COACHES & STAFF HEAD COACH WILIE FRITZ EAGLES GATA EAGLES 2015 SEASON COACHING STAFF COACHING MEET THE EAGLES 2014 REVIEW FRITZ LOOKS TO BUILD ON A DREAM SEASON First Year in the FBS Yields a Sun Belt Conference Title The 2014 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year 83-9 over Savannah State in the home opener (9/6). Willie Fritz made an immediate splash in not only “It was important to me to iden- GS also posted their first win over an FBS team in his first year at the helm of the Georgia Southern tify and evaluate candidates the FBS era and the first Sun Belt Conference win on Football program but the school’s first season in the who would come to Georgia Sept. 20 at South Alabama (28-6). Sun Belt Conference and at the FBS level of compe- Southern, embrace what we are The team played on ESPNU twice on Thursday RECORDS tition. night and won both contests (Appalachian State, Fritz led the team to a perfect 8-0 league record about, understand what we’re 34-14 and Troy, 42-10). Fritz also led the Eagles into and was presented the conference trophy by the about, put his own stamp on the first meeting with budding in-state rival Geor- league’s Commissioner Karl Benson after a 22-16 the institution’s football pro- gia State at the Georgia Dome and came away with win over ULM on Nov. 29, 2014 at Allen E. Paulson a 69-31 victory. Stadium. gram and lead us into the Sun In non-conference play the Eagles nearly defeat- Fritz had the Eagles’ bowl eligible with a 9-3 over- Belt Conference with relentless ed N.C. State (24-23) and Georgia Tech (42-38). They all record at the season’s end but the school’s waiv- expectation.” lost the two games against power 5 conference er claim to allow Georgia Southern to play in a bowl teams by a combined five points and had leads in despite being in the second year of the NCAA’s tran- both in the final two minutes. HISTORY sition period was denied. — Tom Kleinlein — The Eagles dominated both sides of the ball and Fritz led the Eagles to a pair of firsts in school his- Georgia Southern University led the Sun Belt in scoring offense, scoring defense, tory. The Eagles won their first game in the FBS era Athletics Director total offense and rushing offense. 38 GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES FOOTBALL 2014 SUN BELT CHAMPIONS HEAD COACH WILLIE FRITZ Fritz was announced as the ninth Head Coach of Georgia Southern Football in the modern era by Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein at Bishop Field House on January 10, 2014. THE WILLIE FRITZ FILE GATA EAGLES A proven winner with more than 30 years of coaching expe- rience, Fritz joined the Eagles from Sam Houston State, where PERSONAL he led the team to back-to-back Southland Conference titles, Name: Willie Fritz NCAA FCS championship appearances in 2011 and 2012, and a Birthdate: April 2, 1960 third-straight playoff berth in 2013. Family: Wife - Susan | Children - Wesley, Lainie & Brooke In 22 years as a head coach, Fritz owns a 72.5 winning per- centage with a record of 185-70-1 and more than a few tro- EDUCATION phies for his accomplishments at the national, regional and Undergraduate: Pittsburg State, 1983 conference levels. Master’s: Sam Houston State, 1986 2015 SEASON “As we are preparing to make the transition to FBS, it was important to me to identify and evaluate candidates who PLAYING EXPERIENCE would come to Georgia Southern, embrace what we are about, 1978-81 Pittsburg State - Football (DB) (Four -Year Starter) understand what we’re about, put his own stamp on the insti- 1979-81 Pittsburg State - Basketball (PG) (Two-Year Starter) tution’s football program and lead us into the Sun Belt Con- ference with relentless expectation,” Kleinlein said at the press announcement. “Coach Fritz has won at a lot of different levels. HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE Not only does he win, but he comes in and changes the cul- Career College Record - 185-70-1 (.725), 22 years ture, academically and socially, and he’s made young people 2014- Head Coach - Georgia Southern STAFF COACHING better men when they’ve left their institutions.” 