. A year later, the Grizzlies opened the 1990 campaign with a 22-15 road win at Oregon State.

During Souers’ nine years as defensive coordinator at Montana, the Grizzlies twice ranked among the nation’s top-10 in rushing defense, finishing third in the country in that category in 1992. His last unit in Missoula led the Big Sky Conference in scoring defense.

The peak years during Souers’ stay at Montana came from 1993 to 1996. During that period, the Grizzlies made four straight playoff appearances, played in three semifinals and two national title games. The 1995 squad won the national title and the 1996 team was the NCAA runner-up. The four-year record for Montana during that time was 48-8.

During the national title run, Souers’ defense became the first in NCAA history to post consecutive playoff shutouts (Eastern Kentucky and Georgia Southern).

He coached six All-America defensive backs at Montana, including future NFL stars Tim Hauck of the Seattle Seahawks and Blaine McElmurry of the Green Bay Packers.

In 1996, when head coach Mick Dennehy was sidelined after undergoing major surgery, Souers stepped in as head coach and led the Grizzlies to victories over Cal State Northridge and Portland State.

Souers and his wife, Paula, have two daughters, Anna (20) and Alaina (18). He will begin his first season on the AFCA FCS All-America Team Selection Committee in 2008.

Souers Record
Year Overall Conf./Finish
1998 6-5 (.545) 3-5 (.375)/t-7th
1999 4-8* (.333) 2-6* (.250)/t-6th
2000 3-8 (.272) 2-6 (.250)/t-7th
2001 8-4 (.667) 5-2 (.714)/t-2nd
2002 6-5 (.545) 3-4 (.428)/t-4th
2003 9-4 (.692) 5-2 (.714)/t-1st
2004 4-7 (.333) 3-4 (.428)/5th
2005 3-8 (.272) 1-6 (.142)/t-7th
2006 6-5 (.545) 5-3 (.625)/4th
2007 6-5 (.545) 5-3 (.625)/3rd
Total 55-59 (.482) 34-41 (.453)
* includes four forfeits

http://nau.newtier.com/modules.php?op=m ... =18&coid=1

Great to see this thread reappear every year. To the new guys have your roster ready numerically and post em' along GAS. It's a good read every day for the next 100...99...whatever. Thanks GAS!

Bobby Hauck
7th. Season
44 Years Old
Montana '88 (Undergrad)
UCLA '91 (Grad)
Big Timber, MT
Sweet Grass HS


Overall Record: 66-16 (.805)
Big Sky Record: 39-6 (.867) (40-6 incl. playoffs)
Playoff Record: 8-6 (.571)


Previous Coaching Experience

Assistant - Sweet Grass HS (1987)
Secondary - Montana (1988)
Secondary & DL - Montana (1989)
Grad Assistant - UCLA (1990-91)
Asst. Recruiting Coordinator - UCLA (1992)
OLBs & Recruiting Coordinator - Northern Arizona (1993-94)
Safeties, Special Teams, & Recruiting Coordinator - Colorado (1995-97)
OLBs & Special Teams - Colorado (1998)
Safeties & Special Teams - Washington (1999-01)
Secondary - Washington (2002)
Head Coach - Montana (2003-present)

GreatAppSt wrote:I was 32 and fit, now 43and fatter and my wife Lulu was still in her 20's Keeping up with the I-AA football teams required some detective work, 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.

As of today only 150 more days until GSU makes it 2 in a row in Boone.

NDSU Coach 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 seventh season with a 49-17 record including a 7-3 record against nationally-ranked FCS teams and 3-3 mark against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams over the past three seasons.

With a season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in the books, Bohl and the Bison will put the experience gained to good use in 2009. There were a number of lessons learned during NDSU's 6-5 season that included a 4-4 conference mark.

Since making the move to Division I FCS, the football program’s performance on the field with the West Coast offense and aggressive defense during that transition has rekindled the excitement in the Fargo-Moorhead community, state of North Dakota and the region.

