From High School to Division I - Football Programs to Work for

AFM\'s annual listing of successful programs that have a tradition of developing coaches
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When football hounds gather to talk about schools with a fine tradition of producing coaches, talk usually begins and ends with Miami of Ohio.Obviously, Miami is a superb choice, having given the world the likes of Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Paul Brown, Ara Parseghian, Weeb Ewbank and Sid Gilman. In addition to those luminaries, a number of Miami products are currently in the collegiate ranks, notably Ohio State’s Jim Tressel, Florida's Ron Zook, Northwestern's Randy Walker, and current Miami coach Terry Hoeppner.

But it would be folly to suggest that the RedHawks have a hammerlock on producing such talent. There are a number of schools – from the prep and college ranks – that have a history of molding assistants and head coaches.

Since it would be further folly to attempt to encompass all worthy programs in one fell swoop, we’ve decided to look at a number of strong programs at each level-from high school to Division I-A. Obviously, the expectations differ from school to school. After all, Kansas State has far more resources than Georgia Military College.

Each of the schools has hewn a different path to success. Schools such as Cal-Davis always ended up with good coaching fodder, brainy players short on physical tools, because the better athletes went elsewhere. Legends such as Tubby Raymond and Bill Snyder managed to surround themselves with talent they helped groom. And smaller programs such as Butler County Community College have used consistency and plenty of wins to attract young coaches with something to prove. Still, each of the following programs has one thing in common: It has risen above expectations and helped enrich the coaching community in a significant manner.

Division I-A

During his tenure at Iowa, Hayden Fry hired Bill Snyder (Kansas State) as his offensive coordinator and had a hand in developing Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin), Dan McCarney (Iowa State) and Iowa’s current coach, Kirk Ferentz.

Snyder has developed a national powerhouse at Kansas State. And he obviously paid attention to his mentor by helping kick-start the careers of a remarkable number of coaches during his time with the Wildcats.

Former Snyder assistants include Mark Mangino (Kansas), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Mike Stoops (Arizona), Phil Bennett (Southern Methodist), Jim Leavitt (South Florida) and Jim Donnan (Georgia, Marshall).

Says Tom Gilbert, K-State’s assistant SID: “Coach Snyder has been to 11 straight bowl games. I think a lot of assistants are attracted to that. People always tell me they want to work for the best, and Snyder’s one of the best coaches in the country.”

Not everyone from K-State has Snyder connections, of course. Dennis Franchione was an assistant at K-State from 1978-80 before moving to New Mexico, Texas Christian, Alabama and Texas A&M. Another former K-Stater with Aggie ties is R.C. Slocum, who coached Wildcats freshmen in the early 1970s. And Gary Darnell, K-State’s defensive coordinator from 1978-82, later took positions at Florida, Notre Dame and Texas before ascending to his role as head coach at Western Michigan.

Other notable Wildcat alums include Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brett Venables; Wisconsin defensive coordinator Bret Bielema; Ole Miss offensive coordinator John Latina; Georgia defensive ends coach Jon Fabris; Kentucky’s Ron Hudson (offensive coordinator) and Paul Dunn (offensive line); former Temple coach Ron Dickerson; Dana Dimel (former head coach at Wyoming and Houston); and former Arizona Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis.

Middle Tennessee State has competed at the I-A level for only five seasons, but it has done a fine job of pumping out assistant coaches under Andy McCollum. McCollum was an assistant at MTSU from 1982-88 then took assistant coaching positions at Texas El Paso and Baylor before returning to MTSU as head coach in 1999.

Middle Tennessee alums include three Gators, offensive coordinator Larry Fedora, offensive line coach Joe Wickline, and former Florida assistant Mike Woodford. In addition, McCollum proteges include BYU offensive coordinator Todd Bradford; Dallas Cowboys assistant Kacy Rodgers; Carey Bailey, Oklahoma State’s defensive line coach; West Virginia receivers coach Steve Bird; former Buffalo Bills assistant Miles Aldridge; Steve Campbell (Mississippi State); and Ronnie Vinklarek (Southern Methodist).

Mark Owens, assistant athletic director for media relations, is realistic when assessing Middle Tennessee’s place in the football world. “Everybody wants to coach in the SEC or the Big Ten or Big 12,” Owens says. “We do the best we can, but some schools have more resources than we do. Andy McCollum keeps hiring good people, and they keep moving up.”

Division I-AA

Tubby Raymond was a stalwart at Delaware, spending 48 years on the Fightin’ Blue Hens staff, including 36 years as head coach. But then again, this is a program built on consistency. As current head coach K.C. Keeler points out, the Blue Hens have had only four head coaches since World War II.

