Case of Coach
In the Red Zone with Rex Lardner - Managing Editor American Football Monthly
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Steve Specht
September 8th, 2011When Steve Specht was a senior at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati in 1985, one of the assistant coaches on the staff was Urban Meyer. More than 25 years later, Meyer has won two National Championships while at Florida and Specht was won two Ohio Division I State Championships as the head coach at his alma mater.
In fact, Specht was also the Ohio Division I Coach of the Year when St. X won the two titles in 2005 and 2007. This fall he is in his eighth season as head coach for the Bombers and 18th as a coach at the school. Specht played baseball and football at Earlham College and started his coaching career at Roger Bacon High School (OH) in 1989. He then coached at West Chester Lakota (OH) before returning to St. X as an assistant.
In 2004, Specht became head coach and has an overall 71-17 record. He also became a member of USA’s Football and Wellness Committee, a group designed to further promote the best practices for America’s youth and the amateur football community. Specht also ventured to Sao Paulo, Brazil this past spring and introduced many South Americans to American football. Funded in part by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Education Development Program and Brazil’s American Football Federation, the two-day clinic benefited over 100 coaches of high school-aged and adult club teams across the entire country.
Specht is an English teacher at St. Xavier and teaches Freshman Oral Communication. He’s also a defensive specialist on the football field. Specht’s teams use matching zone concepts and employ a number of nickel pressure packages. Ranked among the prep elite teams this fall, St. Xavier held their first opponent to a total of 11 yards. Urban Meyer, to this day a friend and mentor to Specht, would be proud.
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Mike Drass
August 16th, 2011 The motto of Wesley College, a small Division III school with an enrollment of 1,500 undergraduates, is ‘Great Things Await.’ That is certainly true when it comes to the Wesley football program. Head Coach Mike Drass has built the Wolverines into a consistent winner.
Now in his 19th season at the Dover, Delaware school, Drass has an overall record of 155-45-1. Wesley completed their second straight undefeated regular season last fall, losing to eventual National Champion Wisconsin-Whitewater in the national D-III semifinals. During his tenure, Wesley has had five seasons of at least 10 wins and their 70 victories over the past six years ranks third among all D-III programs. Additionally, the Wolverines have been to at least the second round of the D-III playoffs for six straight years.
An offensive lineman at Mansfield University, Drass started his coaching career as a high school coach in Pennsylvania. He then went back to his alma mater as an assistant coach and joined the Wesley program in 1989 as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Then, after three years as the defensive coordinator, Drass was promoted to head coach in March, 1993. He has spearheaded the Wolverines defense since 1989 and last fall the Wolverines finished #1 in the nation in overall defense. In the last 16 seasons, his defense has been in the top 25 a total of 11 times.
Drass also serves as the Executive Director of Athletics for Wesley. His number one priority is stressing to his players the importance of a student-athlete’s education. “Wesley is about getting a cap and gown, not a helmet and shoulder pads. The classroom and the playing field are tied together and you cannot have success in one without the other.”
Now in his 19th season at the Dover, Delaware school, Drass has an overall record of 155-45-1. Wesley completed their second straight undefeated regular season last fall, losing to eventual National Champion Wisconsin-Whitewater in the national D-III semifinals. During his tenure, Wesley has had five seasons of at least 10 wins and their 70 victories over the past six years ranks third among all D-III programs. Additionally, the Wolverines have been to at least the second round of the D-III playoffs for six straight years.
An offensive lineman at Mansfield University, Drass started his coaching career as a high school coach in Pennsylvania. He then went back to his alma mater as an assistant coach and joined the Wesley program in 1989 as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Then, after three years as the defensive coordinator, Drass was promoted to head coach in March, 1993. He has spearheaded the Wolverines defense since 1989 and last fall the Wolverines finished #1 in the nation in overall defense. In the last 16 seasons, his defense has been in the top 25 a total of 11 times.
