DeLane Fitzgerald

DeLane Fitzgerald
Sport(s) Football
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Frostburg State
Conference NJAC
Record 31–13
Biographical details
Born (1976-09-21)September 21, 1976
Lovingston, Virginia
Playing career
1997–1999 James Madison
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2000–2001 Bridgton Academy (ME) (DC)
2002 James Madison (assistant)
2003–2004 Tennessee–Martin (RB/ST)
2005 Bethel (TN) (OC)
2006–2008 Southern Virginia (assistant)
2009–2013 Southern Virginia
2014–present Frostburg State
Head coaching record
Overall 55–43
Bowls 1–0
Tournaments 2–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 NJAC (2016)

DeLane Fitzgerald (born September 21, 1976) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Frostburg State University, a position he has held since 2014. Fitzgerald served as the head football coach at Southern Virginia University from 2009 to 2013. He played college football at James Madison University from 1997 to 1999.

Early life, playing career, and education

Fitzgerald was born on September 21, 1976 in Lovingston, Virginia. His collegiate football playing career began at Potomac State College from 1995 to 1996. As a sophomore, he was named team captain and was a Lough Award as well as a Student-Athlete Award winner. After his Sophomore season, Fitzgerald transferred to James Madison University for the 1997 through 1999 seasons. He helped lead James Madison to an 8–4 record in 1999 landing the Dukes a spot in the NCAA playoffs and a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference championship. He was twice selected to the Academic All-Atlantic 10 team.[1]

Fitzgerald received his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from James Madison in 1999, he received his master's degree in education from Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee in 2012.

Coaching career

After spending one season on the staff at his alma mater, James Madison, as an assistant coach Fitzgerald worked for two seasons at the University of Tennessee at Martin as a running backs coach and special teams coordinator. He then moved to Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee as offensive coordinator in 2005, helping the Knights to win a Mid-South Conference Western Division championship and set school marks in rushing, passing efficiency, and total offense.

Fitzgerald then spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Virginia before being promoted to head coach. He served as head coach for five seasons, from 2009 to 2013. In 2013, Fitzgerald led the Knights to an 8–2 record, the best record in Southern Virginia football history.[2]

Frostburg State athletic director, Troy A. Dell announced that Fitzgerald had been selected as the school's head football coach following a national search in January 2014. Fitzgerald is the 13th head coach in the 54-year history of the Bobcats football program. In his first season at Frostburg State, the Bobcats posted a record of 4–6, the best record the program had earned in over five years. The Bobcats improved on both offense and defense as well as special teams leading the Empire 8 conference in fewest turnovers (12) and blocked kicks (6). In his second season at Frostburg State, Fitzgerald's Bobcats improved to a 6–4 record, including a five-game winning streak.[3]

In his third season, in 2016, Fitzgerald's Bobcats went 10–1. After starting 1–1, the Bobcats finished the year on a nine-game winning streak. Although Fitzgerald is known for his offense, Frostburg State boasted one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division III football. The Bobcats were fourth in team passing efficiency defense (87.94), fourth in team tackles for loss (10.1), fourth in passing yards allowed (130.3), and 11th in scoring defense (12.8). This was just the second time in the 56-years history of the program that the team had a 10-win season. Frostburg State earned a share of the New Jersey Athletic Conference football championship with the Wesley Wolverines. Frostburg won the 18th Annual Regents Cup Game against the NJAC rival, Salisbury on November 12. The Bobcats beat the 22nd-rank St. John Fisher Cardinals in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl game in Philadelphia on November 19,.[4]

In his fourth season, Fitzgerald's team went 11-2. They advanced to the elite 8 of NCCA playoffs. They beat undefeated Wittenberg in the first round. Wittenberg was the DIII second winningest program all time. The Bobcats also beat undefeated Washington and Jefferson in the second round. W&J is DIII's third winningest program all time. The Bobcats snapped a 30 game home winning streak for the Presidents that stretched to 2012. The Bobcats lost to Mount Union in the elite 8, the all-time winningest program DIII. Frostburg was the Regent Cup Champions for the second year.

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Southern Virginia Knights (NAIA independent) (2009–2012)
2009 Southern Virginia 3–8
2010 Southern Virginia 4–7
2011 Southern Virginia 4–7
2012 Southern Virginia 5–6
Southern Virginia Knights (NCAA Division III independent) (2013)
2013 Southern Virginia 8–2
Southern Virginia: 24–30
Frostburg State Bobcats (Empire 8) (2014)
2014 Frostburg State 4–62–68th
Frostburg State Bobcats (New Jersey Athletic Conference) (2015–present)
2015 Frostburg State 6–45–44th
2016 Frostburg State 10–18–1T–1stW ECAC Bushnell Bowl
2017 Frostburg State 11–28–12ndL NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
Frostburg State: 31–1323–12
Total:55–43

References

  1. ↑ http://www.frostburgsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=856&path=football
  2. ↑ DeLassus, David. "Southern Virginia Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  3. ↑ http://www.frostburgsports.com/news/2014/2/7/FB_0207142449.aspx
  4. ↑ http://www.frostburgsports.com/news/2016/11/14/football-selected-to-asas-bushnell-bowl-game.aspx
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