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Yale Head Coach Jack Siedlecki (Union, 1974)
27-23-0 (sixth season with the Bulldogs) |
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Siedlecki had a tough task in 1997 after taking over for a legend at Yale — Carm Cozza — the winningest football coach in Ivy League history.
After a transition period, his Bulldogs peaked in 1999, claiming his first Ivy League title and posting a 9-1 overall mark, losing the only game by a single point.
In 2000, the Bulldogs stormed back to go 7-3 and post the League’s stingiest defense. However, after losing 24 letterwinners, including two NFL draftees (Eric Johnson and Than Merrill) and three other career recordholders at Yale (Rashad Bartholomew, Mike Murawczyk and Todd Tomich), the Bulldogs posted a 3-6 mark in last season's rebuilding year.
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Jack Siedlecki speaks out about
the 2002 season in the Elm City.
Siedlecki On...
...his quarterback Alvin
Cowan…
"He brings an interesting
character to the quarterback position. He was our personal
protector on the punt team. A couple years ago that was
Peter Mazza, our captain, one of the toughest kids on our
team and here's Alvin, who is projected to be our
quarterback and he played that position last year. I think
he brings a personality, a toughness, an athleticism that we
are pretty excited about."
Siedlecki On...
...the season
outlook:…
"Experienced people up front is
where your team starts and that's what we have. I think that
a lot of our returning players that should be the best
players in our program are kids that are somewhat
unheralded. Obviously the defense will be the focus early.
We have eight or nine guys returning who started for us, so
they should be leading this football team through preseason
and into the opener. But I'm pretty excited about our skill
(positions) and I think we've got enough up front experience
that this could be a real competitive team.
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Despite the final record, the Bulldogs certainly showed positive signs in 2001. The team registered almost 24 points per game and tallied over 400 yards per game of total offense.
This season will be a challenge to get the Elis back on the winning track. Of course, Siedlecki and his staff have always risen to the challenge, evidenced by his career record of 83-45-2. That mark includes a 36-11-1 record in five years at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a 20-11-1 ledger during his four years at Amherst.
Siedlecki has twice been named the AFCA Kodak District I Coach of the Year. The first time came after the 1992 season, when he led WPI to a 9-2 record. He again was honored in his final year at Amherst (1996), where he produced a 7-1 mark and a New England Small College Athletic Conference championship.
His first college coaching experience began as an assistant at the University at Albany in 1976. After a brief stint at Wagner, he moved to Lafayette where he served from 1981 to 1987. It was then he became the head coach at WPI.
As a player at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., he was a letterwinner as a linebacker and running back. He was also a pitcher on the Union baseball team.
Siedlecki was a three-sport star at Johnstown (N.Y.) High School, where his father coached for more than 20 seasons.
He and his wife, Nancy, have three children: Kevin, Jackie and Amy.
Assisting Coach Siedlecki...
Duane Brooks (Maine ‘87) -- Defensive Line
Larry Ciotti (Southern Connecticut State '66) -- Running Backs
Keith Clark (Lafayette ‘85) -- Offensive Coordinator
Kevin Cretella (Southern Connecticut State '99) -- Defensive Assistant
Matthew Dence (King's College '97) -- Offensive Line/Tight Ends
Rick Flanders (Maine ‘79) -- Defensive Coordinator
Shawn Halloran (Boston College ‘86) -- Linebackers
Joel Lamb (Harvard ‘93) -- Quarterbacks
Kyle Smesko (Allegheny '97) -- Wide Receivers
Strengths
“Our team speed will be an asset this fall, especially from our receivers and running backs. Defensively, the three senior defensive ends, in addition to sophomore Harry Flaster, will generate a strong pass rush. Of course, we need to stay healthy if we are going to play games with title implications late in the year. Ken Estrera was going to be one of our starting linebackers last year but got injured before the opener and did not play a down. He joins Tate Rich and Derek Goeriz in what should be one of the stronger inside linebacker combinations in the league. Last year, we had inexperienced sophomores roaming the secondary. They are now seasoned juniors led by Barton Simmons, who could be a force in the Ivy League this fall. The offensive line will be built around two three-year starters, Kyle Metzler and David Farrell, and last year’s team rookie of the year, Rory Hennessey.”
Concerns
“We are concerned about the inexperience at quarterback having lost the two guys with all the snaps over the last three seasons. The front-runners at this point are a junior who lettered last year as a special teams player and a sophomore who saw all his action in JV games.”
The Schedule
“We have our first two league games on the road, including a contest against Lehigh, a national playoff team which has not lost a regular season game in two years.”
The Ivy League
“In 2001 seven of eight starting quarterbacks were returnees. This year, there will be six new quarterbacks in the league. Harvard returns the Ivy League MVP but loses nine starters on defense. It will be another great Ivy League race.”
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