Drass also serves as the Executive Director of Athletics for Wesley. His number one priority is stressing to his players the importance of a student-athlete’s education. “Wesley is about getting a cap and gown, not a helmet and shoulder pads. The classroom and the playing field are tied together and you cannot have success in one without the other.”
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Bob Nielson
June 19th, 2011 How about this for results – two NCAA Division II National Championships, four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles, three perfect 11-0 seasons and a .790 winning percentage. This is what Bob Nielson, the head coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has accomplished in eight seasons.
In 2010, Nielson and the Bulldogs did something no other NCAA Division II college had been able to do – finish 15-0 for a second time. For his efforts, Nielson received three coaching honors – the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year, the Liberty Mutual D-II Coach of the Year, and American Football Monthly’s D-II Coach of the Year.
Nielson returned to the UMD sidelines in 2008 following a four-year hiatus and oversaw one of the most impressive turnarounds in Division II history. The 4-6 Bulldogs of 2007 were molded into national champions the next season. Along the process, UMD set or equaled 50 team and individual records.
Nielson spent five years as UMD’s head coach from 1998-2003 but stepped down and became the school’s athletic director. He then was reassigned to the head coaching positions in January, 2008 while still retaining his title of athletics director. His overall eight-year record now stands at 79-21.
Nielson previously was the head coach for three years at Wisconsin-Eau Claire and also was the head coach at his alma mater, Wartburg College, from 1991-1995. He began his head coaching career at Ripon College and was an assistant coach at Wartburg from 1981-1988.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wartburg in 1982 and received his Master’s from Northern Iowa in 1988. If that isn’t enough, Nielson graduated with a 4.00 cumulative grade point average and, while at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was a member of the Department of Kinesiology teaching staff.
In 2010, Nielson and the Bulldogs did something no other NCAA Division II college had been able to do – finish 15-0 for a second time. For his efforts, Nielson received three coaching honors – the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year, the Liberty Mutual D-II Coach of the Year, and American Football Monthly’s D-II Coach of the Year.
Nielson returned to the UMD sidelines in 2008 following a four-year hiatus and oversaw one of the most impressive turnarounds in Division II history. The 4-6 Bulldogs of 2007 were molded into national champions the next season. Along the process, UMD set or equaled 50 team and individual records.
Nielson spent five years as UMD’s head coach from 1998-2003 but stepped down and became the school’s athletic director. He then was reassigned to the head coaching positions in January, 2008 while still retaining his title of athletics director. His overall eight-year record now stands at 79-21.
Nielson previously was the head coach for three years at Wisconsin-Eau Claire and also was the head coach at his alma mater, Wartburg College, from 1991-1995. He began his head coaching career at Ripon College and was an assistant coach at Wartburg from 1981-1988.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wartburg in 1982 and received his Master’s from Northern Iowa in 1988. If that isn’t enough, Nielson graduated with a 4.00 cumulative grade point average and, while at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was a member of the Department of Kinesiology teaching staff.
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Nick Bobeck
May 2nd, 2011 Navarro Junior College lost their first game of the regular season last fall, 16-10, to Butler Community College. The Butler Grizzlies went wire-to-wire as the #1 team among junior colleges leading up to the NJCAA championship game. Their opponent – Navarro Junior College.
Navarro won 11 straight games after their opening week loss, going into the championship game ranked #2 in the nation. With just over a minute remaining in the title game, Navarro’s Jueventino Sanchez nailed a 28-yard goal and Navarro defeated the top-ranked Grizzlies, 13-12. Butler’s offense had been averaging 40 points per game but were limited to two touchdowns in the championship game.
For Navarro head coach Nick Bobeck, the win was the culmination of three years of hard work. ‘This is very rewarding,” said Bobeck, who is now an impressive 32-3 in his three years leading the Bulldogs. “I’m very proud of the accomplishments of this group of kids. We didn’t play great, but these kids reached down within themselves and found enough inside to get the win.”