“Coach Bill Murray started the Delaware tradition during and immediately after the War,” notes Keeler. “After Murray, Coach Dave Nelson continued a winning trend and gave Delaware their first national championship. Tubby was on Nelson’s staff and saw it as a great job – a premier program with great facilities, academics, and fan support...all the ingredients to be successful.” Keeler has continued that tradition, winning a national championship for Delaware in just his second season as head coach. But while there’s been plenty of stability at the top, plenty of Delaware assistants have shown a more nomadic inclination.

Former Delaware assistants include former Richmond offensive coordinator and Washburn head coach Tony DeMeo and David Lockwood who coached Delaware’s receivers and tight ends from 1990-93. After stops at James Madison, Memphis, Wyoming, West Virginia and Notre Dame, Lockwood now coaches the secondary for the University of Minnesota. Former Hens cornerback Joe Purzycki was a Raymond assistant in 1978-80 before taking head coaching positions at Delaware State and James Madison.

Ron Rogerson, a Raymond assistant from 1971-1980, took Maine’s head coaching position, then moved to Princeton. Rogerson helmed the Tigers for two seasons before tragically dying of a heart attack in August 1987 at age 44.

Two Raymond assistants were a bit more circular in their career journeys. Bryan Bossard was a graduate assistant in 1990, then worked at Morehouse, West Chester (Pa.), Bucknell and Wyoming before returning to Delaware as passing-game coordinator/receivers coach in 2002. David Cohen, an assistant from 1994-98, went to Fordham for three years before returning in 2002 as defensive coordinator. Bossard and Cohen were integral to Delaware’s 2003 season, when the Hens went 15-1 and won the I-AA national title.

Other notables include: Warren Ruggiero, a graduate assistant in 1988 who is Hofstra’s offensive coordinator; Steve Verbit, Princeton’s defensive coordinator; and Brandon Walker (Fordham).

The University of California at Davis is in the collegiate netherworld between Division II and Division I-AA until it officially moves to I-AA in 2007-08. But many schools and media outlets are treating Davis as a I-AA school right now, and the school has achieved a great deal no matter how you slice it. UC-Davis’ primary strength has been the ability to graduate intelligent players destined to coach.

Says Mike Honbo, UC-Davis’ assistant media-relations director: “We didn’t necessarily have the top athletes during the 1970s and 1980s, we had students of the game. They knew the mental game well – and that’s something you can pass on as a coach.”

In addition, Honbo attributes a lot of the school’s success to former coach Jim Sochor. Sochor coached from 1970-88 and began the school’s streak of 34 consecutive winning seasons, a Division II record.

New York Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett was a QB at Davis from 1965-68 and coached there from 1969-71. The Oregon Ducks have so benefited from former Aggies that Honbo refers to Oregon as “UC-Davis North.” The Ducks have raided the Davis ranks, garnering a head coach (Mike Bellotti), a defensive coordinator (Nick Aliotti), and “the dean of Pac-10 assistants,” Neal Zoumboukos, a 24-year coach at Oregon.

Boise State is another Davis North candidate. Head coach Dan Hawkins spent three years on the Aggies staff before moving on. Boise State offensive coordinator Chris Petersen might exemplify the type of player/coach Davis has produced. Peterson still holds the Division II career record for completion percentage (69.6).

Says Honbo: “Petersen was only 5-foot-8, but he had an amazing mind. He might have been the best QB we ever had.”

Boise State receivers coach Steve Smyte also coached at Davis.

And last year’s Fort Worth Bowl between Texas Christian and Boise State was a Davis coaching reunion as TCU head coach Gary Patterson was Davis’ linebackers coach in 1986.

Division II

Valdosta State is where Hal Mumme (Kentucky, Southeastern Louisiana) and his staff honed their game, helping launch the careers of Mike Leach (Oklahoma, Texas Tech) and Guy Morriss (Kentucky, Baylor).

In addition, Mumme protege Mike Fanoga is now an assistant at Western Kentucky.

Mumme and his assistants were famous for their offensive prowess, but Valdosta has also produced defensive coaches of note.

Will Muschamp was Valdosta’s defensive coordinator under current head coach Chris Hatcher before becoming LSU’s DC. Kirby Smart, Muschamp’s successor at Valdosta, followed him to LSU and will coach defensive backs this season.

Says Hatcher, now entering his fifth season as head coach and one of the youngest coaches at the D-l level: “We’ve been able at Valdosta State to be consistent with two things: great players and great coaches. For many it’s their first full time job and able to get their feet in the door in the coaching world. They learn a great deal and with the experience they gain they’re ready for that next step.”

