Courtesy: GoBearcats.com

Head football coach Brian Kelly and the University of Cincinnati have agreed to terms on a new five-year deal that will keep Kelly on the sidelines through the 2013 season, Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced today (June 22, 2009), pending the approval of the contract by the University Board of Trustees.

Kelly previously signed a new five-year contract on Dec. 17, 2007.

“In a short period of time, Brian Kelly has made a name for himself and the University of Cincinnati football team across the country,” said Thomas. “His impact has been immediate not only as a coach, but also as a member of our community and a great ambassador for the University. This past season Brian led the program to historic heights on and off the field, winning the BIG EAST Conference and leading the Bearcats to their first BCS appearance in the FedEx Orange Bowl. His program also earned accolades in the classroom for one of the nation’s highest graduation rates and posting the highest GPA in the BIG EAST. We look forward to watching the future of the football program unfold under the leadership of Coach Kelly for many years to come as we strive to stay atop the BIG EAST and bring a National Championship home to Cincinnati.”

Entering his third season at the helm of the football program, Kelly led UC to a school-record 11 wins in 2008, along with the school’s first BIG EAST Conference Championship, and an appearance in the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl, the first Bowl Championship Series appearance by Cincinnati.

Following the close of the regular season, Kelly was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. He also earned American Football Monthly Schutt Sports Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Coach of the year accolades, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 1 Coach of the Year honors, and was named the Sporting News’ BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

“I want to thank Monica Rimai and the Board of Trustees for their confidence and support,” Kelly said “This agreement between the University of Cincinnati and its Athletic Department, under the charge of Mike Thomas, allows me to continue to grow, develop and ensure success for Bearcats Football. I also want to thank the Bearcats Community, fans and all those associated with our program for their support over the past 30 months. This is what truly makes Bearcats Football special – the passion of our fan base. You can be assured that we will continue to recruit quality student-athletes, so we can achieve national excellence in the classroom and on the football field. This agreement allows me and my family to call Cincinnati our home, not just a place where we live.”

The Bearcats’ 21 wins since 2007-08 marks the best two-year stretch in school history, and the first time UC has won 10 or more games in back-to-back seasons.

UC established single-season attendance records in each of the past two years, and eight of the top-12 crowds in Nippert Stadium history have come during Kelly’s tenure. The Bearcats enter the 2009 season on a six-game home winning streak.

Kelly’s student-athletes have succeeded in the classroom as well. Cincinnati was one of seven programs nationally to receive recognition for its graduation success rate of over 90 percent, while 11 players were named Academic All-BIG EAST. The Bearcats also ranked fourth in Higher Ed Watch’s 2008 Academic BCS rankings and won the BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Award, signifying the highest collective GPA among the league’s football squads.

UC returns 43 letterwinners and 11 starters, including quarterback Tony Pike, offensive tackle Jeff Linkenbach, and safety Aaron Webster. Senior wide receiver/kick returner Mardy Gilyard, was an all-America selection and First-Team all-BIG EAST performer a year ago.

Kelly receives a guaranteed salary of $1.475 million over the next five years as well as performance-based incentives. Kelly’s assistant coaches will also receive pay increases to keep them in line with their BIG EAST counterparts.

ON JUNE 22, 2009

Opening Statement

“I apologize for being late. I was doing an event at the Talbert House. I had a chance to speak to a group that obviously does great work in the community. That has been the great thing about this job. It’s allowed me to be part of this community. This new agreement allows me to continue to build our program to a championship level.  At the end of the day, for me, it’s always about being given the opportunity to build a championship program. Wherever I have been, whether it be at Grand Valley State where we won national championships or at Central Michigan, it’s always been about winning championships. Now at the University of Cincinnati, we can set our goals towards winning a national championship.

“Certainly CATAPULT is important, and we’ve won a BIG EAST Championship. The next goal out there is to continue to build our program and be a championship contender. That’s what this agreement really does for our program. It puts us in a position to compete nationally. Mike Thomas has always been part of that want and desire. What this agreement signifies is an investment from the University of Cincinnati. I want to thank our Board of Trustees and interim President Monica Rimai for their confidence and support in giving us this opportunity. Like I said, under Mike’s direction, that’s always been the course. But you also have to have the resources. Mike’s been given the resources and he’s entrusted those resources to me to continue to build our program. I’m very excited about that opportunity.”