Bobeck played at the University of Central Oklahoma where he was an All-Conference fullback. He became a graduate assistant there and briefly joined the Navarro staff as the quarterbacks/receivers coach in 2006. Bobeck then became a graduate assistant at Texas A & M under head coach Dennis Francione. The next year he was selected as the offensive coordinator at Navarro.
On June 13, 2008, Bobeck was named head coach of the Bulldogs. Their 2010 NJCAA championship was their first since 1989. Not a bad resume for a 30-year old.
Navarro won 11 straight games after their opening week loss, going into the championship game ranked #2 in the nation. With just over a minute remaining in the title game, Navarro’s Jueventino Sanchez nailed a 28-yard goal and Navarro defeated the top-ranked Grizzlies, 13-12. Butler’s offense had been averaging 40 points per game but were limited to two touchdowns in the championship game.
For Navarro head coach Nick Bobeck, the win was the culmination of three years of hard work. ‘This is very rewarding,” said Bobeck, who is now an impressive 32-3 in his three years leading the Bulldogs. “I’m very proud of the accomplishments of this group of kids. We didn’t play great, but these kids reached down within themselves and found enough inside to get the win.”
Bobeck played at the University of Central Oklahoma where he was an All-Conference fullback. He became a graduate assistant there and briefly joined the Navarro staff as the quarterbacks/receivers coach in 2006. Bobeck then became a graduate assistant at Texas A & M under head coach Dennis Francione. The next year he was selected as the offensive coordinator at Navarro.
On June 13, 2008, Bobeck was named head coach of the Bulldogs. Their 2010 NJCAA championship was their first since 1989. Not a bad resume for a 30-year old.
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Pete Fredenburg
April 4th, 2011 Coach Pete Fredenburg has been the only coach the Crusaders of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor have ever had. After starting the UMHB in 1998, it took Fredenburg just four years to take his team to the NCAA Division III playoffs and just five years to guide the Crusaders to an American Southwest Conference Championship. In only the seventh season of UMHB football, Fredenburg had his team playing in the Division III National Championship game.
As the only head coach in the school’s history, Fredenburg has compiled a 13-year record of 121-32. Last fall, UMHB completed an undefeated regular season, but lost in the Division III playoffs to Wesley and finished 12-1. The Cru has earned eight trips to the playoffs under his tenure and were ASC Champions for six straight seasons, 2005-2010. The Crusaders have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for seven straight years. Fredenburg has coached nine AFCA All-Americans, 215 All-Conference players, and 78 Academic All-Conference selections.
Fredenburg began his career as a high school coach in Texas and had stops at Canyon High School, New Braunfels, and Giddings. He had a thirteen-year career at Baylor as both defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Fredenburg then moved on to LSU for a year, and, before coming to UMHB, he was the DC at Louisiana Tech for three years. Among the honor he’s received over the years:
· Southwest Conference Defensive Coach of the Year – 1990
· American Southwest Conference Coach of the Year – 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008
· AFCA Region III Coach of the Year – 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007
Coach Fredenburg was recently elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association. Honored by American Football Monthly in 2002, he was named the Division III National Coach of the Year Runner-Up
As the only head coach in the school’s history, Fredenburg has compiled a 13-year record of 121-32. Last fall, UMHB completed an undefeated regular season, but lost in the Division III playoffs to Wesley and finished 12-1. The Cru has earned eight trips to the playoffs under his tenure and were ASC Champions for six straight seasons, 2005-2010. The Crusaders have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for seven straight years. Fredenburg has coached nine AFCA All-Americans, 215 All-Conference players, and 78 Academic All-Conference selections.
