", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ASHLAND, Ohio The venerable Ashland University football program officially has a new leader. In 2017, Ashland closed out at 11-2 overall and captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a spotless 9-0 mark. College Football Hall of Famer Dr. Fred Martinelli led the program from 1959-93. Following five seasons as a high school assistant at three . "I feel honored to be a part of the great tradition that has existed at Ashland for that amount of time," Keller said. He's committed to giving our student-athletes a quality experience. Some has been a matter of him creating separation from opposing defensive backs. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. By far the greatest place I have ever worked at.. For Geiser, being named Eagles head coach continues a football coaching ascent that began at his alma mater, Triway High School in nearby Wooster, Ohio, in 1990. "I had players recruited by both coach Martinelli and coach Keller when I was a high school coach. Owens moved on to the college game as an assistant at Ohio State under John Cooper before being hired as Akron's head coach in 1995. In all, Owens guided his teams to four conference titles and six playoff berths, and his 137 victories are more than any Ashland coach except Hall of Famer Fred Martinelli. "In a lot of ways, I was a little bitter when I left Akron. A Division II playoff appearance was followed by the program's first-ever postseason victory a year later. In the previous 39 years (minus nearly three full seasons due to World War II), there had been 11 head coaches for the Purple Titans/Eagles, for a grand total of two conference championships (1954-55 underRobert Brownson), 115 victories and a cumulative winning percentage of .441. That's first and foremost. AU won its opening-round NCAA Division II playoff game 20-13 over Notre Dame College. "It was a real turning point in our program as you can imagine.". afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. In the 1960s, Elvis Presley sang "Home Is Where The Heart Is.". Throughout the search process, we talked about integrity, commitment and work ethic. Bill Seder Sr., Sean's grandpa, was also a head football coach and now resides in Ashland. A program which began in 1920, Ashland football has won 520 games all-time, and boasts three undefeated seasons, two other undefeated regular seasons, eight NCAA Division II postseason appearances, three D-II postseason wins, 17 conference championships, two College Football Hall of Famers, 19 first-team All-Americans, 22 Academic All-Americans, and three members of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. Martinelli,Gary KellerandLee Owensare the only head coaches of Ashland College/University football in the last six-plus decades. We want to celebrate this though. "Throughout the search process, we talked about integrity, commitment and work ethic. We all want to stick around here. Catch the latest in Opinion. He was a high school assistant coach at Triway (1990), Liberty Benton High School (1991) and at Lyndhurst Brush High School (1992-94). "Throughout the search process, we talked about integrity, commitment and work ethic," Athletic Director Al King said in a press conference. They established the culture that is Ashland football. This position requires the ability to help recruit potential student-athletes. "This is a dream job because Ashland is a very special place. "It is hard to express the memories and relationships I experienced while at Ashland University," said Keller. I'm fortunate, the way my career has gone.". ASHLAND The Doug Geiser era is officially underway at Ashland University. And, as announced by AU Director of AthleticsAl Kingon Tuesday (Jan. 3) afternoon, Geiser will stay home and become the program's 15thhead coach. "Only three head coaches during that span stands as a testament to the quality of the football program. Saccomen has coached under all three, while Valentine played for Martinelli and coached for Keller and Owens. Come visit Ashland University, located between Cleveland and Columbus, and experience it for yourself! Hes committed to giving our student-athletes a quality experience, King said. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. It's something, as we start into the next 100 years of football here, that would be a goal, is to not only get into the postseason, but advance into regionals and semifinals and national championship game. Ashland University football player Garrett Turnbaugh would likely trade his current pass-catching streak for a win over Hillsdale. We probably, offensively, have taken it to a more modern era with the way we've thrown the ball, the balance we've had, but you still have to run the ball and play defense, and that hasn't changed.". Example video title will go here for this video. The . A highly-accomplished program leader with a 153-89 career record in eight seasons as a women's volleyball head coach, Foeman departs an Ashland University . Its a