At the same time, just in some of our progression routes, he seems to be the guy thats doing the best job of finding holes. They established the culture that is Ashland football. Ashland Universitys newest sport, Eagle womens basketball ranked No. 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. "The thing that separated Bill Royce 71 sacks. I have a special thing for that team.". Things have been starting to click, he said. "I wish growth and success to the program as the next 100 years kick off. "Thank goodness, Bill Goldring literally recruited me, sold me, and convinced me this was a good place. Head Football Coach in Ashland, OH for Ashland University ', "Everything that had to happen, and there were three or four of them … we had to scramble and call our kids back and practice at Luray Lanes all week. YEAR:19th in 2022-23 (first as head coach in 2023) He'll represent Ashland University with class and poise." It's what have you done for me recently. Still, his legacy had not yet been written. Were targeting him more by design, AU coach Lee Owens said. For all of the success Martinelli had, he did share one regret. @Ashland_Univ Football Head Coach Lee Owens has announced his retirement after 19 years leading the Eagles.Coach Owens led @AshlandFB to a 137-61 record over 18 seasons, including six NCAA D-II Playoff appearances and four Conference titles! The last Eagles receiver to record at least 100 yards in three straight games was Matthew Wilcox in games two through four in 2017. In the 2022-2023 season, Owens won GMAC Coach of the Year, linebacker Michael Ayers won GMAC Player of the Year, and freshman center Ethan Enders won Freshman of the Year. This will be his first head coaching job at any level. He also had a number of other outstanding seasons at the helm of the Eagles. Keller was one of only three defensive coordinators Martinelli had at Ashland, along with two other Ashland Hall of Famers,Bob StokesandJohn Valentine. Doug's vision aligns with the goals and objectives of the department and the university. Doug's vision aligns with the goals and objectives of the department and the university. This is the place for me. 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. We could provide a good argument for Bill Royce because of the great schedule we played, and the great coaches [we played]. 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.. Register for more free articles. "The tradition of Ashland football is very strong," said Geiser. If we win the national championship this year, were going to have a big parade right down Claremont and keep on going and never stop, Owens said. We think every single thing we do matters; thats what we believe at Ashland. Geiser follows in the line of the previous three Eagle head coaches, who combined spanned more than six decades College Football Hall of FamerDr. Fred Martinelli(1959-93), Ashland University Hall of FamerGary Keller(1994-2003), and Owens. 1 team in NCAA Division II for the ninth straight week by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Staff Directory Members By Category/Department; Name Title Phone Email Address Twitter; Rudy Carlton: Head Coach (626) 815-6000, Ext. Football - Ashland University Keller was 51-55 (.481) at the Ashland helm, won the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference title in 1997and was the MIFC Coach of the Year that season. PREVIOUS COLLEGE:Cornell '92. He was surrounded by family members, athletes, coaches, AU officials, alumni and many friends. Royce is part of the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame class, along with 13 other players and two coaches, as announced on Friday (Jan. 8) afternoon. An Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Institution. Following five seasons as a high school assistant at three . Ashland traces its past 60-plus seasons through just four head coaches. Come visit Ashland University, located between Cleveland and Columbus, and experience it for yourself! The Cavaliers came in as the conference's regular-season champion, and tournament number one seed, but the Pioneers ran away from Walsh in the second half for an . Wash. FSP 7-on-7 / San Mateo Community College. Fortunately, we've had those kind of people.". We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Owens finishes his 19-year career with a 137-61 record. 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. You can't do that at Division I anymore. Doug exemplifies all of those attributes. "The state of Ohio has always been so well represented in our association," Owens said. When you lose someone like Owens, you need time to process that. Ashland continues to have a rich tradition as a private, comprehensive institution preparing students for exciting professions . Joining the volleyball program are Fairfield outside hitter Henlie Krause, Tri-Valley outside hitter Lexi Howe and Olmsted Falls outside hitter/setter Kylee Urban. This game was different. Ashland Eagles - Wikipedia At the conclusion of the season, Owens was named the AFCA Division II Region 3 Coach of the Year and the GLIAC Coach of the Year. What more needs to be said for John's commitment and insights to the game? About Ashland University. It was the first time I was really humbled in my coaching career because I was able to be recruited from every other school I'd been at to go to the next job," Owens said. "There were two instances," he said. "The tradition of Ashland football is very strong," said Geiser. In the 1960s, Elvis Presley sang "Home Is Where The Heart Is." But Owens, who will begin his 19th season at AU this fall, said things are a bit different . The assistant at Michigan [Frank Maloney]got it. The position will assist the head coach in developing the overall recruiting plan and in reaching the university's target roster goal for women's soccer . Another important factor for the stability was the quality of education, as well as the care and love that our players received during their stay.". That's first and foremost. Graduate Assistant Esports Coach Football; Doug Geiser: Head Football Coach 419-289-5437 419-289-5437: Tim Rose: Assistant Football Coach - Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers 419-289-5278 419-289-5278: Tom Stacy: Assistant Football Coach - Quarterbacks / Passing Game Coordinator Between 1981 and 1991, he was the head football coach at four high schools in Ohio and then an assistant coach at Ohio . 3292 (626) 815-6000, Ext. 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. He's committed to giving our student-athletes a quality experience. But there's been a bunch of them," said Owens. 