BREAK PAGE: THE COACHING STAFF Sir Christopher Wren Building The Wren is the oldest academic building still being used in the U.S. and was con- structed between 1695 and 1699, when the capital of the colony of Virginia was still located at Jamestown. 35 HEAD COACH JIMMYE LAYCOCK also boasts a 66-33 mark in league play and has had a league-high 117 student-athletes named THE JIMMYE LAYCOCK ERA (1980-present) to all-conference honors since 1993. 170-113-2 (Career Record) The 2001 campaign stood as a testament to Laycock’s program’s stability, as the team re- Year Record Postseason bound from a nine-year low 5-6 record in 2000 1980 2-9 to post an 8-4 mark, claiming a share of the At- 1981 5-6 lantic 10 Crown and earning a spot in the NCAA 1982 3-8 Division I-AA Playoff s. 1983 6-5 Laycock is the Tribe’s winningest coach, 1984 6-5 boasting a career 170-113-2 (.599) record. Since 1985 7-4 1986 9-3 NCAA Playoffs Laycock’s fi rst season in 1980, the College has 1987 5-6 had 18 winning ledgers in the last 22 years and 1988 6-4-1 Epson Ivy Bowl has played in postseason games in nine of the 1989 8-3-1 NCAA Playoffs last 19 seasons. 1990 10-3 NCAA Playoffs The 1996 campaign is another prime ex- 1991 5-6 ample of how Laycock has perpetuated a win- 1992 9-2 Epson Ivy Bowl ning tradition within W&M’s rigorous classroom 1993 9-3 NCAA Playoffs standards, as he led a youth-laden squad to a 1994 8-3 When Jimmye Laycock returned to coach quarterfi nal showing in the NCAA playoff s, a 10- 1995 7-4 1996 10-3 NCAA Playoffs his alma mater prior to the 1980 season, he 3 overall record (7-1 in league play), the Tribe’s 1997 7-4 inherited a program that had won six or more fi rst Yankee Conference Championship and a 1998 7-4 games in a season just four times in the previ- school record fi fth-place national ranking. 1999 6-5 ous 25 years. Few could have predicted that the One trademark of a Laycock-coached team 2000 5-6 College would produce more than three times is a prolifi c and intricate off ensive attack. The 2001 8-4 NCAA Playoffs that amount of seven-win seasons over the next Tribe off ense averaged better than 420 yards 2002 6-5 quarter century. As the architect of what is eas- and 26 points over the 115 games it played in 2003 5-5 ily the most extended run of success in William the 1990s. 2004 11-3 NCAA Playoffs and Mary’s 112-year football history, Laycock Prior to the 2004 campaign, the 1990 sea- Winning Seasons in Bold has never compromised academic standards son stood as the benchmark for the Tribe pro- LAYCOCK IN I-AA PLAYOFFS for athletic success and has steadily built his gram. That season, Laycock was honored by his 1986 Delaware, 17-51 (L) program into a point of pride for the campus, peers as Coach of the Year in Region II and the 1989 Furman, 10-24 (L) alumni and community. state of Virginia for guiding the Tribe to 10 wins 1990 Massachusetts, 38-0 (W) While no one season can defi ne a career and an appearance in the quarterfi nals of the Central Florida, 38-52 (L) that spans more than two and a half decades, Division I-AA playoff s. 1993 McNeese State, 28-34 (L) Laycock’s 25th year at the top of the Tribe pro- That 1990 squad, ranked No. 7 in the fi - 1996 Jackson State, 45-6 (W) gram accentuated what is at the heart of his nal NCAA poll, refashioned many pages in the Northern Iowa, 35-38 (L) basic principles for success; character, discipline school record book. W&M led the country in 2001 Appalachian State, 27-40 (L) 2004 Hampton, 42-35 (W) and attention to details will lead to success. total off ense by averaging almost 500 yards per Delaware, 44-38, 2 OT (W) And, the 2004 team experienced levels of suc- game and claimed the Lambert Cup for I-AA James Madison, 34-48 (L) cess never before reached at the College. supremacy in the East. Even the Virginia Gen- William and Mary set a school record for eral Assembly passed a resolution commend- LAYCOCK VS. THE ATLANTIC 10 wins (11), won the Atlantic 10 Football Con- ing Laycock accomplishments. The Tribe’s 1996 Team W L T ference’s automatic NCAA bid, hosted a NCAA squad led the conference in both total off ense Delaware 11 14 0 semifi nal game before a standing room only and defense on its way to earning its own Lam- Hofstra 2 1 0 crowd at Zable in front of a national television bert Cup and ECAC Team of