On the facets of the contract that are most important

“You can’t do it yourself. It’s not a one man show. You’ve got to have continuity in your staff and in your support staff. This contract signifies our ability to maintain and keep quality people here at the University of Cincinnati that are associated with our football program. That was absolutely crucial because it’s not a one-man operation. You have to have great assistants and a great support staff. That’s a major piece of this. I think the other very important part of this contract, and Mike (Thomas) talked about the language, was making sure that we could continue from an operational standpoint to be a BCS football program. To do that you need support from the University and we’ve been given that support to maintain being a BCS football program. Not just a team in the BIG EAST. That’s not good enough. I want to be a BCS contender every year.”

On being fully equipped to contend for a national title

“The pieces are now in place. It’s still a journey. Remember now, we’re only in this for 30 months so far. You do not build a national championship football program in 30 months. What you do is you stay committed to a program because the pieces are now coming together. That’s the most exciting thing for me. Now, the University and Mike Thomas have given us the opportunity to continue to build this program towards a championship program.”

On the future practice facilities

“We’re going to have those facilities. We’ve raised a great deal of money in a time where it’s difficult to raise dollars because they all have to be private. Mike Thomas has been there from Day 1 relative to the leadership we need. What I wanted to see was our University. What they did for us was probably give us one of the last buildable spots of green space on this campus by giving us that land to build our fields. That’s been a huge commitment for me. Then we had to go out and raise the money and we’ve done a great job. We’re going to have those things in place. I’m always one that wants it yesterday.  I feel really good about where we are, the money that we’ve raised, the commitment we’ve gotten from the University to have that piece to finish off the infrastructure needs of this program.”

On the operational components of the budget

“There’s technology. When you look at today in terms of digital versus analog, there’s so much that goes into technology to maintain our program’s edge. Film. Video. All those things are important. Maintaining a budget in a difficult time when there is so many cutbacks. We have to be humble about what we have but we also know that we can continue to move forward. Operationally is really about all the technological things that you need; recruiting, film analysis, video. We’ve ensured that we will continue to have all the things necessary to compete at the highest level.”

On doors open now in recruiting that were not open a year ago

“Absolutely. If you look at where we’ve gone in our recruiting, you can see now that the kids that we’re recruiting, we’re recruiting against the very best. We can’t get them all, but there are so many good football players in this area, that there’s enough for everybody. We’re still going to take kids that we think fit our profile athletically and academically, but we think we can be in the conversation with any kid. That wasn’t the case when I got here two years ago.”

Closing Statement

“Again, thank you so much. It’s an exciting time for me and my family. We get to call Cincinnati our home, and that’s a great thing for us. Thank you very much.”

SOURCE: GoBearcats.com Release

2009

CINCINNATI BEARCATS FOOTBALL

* All times are Eastern Standard Time (ET)

Ticket Packages can be purchased online at CATSTIX.com or by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX.

Orders can also be placed in person at the UC Athletics Ticket office, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. The ticke office is located on the fourth floor of the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center.

The Big East Champs played in their first BCS bowl game last month when they took on Virginia Tech  in the FedEx Orange Bowl. While much of last season’s success can be attributed to the quality of players in the program, some insiders also point to the Head Coach.  Brian Kelly enters his third year at the helm of the UC program boasting a 22-6 record and after ledding the Bearcats to their first BIG EAST Conference Championship in 2008, Kelly and the Bearcats hope to build on the momentum that has been building the last two seasons.

With commitments like Smith, LB Preston Brown of Cincinnati Northwest, LB Solomon Tentman of Cincinnati Roger Bacon,  and offensive tackle Kevin Schloemer of West Chester Lakota West, the Bearcats could easily find themselves  as BCS post-season regulars.

Courtesy of the University of Cincinnati Athletics website (www.gobearcats.com)

Nippert Stadium featured more brand new amenities in 2005. A new, permanent grandstand provides new and improved seating in the North endzone. Underneath the structure are new game locker rooms for both the Bearcats and the visiting team.

The scoreboard features a new video board, nearly twice as large as the previous display, while the playing field is a new installation of FieldTurf, the grass-like artificial turf.

