PHOTOS OF COACH MCDONNELL

Sean McDonnell, a 1978 University of New Hampshire graduate, boasts a career record of 96-62 following his 13th season as the head coach at his alma mater. He is the second-winningest coach in UNH history, trailing only legendary Bill Bowes (171-106-6), his predecessor. 

In 2011, McDonnell guided the ‘Cats to the NCAA Division I FCS Championship postseason for the eighth straight year, the longest streak in the nation. The Wildcats matched a school record by defeating five ranked teams en route to an 8-4 mark, including 6-2 in the CAA. The Wildcats' 112 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top-25 represents the second-longest streak in the nation (Montana-192).  New Hampshire knocked off UMass, 27-21, at Gillette Stadium in the second rendition of the Colonial Clash. That win came in the 74th and final scheduled meeting between the gridiron rivals in a series that dated back to 1897. UNH also took out Maine in the regular-season finale to regain possession of the cherished Brice-Cowell Musket. Senior QB Kevin Decker was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Year, and junior LB Matt Evans earned The Gold Helmet Award as New England’s FCS Player of the Year.
   
McDonnell has guided UNH football to the upper echelon of the FCS and has recruited several All-Americans and NFL-caliber players, including the likes of Walter Payton Award-winning QB Ricky Santos (2005) and the all-time NCAA FCS record holder for TD catches in WR David Ball (2003-06), who surpassed Jerry Rice’s career mark of 51 TDs with his 58 scoring receptions.   

In 2010, McDonnell’s Wildcats collected victories against five ranked opponents for the first time ever en route to an 8-5 campaign. New Hampshire qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. Further, UNH advanced to the quarterfinal round for the sixth time in those seven years after dispatching Bethune-Cookman, 45-20, in a second-round encounter before suffering a quarterfinal loss at eventual national championship game participant Delaware, 16-3.
       
McDonnell was feted as the 2010 Division I FCS Coach of the Year by the New England Football Writers, the third time he’s been honored (2005, ’08). During the course of the ’10 campaign, the ‘Cats earned their 12th straight home victory –a school record- by shutting out No. 11 Richmond, 17-0, on Homecoming. Two weeks later, UNH made history by topping No. 12 UMass, 39-13, in the inaugural Colonial Clash at Gillette Stadium. The game was witnessed by 32,848 fans, the largest football crowd in CAA history.

In 2009, UNH finished 10-3 and won its second straight CAA North Division championship. The Wildcats continued to be giant killers by knocking off an FBS opponent for the fifth straight time, securing a hard-fought 23-16 triumph at Ball State. Previous FBS opponents to feel the wrath of the Wildcats during the amazing upset run were Army (2008), Marshall (’07), Northwestern (’06) and Rutgers (’04). UNH was the only team to defeat eventual FCS national champion Villanova on Homecoming (28-24).  The Wildcats also posted an impressive win on the road at McNeese State, defeating the Cowboys, 49-13, in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

New Hampshire notched a 10-3 record in 2008, including a defeat of Southern Illinois in the first round of the NCAAs before a quarterfinal-round setback at Northern Iowa. UNH finished the season ranked No. 7 or No. 8 in most national polls, and McDonnell was honored as the New England FCS Coach of the Year for the second time in his tenure.

In 2007, the Wildcats were 7-5 overall and just narrowly missed upsetting No. 1 Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAAs, losing on a last-minute TD, 38-35, at the UNI Dome. The Wildcat offense, ranked 16th in the nation, averaged over 400 yards per contest.

The Wildcats were ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in 2006 and finished the season ranked No. 6 after defeating Hampton in the first round (41-38) of the NCAA Championships.

In 2005, McDonnell was honored as the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year by The Sports Network after leading his Wildcats to a record-breaking 11-2 season, an Atlantic 10 Championship title and a second straight NCAA appearance in the I-AA quarterfinals. 

McDonnell had his Wildcats ranked No. 1 in the nation at the end of the 2005 regular season. In 2005 the Wildcats played two nationally-televised NCAA postseason games on ESPN at Cowell Stadium, beating Colgate in the first round before succumbing to Northern Iowa in the NCAA quarterfinals.    