the Year honors. James Madison 12 13 0 audience and fi nished the year with a school Laycock has made the home turf in Zable Maine 5 1 0 Massachusetts 4 5 0 record No. 3 fi nal national ranking. Along the Stadium into unfriendly territory for opponents New Hampshire 8 2 0 way, a bevy of school single-season records fell; as the Tribe has won 78.8 percent of its games Northeastern 9 2 0 total points (486), total yards (6,044), home wins (87-23-1) there in the last 21 years. Counting Rhode Island 9 1 0 (seven), to name just a few. But, none of these last season, W&M has turned in seven undefeat- Richmond 19 6 0 achievements spoke more succinctly to Lay- ed regular season home campaigns in the last Towson 2 0 0 cock’s approach than the program’s 100% offi - 16 years. Villanova 9 5 1 cial NCAA graduation-rate report for all student- After some lean years early in his tenure, athletes receiving athletics aid. This showed Laycock’s teams began building respectability W&M graduated all of its football players that among all opponents. After a pair of 6-5 sea- Top 10 Career A-10 Coaching Victories entered the program as freshman during 1997- sons, W&M carved out a 7-4 mark in 1985 and 1. Bill Bowes (UNH, 1972-98) .................................... 97 98 school year. The Tribe not only carried the a national ranking of No. 16. The winning ways 2. “Tubby” Raymond (UD, 1966-01) ........................ 89 highest graduation rate in the conference, but continued in 1986 with a 9-3 record and an 3. Andy Talley (VU, 1985- ) ............................. 81 also was far and away the top fi gure of any team eighth-place ranking. In that historic season, 4. Jimmye Laycock (W&M, 1993- ) ................ 65 5. Jim Reid (UMass, 1986-91, UR, 95-03) ..................................61 ranked in the fi nal national top 25. Only fourth- the Tribe advanced to the I-AA playoff s for the 6. Jack Cosgrove (UM, 1993- ) ........................ 43 ranked Furman (81%) was within 20 percentage fi rst time and had three players drafted by the 7. Tom Jackson (UC, 1983-93) .................................. 42 points of the College. In fact, William and Mary NFL. 8. Hal Westerman (UM, 1951-66) .......................... 41 is one of only four teams in the entire I-AA top Although William and Mary dipped to a 5-6 Vic Fusia (UMass, 1961-70) ................................. 41 25 to have a graduation rate of 70%, or better. slate in 1987, the Tribe recovered to post a 6-4-1 10. Bob Griffi n (URI, 1976-92) ................................... 37 When looking at the I-AA football world, overall record in 1988. That memorable season Acitve Coaches in Bold Tribe’s stellar 156-65-2 (.702) record against fel- climaxed with a trip to Japan and a 73-3 vic- low I-AA foes during Laycock’s career also con- tory over the Japanese College All-Stars in the fi rms the success of his formula. The College fi rst Epson Ivy Bowl. The Tribe returned to the 36 HEAD COACH JIMMYE LAYCOCK NCAAs in 1989 with an 8-2-1 regular season record. at Loudoun Valley H.S., where he won 12 letters and has since had his Laycock has also tutored 30 players to 75 All-America honors from number retired. the William and Mary ranks and has coached six Academic All-Ameri- Laycock is married to Deidre Connelly, a sports psychology consul- cans. Quarterback Lang Campbell is the most decorated of all, as the tant at the College. They have three children: Michael (14), Mary Louise 2004 season saw him earn the prestigious Payton Award, given annu- (13) and James (10). ally to the nation’s top off ensive player in the I-AA ranks, consensus fi rst Laycock’s 24-year-old daughter, Melanie, is a graduate of the Uni- team All-American honors, as well as the A10’s Off ensive Player of the versity of Virginia and is a teacher in Atlanta, Georgia. Year and Academic Player of the Year. The record-setting tandem of quarterback Campbell and wide out Dominique Thompson each signed free agent contracts, with the Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams, respectively, in the spring of 2005, joining free safety Darren Sharper (Minnesota Vikings), a second round draft pick of the Green Bay in 1997, defensive back Billy Parker (Miami Dolphins) and Mike Leach (Denver Broncos) as representatives of the Green and Gold in the NFL ranks.