Pittsburg State (KS) fits the pattern as well. Originally a teacher’s college, the school promotes a family atmosphere with great tradition and is the only college nicknamed the Gorillas. Their coaching legacy almost reads as a ‘who’s who’ in the coaching world: Dennis Franchione served as head coach at PSU from 1985-89, compiling a 53-6 record. Since, he has been head coach at New Mexico, TCU, Alabama, and now Texas A&M. Gary Patterson served as linebackers coach under Franchione and became head coach at TCU upon Francione’s departure to Alabama. On that staff also was current Southern Illinois coach Jerry Kill as well as current PSU head coach Chuck Broyles. He now is the winningest active head coach in Division II with a 140-29-2 overall record.

Additionally, current head coach at Sam Houston State Ron Randleman was head mentor of PSU from 1976-81. Willie Fritz was a student assistant at Pitsburg State in the early 1980’s, later head coach at Blinn College where he won a pari of NJCAA national championships and is now head coach at Central Missouri State.

Dave Wiemers served as a graduate assistant in 1993 and ultimately ended up as head coach at Emporia State. Similarly, Craig Schurig served as a GA for Chuck Broyles and became head coach at Washburn in 2002.

Grand Valley State has a similar record of success.

Tom Beck was head coach at GVSU from 1985-90. He became Lou Holtz’s offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Last year’s head coach, Brian Kelly, just took the head job at Central Michigan. And former defensive line coach Brady Hoke now runs the Ball State program.

Brian VanGorder was Grand Valley’s defensive coordinator from 1989-91. He now holds the same position at Georgia and appears poised to become a I-A head coach.

Mike Denbrock, Grand Valley’s defensive coordinator from 1992-98, went to Stanford and is now Tyrone Willingham’s defensive line coach at Notre Dame.

In addition, former Lakers assistant Ron Burton is now the defensive line coach at Air Force. And former GVSU head coach Jim Harkema coached Eastern Michigan from 1983-92.

Division III

The Mount Union Purple Raiders have won seven Division III titles and set a collegiate record with 55 straight victories. Raiders head coach Larry Kehres has an amazing 205-18-3 record in 18 seasons at Mount Union. In addition, he has seeded several Division III schools with his pupils.

Among those who toiled under Kehres are: Erik Raeburn (Coe); Dean Paul (Ohio Northern); Mike Sirianni (Washington and Jefferson) and Mike Hallett (Thomas More).

“We have a tremendous tradition at Mt. Union,” says Kehres. “I’ve found that some men are great teachers of football on the field and also have a special relationship with their assistants...they’re great teachers of football concepts. Their style creates a curiosity in others to learn, both an insatiable and inspiring feeling to grow as a coach and want to get to the depth of their own ability. My feeling is that some coaches teach concepts in which you’re inspired to grow and learn new things.”

Another notable D-III school is Rowan, a northeast regional powerhouse that yielded Tubby Raymond’s replacement at Delaware, K.C. Keeler. In addition, North Carolina head coach John Bunting also coached at Rowan. “The foundation at Rowan was laid by coaches Dick Wackar and Ted Kirshner at (what was) Glassboro State College,” says Rowan head coach Jay Accorsi. “Coach Wackar brought football back in 1963. You can’t talk about Rowan football without talking about coach Wackar helping clear a cow pasture to make a football field, and he and his wife putting in the irrigation system. Wackar’s assistant, Ted Kirshner, later took over the program. Then Kirshner’s assistant, John Bunting, took over. It’s been a job that’s been handed down to assistants over the years.”

K.C. Keeler was an assistant under Bunting and Accorsi was Keeler’s defensive coordinator.

NAIA

Denny Duron (1977-82) was the first head coach at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. Duron later was a key figure in the rise of prep power Shreveport (La.) Evangel and is now Shreveport Evangel’s chancellor. Keith Barefield coached at Evangel University from 1989-98 before coaching in the Arena Leagues. Like Duron, Barefield later went to Shreveport Evangel H.S. and is now an assistant there.

Former assistant Ron Estay, a Canadian Football League Hall of Fame defensive lineman, is an assistant with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Brenton Illum, a former Evangel assistant is now at Southwest Missouri State, coaching linebackers. And Wayne Haynes, an assistant from 1977-79, coached at Southwest Baptist University and Pittsburg (Kan.) State.

Says SID David Fillmore: “We have the highest winning percentage of any college in Missouri since 1990 – .708 (101-41-2). We have been nationally ranked for the last 14 seasons, and being a small, private Christian school attracts a lot of good coaches.”

Among the notable alums of Hastings College (Neb) is Bill Parcells. He was an assistant at Hastings and he is hardly the only alumnus to move on. Dan Kratzer was head coach from 1990-94 before taking over the program at Lindenwood (Mo.) University. Kratzer is now an assistant head coach at Kent State.

