KCalCalK EE YY DD EE McMcTT HH EE CoCoAA DD mbsmbsCC OO AA CC HH ■ THE CITADEL ’67 ■ FIFTH SEASON success, McCombs has taken a grass roots approach to rebuilding VMI football fortunes - The right man for the right job. brick-by-brick. That may best describe Cal McCombs’s He has improved VMI’s recruiting pool working relationship as head football coach at and retention rates by selling the total VMI Virginia Military Institute. experience to prospects, with the goal of an Coaching football at a military college Institute degree and a lifelong bond among requires vision, determination, enthusiasm, fellow graduates: the ultimate rewards to those patience, and the ability to win people over who join the VMI football family. with trust and commitment. With a focus on the priorities that produce In McCombs’ four years, he has instilled the total student-athlete, McCombs not only those virtues into the heart of VMI football and rallied his troops, he made them believe that the result has been success, not just on the success both on and off the field is at hand, not field, but in the classroom and beyond - where some distant dream down the road. young VMI football alumni are making an Embarking on a new era of VMI football, impact in the world. McCombs was announced as the Institute’s In 2002, McCombs led the Keydets to six head coach on Dec. 18,1998 after a successful wins, the most victories since 1981, and was stint as a coordinator and assistant coach at the named Southern Conference Coach of the Year United States Air Force Academy. - the third VMI football coach bestowed that McCombs had served on the staff of Air honor and the first since Bob Thalman in 1981. Force coach Fisher DeBerry for 15 seasons - McCombs is quick to point out that it takes initially coaching the Falcon defensive backs teamwork to build a winner, and last year’s before assuming the duties of defensive fortunes were not the product of one person’s coordinator in 1990. He reported for duty on labor. Believing that there are no shortcuts to 12C o a c h i n g S t a f f V i r g i n i a M i l i t a r y I n s t i t u t e F o o t b a l l 2 0 03 03 football guide 12 7/30/03, 4:08 PM the VMI post the first week of January, 1999, just days after his Falcon defense helped thwart Washington in the Oahu Bowl in The Profile Honululu, Hawaii. The CALCAL MMCCCOMBSCOMBS Profile McCombs played a major role in the COACHING CAREER accomplishments of Air Force football from Yr. Team Rec. Coaching Role Post Season 1984-1998. The Falcons captured two Western 1969 South Carolina 7-4 Graduate assistant Peach Bowl Athletic Conference championships, a WAC 1970 South Carolina 4-7 Graduate assistant Mountain Division championship,and earned 1971 The Citadel 8-3-0 Secondary 10 bowl berths. Air Force ranked in the top 11 1972 The Citadel 5-6-0 Secondary in Division I-A in total defense in 1998, and 1973 The Citadel 3-8-0 Wide receivers McCombs earlier directed the WAC's top 1974 The Citadel 4-7-0 Wide receivers defense in 1997 and the conference's leader in 1975 The Citadel 6-5-0 Wide receivers scoring defense in three different years. He also 1976 The Citadel 6-5-0 Quarterbacks recruited Air Force standout quarterback Dee 1977 The Citadel 5-6-0 Running backs 1978 The Citadel 5-6-0 Secondary Dowis who was sixth in the Heisman trophy 1979 The Citadel 6-5-0 Secondary balloting in 1989. McCombs also tutored Air 1980 The Citadel 7-4-0 Secondary Force All-American defensive backs Scott 1981 The Citadel 7-3-1 Defensive coordinator Thomas and Carelton Thomas. 1982 The Citadel 5-6-0 Defensive coordinator In the period McCombs served on the Air 1983 The Citadel 3-8-0 Running backs Force staff under DeBerry, the Falcons went 1984 Air Force 8-4-0 Secondary Won Independence Bowl 119-64-1 and captured 11 Commander-in- 1985 Air Force 12-1-0 Secondary Won Bluebonnet Bowl Chief's trophies - the annual award symbolizing 1986 Air Force 6-5-0 Secondary service academy football supremacy. 