These are just the latest enhancements which preserve the rich history and tradition of Nippert Stadium while making it a contemporary place in which to play and watch a game.

Nippert Stadium has been home to Bearcats football since 1902, making it the fourth-oldest playing site and fifth-oldest stadium in college football.

The stadium’s founder was Arch Carson, who as captain and principal organizer, played a significant role in starting football on the UC campus in 1885. In 1901 as physical director of the university, Carson guided the construction of the field which was later named for him-the playing surface is still called Carson Field.

In 1916, construction began on a permanent brick-and-concrete stadium structure, which was completed, section-by-section, as funds were raised.

During the season-ending clash with rival Miami (Ohio) in 1923, Jimmy Nippert sustained a spike wound injury and died a month later from blood poisoning. His grandfather, James N. Gamble of Procter and Gamble, provided the funds needed to complete the horseshoe-shaped structure, and the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Nov. 8, 1924.

Nippert Stadium has undergone a series of expansions. In 1936, the playing field was lowered 12 feet to allow spectator seating to increase to 24,000. The Reed Shank Pavilion was added in 1954 to bring the capacity to 28,000. In 1991, the capacity was upped to 35,000 through extending the upper deck, now called the Herschede-Shank Pavilion, and a new pressbox was constructed.

Artificial turf was first installed in 1970 and in 2000, the stadium became one of the first in the U.S. to utilize FieldTurf, a grass-like synthetic surface.

Early-century brickwork combined with wrought iron gates and trim give Nippert a comfortable old-time stadium charm and appeal, while continuing renovations have enabled it to remain a classic showplace for college football.

Nippert Stadium Timeline

1895-Arch Carson introduced a plan to build a stadium on a site in Burnet Woods.

1902-Cincinnati played its first game on Carson Field. Wood bleachers were built on the surrounding hillside.

1909-Lights were first used because the large number of co-op students on the team could practice only at night.

1916-Funds to build a permanent brick and concrete structure were made available by a city bond issue.

1923-UC defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, 17-0, in the first night collegiate football game in the Midwest.

1923-James Gamble donated $250,000 in memory of his grandson, Jimmy Nippert, to complete the stadium.

1924-The completed James Gamble Nippert Stadium was dedicated. Capacity is 12,000.

1936-Carson Field was lowered 12 feet to allow the capacity to expand to 24,000.

1954-Reed Shank Pavilion was completed to boost the capacity to 28,000.

1968-Nippert served as the first home of the Cincinnati Bengals while the city constructed a facility for the new pro franchise.

1970-Astroturf replaced the natural grass surface.

1989-Nippert Stadium was closed for renovation. UC played its 1990 home games at Riverfront Stadium.

1991-Phase I of the stadium renovation was completed to allow for UC home games to be played. The structure was fortified and a three-tiered press box was added.

1992-Phase II of the renovation was completed, upping the seating capacity to 35,000 through the expansion of the Herschede-Shank Pavilion, and adding new lighting and a scoreboard.

1998-UC overcame a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Houston, 44-43 for its 250th win in Nippert Stadium.

2000-FieldTurf, a revolutionary new grass-like artificial surface, was installed. The pressbox was renamed the John and Dorothy Hermanies Pressbox.

2001-A new video scoreboard was added in the north endzone and 10,000 seats were upgraded. The season opener against Purdue produced the first advance sell-out in Nippert Stadium history.

2005-A permanent grandstand upgraded seating behind the North endzone and provided new locker rooms at field level for game use. A new, larger video board was installed and the FieldTurf playing surface replaced.

Courtesy of the University of Cincinnati Athletics website (www.gobearcats.com)

Named the University of Cincinnati’s head football coach on Dec. 4, 2006, Brian Kelly has set the bar high at UC and achieved a great deal of success in a short period of time.

Entering his third year at the helm of the UC program, Kelly boasts a 22-6 record and led the Bearcats to their first BIG EAST Conference Championship in 2008.

Cincinnati achieved a school-record 11 victories in 2008, had back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history, won the school’s first outright conference championship since 1964, and earned the school’s first berth in a Bowl Championship Series game, playing against Virginia Tech in the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl.

