SUNY College Cortland Digital Commons @ Cortland Football Documents Football 1977 1977 Team Guide, Football State University of New York College at Cortland Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/football_documents CORTLAND STATE SPORTS STATE UNIVERSITY O F NEW Y ORK FOOTBALL M EDIA G UIDE 1977 COLLEGE A T C ORTLAND CORTLAND, N.Y. 13045 Contents Founded: 1868 Coaching Staff 3 Enrollment: 4,830 Undergraduates Outlook 1 880 Graduate Students Team S tatistics 9 Colors: Red and White Individual Statistics 10 Nickname: Red Dragons Coaches and Records 13 Men's Athletic Director: Series Records 14 Roger Robinson (607/753-4963) Football Records 15 Women's Athletic Director: JV Sc hedule 15 Carole Mushier (607/753-4953) Varsity Roster 18 Public Relations Office: Tel. 607/753-2518 The 1977 Football Media Guide is published by the Public Relations Office, State University College at Cortland, Cortland, N.Y. 13045 RED D RAGON F OOTBALL / 1976 A ND 1977 1976 Results 4 Wins, 5 Losses 1977 Schedule Cort. Opp. Sept . 10 Springfield A 17 American Int. H 17 Springfield 15 24 Ithaca A 11 Ed inboro 34- Oct. 1 Central Conn. A 12 Ithaca 28- 8 Brockport H 41 Central Conn. 48- 15 Albany St. (NY) H 24 Brockport 0 22 A1fred H 14 A1bany St.(NY) 25- 29 E. Stroudsburg H 20 Alfred 16 Nov. 5 Southern Conn. A 14 E. Stroudsburg 28- 12 Merchant Marine A 50 Southern Conn. 6 All games are at 1:30 p.m. ROGER R OBINSON HEAD C OACH The 1977 football season will be the 15th Valley, Pa., from 1948-50. He was head foot­ for Coach Roger Robinson at Cortland. Robin­ ball and track coach at Port Jervis High son has been the head coach for Cortland more School (N.Y.) from 1951-1956. Robinson's years than any other man except the late Carl next six years were spent at Harvard where "Chugger" Davis who coached for 31 years. he was the backfield coach in football In 14 seasons, Robinson-coached teams have and the freshman coach in track. compiled a record 62-55-3 against some of the best teams in the NCAA's Division II Robinson is a native of Endicott, N.Y., and III groupings. Cortland, a Division where he competed in football, basketball III team, regularly plays teams from Divi­ and track at Union-Endicott High Sc hool. sion II. For example, this year five of He is well known as a speaker at football Cortland's 10 opponents are Division II clinics for high school players and coaches and has devoted considerable attention to schools. the study of football head and neck in­ A gradu ate of Syracuse University, Robin­ juries for the NCAA. son was one of the nation's leading punters In January 1976, Roger Robinson was named during his intercollegiate career. He was a starter for the Orangemen at tailback and director of athletics for the men's in­ also saw du ty as a defensive safetyman. In tercollegiate athletic program a t Cortland. his senior year, Robinson was named to the In addition to being athletic director and East squad for the East-West Shrine Game. football coach, Robinson is an associate He a lso earned a master's degree at Syracuse. professor of physical education and an assistant coach with Cortland's outdoor Robinson's first coaching assignment was track team. ^ as a line coach under Andy Kerr at Lebanon DICK W HEATON DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TOM STEELE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD Dick Wheaton is in his seventh season as an Tom St eele is beginning his seventh sea­ assistant coach and assistant professor of son as an assistant football coach at Cort­ physical education at Cortland State. His land State. An assistant professor of success with the Cortland defense comes as physical education, Steele received his no surprise since he was highly success­ B.S. degree from Hiram College in Hirman, ful as a high school coach at nearby Owego Ohio. At Hiram, Steele was a two-way High School before joining the Red Dragon starter at halfback. He earned a master!s staff in 1971. Wheaton's Owego teams won degree at Kent State University and a five high school league championships in Ph.D. in physical education at Ohio State seven seasons, compiling an overall record University. of 43-14-1. At Ohio State, Steele coached offensive Wheaton is a former member o f the U.S. backs on the freshman football team and Marine Corps and a graduate of the SUNY later moved to the varsity where he worked College at Brockport. His master's degree with wide receivers and was part of the was earned at Ithaca College. During play­ scouting team. Prior to his experience ing days, he saw a ction as both a linebacker at O.S.U., he had been football coach at and a fullback. East Liverpool High School in Ohio and was an instructor at Adrian College in Michigan. 