< PreviousHEAD COACH MARK FERRANTE 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL 20 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM Excellence Award for both the 2016-17 and the 2017-18 academic years. Ferrante was involved in all aspects of the Villanova program during his time as an assistant on Andy Talley’s staff. On the field he coached the offensive line for 27 seasons and devel- oped a unit that was perennially one of the best in CAA Football. Over the years he coached three All-Americans, 11 All-East performers and 15 first team all-conference selections. The offen- sive line had 17 All-CAA selections in a nine-year span, including three- time first team honoree Ben Ijalana along with first team selections Brant Clouser (2010), Dan Shirey (2011) and Vince Kowalski (2014). Two of Ferrante’s players went on to be selected in the NFL Draft. Ijalana was a second round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2011 and Brad Seaton was picked in the seventh round by the Tennessee Titans in 2017. Ijalana was a two-time All-American (2009, 2010) and a three-time first team All-CAA selection during his col- legiate career. Villanova reached the FCS playoffs in each of his last three seasons on the team, winning the 2009 national title and advancing to the semifinal round a year later. Seaton was a second team CAA Football All- Conference selection in 2016 when the offensive line enabled the Wildcats to average 206.3 rushing yards and 378.7 yards of total offense per game. Villanova ranked third in the CAA and 24th nationally in rushing offense in addition to ranking fourth in the league in total offense and fifth with a scoring average of 24.4 points per game. The other All-Americans Ferrante mentored are Eamonn Allen (2001) and Bryan Russo (1989). Allen earned first team Associated Press All- America recognition in 2001 and was also a first team All-East and first team All-Atlantic 10 selection. Russo was chosen as an All-American by the Sports Network and the American Football Coaches Association as a senior in 1989 when he was also a first team all-conference and an All- ECAC selection. He was inducted to Villanova’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2007. Ferrante was a standout collegiate performer in his own right prior to joining the football coaching ranks. He was the quarterback for Andy Talley at St. Lawrence where he was named the 1982 Division III Player of the Year to go along with first team All-East honors. Ferrante directed the offense for a St. Lawrence team that went 10-1 during the 1982 season and reached the national semifinals in the playoffs. Following the end of his playing career Ferrante joined Talley’s staff at St. Lawrence and spent one season as the running backs coach in 1983. His other coaching stops before Villanova include coaching the running backs at Wagner (1984) and working on the coaching staff at Lafayette (1985-86). Ferrante and his wife, Georgea, reside in Phoenixville, Pa. The couple has a son, Jimmy, who earned his undergraduate degree from Villanova in 2018.PROUD PARTNER OF VILLANOVA ATHLETICS ©2019 MILLER BREWING CO., MILWAUKEE, WI • BEER CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY ®ASSISTANT COACHES 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL 22 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM Sean Devine is in his fifth season on the Villanova coaching staff in 2021. He coaches the Wildcats offensive line and is the team’s Offensive Run Game Coordinator. In addi- tion to recruiting several local schools in the greater Philadelphia area, Devine’s recruiting territory includes South and Central New Jersey locally as well as Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas on the national front. Under Devine’s tutelage the Wildcats offensive line has been one of the keys to the team’s success in recent seasons. During the 2019 season Villanova led CAA Football and ranked 10th in the FCS in fewest sacks allowed. The offensive line gave up just 14 sacks in 13 games played (1.08 sacks per game) in 2019 and improved that number during the abbreviated 2020 season with just four sacks allowed in four games played, ranking seventh nationally with one sack allowed per contest. Villanova has had an offensive lineman earn first team all-con- ference recognition from the CAA in each of the last two seasons. Michael Corbi was named an All-CAA honoree for the first time in his career after the spring season and Paul Grattan earned first team honors in 2019. Following the 2018 season offensive tack- le Ethan Greenidge was a second team All-CAA selection and Brandon Hitner signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams. A veteran of more than 20 years in the collegiate coaching ranks, Devine spent four seasons as the Offensive Coordinator and offensive line coach at Delaware before coming to Villanova. He made an immediate mark on the Blue Hens in his first season in 2013 when he