2022 Football Roster - Ashland University "We had to come back against Heidelberg on Homecoming (19-19 tie) to go undefeated in '67. "We intend to build upon the legacy of those great men who have led the program in the past, men such asGeorge Donges,Bob Brownson, Hall of FamerDr. Fred Martinelli,Gary Keller, and future Hall of FamerLee Owens. You wont see me after it.. 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. It's a great place to live, a great place to raise a family. Our guided tour takes you through AU to explore our dynamic campus. He was an assistant coach at Ohio State when head coach John Cooper served in the same capacity in 1992, and Cooper is in San Antonio, Texas, at the AFCA Convention to receive the 2016 Amos Alonzo Stagg Award at a luncheon Owens will emcee. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. "That has to be as big a win as we've ever had. Also that season, AU won its first NCAA Division II playoff game at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field at the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex with a 21-18 victory over Northwest Missouri State, the two-time defending national champions, and were 10th in the final American Football Coaches Association poll. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ASHLAND, Ohio The venerable Ashland University football program officially has a new leader. Petzing and head coach Kevin Stefanski both coached for the Minnesota Vikings before being . A Division II playoff appearance was followed by the program's first-ever postseason victory a year later. To this day, Martinelli is one of only 61 head football coaches at all NCAA levels to win at least 217 games. "This is a dream job because Ashland is a very special place," Geiser said. Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Geiser said not much is going to change with the expectations of the players and team. - 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. He'll represent Ashland University with class and poise.". ", Said Owens, "It gives you a common reference point, it gives you someone who can continue to remind you about, here's how we've done it, here's someone who's been a part of our program that we need to continue to engage.". 3292: rcarlton@apu.edu 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. Ashland head coach John Ellenwood now has 243 wins guiding the Eagles, three away from tying Roger Lyons (246) for most in program history. He thinks about the program first instead of himself, said President of AU Carlos Campo. Here you can explore important information about Ashland University Football. 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.". He is the only football coach in school history to direct more than one team to the NCAA playoffs (2007, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2022). Going into the 1959 season, Ashland College's football program hadn't seen much in the way of wins or long-term stability. Story Links Ashland University head volleyball coach Kevin Foeman has announced the addition of three student-athletes in the Eagles' 2023 recruiting class. There's definitely been milestones reached, and the bar set pretty high. [5] He and his wife, Angie, have two daughters, Addison and Avery. Our season had ended, [and]it didn't look likely that we would be selected," Martinelli said of the team which went 9-1 in the regular season. This past season he led our defense to Top 10 in the nation at one point, said Owens. Ashland University's head coach Lee Owens on the sideline against Notre Dame College during their NCAA Division II college football playoff game at Jack Miler Stadium Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. "There have been some wins like that that you look back on. He excelled as a high school coach, and I am sure he will do the same at the collegiate level. "I was a benefactor and, more importantly, the players, so folks out there were the generous big hearts, with the opportunity to step forward to be able to build facilities to have a top program so our players could win championships, and compete at the highest level. Former defensive end Bill Royce was also honored. This is the Ashland University (Ohio) Football scholarship and program information page. The reality is more and more schools have abandoned this idea that we're shaping the next generation of leaders. 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.. ", 1921 Maj. Charles D. Daly, U.S. Military Academy (Chair), 1969 Paul Dietzel, University of South Carolina, 1922 Maj. Charles D. Daly, U.S. Military Academy, 1970 Frank Broyles, University of Arkansas, 1923 John W. Heisman, University of Pennsylvania, 1971 Earle Edwards, North Carolina State University, 1925 Robert Zuppke, University of Illinois, 1973 John McKay, University of Southern California, 1974 Bob Blackman, University of Illinois, 1927 William H. Cowell, University of New Hampshire, 1928 William W. Roper, Princeton University, 1976 Eddie Robinson, Grambling State University, 1929 Hugo Bezdek, Pennsylvania State College, 1979 Charles McClendon, Louisiana State University, 1932 Dr. Marvin A. Stevens, Yale University, 1980 Jerry Claiborne, University of Maryland, 1981 Harold "Tubby" Raymond, University of Delaware, 1934 Dana X. Bible, University of Nebraska, 1935 B.W. The Ashland University football team just ended one of its best seasons to date, capturing the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship and the program's eighth D-II playoff appearance, forging a 10-2 overall season. If a team competed at a time before the official organization of either of the two groups but is generally accepted as a "college . The 2022-23 Eagles have scored 2,377 points - the most in a season since 1999-2000 (2,498). "There's only two Division II head coaches on the board, and there's a bunch of Division II schools. Two of the philosophies which have carried over from Martinelli to Keller to Owens, despite the changes in the sport in more than a half-century, are have great defenses and run the football well. Doug Geiser tabbed next football coach of Ashland University Eagles With countless ups and downs, more ups than downs, Owens has decided after a stellar 2022-2023 to announce his official retirement. ", Said Martinelli, "Gary was a great coach. He begat Gary Keller, who coached the team . Keller turned the program over to Owens, who now passes the baton to Geiser. "One, where Doyt Perry, who was the Athletic Director at Bowling Green, interviewed me, asked me if he offered the job to me … what would keep me from taking a job at Bowling Green?