Fredenburg began his career as a high school coach in Texas and had stops at Canyon High School, New Braunfels, and Giddings. He had a thirteen-year career at Baylor as both defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Fredenburg then moved on to LSU for a year, and, before coming to UMHB, he was the DC at Louisiana Tech for three years. Among the honor he’s received over the years:
· Southwest Conference Defensive Coach of the Year – 1990
· American Southwest Conference Coach of the Year – 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008
· AFCA Region III Coach of the Year – 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007
Coach Fredenburg was recently elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association. Honored by American Football Monthly in 2002, he was named the Division III National Coach of the Year Runner-Up
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of: Mike White
February 14th, 2011 Mike White has been coaching at his alma mater – Albany State College in Georgia – since 1997. His philosophy towards football can be summed up in one word: defense. After becoming head coach of the Rams in 2000, White’s defenses have been consistently ranked in the top ten among all NCAA Division II colleges.
Consider the following accomplishments of the Rams defense in 2010:
*Finished 3rd in total defense, giving up only 228 yards per game.
*Finished 2nd in rushing defense, surrendering only 67 yards per game.
*Finished 2nd in scoring defense, allowing only 155 points in 12 games.
*Finished 4th in pass efficiency defense, giving up only 10 touchdowns.
*Finished 4th in tackles for loss per game.
White was an All-American defensive lineman for Albany State and the fourth round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1979. He played for both the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks for five years. White was appointed defensive line coach for the Rams in 1997 and still coaches the D-line as well as serving as defensive coordinator in addition to his duties as head coach.
The Rams finished the regular 2010 season 10-0, losing in the second round of the D-II playoffs. White won the Heritage Sports Radio Network’s (HSRN) National Division II Coach of the Year award. White and the Rams captured the 2010 SBN National Black College Football Championship and the SIAC Championship title.
Consider the following accomplishments of the Rams defense in 2010:
*Finished 3rd in total defense, giving up only 228 yards per game.
*Finished 2nd in rushing defense, surrendering only 67 yards per game.
*Finished 2nd in scoring defense, allowing only 155 points in 12 games.
*Finished 4th in pass efficiency defense, giving up only 10 touchdowns.
*Finished 4th in tackles for loss per game.
White was an All-American defensive lineman for Albany State and the fourth round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1979. He played for both the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks for five years. White was appointed defensive line coach for the Rams in 1997 and still coaches the D-line as well as serving as defensive coordinator in addition to his duties as head coach.
The Rams finished the regular 2010 season 10-0, losing in the second round of the D-II playoffs. White won the Heritage Sports Radio Network’s (HSRN) National Division II Coach of the Year award. White and the Rams captured the 2010 SBN National Black College Football Championship and the SIAC Championship title.
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Al Bagnoli
February 5th, 2011 Al Bagnoli played three years of varsity football at Central Connecticut State, graduating in 1975. He went on to pursue his Master’s Degree at the University of Albany and worked the 1975 season as a graduate assistant. He was promoted to defensive coordinator after just one season and then moved to Division III Union College in 1978. At the ripe old age of 29, Bagnoli became a head coach for the first time at Union.
His first year at Union was the program’s first winning season in 12 years. During the next decade, Union posted a winning record every season. In 1992, Bagnoli was selected by the University of Pennsylvania as their head coach. In the 19 years since, Bagnoli has become the winningest coach in the FCS and owns the highest Ivy League winning percentage of all time. Consider his achievements:
• 6 undefeated Ivy League seasons (all-time record)
• 8 outright Ivy League titles (all-time record)
• 24 consecutive wins (FCS record – 11/30/92 – 9/30/95)
• 131 wins at Penn – most all-time
• 169 All-Ivy League players
Bagnoli is now the longest-tenured coach in Penn’s 134-year football tradition and is one of five coaches in FCS history to record 200 career wins. He has had only one losing season at Penn and the Quakers won back-to-back Ivy titles in 2009 and 2010. Although somewhat under the radar, Bagnoli is clearly becoming a living legend.