In 2004, his hard work rebuilding the program paid off in a 10-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Atlantic 10, which earned the team the Northern Division Championship title. UNH earned a bid to the NCAA I-AA Championships for the first time since 1994 and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in the history of the program.  UNH won its first-ever NCAA contest under McDonnell, upsetting Georgia Southern in the first round, 27-23, on national television. McDonnell was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year and was selected District Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
   
In 2003, UNH steadily improved as the season went on and the Wildcats went on to win three of their last four contests, including an upset victory over top-25 squad, Maine. The team’s 5-7 record could have easily been above .500, as UNH narrowly lost to No. 1-ranked Delaware on a missed field goal in the closing seconds, and UNH was driving for the game-winning TD late in the Division I contest at Central Michigan, but ran out of time. UNH posted impressive victories over the likes of top-ranked Massachusetts, Dartmouth and Richmond. The Minutemen were ranked 17th in the nation when the Wildcats defeated them by a 31-14 margin at Cowell Stadium.
   
In 2002, McDonnell’s offense was one of the most prolific in I-AA football and averaged 449.2 yards per contest and 36.7 ppg. In the victories over the likes of Hampton, James Madison, Dartmouth and Massachusetts the ‘Cats scored 37 ppg and scored over 40 points in two of the victories. UNH finished with a 4-7 overall record in 2001.  
   
In 2000, the Wildcats were ranked as high as 23rd in the nation and knocked off three top-25 opponents, including Hampton (31-17), Massachusetts (24-16) and No. 2 Delaware on Nov. 4 (45-44 OT). Injuries squashed UNH’s chances for a playoff berth down the stretch, but UNH opened the campaign with a 4-0 record, its best start since 1977 when the Wildcats won seven straight games. UNH finished the season with a 6-5 record and finished tied for fourth in the Atlantic 10. As a result of his outstanding coaching performance, McDonnell was named the Gridiron Club Of Greater Boston College Head Coach Of The Year.
    
In his rookie debut, McDonnell led the Wildcats to a 5-6 overall record and oversaw a wide-open offensive attack that led the Atlantic 10 with an average of 457.3 yards per game.
   
McDonnell was named the 19th head coach of the UNH football program on April 22, 1999. McDonnell replaced legendary head coach Bill Bowes, who retired after 27 years as the mentor of the Wildcats.
   
McDonnell served eight seasons as a Wildcat assistant and completed his fifth year as the team’s offensive coordinator in 1998. McDonnell rejoined the Wildcats as an assistant coach before the 1991 spring camp and worked with the quarterbacks and receivers for his first three seasons. In 1997, McDonnell was named the recipient of “The College Assistant Coach Award” by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston in recognition of his quality of performance, loyalty and longevity.
             
A native of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., McDonnell was a standout defensive back for UNH. He started for the 1975 and 1976 Yankee Conference championship teams and came back to start for the 1978 squad. After his graduation from UNH, he spent one year as an assistant coach at Manchester (N.H.) Memorial High School and followed that up with a three-year stint at Manchester West (1980-82). McDonnell worked as the defensive coordinator at Hamilton College for two seasons (1983-84) and subsequently spent three years (1985-87) coaching the receivers and tight ends at former conference-rival Boston University. During the 1988 campaign, McDonnell served as a graduate assistant coach at Boston College. He spent two seasons as an assistant at Columbia (1989-90) prior to his coaching debut in Durham.  
   
Sean and his wife, Jenny, reside in Durham and are the parents of two sons: Timmy, a senior at St. Michael’s (Vt.) College, and Tommy, a freshman member of the UNH men’s basketball team.

John Lyons, the second-winningest head football coach in Dartmouth College history,  is the Wildcats' first-year defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach following his hire on Jan. 21, 2011.

Lyons, a West Hartford, Conn. native, most recently worked at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H., where he served as football coach since 2005 and athletic director since 2008. He guided the school to three consecutive Evergreen League championships from 2007-2009.

PHOTOS OF COACH SHELTON

In 2011, Jon Shelton is in his sixth season on the UNH coaching staff as the defensive ends coach. Under his guidance, junior Brian McNally set the University’s all-time single-season record with a CAA-leading 13.5 sacks in 2010. As a result, McNally was named College Sporting News Sweet-63 All-America, ECAC All-Star and earned a berth on the FCS All-New England Team.