worked with one of the top offensive units in CAA Football. Delaware tallied a 7-5 record and ranked in the top half of the league in nearly every statistical category, including second in scoring offense (32.8 points per game), third in passing offense (240.0 yards per game) and fourth in rushing offense (177.0 yards per game). Delaware won six games in 2014 and placed both junior tackle Ben Curtis and senior guard JD Dzurko on the All-CAA squad. Curtis went on to be an All-American in 2015 for a Blue Hens team that ranked second in the CAA and 17th in FCS football in rushing offense (219.4 yards per game). Delaware was also second in the league and 13th nationally in time of possession per game (33:04) in 2015. Devine worked with a pair of offensive linemen, Connor Bozick and Brody Kern, who were All-CAA selections for both the 2015 and the 2016 seasons. Devine coached for 14 years (1995-08) at New Hampshire, where he served as defensive line coach (1995-01), offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator (2002-06), and offensive coor- dinator and offensive line coach (2007-08). Devine was a part of five consecutive FCS playoff berths from 2004-08, and during his time on the Wildcats coaching staff he saw New Hampshire gain a No. 1 national ranking and capture three conference titles. Among the players he coached was quarterback Ricky Santos, who won at least a share of the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award three straight years from 2005-07. Devine and his wife, Nicole, are the parents to daughters Amelie and Maelle. (click here for more information on Devine) Ola Adams is now in his seventh year at Villanova and his third as the team’s Defensive Coordinator and secondary coach entering the 2021 season. Adams is the pro- gram’s pro liaison and recruits within the region, including several local high schools in the Philadelphia area along with Maryland, Washington, D.C. and the state of Virginia. Several players on the Wildcats defensive unit have excelled over the past two seasons since Adams became the Defensive Coordinator. Of note among them are defensive lineman Malik Fisher, linebacker Forrest Rhyne and cornerback Christian Benford who have each been first team All-CAA selections. Fisher and Rhyne were named preseason All-Americans entering the 2021 campaign, while Rhyne was named to the Watch List for the Buck Buchanan Award. There have been a total of seven All-CAA honors for the Villanova defense in the last two seasons. Villanova excelled in preventing long drives by the opposition during the abbreviated spring campaign which served as the 2020 competition season. In the four games played the Wildcats held their opponents to converting just 24.4 percent (10-of-41) of the time on third down. That figure led the CAA and ranked second in the entire country. Villanova ranked 15th nationally in fourth down conversion defense and limited its opponents to converting just 33.3 percent of the time. In Adams’ first year as Defensive Coordinator in 2019, the Wildcats ranked fifth in the country in defensive touchdowns (four), 20th in passes intercepted (14), 22nd in rushing defense (125.2 yards per game) and 30th in fourth down conversion defense. Adams has been active in the coaching profession outside of Villanova and in 2019 he participated in the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. He returned in 2020 when he was a coordinator panelist at the leadership summit. When he first came to Villanova in 2015, Adams spent two seasons working with the running backs before moving to Special Teams Coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Under his tutelage Christian Benford was named the CAA Football Defensive Rookie of the Year and a third team All-CAA selection in 2018. Adams guided cornerback Malik Reaves to sec- ond team All-CAA honors for the 2018 campaign and was instru- mental in punter John Hinchen being named a first team all-con- ference selection. He also helped Reaves and fellow corner Trey Johnson sign free agent contracts with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 2017 Villanova special teams improved in six different cate- gories in the national statistics under Adams’ tutelage. In addition to going from 112th to 50th nationally in punt return average, the Wildcats improved from 44th to 19th in punt average and 104th to 33rd in kickoff return average. Villanova also finished 15th national- ly in field goal kicking after ranking 38th the year prior. Adams is single and resides in Philadelphia, Pa. (click here for more information on Adams) Sean Devine Assistant Coach (Offensive Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line) • 5th Season Ola Adams Assistant Coach (Defensive Coordinator/ Secondary) • 7th SeasonYour Local Ford Stores Are Proud To Support The Villanova Athletic Program. 