NDSU’s average home attendance in the Fargodome has grown from 11,567 in 2003 to a school record 18,141 achieved in 2007. There have been seven sellouts between over the past three seasons. Capacity is listed at 18,700. The Bison are 29-5 at home over the past six years.

North Dakota State has been ranked in The Sport Network or FCS Coaches Top 25 for 52 weeks since jumping to Division I in 2004. The Bison have held down the No. 1 ranking in the FCS Coaches Top 25 for 10 weeks over the past two seasons.

Since his arrival, North Dakota State has had eight players earn 11 ESPN The Magazine University Division Academic All-America team. Seven different players have received All-America honors. Five straight years, a Bison student-athlete has been selected to the Allstate/AFCA Good Works team.

NDSU finished with a 10-1 record for the second straight season in 2007 including a 3-1 ledger in the Great West Football Conference. The Bison held down the No. 1 spot in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll for seven weeks during the regular season. NDSU posted road wins over a pair of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly I-A) opponents -- Central Michigan, two-time champions of the Mid-American Conference, and Minnesota (27-21) of the Big Ten Conference before 63,088 fans at the Metrodome.

Bohl was again a finalist for The Sports Network’s Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year award. The Bison were No. 9 in the final Sports Network and FCS Coaches top 25 polls.

The 2006 season was magical. NDSU claimed its first league championship in 12 seasons and achieved a top five finish in the national rankings. The Bison were 10-1 overall, just a blocked field goal away from a perfect record.

North Dakota State went 4-0 to win the Great West Football Conference championship -- the program’s first since 1994 when NDSU was a member of the Division II North Central Conference.

The Bison charted an 8-0 record against FCS schools in 2006 including a 3-0 mark against nationally-ranked opponents.

North Dakota State was ranked No. 5 in The Sports Network and CSN Coaches final Top 25 polls. The Bison lost 10-9 to bowl-participant Minnesota of the Big Ten before 62,845 spectators at the Metrodome.

It didn’t go unnoticed. Bohl was selected the GWFC Coach of the Year by vote of the media and coaches. He received 29 first place votes and finished second in the balloting for The Sports Network’s Eddie Robinson Award that recognizes the FCS Coach of the Year. Bohl was selected the Football Gazette FCS National and Northwest Region Coach of the Year.

In 2005, he directed the Bison to a 7-4 record during the 2005 season. NDSU was ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches and The Sports Network Top 25 polls for 10-of-12 weeks during the regular season climbing as high as No. 8 in both polls on Sept. 19.

Charter members of the Great West, North Dakota State won its final three league games to finish with a 3-2 record and tie for third place in the standings.

Bohl started his NDSU career with back-to-back 8-3 seasons. The Bison closed out the 2004 campaign with three straight wins including victories over nationally-ranked Northwestern State (La.) and UC Davis.

North Dakota State was ranked No. 23 in the final 2004 ESPN/USA Today and The Sports Network Top 25 polls to highlight their first season at NCAA Division I-AA.

His first season was highlighted by North Dakota State's stunning 25-24 road win over perennial Division I-AA power Montana in just his second game at the helm.

Bohl fits the successful profile of Bison leaders of the past. He is articulate, high-energy, experienced, successful and charismatic.

His first full-time coaching position was as the defensive secondary coach for the Bison under Don Morton in 1984 when NDSU finished second in the nation with a 12-1 record.

Since then, Bohl has coached on the Division I level for 18 seasons including stops at five different universities. He was the linebackers coach at Tulsa for two seasons (1985-86), the linebackers coach at Wisconsin for two seasons (1987-88), the defensive coordinator at Rice for five seasons (1989-93), the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Duke for one season (1994), and the linebackers coach at Nebraska for eight years. The final three seasons at Nebraska also included the defensive coordinator duties.

His seasons at Nebraska included a number of Top 10 defensive national rankings for a team that compiled an 85-18 record including national championships with a Fiesta Bowl win in 1995 and an Orange Bowl win 1997. At Duke, he helped mold one of the biggest turnarounds in college football, working with a program that posted an 8-4 record in 1994 after the Blue Devils had gone 3-8 the year before his arrival. A number of athletes who have played for Bohl while at Nebraska have played or been drafted in the National Football League.

