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Bearcat Staff Coaching Staff 77 BearcatBearcat CoachingCoaching StaffStaff Mark Dantonio Bearcat mentor the second-winningest new head coach in the nation in 2004. One other coach has taken Cincinnati to winning season in his initial campaign at UC. The a bowl game in his initial season at the Bearcats’ 7-5 record included a 5-3 mark in Confer- helm—the legendary Sid Gillman. That puts ence USA, good enough for a second place finish. Mark Dantonio, who leads the Bearcats into The Bearcats capped the season with a convincing Mark Dantonio the BIG EAST Conference this season, in pretty 32-14 win over Marshall in the PlainsCapital Fort select company. Worth Bowl. Born: March 9, 1956 in El Paso, Texas Dantonio has been in good company The manner in which the Bearcats achieved that Wife: Becky throughout his coaching career, having served success speaks well for the Dantonio’s coaching Children: Kristen (12), Lauren (10) as an assistant coach for Nick Saban, Jim abilities. The Bearcats had fallen to a 2-4 start, but High School: Zanesville (Ohio) High Tressel and Earle Bruce—coaches who have the new coach maintained confidence in his team College: South Carolina (1979, Bachelor’s/English directed teams to conference championships, and helped UC turn things around with an impres- Education) postseason bowls, and national champion- sive four-game winning streak late in the season. Ohio University (1981, Master’s/Education) ships. Dantonio is ideally suited hold the reigns of the Coaching Experience: Thirteen Bearcats earned all-conference University of Cincinnati football program. He has 2004 University of Cincinnati ................. Head Coach honors. Six members of that team partici- compiled nearly a quarter of a century of coaching 2001-03 Ohio State .................... Defensive Coordinator pated in the NFL Pre-Draft Combine. Three of experience, during which he has played integral 1995-00 Michigan State ...............................Secondary them, Trent Cole, Tyjuan Hagler and Daven roles in building winning programs. He has crafted Bearcat Staff Assoc. Head Coach 1991-94 Kansas ........................................Secondary Holly, were ultimately drafted. defensive units which have been nationally recog- 1986-90 Youngstown St..............Secondary/Def. Coord. Dantonio, who was named head coach at nized. And he has built a reputation for the close 1985 Akron ........................................Secondary Cincinnati on Dec. 23, 2003, became the first bonds that he builds with the players he coaches 1983-84 Ohio State ......................... Graduate Assistant head coach in 23 years to pilot a team to a and the staff members with whom he works. 1982 Butler County C.C. ................... Defensive Coordinator 1981 Purdue ........................... Graduate assistant 1980 Ohio University .................. Graduate assistant 1979 Anderson (S.C.) Westside High .............. Asst. Coach Coaching Highlights: • 2004—Cincinnati, 7-5, finished second in C-USA and won the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl. • 2003—Ohio State 11-2, No. 4 in final polls; No. 1 nationally in rushing defense (60.5), No. 9 in total defense (290.1) and No. 13 in scoring defense (16.8). • 2002—Ohio State 14-0, National Champions; No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (13.1) and No. 3 in rushing defense (77.7). • 2001—Ohio State team No. 1 in Big Ten in passing defense and No. 2 in scoring defense. • 1999—Michigan State ranked No. 7 in final polls; MSU ranked 12th nationally in the final defensive statistics. • Youngstown State made three NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances during Dantonio’s tenure there. • Coached in 15 bowl games, including the 2002 Fiesta Bowl national championship. 78 BearcatBearcat CoachingCoaching StaffStaff He has strong Midwest ties. An Ohio native who has spent half of his coaching career in the state, he has been effective recruiting its top talent. Dantonio had served as the defensive coordi- nator at Ohio State the previous three seasons, where he helped craft the defense which was the backbone of the Buckeyes success. Ohio State's defense was the nation's second stingiest against the run in 2003, allowing 62.3 yards per game, and was ranked No. 10 in total defense and No. 16 in scoring defense. Those efforts helped the Buckeyes attain the No. 4 ranking in the final polls. Dantonio assembled the defense which led Ohio State to the national title in 2002. The Buck- eyes were second nationally in scoring defense (13.1) and third in rushing defense (77.7) during their perfect season. Six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big 10 during Dantonio’s tenure there and 13 were drafted by the pros, which includes a pair of first-round picks. Dantonio has compiled 23 seasons of