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Standard 4X4 With An 18:1 Crawl Ratio. BuyFordNow.comASSISTANT COACHES 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL 24 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM Chris Boden is in his third season as the Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Wildcats in 2021. The former Villanova standout is the program’s all-time career passing leader and returned to his alma mater starting with the 2019 season. Boden recruits the state of Florida along with northern New Jersey, including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren Counties. His local recruiting territory consists of Abington, Archbishop Wood, Bensalem, Bishop McDevitt, Bristol, Cheltenham, Conwell-Egan, Council Rock North, Council Rock South, Harry S. Truman, Jenkintown, Lower Moreland, Morrisville, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, Upper Moreland and William Tennent high schools. In his two years as the Offensive Coordinator, Boden has direct- ed one of the top offenses in the FCS. During the 2019 season the Wildcats topped 20 points in all 13 games played during the year and ranked eighth in the country with an average of 37.3 points per game. It marked only the third time in school history and the first time since 1997 that Villanova surpassed 20 points in every game of a season. The offensive success continued during the abbreviated spring season earlier this year when the Wildcats averaged 29.2 points per contest and ranked 20th nationally. One of the top storylines for Villanova during the 2019 season was the play of quarterback Daniel Smith who was in his first year with the Wildcats as a transfer from Campbell. Smith had one of the best passing seasons in Villanova history, throwing for 3,274 yards with 35 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. His passing yards and his 3,731 yards of total offense each ranked third in a single season in school history and Smith also led the team with 12 rushing touch- downs and 13 total touchdowns scored. He led the nation in points responsible for and was named a third team All-CAA selection. Smith is on the preseason Watch List for the Walter Payton Award entering the 2021 campaign. Villanova has earned a total of nine CAA Football All-Conference honors on offense in the past two seasons, including a pair of first team selections in offensive linemen Paul Grattan (2019) and Michael Corbi (2020). Boden returned to his alma mater after serving as the head coach of ASA College Miami where he led his teams to a 15-10 record from the 2016-18 seasons. That record included a 7-2 mark in his first year with the program in 2016 when the Silver Storm finished the year leading the nation in total defense and ranked fourth national- ly in scoring defense. ASA College tallied a .500 record in each of Boden’s next two seasons, including a 5-5 mark with a +15.3 scoring margin for the 2018 campaign. In his first experience as a head coach at the collegiate level, Boden led ASA College New York for the 2015 season after serving as the school’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the previous six years. Boden led the Avengers to a 6-5 record in 2015, including a five-game win streak midway through the season. His team featured a strong offensive attack and averaged 25.1 points per game to go along with 353.2 yards per contest. Boden and his wife, Jaclyn, reside in Media, Pa. with their nine- year old son, Chase, and six-year old daughter, Makayla. (click here for more information on Boden) David Riede is one of the veteran mem- bers of the Villanova coaching staff and enters his 15th season with the Wildcats in 2021. Riede is the program’s Recruiting Coordinator and coaches the team’s line- backers. He has held several roles on the staff during his time at Villanova and previ- ously was the team’s cornerbacks coach and the Director of Player Personnel for nine years. On the recruiting front Riede is responsible for several local schools in Chester County as well as Pennsylvania districts 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. From a national standpoint his recruiting territory includes West Virginia, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Over the past two seasons Riede has had a great deal of suc- cess working with the Villanova linebackers. Forrest Rhyne was named a first team All-CAA selection for both the 2019 and the 2020 seasons along with being named to the preseason Watch List for the Buck Buchanan Award entering the 2021 campaign. Rhyne tallied 116 tackles during the 2019 season and ranked among the CAA Football leaders with 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks. During the nine seasons that Riede was in charge of Player Personnel for the Wildcats he served as the team’s liaison to the Academic Support and Compliance offices while assisting heavily in all aspects of the program’s recruiting efforts. Riede came to Villanova from Allegheny College where he was an assistant from 2005-07. During his stay at Allegheny, Riede was