1987 Air Force 9-4-0 Secondary Lost Freedom Bowl McCombs became VMI's 28th head 1988 Air Force 5-7-0 Secondary football coach in the program's 113-year 1989 Air Force 8-4-1 Secondary Lost Liberty Bowl football history. He also brought a long 1990 Air Force 7-5-0 Defensive coordinator Won Liberty Bowl association with the Southern Conference to 1991 Air Force 10-3-0 Defensive coordinator Won Liberty Bowl the post. 1992 Air Force 7-5-0 Defensive coordinator Lost Liberty Bowl McCombs, 56, is a 1967 graduate of The 1993 Air Force 4-8-0 Defensive coordinator Citadel and a former All-Southern Conference 1994 Air Force 8-4-0 Defensive coordinator football and track and field performer and held 1995 Air Force 8-5-0 Defensive coordinator Lost Copper Bowl the school's high jump record (6'-7"). He 1996 Air Force 6-5-0 Defensive coordinator 1997 Air Force 10-3-0 Defensive coordinator Lost Las Vegas Bowl lettered three years in track and two in football 1998 Air Force 12-1-0 Defensive coordinator Won Oahu Bowl and was a two-time most valuable player on 1999 VMI 1-10-0 Head Coach both teams in 1966 and 1967. McCombs was a 2000 VMI 2-9-0 Head Coach Dean's List student in the Corps of Cadets and 2001 VMI 1-10-0 Head Coach also served as Cadet Batallion Athletic officer. 2002 VMI 6-6-0 Head Coach He was commissoned as a lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation and PLAYING CAREER served a two-year tour of duty from 1967 to Two-year letterwinner for The Citadel in football (’65 and ’66), and three-year letterwinner in 1969. All but two of McCombs’ 34-year coaching track (’65, ’66, and ’67); two-time MVP for both teams in 1966 and 1967; Earned All-Southern career has been served at a military college. He Conference and All-State honors in both track and football; Set Citadel record for high jump began at South Carolina as a graduate assistant (6’7”) coach for two years before returning to his alma mater in 1971. McCombs spent 13 years PERSONAL on the The Citadel staff under head coaches Born: August 4, 1945 in Belton, S.C. Red Parker, Bobby Ross, and Art Baker and Family: Wife - Lynne Brown coached on both sides of the ball - holding Two children - Will (32) and Layne (29) during his tenure the positions of defensive Education: B.S. in physical education, The Citadel, 1967 coordinator, recruiting coordinator, defensive M.Ed. in physical education, University of South Carolina, 1970 back coach, quarterback coach, offensive back coach, and academic counselor. McCombs, a native of Belton, S.C., and his Cal and Lynne McCombs wife Lynne have two children, Will (32), and Layne (29). McCombs signed a three-year contract extension in May that will carry through the 2006 season. V i r g i n i a M i l i t a r y I n s t i t u t e F o o t b a l l 2 0 03C o a c h i n g S t a f f 13 03 football guide 13 7/30/03, 4:08 PM KEITH JOHNNY ANDRE BRAXTON BURNETT CURTIS ■ ■ VMI ’97 UC-SANTA BARBARA ‘70 ■ VMI ’99 ■ ■ Third Season Second Season ■ Fourth Season ■ ■ Defensive Tackles Def. Coordinator/Secondary ■ Linebackers eith Braxton joined the VMI football ame to the Institute after coaching oves to inside linebackers coaching staff in June, 2001 and took three seasons at Austin College in responsibilites in his fourth year K over the defensive line coaching CSherman, Texas, where he was Mon the staff... returned to the responsibilities... worked the previous two assistant head coach defensive coordinator, Institute in 2000 as an outside linebackers years at First Union and recruiting coach... a 1999 graduate Corporation in coordinator...also of VMI with a B.A. in Richmond, Va... coached at Oklahoma Economics... finished his previously coached State for three defensive tackles at career as the school’s Loras College in seasons (96-98) and fifth leading tackler with Dubuque, Iowa during served as the 354 stops... earned four the 1997 season... Cowboys co- varsity letters and made returns to his alma coordinator on 31 consecutive starts at mater and was a four- defense and handled year letterman the secondary...a veteran of military college linebacker... ranked defensive tackle at football coaching, second in the VMI through the he spent the Southern Confer- 1993 and 1996 Braxton was a three ence in tackles Curtis ranks as majority of his Burnett Took Over As seasons... gradu- year starter at coaching career at with 106 including VMI’s fifth all-time ated from VMI with the United States Defensive Coordinator 46 solo hits... a B.A. in History in defensive tackle for Military Academy named to the 1998 leading tackler. 1997... posted 195 in 2002. vmi from 1994-1996. All-Southern career tackles where he coached including six sacks for 17 years... Conference second and 11 tackles for coached linebackers and secondary under team as selected loss..