Our feature on the collegiate playing careers of current football coaches continues with a look at the Big East’s head men.
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Rutgers: Greg Schiano (Bucknell, 1984-87)
Long before he was chopping wood, Schiano was a linebacker, senior captain and Preseason All-America for the Bison in 1987. Apparently taking cues from Chuck Cecil, Schiano was the defense’s enforcer and was known for his share of late hits.
Syracuse: Doug Marrone (Syracuse, 1982-85)
Recruited by current UCF head coach George O’Leary, Marrone showed up on campus a man amongst boys at 330 pounds. He was known as a wild child with his long hair and earing. Over time he grew more disciplined, crafting himself into a three-year starter and two-time All-East player.
West Virginia: Bill Stewart (Fairmont State, 1971-74)
A lineman in the mighty West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Stewart was a senior captain on the ‘74 conference champs. He played center, long-snapper and tackle – the smallest in the entire league. And talk about old school – check out that neck brace.
Cincinnati: Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1979-82)
Kelly played at this tiny Massachusetts college and lettered four years at middle linebacker. After dreams of working in politics, he started his football coaching career at his alma mater and was also head man of the women’s softball team.
Pittsburgh: Dave Wannstedt (Pittsburgh, 1970-73)
He grew up outside the Steel City and started three years at left tackle. As a senior captain in 1973, he paved the way for freshman Tony Dorsett and a Fiesta Bowl bid – three years later Pitt won the national title with Wannstedt as an assistant to Johnny Majors.
Connecticut: Randy Edsall (Syracuse, 1976-79)
Edsall was a backup QB at Big East rival Syracuse. He tried to transfer but was talked out of it by his coach, opting to become a grad assistant his senior year. The offensive coordinator he studied under? Current Giants head coach Tom Coughlin.
Louisville: Steve Kragthorpe (Eastern New Mexico/West Texas State, 1983-87)
A high school teammate of Merrill Hoge in Idaho, the QB eventually wound up at West Texas State – now West Texas A&M of Ryan Leaf fame – in north Texas. He started 11 games as a senior, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 9 TD.
South Florida: Jim Leavitt (Missouri, 1974-77)
Leavitt played safety for the Tigers but a back injury stopped him from playing in the NFL. He was even better on the baseball diamond as a Big 8 batting champion with a .386 average. He dropped his dream of making it to The Bigs to go back to Columbia as a football grad assistant.
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