responsible for coaching the wide receivers and overseeing all aspects of video coordination. He is a 2003 graduate of Baldwin Wallace College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. During his playing days at Baldwin Wallace, he was a two-year letterwinner in football and a three-year letterwinner in baseball. Riede earned a Master’s in Sport and Recreational Management from Kent State University in 2005. Riede and his wife Lindsey reside in Wilmington. Del., with their three-year old son Jack. Chris Boden Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks) • 3rd Season David Riede Assistant Coach (Recruiting Coordinator/ Linebackers) • 15th seasonASSISTANT COACHES 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL WWW.VILLANOVA.COM n 25 Ross Pennypacker is in his second stint on the Villanova coaching staff and is now in his seventh year overall with the Wildcats in 2021. In his current role he is the Special Teams Coordinator and the Defensive Run Game Coordinator while coaching the team’s defensive line. Pennypacker recruits a number of local schools and his primary territory in the area consists of Pennsylvania districts 2, 4 and 11. He also recruits New York (Sections 3, 4, 5, 6) as well as nationally in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In the first two seasons in his current role on the coaching staff Pennypacker has had a great deal of success with the Wildcats defensive line and special teams. Defensive lineman Malik Fisher is a two-time All-CAA selection, including being a first team pick for the 2020 season. Fisher has ranked among the CAA leaders in tackles for loss and quarterback sacks in each of the past two seasons and was named a preseason All-American entering the 2021 campaign. Villanova has excelled in a number of areas on special teams over the past two seasons. Punter Nathan Fondacaro was named a first team CAA Football All-Conference selection for the 2019 sea- son and kick returner Dez Boykin was a second team All-CAA pick for the 2020 campaign. Villanova averaged 21.4 yards per kickoff return for the 2020 season while holding its opposition to an aver- age of just 10.5 yards per return; the latter figure ranked second in the CAA and third nationally. Pennypacker spent four seasons as the Defensive Coordinator and safeties coach at Kutztown before returning to Villanova. While coaching the Bears, he mentored 15 defensive players who earned All-PSAC honors. Pennypacker’s defenses tallied three shutouts and ranked in the top half of the PSAC in rushing defense and turnover margin. Kutztown led the PSAC in red zone defense in 2014 and ranked in the top three in the league in total defense and turnover margin. Perhaps even more impressively, the Bears were 15-1 during Pennypacker’s time on staff when the defense held opponents to fewer than 24 points. Before his coaching stint at Kutztown, Pennypacker was an assistant coach for three years at Bucknell. He coached the team’s linebackers in 2011 and 2012 after guiding the safeties in his first season on the staff. Pennypacker was also the cornerbacks coach at Cornell from 2008-09. He began his coaching career in 2005 at his alma mater, Millersville University. A linebacker as a player, Pennypacker went on to serve as a stu- dent assistant and worked with both the outside linebackers and the safeties. He also was an intern assistant at Allegheny College, where he worked with the outside linebackers. During his first stint at Villanova, Pennypacker’s duties included serving as the Wildcats video coordinator and assisting with the defensive backs. Pennypacker is a 2005 graduate of Millersville with a degree in social sciences. He and his wife, Lisa, reside in Flemington, N.J. Running backs coach Brian Jones is in his ninth year overall on the Villanova coaching staff in 2021. He is in his second stint on the Wildcats staff and returned to the Main Line in 2017 after previously serving on the staff from 1984-87 when Villanova was rebuilding the program at the FCS level. Jones recruits several local areas as well as New York (Sections 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. During his current stint on the Wildcats staff Jones has worked with several standout performers on the team. Justin Covington was named the 2020 winner of the prestigious CAA Football Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award and is a two-time All-CAA selection entering the 2021 season. Covington opened the 2019 campaign with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games and was leading the nation in rushing yards before sustaining a season-ending injury. In his absence Jones oversaw the development of young running backs DeeWil Barlee and TD Ayo-Durojaiye into impact perform- ers on the Villanova roster. The quartet of Jackson, Barlee, Ayo- Durojaiye and Jalen Jackson has combined for 3,409 career rushing yards with 24 touchdowns and an average of 5.7 yards per carry. During the 2018 