Former head coach Barney Cotton was offensive coordinator at New Mexico State and Nebraska before taking the same position at Iowa State. Ross Els replaced Cotton as Hastings’ head coach, then went to New Mexico State to become defensive coordinator. And Mike Gardner, an assistant at Hastings under Kratzer is now head coach at Tabor College.

Junior Colleges

Georgia Military College restarted their football program in 1991. Since that time, 232 players have signed scholarships to four-year schools. In addition, former Bulldogs coach Robert Nunn moved on to coach with the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins.

Scot Sloan was defensive coordinator in 2001, when the Bulldogs won the National Junior College Athletic Association championship, and is now secondary coach at Georgia Southern.

Two others of note are Doug Meechum, now Samford’s offensive coordinator and Dale Jones, who coordinates recruiting and coaches the defensive line at Appalachian State. Their head coach Bert Williams, successful in his own right, has revolutionized defensive play with the installation of the 3-5-3 defense.

Says assistant coach Rob Manchester: “Everyone knows about us. We have a really good track record, and we’re consistently in the hunt for a national title. I think that our success causes other schools to look at our coaches.”

Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., has won three of the last six NJCAA titles, head coach Troy Murrell has won an NJCAA Coach of the Year award and AFM’s Schutt Sports Coach of the Year award. In the process, a number of Butler’s assistants have left to pursue other opportunities.

Former Butler defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio was an assistant at Michigan State and Ohio State’s defensive coordinator prior to being named head coach at the University of Cincinnati.

Shawn Raney is now defensive backs coach at Alabama Birmingham. Former Butler head coach Dan Dodd is offensive coordinator at New Mexico; and former running backs coach Cornell Jackson is an assistant at the University of Washington after a stint at Arizona State. In addition, James Shibest coaches receivers and specialists at Arkansas.

“The staff we had had been together for five years until (Raney) left,” says athletic director Todd Carter. “That’s the reason we have been successful, and that’s a no-brainer.” But Carter did note that there was little glamour in coaching at this level. “The workload is unbelievable,” he said. “To coach at this level requires a lot of love and commitment to the game.”

Head Coach Morrell feels similarly: “In addition to a commitment to the game, there really are two additional reasons for Butler’s success: relationships among coaches that lead to job recommendations for openings and the fact that Butler is a great place to be. It has great support from everyone including strong administration. We’ve had great continuity through the years.”

High Schools

Bill Castle has been on the scene at Lakeland (Fla.) High School since 1971, and he has run the Dreadnoughts program since 1976. Since that time, Castle has won three 5A state titles and numerous Florida coach of the year awards.

Castle’s assistants are very loyal and he has benefited from a stable corps of coaches, but he still has seen a number of his assistants move to head coaching positions.

Rick Darlington, the new coach at Valdosta (Ga.) High School, played for Castle and coached linebackers at Lakeland.

Former Lakeland defensive line coach Jeff Davis was head coach at Chiefland (Fla.) before becoming its principal. Davis’ replacement as Chiefland’s coach? Another Castle pupil: Sam Holland.

Former Lakeland linebackers coach Keith Demeyer is head coach at Lake Gibson, Fla., and Richard Tate runs a Kathleen (Fla.) program that went undefeated last season.

In addition, Lakeland’s athletic director, Sid Kimbrell, coached for Castle.

Says Castle: “In high school, you stay, and the kids come and go. You gotta constantly study the game and keep working at it.”

Another prep power is Jenks (Okla.) High School. Allan Trimble has been a victim of his own success having to replace three offensive coordinators and four defensive coordinators in eight seasons as head coach.

Former assistant Tag Gross is now head coach at Tulsa (Okla.) Holland Hall; Matt Hennesy is now defensive coordinator at Muskogee (Okla.); Darren Melton head coach at Lincoln (Neb.) Christian Academy; Antwain Jimmerson heads the Tulsa Booker T. Washington program; Brad Calip is head coach at Tulsa Bishop Kelly; J.J. Tapanna runs the Catoosa (Okla.) program; and Doug Buckmaster was offensive coordinator at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M before taking over at Carthage (Mo.) High School.

Says Trimble: “I’m hung up on my coaches improving every day and empowering them. Our offensive and defensive system gives our coaches the independence and flexibility to help them develop.

“I’m not married to a system, I’m married to being successful.”

Which, apparently, is a common ingredient to each of these success stories.

(American Football Monthly will be publishing a listing of colleges with outstanding coaching traditions on an annual basis...please write Managing Editor Rex Lardner with your thoughts on additional programs with similar records of success at rlardner@lcclark.com

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