Shelton, who has 17 years of coaching experience under his belt, previously served as a defensive assistant at the University of Kansas from 2002-04, where he coached and managed all aspects of the defensive line on game day and handled all of the day-to-day duties. He coached a line that ranked among the top squads in the nation.

Previously, he worked as the defensive coordinator, assistant head coach and director of operations at Bryant College from 1999-2001. While with the Bulldogs, he was responsible for recruiting players from the Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. areas.

Shelton also gained experience at Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Md., in 1997-98 as the assistant coach of linebackers and kickers. At the University of Maryland, Shelton was a student assistant coach who helped mentor the defensive line from 1995-97.

His coaching career began at Montgomery Community College as defensive line coach from 1993-95. Shelton earned a Master’s Degree in Education (Counseling) at Providence College, garnered a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland at College Park and earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Finance from Montgomery Community College.

PHOTOS OF COACH CARTY

Ryan Carty is in his fifth season on the UNH coaching staff and second year in charge of wide receivers in 2011. Under Carty’s tutelage, senior wideout Terrance Fox earned All-CAA First Team honors and a berth on the FCS All-New England Team after pacing the league in receptions per game (6.2) in 2010. The Wildcats’ passing offense ranked second in the conference with 220.1 yards per game.

Carty coached running backs in 2008-09, helping an offense that ranked No. 1 in the CAA in scoring in ’09 and led the league in scoring offense in ‘08. Also in ’09, senior RB Chad Kackert was the CAA’s fourth-leading all-purpose runner, later signing a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In 2007, Carty spent his first season at UNH coaching tight ends. That season, sophomore TE Scott Sicko was voted an All-Conference and All-American player After graduating in 2010, Sicko signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

Carty began his coaching career at UNH after playing quarterback at the University of Delaware.  He was voted captain in his 2006 senior campaign and played on the National Championship squad in 2003. A 2007 graduate with honors from the University of Delaware in Business Management, Carty recruits the northern portion of his home state of New Jersey, Essex County in Mass. and the western portion of New Hampshire.

PHOTOS OF COACH BARBATO

Brian Barbato is in his fourth year during his second stint on the UNH coaching staff in 2011. Barbato adds the role of offensive tackles coach to his responsibilities this season along with mentoring tight ends, which he has done since returning to Durham in 2008.

Under his tutelage, Scott Sicko earned All-America accolades in both the ‘08 and ‘09 seasons, signing a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys followng his senior campaign.

The Exeter, N.H., native coached the offensive line during his previous New Hampshire coaching term in 2004. Barbato, who graduated from UNH in ‘04, started 37 games during his playing career while seeing time at all five offensive line positions. He was named All-Atlantic 10 Second Team in 2003 and All-Atlantic 10 Third Team in 2002.

Barbato also coached outside linebackers and safeties at St. Lawrence University for two seasons (2006-07) and worked as an assistant coach at Exeter High School in 2005.

PHOTOS OF COACH FERZOCO

Michael Ferzoco is in his fourth season on the UNH coaching staff in 2011, serving as the running backs coach for the second straight year. Ferzoco’s protégé, Dontra Peters, garnered All-CAA Third Team honors after rushing for a team-leading 707 yards on 142 attempts in 2010.

Ferzoco coached linebackers during each of his first two years in Durham (2008-09), helping Matt Parent become the school’s third all-time leading tackler (356).

Prior to coming to Durham, Ferzoco coached at Kenyon College, working as an assistant coach from 2004-07. He served as offensive coordinator and coached the quarterbacks and receivers during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In ’07, his offense broke the school record for yardage (460.2 yards per game) and averaged 31.2 points per contest.

The Kenyon offense was also explosive in 2006, when the squad averaged 451.4 yards per game and posted 35.4 points per game – 12th-best in the nation. He also served as coach of the offensive line in ‘05 and was the wide receivers coach in ‘04.

Ferzoco is a 2004 graduate of Kenyon, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

PHOTOS OF COACH KLEIN

Terrence Klein is in his second year as an assistant coach with the UNH football program in 2011, working with safeties and outside linebackers. In 2010, Klein helped Wildcat senior free safety Hugo Souza earn a spot on the All-CAA First Team and the FCS All-New England Team with 95 tackles.

Klein graduated from New Hampshire in 2010 following a four-year playing career for the Wildcats.  