season Jones helped Aaron Forbes earn second team All-CAA honors. Forbes led Villanova with 828 rushing yards and scored a team-high 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per rush during his senior season. Jones made a name for himself during more than two decades of coaching running backs at the FBS level. He spent 16 seasons at Missouri, where he was in charge of a Tigers running game that pro- duced a 1,000-yard rusher seven times in a 10-year span beginning in 2006. He worked with senior tailback Russell Hansbrough during the 2014 season, when Hansbrough ran for 1,084 yards. Hansbrough also rushed for 685 yards and four scores in 2013, when Missouri ranked 16th among all FBS teams with an average of 237.4 yards per game on the ground. Henry Josey was one of the top comeback stories in college football during that 2013 campaign, as he gained 1,166 yards with 16 touchdowns and an average of 6.7 yards per carry one year after sitting out with a severe knee injury. Behind Josey were the duo of Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy, who rushed for 601 yards and nine touchdowns. Josey had been a first team All-Conference performer in 2011 when he averaged 116.8 yards per contest to lead a Missouri squad which led the Big 12 with 244.0 rushing yards per game. The other all-conference performers that Jones coached at Missouri are tailbacks Zack Abron, Tony Temple and Derrick Washington. Abron was a three-time All-League selection during his career, garnering second team honors in 2003 after being an honorable mention pick the year prior and a third team selection in 2001. Temple was a Honorable Mention All-Big 12 pick in both 2006 and 2007, while Washington was a second team honoree in 2008 and merited honorable mention accolades in 2009. Jones coached under Gary Pinkel at Toledo from 1992-00, then followed Pinkel to Missouri for the 2001 season. Jones was born in Jamaica and raised in New York City. He and his wife, Mary Kay, are the parents of sons Grant and Brandon, and daughter Aubrey. Grant played football at Missouri and Brandon played football at Illinois. (click here for more information on Jones) Ross Pennypacker Assistant Coach (Special Teams Coordinator/ Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line) • 7th Season Brian Jones Assistant Coach (Running Backs) • 5th SeasonASSISTANT COACHES 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL 26 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM 26 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM Nate Pagan is in his fifth season on the Villanova coaching staff in 2021. He currently works with the Wildcats wide receivers after initially coming to the program as an offen- sive assistant and earning a promotion to his current role. In addition to his coaching duties Pagan recruits part of Philadelphia county and recruits nationally in Atlanta (Cobb, Fayette, Fulton counties), Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. During the 2019 season Pagan helped senior wide receiver Changa Hodge have a breakout campaign and earn third team CAA Football All-Conference honors. Hodge tallied the fifth-most receiving yards in a single season with 1,118 yards on 65 catches (17.2 yards per reception) and caught 13 touchdown passes. He starred in the Battle of the Blue win over Delaware with 236 receiv- ing yards and four touchdowns, marking the first time in 23 years that a Villanova receiver topped 200 yards in a single game. Pagan coached Rayjoun Pringle to earning second team All- CAA honors for the 2020 season. Pringle caught 17 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns in four games during the abbreviated spring season, including a career-high 171 yards and a score in a season-opening road win at Stony Brook. Pagan arrived at Villanova after spending two seasons at Stevenson, where he coached the wide receivers and was also the Special Teams Coordinator in 2016. During the 2016 season, Pagan assisted an offense that led the conference in scoring with 36.7 points per game. He coached a pair of receivers that earned All-Conference selections, including Preston Addo who was named first team All-MAC after finishing the season with 47 receptions for 799 yards and 12 touchdowns. In addition, Devin Salisbury was a second team All-MAC selection after tallying 71 catches for 815 yards and six scores. In his first season at Stevenson in 2015, Pagan coached Cortez Taylor who was an honorable mention All-MAC selection. As Special Teams Coordinator in 2016, Pagan coached three players who earned All-Conference mention on special teams. Running back Devonte Williams was the Special Teams Player of the Year and Addo was the Special Teams Returner of the Year. In addition, kicker Tim Sternfeld was named a second team all- league pick. The special teams unit ranked 14th in Division III in punt returns. Prior to Stevenson, Pagan was the wide receivers coach at SUNY Cortland