UC achieved its best-ever ranking to close the regular season. The Bearcats were ranked at No. 12 in the Associated Press poll, USA Today Coaches poll, and the BCS standings entering the Orange Bowl. The Bearcats held down a postseason ranking of No. 17 in both polls, tying the top postseason ranking in school history and the first time UC has ranked in the end-of-season polls in school history.

UC finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak and for the first time captured all three of its rivalry trophies, the Victory Bell (Miami [OH]), Keg Of Nails (Louisville), and River City Rivalry (Pittsburgh) in the same season.

Following the close of the regular season, Kelly was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. He also was named the American Football Monthly Schutt Sports Football Bowl Subdivision Coach of the Year and earned American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 1 Coach of the Year honors, and was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year by The Sporting News.

UC placed 10 student-athletes on the all-BIG EAST teams, including first-team selection Connor Barwin, who was a tight end entering spring practice in 2008.

Kick returner Mardy Gilyard was named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year and punter Kevin Huber earned the first AFCA All-America nod in program history. Huber was also the first two-time Associated Press First-Team All-America selection in UC football history.

Through an 18-year head coaching career, he has established a reputation for building winning teams. He has won at every stop along the way, earning a pair of Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State (2002, 2003), winning a Mid-American Conference Championship at Central Michigan in 2006 before leading UC to its first BIG EAST title in 2008. Entering the year, Kelly ranked 12th among active Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches with a record of 148-54-2. He is the winningest active BIG EAST coach and the only league coach with more than 150 wins.

During a whirlwind first month on the job at UC, Kelly proved that he was up to the challenge. While preparing his new team for the inaugural International Bowl, he also managed to complete his coaching staff and fill out a talent-rich recruiting class. The Bearcats’ 27-24 bowl victory over Western Michigan, just 34 days after his hiring, was the icing on the cake for a coach who never missed a beat.

In his first full season at the helm, Kelly put the Bearcats on the national radar by jumping out to a 6-0 start and earning the Bearcats their first appearance in the Top 25 in more than 30 years. Winning 10 games for the first time since 1951, the Bearcats earned their 10th bowl appearance in program history and sixth bowl appearance in eight years. UC finished at No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, earning its first appearance in a final poll.

Along the way to the 2007 Papajohns.com Bowl victory, UC’s third straight bowl win, Kelly earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors. Cincinnati listed seven individuals on the all-BIG EAST teams, including Special Teams Player of the Year and consensus all-America punter Kevin Huber. The national leader in punting, Huber was one of three Bearcats to be named to an all-America team.

While many coaches lecture on the virtue of possession time, Kelly stresses up-tempo play on both sides of the ball, using each practice to make his point. Armed with his no-huddle offense and the philosophy of a defense that must play 60 minutes, the Bearcats’ mentor brings a different attitude to each workout.

Kelly’s formula for success starts with an imaginative offense. Despite being forced to use five quarterbacks in 2008, UC ranked second in the BIG EAST and 24th nationally in passing offense (254.1), and was also second in the league and 27th nationally in passing efficiency (139.4). At the same time, UC’s defense led the BIG EAST in sacks (2.9), and tackles for a loss (6.5).

Kelly also believes in a strong special teams unit with starters from both sides of the ball participating. The Bearcats led the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in net punting with an average of 41.5 yards per punt. UC also led the BIG EAST in kickoff returns (24.2).

A program builder, Kelly proved that he can work magic in a short period of time. During his three years at Central Michigan, he transformed a Chippewas program that had won more than three games only once in the past four seasons into a conference champion. They posted a 9-4 record in 2006 en route to winning the MAC Championship and qualifying for their first bowl game in 12 years.

Kelly inherited a program that had produced a mere 12 wins over its previous four seasons when he took the helm at Central Michigan in 2004. He guided the Chippewas to a 4-7 record in 2004 and a 6-5 slate–the school’s first winning season in seven years–in 2005.

CMU began to take on Kelly’s persona in 2005. The Chippewas defeated both defending MAC divisional champions, Miami (OH) and Toledo, and also knocked off the league’s eventual 2005 champ Akron. Central Michigan was ranked 35th nationally in total offense and 26th in passing offense while the team’s rushing defense was ranked 20th.