coaching experience in the college ranks, 12 of them in the state of Ohio, where he earned all-state football honors as a senior at Zanesville High. Prior to his stint at Ohio State, Dantonio spent six seasons (1995-2000) as secondary coach at The Dantonio Family: Mark and Becky with daughters Lauren and Kristen Michigan State, five under Nick Saban and one un- der Bobby Williams. He was promoted to associate The Dantonio Coaching File head coach in 2000. Dantonio contributed to Michigan State’s suc- Bearcat Staff __________________________________________________________________Season School Position Postseason cessful 1999 season, during which the Spartans 1979 Anderson (S.C.) __________________________________________________________________ Westside High Assistant Coach posted a 10-2 record, were Florida Citrus Bowl cham- __________________________________________________________________1980 Ohio University Grad. Assistant pions and were ranked No. 7 in the final polls. The __________________________________________________________________1981 Purdue Grad. Assistant MSU defense was ranked 12th nationally and first __________________________________________________________________1982 Butler County C.C. Defensive Coord. in the Big Ten in total defense. __________________________________________________________________1983 Ohio State Grad. Assistant Fiesta - Champions __________________________________________________________________1984 Ohio State Grad. Assistant Rose Michigan State’s secondary under Dantonio __________________________________________________________________1985 Akron Secondary NCAA Playoffs was regarded as one of the best in the nation. The __________________________________________________________________1986 Youngstown State Secondary Spartans were ranked 10th in pass efficiency de- __________________________________________________________________1987 Youngstown State Secondary NCAA Playoffs fense in 1998 and seventh in 2000. __________________________________________________________________1988 Youngstown State Secondary __________________________________________________________________1989 Youngstown State Secondary NCAA Playoffs Dantonio tutored Amp Campbell, an MSU __________________________________________________________________1990 Youngstown State Def. Coord./Secondary NCAA Playoffs cornerback who earned third team All-American __________________________________________________________________1991 Kansas Secondary honors in 1999, while two other Spartan defenders 1992 Kansas Secondary Aloha __________________________________________________________________ were named to All-American teams and a half dozen __________________________________________________________________1993 Kansas Secondary __________________________________________________________________1994 Kansas Secondary were NFL draft picks. __________________________________________________________________1995 Michigan State Secondary Independence Dantonio served as defensive backs coach at __________________________________________________________________1996 Michigan State Secondary Sun Kansas for four seasons (1991-94). His work helped 1997 Michigan State Secondary Aloha - Champions __________________________________________________________________ the Jayhawks produce an 8-4 record and defeat BYU __________________________________________________________________1998 Michigan State Secondary __________________________________________________________________1999 Michigan State Secondary Florida Citrus - Champions in the Aloha Bowl in 1992. __________________________________________________________________2000 Michigan State Secondary A 1979 graduate of South Carolina, Dantonio __________________________________________________________________2001 Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Outback began his coaching career as an assistant at __________________________________________________________________2002 Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Fiesta - National Champions __________________________________________________________________2003 Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Fiesta - Champions Westside High in Anderson, S.C. __________________________________________________________________2004 Cincinnati Head Coach 7-5 Fort Worth Bowl - Champions In 1980, he served as graduate assistant at Ohio 79 BearcatBearcat CoachingCoaching StaffStaff University, under head coach What Others Are Saying Brian Burke. He spent the 1981 about Mark Dantonio season as a graduate assistant at Purdue for head coach Jim “Mark Dantonio is an out- Young and was defensive coor- standing football coach. More im- dinator at Butler County (Kan.) portantly, he is an outstanding Community College in 1982. person and family man. Mark will Dantonio was a member of serve the Cincinnati community