combination of all of those things. "We'll obviously have to add a coach to fill my position, but the staff will stay intact for the most part," he said. A program which began in 1920, Ashland football has won 520 games all-time, and boasts three undefeated seasons, two other undefeated regular seasons, eight NCAA Division II postseason appearances, three D-II postseason wins, 17 conference championships, two College Football Hall of Famers, 19 first-team All-Americans, 22 Academic All-Americans, and three members of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. The Eagles are 4-1, and the Golden Knights are 5-7. This is the place for me. [5] He and his wife, Angie, have two daughters, Addison and Avery. Martinelli's 1967 (8-0-1) and 1972 (11-0) teams finished their schedules without a loss. Owens held the position for 18 years, and is one of just three head coaches Ashland has employed since 1959. His role as the head coach and leader over the course of my career was vital.. "The tradition of Ashland football is very strong," said Geiser. Geiser follows in the line of the previous three Eagle head coaches, who combined spanned more than six decades - College Football Hall of Famer Dr. Fred Martinelli (1959-93), Ashland University Hall of Famer Gary Keller (1994-2003), and Owens. This past season he led our defense to Top 10 in the nation at one point, said Owens. When Martinelli retired, it was a natural fit for Keller to take over the program. Full Bio. It was nice last year to get back on track and just playing with a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches has evolved my game over time.. The school on Tuesday introduced longtime associate head coach Doug Geiser as its new head coach. Needless to say, Sean Seder grew up in the shadows and footsteps of his family's legends, but they were role models for him to look up to. He's committed to giving our student-athletes a quality experience. He said I'm going to live up to that promise and that commitment, which was a really big deal when that happened. He'll represent Ashland University with class and poise.". WICHITA, Kan. - Southern Oregon sophomore Evan Potter kept his title hopes alive and clinched All-America status for the second year in a row by advancing to the semifinals Friday on Day 1 of the NAIA Men's Wrestling Championships inside Hartman Arena. Owens moved on to the college game as an assistant at Ohio State under John Cooper before being hired as Akron's head coach in 1995. And at the time, I told him my daughter had leukemia, and I was uncertain of making the move. The only way to celebrate a loss is to know you really are not losing anything.. A private university located in the heart of Ohio, Ashland University values and encourages student individuality. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND . The Ashland University campus, community and football team are set to say goodbye to their head coach, Lee Owens, after serving the program as their head coach since 2004. Head Coach Lee Owens has officially retired as the head coach of the Ashland University football team. His birthdate is June 4, 1968. The assistant coach will be involved in drills and exercises that include the whole team and position groups. He graduated from Triway High School in 1990. Following five seasons as a high school assistant at three stops, Geiser joined the University of Akron coaching staff under Owens first as a graduate assistant in 1995-96, then as tight ends coach and video coordinator from 1997-2003. These men taught us that AU football is built on physicality and toughness. This is the Ashland University (Ohio) Football scholarship and program information page. Coach has helped shape my life and many other kids, coaches, supporters and fans alike that have come through the program over the years, said Cundiff. Visit a Dining Hall. Doug exemplifies all of those attributes. This was Ashland University's highest ranking since becoming an NCAA Division II institution. The century mark of Ashland football and their place within it is special for the men who have made up more than 60% of the head-coaching tenure in the program. I think just something hes always had is the way he competes. I think (quarterback) Austin (Brenner) and he have a good connection and theyve got a lot of confidence in each other right now.. - Seven All-American offensive linemen -Blake Dickson,Vince Cashdollar,Reggie Gamble,Justin Magruder,Zachary Douglass,Dominic GiuntaandJohn Conner. "College level" is defined as a four-year college or university program in either the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 1/3/2023 12:30:00 PM Dougs vision aligns with the goals and objectives of the department and the university. Before introducing Geiser, Dr. Campo talked about what makes Ashland special. We dont think thats a small thing. To this day, Martinelli is one of only 61 head football coaches at all NCAA levels to win at least 217 games. The National Football League standard-bearer for head-coaching stability is the Pittsburgh Steelers, with three since 1969 and Ashland has them beat by a decade. - Twelve 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the program's all-time rushing yards record has been broken, the program record for rushing yards in a season has been broken three times, the program mark for rushing yards by a freshman was beaten twice, and the AU mark for single-game rushing yards has been eclipsed twice. 