A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, he was a reserve in the Cornhusker secondary from 1977 through 1979 under Tom Osborne and played on NU's 1979 Orange Bowl and 1980 Cotton Bowl teams. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Nebraska (1982).

Andy Talley - aka my Dad for 4 years





Updated August 2007


Record at Villanova: 148-94-1, .614 (22 Years)
Record in Conference Games: 88-67, .568 (19 Years)
Overall as a Head Coach: 176-112-2, .607 (27 Seasons)


Villanova head coach Andy Talley will be walking the sidelines for the 28th season as a collegiate head coach, including his 23rd as the Wildcat leader in 2007. The winningest coach in school history, Talley's record on the Main Line currently stands at 148-94-1.


During the 1999 season, Talley recorded his 100th career win at Villanova with a 31-28 win at conference rival New Hampshire. On Oct. 5, 1996, Talley registered his 100th career coaching win in a 38-27 victory at Connecticut. His 27-year overall coaching mark currently stands at 176-112-2 and his 176 wins rank him seventh on the NCAA I-AA active coaching victory list and he is 19th nationally in winning percentage.


In 2002, Talley led Villanova to unchartered territory as the Wildcats advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history. The 2002 playoff berth marked the sixth time in his career that Talley has guided Villanova to a playoff appearance. Also, in 2002, Talley and the Wildcats won both the ECAC Team of the Year Award and the Lambert Meadowlands Cup for the second-time in school history.


In 2001, Talley coached Villanova to a share of the Atlantic 10 Championship with an 8-3 overall record and a 7-2 conference mark. This was the fourth conference title for Talley during his Villanova career. Also, in 2001, Wildcat running back Brian Westbrook became the second Villanova player to win National Player of the Year accolades under Talley's tutelage when he garnered the Walter Payton Award as the top player in all of NCAA I-AA football. Wide receiver Brian Finneran won the same award in 1997. Villanova, Colgate and the University of Idaho are now the only three schools to have two Walter Payton Award winners in its history. Westbrook finished off his illustrious career becoming the first Wildcat football player to be drafted since Howie Long in 1981 when he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft.


In 1997, Talley led his Wildcats to the first-ever undefeated, untied full season in Villanova gridiron history. While leading his troops to the undefeated campaign, Talley also guided the Wildcats to a No. 1 national ranking for the final six weeks of the regular season. This was the first time in school history that a Villanova football team was ranked No. 1 in the polls. On their way to being named the 1997 ECAC Team of the Year, Talley and the Wildcats set 41 school records. After claiming the inaugural Atlantic 10 championship in 1997 with a perfect 8-0 conference mark, Talley and his team were rewarded for their fine season with a bid to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. In the playoffs, Villanova accomplished another first, as the `Cats claimed the school's first-ever I-AA playoff win with a 49-28 victory over Colgate. In the quarterfinals, Villanova's dream season came to a close with a hard-fought 37-34 defeat to eventual National Champion Youngstown State.


When you have a season like Talley and the Wildcats had, individual honors are sure to follow. For his efforts in 1997, Talley won virtually every coaching award possible. At a banquet in New York City in early December, Talley was presented the prestigious Eddie Robinson Award as the nation's top coach in all of I-AA. A few weeks later, he garnered the AFCA/GTE National Coach of the Year Award. As part of winning this distinction, Talley was selected to serve as an assistant coach at the 1998 Hula Bowl. In Hawaii, Talley assisted then Ohio State head coach John Cooper, serving as the secondary coach for the North squad. In addition to these awards, Talley was named the recipient of the first-ever Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Award.


Individually, many of Talley's 1997 players had numerous honors and awards bestowed upon them. Led by All-American wide receiver Brian Finneran (currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons), who earned the Walter Payton Award as the nation's premier player in I-AA football, Villanova had 11 players earn All-Atlantic 10 honors and seven players claim All-ECAC distinction. In addition, sophomore quarterback Chris Boden was named to a number of All-America teams.