His first year at Union was the program’s first winning season in 12 years. During the next decade, Union posted a winning record every season. In 1992, Bagnoli was selected by the University of Pennsylvania as their head coach. In the 19 years since, Bagnoli has become the winningest coach in the FCS and owns the highest Ivy League winning percentage of all time. Consider his achievements:
• 6 undefeated Ivy League seasons (all-time record)
• 8 outright Ivy League titles (all-time record)
• 24 consecutive wins (FCS record – 11/30/92 – 9/30/95)
• 131 wins at Penn – most all-time
• 169 All-Ivy League players
Bagnoli is now the longest-tenured coach in Penn’s 134-year football tradition and is one of five coaches in FCS history to record 200 career wins. He has had only one losing season at Penn and the Quakers won back-to-back Ivy titles in 2009 and 2010. Although somewhat under the radar, Bagnoli is clearly becoming a living legend.
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard of – Saint Xavier’s Mike Feminis
February 1st, 2011 Saint Xavier University in downtown Chicago was founded as a women’s college in 1846. The school did not become coed until 1969. SXU then began their football program in 1993. The initial results were as expected – the Cougars won a total of eight games in their first six seasons.
All that changed in 1999 when Mike Feminis was named head coach. In 12 seasons at SXU, Feminis has compiled a 102-40 record, back-to-back Mid-State Football Association Championships, and finished 2010 with an overall 13-1 record. Since 2005, Saint Xavier has more wins than any other program in the state of Illinois. The Cougars had 11-0 regular season records in both 2009 and 2010.
After playing high school football for Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights and then at St. Francis in Joliet, Feminis coached at his alma mater before coming back to Chicago. He brought a high-powered offense to SXU and hasn’t looked back since. The Cougars have averaged over 40 points a game over the last three seasons and compile a 62-14 record since 2005. This past year, SXU reached the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship, falling to eventual champion Carroll College.
Feminis’ secret – recruiting in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. “There’s so much talent in the Chicago area, we don’t really need to recruit outside of Chicago,” said Feminis. A total of 72 of the 84 players on the team are from the Chicagoland area. The NAIA school has an enrollment of just over 5,000 with males comprising now 30 percent of the students. Does it get any better than being a football player at Saint Francis?
All that changed in 1999 when Mike Feminis was named head coach. In 12 seasons at SXU, Feminis has compiled a 102-40 record, back-to-back Mid-State Football Association Championships, and finished 2010 with an overall 13-1 record. Since 2005, Saint Xavier has more wins than any other program in the state of Illinois. The Cougars had 11-0 regular season records in both 2009 and 2010.
After playing high school football for Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights and then at St. Francis in Joliet, Feminis coached at his alma mater before coming back to Chicago. He brought a high-powered offense to SXU and hasn’t looked back since. The Cougars have averaged over 40 points a game over the last three seasons and compile a 62-14 record since 2005. This past year, SXU reached the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship, falling to eventual champion Carroll College.
Feminis’ secret – recruiting in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. “There’s so much talent in the Chicago area, we don’t really need to recruit outside of Chicago,” said Feminis. A total of 72 of the 84 players on the team are from the Chicagoland area. The NAIA school has an enrollment of just over 5,000 with males comprising now 30 percent of the students. Does it get any better than being a football player at Saint Francis?
A Coach You’ve Probably Never Heard Of (I)
December 27th, 2010 Coach Rod Wotton recently retired as a high school coach, completing nearly 50 years on the sidelines for three New England high schools – South Berwick and Marshwood in Maine and St. Thomas Aquinas in Dover, NH. In the process, the 71-year old Wooton became the winningest coach in New England high school football history. He called it a career after 342 wins and 21 championships. Wotten began his coaching career at South Berwick High School and became head coach there in 1962. He won his first state title in 1966, the same year the school moved to the town of Eliot and was renamed Marshwood High School. Wotton stepped down after the 1992 season and then coached briefly as an assistant at the University of New Hampshire. He took over the St. Thomas Aquinas program in 1996, inheriting a program with a 15-game losing streak. St. Thomas made the playoffs the following year, the first of five straight championship appearances.