2 in the country, Womens basketball sits No. "The other time, I was interviewed by Syracuse on two occasions. Im extremely lucky in that case. He begat Gary Keller, who coached the team from 1994-03. "The tradition of Ashland football is very strong," said Geiser. Ashland University football coach Lee Owens announced Friday his retirement after leading the Eagles for the past 19 seasons. They established the culture that is Ashland football. Junior Puyallup, Wash. FSP 7-on-7 / San Mateo . Saturday's game was Ashland's 31 st of the season, tying the program record set in 1990-91 and matched in 2015-16. His 2012 Eagles squad completed the regular season unbeaten at 11-0, with AU winning its first GLIAC football championship in school history, and ended the season ranked fourth in the nation. What more needs to be said for John's commitment and insights to the game? In 2015, Owens led the Eagles to a 10-0 regular-season record and a 10-1 overall mark, including three home wins against nationally-ranked teams, and their fourth NCAA Division II postseason appearance in his 12 seasons. Turnbaugh started his streak during a couple of important Great Midwest Athletic Conference victories by the Eagles. Ashland continues to have a rich tradition as a private, comprehensive institution preparing students for exciting professions . Potter, the No. But he'll have to settle instead for helping the Eagles to a victory in their final regular-season game at 1 p.m. Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan and then a potential regional postseason playoff berth. The times are going to change. "There's no question, Ashland's had a reputation for great defense," said Owens. Ashland University's head coach Lee Owens on the sideline against Northwood University during college football action at Jack Miller Stadium Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Finishing with a win this year would be tough. Raymond John Novotny Sr. was an American football player and coach. But hell have to settle instead for helping the Eagles to a victory in their final regular-season game at 1 p.m. Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan and then a potential regional postseason playoff berth. Lee Owens (born July 17, 1956) is a former American football coach. Prior to playing in the NFL, Novotny played college football at Ashland University. 6 national ranking reflects the domination the Eagles have shown in jumping out to a 4-0 start. Ashland football is one of the premier jobs in Division II football, and for me and myself Im honored and humbled to be chosen as the 15th coach.. "They have achieved at a high level in the past, and, out of respect for their efforts and with a sense of loyalty, I would love for them to be a part of our program moving forward. 12-ranked Eagles moved on to the second round of the postseason on Nov. 26 at Indiana, Pa., losing 19-13 to No. He was surrounded by family members, athletes, coaches, AU officials, alumni and many friends. Owens was elected to the AFCA Board of Trustees in 2007. But Owens, who will begin his 19th season at AU this fall, said things are a bit different . 3 in the AFCA Division II Top 25 poll. The reality is more and more schools have abandoned this idea that we're shaping the next generation of leaders. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Geiser is taking over an AU team that went 10-2 overall in 2022, with its 7-1 mark capturing the Great Midwest Athletic Conference title. So if you want to take that beyond, youve got to find a way to go beyond your preparation, so thats what we want to instill in this new group of Eagles.. "I don't think my feet have touched the ground since I received the call from Al," said Geiser. It's what have you done for me recently. Geiser came to Ashland with Owens, spending the last 16 years as associate head coach, and also serving as offensive line coach, run game coordinator and pro liaison. 3 ranked Eagles stun Drury and down Truman State to stay undefeated, Eagle wresting continues to strive for greatness in 2022-2023 season, The Student News Site of Ashland University, Cade Cracas, Sports & Breaking News Editor. The assistant at Michigan [Frank Maloney]got it. His nine years at the helm saw the Zips post a 40-61 record (7-2 against rival Kent State) with three winning seasons, but they failed to win or even play for a Mid-American Conference championship. "Doug exemplifies all of those attributes. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Petzing, 35, was a football operations intern for the Browns in 2013 then joined the Vikings in 2014.