On Sept. 30, 1995, Villanova defeated the University of Buffalo, 28-3, giving Talley his 67th win as Villanova's head coach, surpassing Harry Stuhldreher, who was one of the Four Horsemen, for the most victories in Villanova football history. About to enter his 23rd season on the Main Line, Talley can feel responsible for every facet of the Villanova program, having started it from scratch in 1985. In his 23 years at Villanova, Talley's successes have been numerous. When he arrived on May 29, 1984 as the school's 29th head coach, there was no team. The program had been dropped following the 1980 campaign and had now been restored, with Talley being given the job of building a program. He set out to build not only a winning team, but one that alumni all over the country could be proud of.


In his first season, Talley guided the Wildcats to a perfect 5-0 record in a limited schedule and since that season Talley has not let his troops look back. Dating back to that opening campaign, Talley has led Villanova teams to NCAA Division I-AA Playoff appearances in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997 and 2002. His 1989, 1991, 1997 and 2001 teams were conference champions, while the 1992 and 2002 squads were voted the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy champions as the top I-AA team in the East.


Before coming to Villanova, Talley served as the head football coach at St. Lawrence University, where in 1982, he led St. Lawrence to the Division III Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy as the top team in the East. That year, Talley was named the American Football Coaches Association/ Kodak Division III Region I Coach of the Year, as well as the Metropolitan New York Sportswriters/ECAC Coach of the Year. These were the same awards he would go on to win in 1991 at the I-AA level at Villanova.


Not only has he won as a head coach everywhere he has been, Talley has been associated with nothing but winning programs since his coaching career began in 1967. The record of all his teams as both an assistant and a head coach is a gaudy 254-132-4.


In addition to the great teams he has built, Talley has also been able to lead great players as evidenced by the 10 first team All-Americans he has coached at Villanova. The first was offensive guard Paul Berardelli who earned American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)/Kodak All-America honors in 1988. Center Bryan Russo also earned AFCA/Kodak honors as well as Sports Network mention while a member of the 1989 NCAA I-AA playoff team. Linebacker Curtis Eller was twice an AFCA/Kodak first team selection for the 1991 and 1992 playoff teams and garnered Associated Press honors in 1992. Eller, who was a two-time Yankee Conference Defensive Player of the Year selection in 1991 and 1992, was also named to the Yankee Conference 50th Anniversary Team.


In 1994, junior linebacker Tyrone Frazier was named AFCA/Schooner's and Sports Network first team All-American, while in 1997 wide receiver Brian Finneran earned All-America honors from every organization, in addition to being named the Walter Payton Award as the nation's top I-AA player. Finneran was also named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and ECAC Player of the Year. A year earlier in 1996, Finneran earned All-American honors from the AFCA. Also, in 1997, quarterback Chris Boden earned numerous All-American accolades including selection to the Walter Camp All-America Team. In 1998, sophomore running back Brian Westbrook earned first team All-American honors from both the Associated Press and The Sports Network. In addition, Westbrook became the only player in the history of NCAA football at any level to rush for 1,000 yards and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season. In 2001, Westbrook earned the Walter Payton Award as the I-AA National Player of the Year, in addition to being a first team All-American, the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year and the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. Westbrook also was selected to play in two prestigious postseason All-Star games including the Senior Bowl and the Hula Bowl. In 2002, quarterback Brett Gordon was named a Walter Camp All-American as well as the Atlantic 10 and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. Last season, senior linebacker Brian Hulea was named an All-American by the Sports Network, AFCA and Walter Camp Foundation.


For Talley, however, these accomplishments are not enough. Perhaps of greater importance to Talley than wins, losses and athletic accolades are the types of students and people that his program turns out. In his Villanova career, Villanova has had 11 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.