But Wooten was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the early 2000’s although doctors suggested he keep busy by continuing to coach. By doing so through this past season, he kept Parkinson’s worst symptoms at bay. Now he plans to enjoy his seven grandchildren.
A reporter recently referred to Wotton as ‘New England’s legendary football coach.’ He didn’t like it. “I don’t like being called a legend,” Wotton said. ‘It’s something you’re called after you’re dead.”
But Wooten was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the early 2000’s although doctors suggested he keep busy by continuing to coach. By doing so through this past season, he kept Parkinson’s worst symptoms at bay. Now he plans to enjoy his seven grandchildren.
A reporter recently referred to Wotton as ‘New England’s legendary football coach.’ He didn’t like it. “I don’t like being called a legend,” Wotton said. ‘It’s something you’re called after you’re dead.”
The Silly Season
October 26th, 2010 It’s coming. In fact it’s already started. A colleague of mine referred to the college football world between mid-November and January lst as ‘The Silly Season.’ It’s the time of year when many major college head coaches are fired. It’s as inevitable as death and taxes and a controversy within the BCS.
It already began. Tim Brewster of Minnesota and Todd Dodge of North Texas were the first two Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to be fired. Both came in mid-season which is somewhat unusual. There will certainly be more to follow. Last fall there were 15 FBS head coaches fired between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And that doesn’t include all the changes made at that time among FCS teams, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and at the junior college level.
Many changes are needed or become unavoidable. Often though, a coach on the bubble may be given another year to help turn things around. The other part of the ‘Silly Season’ is the coach that accepts another position while his current team is scheduled to play in a bowl game. Many presidents and athletic directors have made the decision to let the coach go right away and appoint an interim head coach just for the bowl game.
That was the case last year when Brian Kelly led the Cincinnati Bearcats to an undefeated 12-0 regular season. Notre Dame came calling and Kelly accepted the job in early December. Meanwhile, the Bearcats were scheduled to play in their second consecutive BCS Bowl, a January Orange Bowl date with Florida. Cincinnati relieved Kelly of all authority and duties and appointed Offensive Coordinator Jeff Quinn as the interim coach. While Kelly went on to recruit for the Irish, Quinn and the Bearcats were beaten by the Gators. Quinn was then passed over for the head job at UC, which was given to Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones.
Both are certain to happen later this fall—major head coaching changes among BCS programs and a head coach leaving for another school while his present team awaits their bowl game. It’s the American way.
It already began. Tim Brewster of Minnesota and Todd Dodge of North Texas were the first two Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to be fired. Both came in mid-season which is somewhat unusual. There will certainly be more to follow. Last fall there were 15 FBS head coaches fired between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And that doesn’t include all the changes made at that time among FCS teams, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and at the junior college level.
Many changes are needed or become unavoidable. Often though, a coach on the bubble may be given another year to help turn things around. The other part of the ‘Silly Season’ is the coach that accepts another position while his current team is scheduled to play in a bowl game. Many presidents and athletic directors have made the decision to let the coach go right away and appoint an interim head coach just for the bowl game.
That was the case last year when Brian Kelly led the Cincinnati Bearcats to an undefeated 12-0 regular season. Notre Dame came calling and Kelly accepted the job in early December. Meanwhile, the Bearcats were scheduled to play in their second consecutive BCS Bowl, a January Orange Bowl date with Florida. Cincinnati relieved Kelly of all authority and duties and appointed Offensive Coordinator Jeff Quinn as the interim coach. While Kelly went on to recruit for the Irish, Quinn and the Bearcats were beaten by the Gators. Quinn was then passed over for the head job at UC, which was given to Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones.
Both are certain to happen later this fall—major head coaching changes among BCS programs and a head coach leaving for another school while his present team awaits their bowl game. It’s the American way.
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