As a senior in ‘09, Klein ranked third on the team in total tackles with 80 (45 solo, 35 assisted), and he was second in tackles for a loss with 9.5 from his position of safety. Klein recorded a team-high six interceptions and returned one for a TD. In his junior year, Klein was sixth on the team in tackles (28-31-59) and third in interceptions (four). The Wildcats finished with a 10-3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals both of those seasons.

James Bettcher, a 2003 graduate of the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., brings eight years of coaching experience to the UNH sidelines for his first season in 2011. Prior to his one season at Ball State, where he also coached special teams, Bettcher worked as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina from 2007-09, focusing on linebackers, defensive ends and special teams for the Tar Heels, while assisting in recruiting in Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina.

In 2006, Bettcher worked as a defensive grad assistant at Bowling Green University, working with the secondary and special teams’ units and aiding recruiting efforts in Ohio and Indiana. 

Bettcher’s coaching career began at his alma mater from 2003-05 as special teams coordinator; he also worked with the strength and conditioning staff and was the head track coach in 2003 and 2004.

During his career as a student-athlete at St. Francis, Bettcher was a three-time NAIA All-American Scholar, a three-time Mid-States Football Association Scholar, a two-time NAIA Coaches’ All-American and a two-time Don Hansen’s All-American. He earned all-conference honors three times and was the recipient of the St. Francis Helmet Award for leadership and coachability in 2002. Bettcher also was a three-time track All-American for the Cougars, where he placed second in the shot put at the 2001 NAIA Championships.

James, a native of Lakeville, Ind., is married to Erica Bettcher, and they are the proud parents of one son, Colton.

Chris Van Horn joined the UNH coaching staff in 2011 as defensive tackles coach following three seasons at the University of North Carolina. In 2010, he was the on-field defensive graduate assistant for the Tar Heels and worked with the defensive line. During his first two seasons in Chapel Hill, Van Horn  served in a quality control position, working with linebackers and the secondary. During his three seasons at North Carolina, the team went to three straight bowl games, culminating in a Music City Bowl victory in 2010.

The Fort Wayne, Ind., native was a three-year letterwinner at St. Francis University in his hometown and began his coaching career at his alma mater, where he worked for three seasons. After two years as a graduate assistant, Van Horn was elevated to the role of defensive line coach for the 2007 season.

During his playing career, Van Horn was an NAIA First Team All-America at defensive end for St. Francis and still holds the school's all-time record for most sacks in a season and career. He was  a college teammate of UNH linebackers coach James Bettcher.

Van Horn earned bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education in 2004.

Alex Miller came aboard as the centers/guards coach for the 2011 Wildcats after a three-year tenure at the University of Oregon, where he began as an intern in 2008 before working as a graduate assistant coach for offense the next two seasons. Miller worked closely with the Ducks’ running game and tutored the offensive line. As a student-athlete, Miller starred as a center at the University of Massachusetts, where he started all 50 games of his collegiate career from 2003-06. The Fairfax, Va., native was feted as an All-America in his senior campaign and was a two-time member of the All-Atlantic 10 First Team. Miller received his undergraduate degree from UMass in 2007.

Callahan, a former Wildcats’ student manager and director of football operations, was hired as the University’s assistant athletic director for football operations in July 2011.

He previously served as Boston College football’s assistant recruiting coordinator for head coach Frank Spaziani in 2010-11. His responsibilities included organizing all on-campus recruiting functions and serving as the recruiting office liaison to the athletic administration.

During his six-year term as UNH’s director of football operations from 2004-09, Callahan coordinated team travel, served as the team’s video coordinator and assisted in all football administration tasks.

The Randolph, Mass., native began his career as the UNH football student manager from 1997-2001.

The 2011 season is Matthew Delgado's first year at UNH as Director of Video Operations. Prior to UNH, Delgado worked in player personnel and was responsible for video operations in the AFL for the San Jose SaberCats.

Matthew was born and raised in Cupertino, Calif., and graduated from San Jose State University in May 2010. While at San Jose State, Matthew interned for the San Francisco 49ers in football operations, working on evaluations for the NFL draft, as well as other film evaluation projects.

Delgado received his Bachelor's Degree in Communications with a Minor in Political Science.