for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He coached All-American receiver John Babin, who had 82 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2013. He also mentored first team All-Region kick returner Dylan Peebles. Peebles went on to earn All-America honors as a kick returner in 2014 when he had 26 returns for 907 yards, three touchdowns and an average of 34.9 yards per return. A graduate of West Chester University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies/Professional Studies, Pagan was a defen- sive back, wide receiver and kick returner for the Golden Rams after playing one season at Clarion in 2008. He was recognized on the WCU Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll for six semesters while with the Golden Rams. Pagan is a native of Lancaster, Pa. Matt Colangelo is in his second stint on the Villanova coaching staff and begins his fourth season overall with the Wildcats in 2021. He returned to the program in 2019 and is currently in his third year working with the team’s outside linebackers. Colangelo previ- ously spent the 2017 season at Villanova as the assistant linebackers coach. On the recruiting front Colangelo’s territory primarily consists of New England, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. He also recruits several of the local high schools. Colangelo’s first stint at Villanova was in 2017 when he joined Mark Ferrante’s staff as an assistant linebackers coach. He helped coach a unit that included first team All-CAA selection Ed Shockley. As a senior in 2017 Shockley led the Wildcats with 101 tackles and he went on to sign a free agent NFL contract with the Dallas Cowboys after the season. Colangelo coached the safeties at Holy Cross in 2018 before returning to Villanova. In his one season with the Crusaders he assisted with a defense which was one of the team’s strengths. Starting safety Joe Lang finished second on the team with 77 tackles and tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles while adding two sacks and four pass breakups. Colangelo also recruit- ed areas of Pennsylvania, including Northeastern and the Lehigh Valley, as well as the state of Texas while he was at Holy Cross. Prior to his first Villanova stint, Colangelo was a defensive assis- tant at Yale for the 2016 season. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Assumption, where he was an assistant coach for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The Greyhounds won a combined 18 games during his two years on the staff, including an 11-2 season in 2015 when the team put together a 10-game winning streak and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Colangelo played linebacker at Assumption during his collegiate career and was a senior captain for the 2013 season. The native of Cromwell, Conn. ranked third on the team in tackles as a senior, with his stats for the year including 69 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. He earned Northeast-10 All-Conference first team honors that year and was also a Worcester Area first team all-star. Colangelo was presented with the 2014 William A. Cating ’64 Memorial Award as the Most Coachable male athlete at Assumption. Nate Pagan Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers) • 5th Season Matt Colangelo Assistant Coach (Outside Linebackers) • 4th SeasonASSISTANT COACHES / SUPPORT STAFF 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL 28 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM Josh Fletcher is in his third season as an offensive assistant on the Villanova coaching staff in 2021. His recruiting area is in New York, including Sections 1, 2, 7, 9 and 10. Fletcher coaches the Wildcats tight ends. One of the emergent players on the Wildcats roster during the 2019 season was tight end Todd Summers who had 34 catches for 364 yards and six touchdowns. He developed into one of the top tight ends in CAA Football and ranked third on the team with his six touchdown receptions during the season. Fletcher came to Villanova after spending the 2018 season at Missouri State where he was a special teams and quality control coach. He worked with the kickers and punters for a team that led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked in the top five in the FCS in net punting and punt return defense at the end of the season. In his role with the Bears, Fletcher was responsible for all special teams scout meetings and scout cards while also working with the scout teams during practices. Prior to Missouri State, Fletcher was a defensive assistant at Valdosta State in 2017 and an offensive assistant at Towson for the 2016 season. He also worked with the special teams units during each of those stints. Fletcher assisted with coaching the lineback- ers and special teams at Valdosta State, which ended the 2017 campaign ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division II in first downs allowed and touchdowns allowed. He assisted the special teams coordinator