2010-2013 Head Coach - Sam Houston State The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year at the FCS level in 1997-2009 Head Coach - Central Missouri 2012, Fritz was recognized nationally in 2011 as the American 1993-1996 Head Coach - Blinn College Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year. Hon- ored as the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012, ASSISTANT COACHING EXPERIENCE Fritz was selected by the media and his peers in the Southland 1991-1992 Sam Houston State (Secondary/Special Teams) Conference as the league’s Coach of the Year in 2011 after his 1988-1990 Coffeyville Community College (Defensive Coordinator) team went a perfect 7-0 in conference play. 1987 Coffeyville Community College (Assistant Coach) In 2011 and 2012, Sam Houston State posted the two high- MEET THE EAGLES 1986 Willis H.S. (Texas) (Assistant Coach) est single-season win totals in program history with marks of 14-1 (2011) and 11-4 (2012) and Bearkat players were show- 1984-1985 Sam Houston State (Graduate Assistant Coach) ered with accolades. More than 50 earned All-Southland Con- 1983 Shawnee Mission Northwest H.S. (Assistant Coach) ference honors under Fritz in the last four years, not including 1982 Pittsburg State (Student Assistant Coach) additional “Player of the Year,” “Offensive Player of the Year,” “Defensive Player of the Year,” and “Newcomer of the Year” POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE awards. All-America status from national coaching and media 2013 NCAA FCS Playoffs (Sam Houston State) outlets were bestowed on 11 Sam Houston State players dur- 2012 NCAA FCS Championship game (Sam Houston State) ing his tenure. 2011 NCAA FCS Championship game (Sam Houston State) “Georgia Southern hit a home run hiring Willie Fritz,” said 2002 NCAA Division II Playoffs (Central Missouri) 2014 REVIEW Dennis Hickey, longtime NFL executive and current general 2001 Mineral Water Bowl (Central Missouri) manager of the Miami Dolphins. “I have known Coach Fritz for 1996 NJCAA Championship Game (Blinn College) over 20 years having played for him, coached with him, and scouted his players for the NFL. 1995 NJCAA Championship Game (Blinn College) “Willie is a special coach and person with a unique gift for 1994 Mineral Water Bowl (Blinn College) developing and bringing out the best in young men both on 1990 NJCAA Championship Game (Coffeyville Community Coll.) and off the field. He has a track record of developing NFL-ready 1988 Jayhawk Bowl (Coffeyville Community College) players at every level that he has coached. He is a “winner” 1987 Jayhawk Bowl (Coffeyville Community College) who has always done it the right way and has a proven track record of success at every level at which he has coached. I’m CHAMPIONSHIPS/AWARDS RECORDS excited to see him continue that success at such a proud pro- 2014 Sun Belt Coach of the Year gram as Georgia Southern.” 2014 Sun Belt Champions (Georgia Southern) Fritz comes to Georgia Southern after four years as the 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year head coach of the Bearkats and his most recent of three total 2012 Southland Conference Champions (Sam Houston St.) tours in Huntsville. His resume includes a wealth of experience across the board, notably as a coach with an innate ability to 2011 AFCA Coach of the Year connect with his players, demand accountability and build 2011 Southland Conference Champions (Sam Houston St.) winning programs. 2003 NJCAA Football Hall of Fame Inductee After a highly successful tenure at Blinn College, averag- 2003 MIAA Champions (Central Missouri) HISTORY ing nearly 10 wins a season during his four years there, Fritz 1996 NJCAA National Champions (Blinn College) left to revitalize a Central Missouri program and guided it to 1995 NJCAA National Champions (Blinn College) 11 winning seasons. The NCAA Division II program’s ledger in- 1990 NJCAA National Champions (Coffeyville Community Coll.) cluded two 10-win seasons with the 2001 Mule squad earning its first postseason trip in more than 30 years. In 2002, Central Missouri made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division 2014 SUN BELT CHAMPIONS GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES FOOTBALL 39 HEAD COACH WILLIE FRITZ II playoffs and was the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA) co-cham- pion a year later. A 97-47 mark in 13 seasons ranks Fritz as the winningest coach in the program’s 118-year his- tory. He was the only coach to ever EAGLES GATA EAGLES win seven or more games in eight consecutive seasons and his victory total ranked him 15th among active Division II coaches at the time. In addition to his impressive 67.4 winning percentage with the Mules, Fritz coached his student-athletes to achieve their potential both on the field and in the classroom. More than 150 Mules were recognized with 2015 SEASON All-MIAA honors with 41 first-team selections and 24 All-Americans. Un- der Fritz, Central Missouri recorded a graduation rate of 84 percent with 144 MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recipients, 14 Academic All-Region and three Academic All- Americans. Serving as a graduate assistant for the Bearkat program during the 1984 COACHING STAFF COACHING and 1985 seasons, Fritz earned a mas- ter’s degree in kinesiology while Sam Houston State posted a 16-6 record and won the 1985 Gulf Star Confer- ence championship.