Kelly’s 2006 Chippewas lost non-conference contests to bowl-bound Boston College and Kentucky by a total of 16 points. CMU rolled up a 7-1 record in conference play to win the MAC West, then dominated Ohio, 31-10, in the league’s championship game. Central Michigan boasted the 19th-most prolific passing attack in the nation, averaging 252.4 yards per game, and was ranked 31st in total offense (380.2 yards per game) and 24th in scoring offense (29.6 points). Quarterback Dan LeFevour, a freshman who passed for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns, was ranked 20th in passing efficiency and 14th in total offense.

Kelly had 12 of his players achieve first-team all-conference honors over his three years at CMU and three advanced to the NFL.

Kelly arrived at Central Michigan after winning back-to-back NCAA Division II national titles at Grand Valley State. The Lakers were 41-2 in Kelly’s final three seasons, at one point winning 32 consecutive games. Grand Valley State went 14-0 in 2002 en route to its first national title and was 14-1 in 2003 when it claimed its second crown. Kelly was named the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year after both seasons.

Kelly led the Lakers to five conference titles and six Division II playoff appearances in his 13 seasons at Grand Valley. The Lakers never finished lower than third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.

Kelly mentored a pair of finalists for the Harlon Hill Award, presented annually to the top player in Division II. Curt Anes won the award in 2002 after finishing runner-up in 2001, while Jeff Fox was third in the balloting in 1998. Both players were quarterbacks in Kelly’s system.

Kelly’s Grand Valley State players earned 77 all-America awards. Four players moved on to the NFL and another three to the Canadian Football League. His 2001 national runner-up squad set 77 NCAA, GLIAC, and school records, including the all-time Division II scoring record by averaging 58.4 points per game. The 2001 team also became the first Division II unit in 53 years to average more than 600 yards per game in total offense (600.8).

Grand Valley State followed up its record-shattering 2001 season by averaging 497.5 yards and 47.0 points during its undefeated 2002 national championship run. The 2003 team, meanwhile, was more noted for its defense. The Lakers defeated North Dakota, 10-3, in the 2003 national title game.

A native of Chelsea, Mass., Kelly attended St. John’s Prep School in Danvers, Mass. He was a four-year letterwinner at Assumption College (Mass.) as a linebacker. After graduating from Assumption in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, he served as linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and softball coach from 1983-86 at Assumption.

Kelly joined the Grand Valley State staff in 1987 as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach. He became the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator in 1989 and took over as head coach in 1991. His first team finished 9-3 and qualified for the NCAA Playoffs.

For a more detailed brekdown of the 2009 NFL Draft, check out NFL Draft Day Countdown at www.nfldraftdaycountdown.com

Standout defensive end Conner Barwin highlighted the Bearcats draftees when he was selected as the 14th Pick in the 2nd Round (46th Overall)- the highest Cincinnati player drafted since Artrell Hawkins was selected 43rd by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1998. Barwin’s All-American, All-Big East senior season drew headlines at the NFL Combine as some fans first heard of Barwin’s amazing switch from offense to defense before his final season in Cincinnati. Additionally Barwin found himself atop the majority of workout results among defensive lineman coming out of the Combine as his impressive versatility and athletic ability dragged the three year letter-man from relative obscurity to this year’s draft sleeper.

The next Bearcat drafted was amazing their second All-American- punter Kevin Huber. Huber lead the nation in punting in 2007, and was the first UC player to ever win back-to-back Associated Press 1st Team All-American honors. Huber’s blend of leg strength and accuracy made him the top punter entering the NFL Draft weekend as he was drafted in the 5th Round (142nd Overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Interesting Fact: Huber joins a very short list of NFL players who played their high school, college and now professional football all in the same hometown where they grew up. Huber played high school ball at McNicholas High on the east-side of Cincinnati where he earned All-League Punter of the Year in his junior and senior seasons.

Other Bearcats drafted this weekend are DB DeAngelo Smith (5th Round 143rd Overall), CB Brandon Underwood (6th Round 187th Overall), CB Mike Mickens (7th Round 227th Overall), and OG Trevor Canfield (7th Round 254th Overall). Mikens and Canfield were projected to get selected earlier in the draft, yet all four of these late draft picks will surely compete for a roster spot this summer.

For more coverage of the 2009 NFL Draft, please check out NFL Draft Day Countdown at www.nfldraftdaycountdown.com.