4 American team, and the Mutual Black Sports TOM SAXON OFFENSIVE LI NE All-American team. A ne wcomer to the Cortland coaching staff this year is Tom Saxon, a native of Colum­ bia, S.C. He is a graduate of North Caro­ lina Central University and has a master's degree in physical education from the Uni­ LARRY M ARTIN J.V. COACH versity of Wisconsin. Larry Martin is a Cortland native who While he was doing graduate work at Wis­ earned a B.S. and M.S. at Cortland. He consin the past two y ears, Saxon served as played college football as a starting end an administrative assistant in physical ed­ under the late Dragon coach, Chugger Davis. ucation and in the minority studies pro­ Martin received his doctorate from Spring­ gram. He coached the defensive line for field College where he studied under an Wisconsin's varsity football team and was NDEA docto ral fellowship. While at Spring­ assistant varsity coach for women's basket­ field, he also served as an assistant ball and was head coach of the women's JV with the football coaching staff. team. Martin is an associate professor of physi­ During football playing days at NC Cen tral, cal education at Cortland and also is head Saxon was outstanding as an offensive guard golf coach. Before coming to Cortland, playing in the tough Mid-Eastern Athletic Martin served as a director of athletics, Conference. He was a member of two cham­ coach of several sports and physical edu­ pionship teams and earned All-Conference cator at three high schools in northern honors three years in a row. In 1973, he New York--Gouvern or, Massena and Canton. was named t o the Associated Press' College Division Ail-American team, the NAIA Ai l- 5 STEVE G ARNER DEFENSIVE BACKS Alfred, Assenheimer was team c aptain and earned All-ECAC honors. He also played A na tive of Trumansburg, Steve Garner goalie for Alfred lacrosse teams. He played three years of varsity football graduated from A lfred with a BA in liberal (1971-73) at Cortland State as a defensive studies. back. He was an effective open field tackier and was tough to beat on pass JOHN S CIERA ATHLETIC T RAINER plays. A Cortla nd graduate, John Sciera has been Garner is doing graduate work in physi­ athletic trainer for the Red Drago ns since cal education at Cortland as a recipient 1965. He has an M.S. degree from S UNY Buf­ of an Alumni Graduate Assistantship for falo and is a licensed physical therapist. 1977-78. He returns to the campus after He was head trainer at SUNY Buffa lo under teaching health and physical education Jim Peele for seven years and served as at Bloomfield Central High School. He trainer for the annual Coaches All-American coached wrestling and organized a new l a­ football game when it was played in Buf­ crosse club which he coached. falo. In 1975, he was one of the head trainers for the U.S. Pan American team BILL ASSENHEIMER DEFENSIVE LI NE which competed in Mexico C ity. A L ittle All-American pick for his line- In addition to his training duties, backing work with Alfred University teams Sciera monitors the College's program in in the late sixties, Bill Assenheimer has athletic training which is offered as a arrived on Cortland's campus to undertake concentration in the physical education graduate work in physical education and to major. He served as the first president assist with Red Drag on coaching chores. of the recently established New Yo rk S tate In the fall of 1968, his senior year at Athletic Trainers Association. 6 1977 RED D RAGON O UTLOOK Cortland State's 1977 football team is Record-setting Lyle Schuler (Kingston) expected to show improv ement over last will lead the Red Drag on rushing game. year's squad which finished the season Last year, he ran for a total of 857 yards with 4 wins and 5 losses. Coach Roger which was a single season rushing record Robinson will have the benefit of 24 re­ for Cortland. He broke the old mark of turning players, 17 of whom ar e letter- 739 s et in 1969 by Jo e Bramante. Schuler men. Incoming freshmen and transfers are set other records too. He had the most expected to provide needed depth, with a touchdowns in a season - 15, and the most little more size evident in the offensive points in a season - 92.