Away from the football field, Talley is appreciative of the opportunities provided to him through athletics, and is continually looking to give something back to others. The area off the field to which he dedicates most of his time is the National Bone Marrow Foundation. With this group, he works to have potential bone marrow donors entered in a national bone marrow registry, increasing the odds of a needy patient being able to find a "match" for their bone marrow. Since November 1, 1993, he has been responsible for over 3,500 people being tested with the National Bone Marrow Donor Program. This past year, Wildcat kicker Joe Marcoux was a perfect match and he donated his blood cells to a cancer patient.


Talley also often serves as a featured speaker at many business and community functions. He acts as President of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Philadelphia Chapter. In December of 2000, Talley was one of two chapter presidents to be honored by the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame and received an award for his leadership of the Philadelphia Chapter at the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Talley was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award in January of 2000 by the All-American Football Foundation.


Talley's coaching career began at Simsbury (Conn.) High School in 1967 where he was an assistant coach for two years. In 1969, he became the defensive secondary coach at Springfield (Mass.) College for one year and then was the offensive backfield coach at Middlebury (Vt.) College from 1970-73.


Talley had his first experience of rebuilding a program when he became the offensive backfield coach at Brown University in 1973. Having experienced several losing seasons prior to 1973, Talley was on the staff while they compiled a 36-15-2 overall record in six seasons, including the Ivy League title in 1976.


From there, he was named the head coach at St. Lawrence (N.Y.) University, a position he held until his appointment at Villanova in May, 1984. Talley rebuilt the St. Lawrence program, and led the Saints to a 28-18-1 record in five seasons, including an undefeated regular season in 1982 when he advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals.


A graduate of Haverford (Pa.) High School just five minutes from the Villanova campus, Talley is a native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. During the winter of 1996, Talley was inducted into the Haverford Hall of Fame. He played four seasons at defensive back for Southern Connecticut State University, graduating with honors in 1967. In the spring of 1998, Talley was inducted into the Southern Connecticut Hall of Fame. In the past three years, Talley was inducted into three more Halls of Fame. In November, 2005 he was recognized by the Delaware County Hall of Fame, while in June of 2006 he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Delaware County Chapter. Just this past year, he earned a spot in the Pennsylvania State Hall of Fame. Talley earned his Masters degree in Education from Southern Connecticut in 1969.

Talley and his wife, Arlene, reside in Berwyn, Pa. They are the parents of two children: Josh, a graduate of both Brown University, and Villanova Law School who is currently a practicing lawyer in Philadelphia and Gina, who is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and is currently enrolled in graduate school at New York University.


Andy Talley Inside the Numbers...


Career Victories: 176
Villanova Victories: 148
Ranking Among Villanova Coaches: 1st
Hall of Fame Inductions: 5


Ranking Among Current NCAA I-AA Active Coaches...

Career Victories: 7th
Career Winning Percentage: 19th

http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-footb ... ndy00.html

Mark Farley



UNI head coach Mark Farley, once known as the "walk on from Waukon", has led Panther football to five top-five national finishes in the eight seasons he has been at the helm of the program. Farley has guided the Panthers to 24 wins in the past two seasons - the most of any two-year stretch in the history of UNI football. It is very clear that coach Farley has returned Panther football to its rightful home among the FCS elite.

Heading into his ninth 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 eight years at the helm, UNI has won at least a share of five 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. Seven of Farley's eight Panther teams have finished the season ranked in the top 25, including five in the top five.

Farley is also becoming known for his winning prowess in the month of November. Since taking over the head coaching duties in 2001, Farley has posted a mark of 25-4 in the month of November. In fact heading into the 2009 season, UNI has won 19 of its last 20 November games.

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.

Farley guided the Panthers to back-to-back conference titles in 2007 and 2008.


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.

Now in his eighth 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 seven years at the helm, UNI has won at least a share of four Gateway Conference titles. UNI has also advanced to the quarterfinals (2003, 2007), semifinals (2001) and the national title game (2005) in each of those four seasons. Six of Farley's seven Panther team have finished the season ranked in the top 25, including four in the top five.

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.

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

Personal
# Born: April 5, 1963
# Hometown: Waukon, Iowa
# Family: Wife Lori; sons Jake, 18, and Jared, 13; daughter Jamie, 16.