with game planning and was charged with breaking down video of opposing offenses and special teams. Fletcher was in charge of defensive scout team meetings at Towson in 2016, and on game days was responsible for charting opposing defenses and assisting with clock management. Towson led the FCS in kickoff returns, ranked 18th nationally in kickoff return defense and was fourth in net punting. Fletcher recruited areas of Georgia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania during his year at Towson. Fletcher previously spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as the running backs and tight ends coach at ASA College New York, where current Wildcats offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chris Boden was on staff. Boden was the ASA College offensive coordinator in 2014 and the team’s head coach in 2015. Fletcher assisted with designing the Avengers offensive playbook, formulated weekly game plans and assisted with play calling for the offense. He was also in charge of travel accommodations, film exchange and assisting with eligibility. A graduate of McDaniel College in 2014, Fletcher got his coaching career started as an undergraduate assistant linebackers coach for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He assisted with on-campus recruiting and ran offensive scout team meetings and practices. Fletcher graduated from McDaniel in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Sports Coaching. Pat Crowley is in his third year at Villanova and was named a defensive assistant on the Wildcats staff in March 2021. He previously worked on defensive/special teams quality control from March 2019 to March 2021. As part of his current responsibilities Crowley coordinates and runs the Offensive Scout Team during practices. He recruits Western New York, including Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester. During the 2019 and 2020 seasons Crowley worked with Ross Pennypacker who is the program’s Special Teams Coordinator. He assisted Pennypacker with opponent breakdowns, tendencies and scouting reports in addition to helping with planning, implement- ing and installing special teams schemes each week. Crowley led on-field Indy drills for special teams and created weekly in-season special teams scouting reports for upcoming opponents. Crowley ran the scout special teams units during practice and also assisted with daily practice plans and meetings for the defensive line. Crowley came to Villanova after being a four-year member of the football team during his collegiate career at Delaware from 2014-18. He was a member of Delaware Christian Athletes and was the football team’s representative for UDance. In 2016, Crowley was a strength and conditioning intern and was responsible for the preparation of gyms, weight room and auditoriums for strength and conditioning events in addition to organizing all related paper- work for those events. Crowley earned his undergraduate degree in Sport Management from the Alfred Lerner School of Business in 2019. TJ Landis is in his seventh year as a mem- ber of the Villanova football program in 2021. He is currently the Coordinator of Football Video Operations & Administrative Services. In this role, Landis oversees all aspects of video production for the coaching staff during both practices and game days. He is also the football staff liaison to several of the other departments in Villanova Athletics. Landis is a 2014 graduate of Elon where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport and Event Management. During his time at Elon, he worked four years as a student assistant video coordinator for the football team. In this role, he used video editing programs to breakdown film for both practices and games. He also spent one season working as a marketing and recruiting assistant for the Elon women’s basketball team. Josh Fletcher Offensive Assistant • 3rd Season Pat Crowley Defensive Assistant • 1st Season TJ Landis Coordinator of Football Video & Administration Services • 7th SeasonSUPPORT STAFF 2021 VILLANOVA FOOTBALL WWW.VILLANOVA.COM n 29 Tyler Waite is an Associate Athletic Trainer at Villanova and is in his 13th season as the head athletic trainer for the football program in 2021. In addition to those responsibilities, Waite also works with the Wildcats golf team. In March of 2017, Waite was a guest at the NFL Scouting Combine on behalf of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS). He was one of just three collegiate football athletic trainers to be invited to the combine, where his credential allowed him to observe player medical exams and workouts while interacting with the athletic trainers and physicians from all 32 NFL organizations. The invitation to attend the NFL Combine was an important experience from both a networking and an educational perspec- tive, and Waite also attended the NFL Combine PFATS Dinner Reception as well as the NFL Physician’s Society/PFATS General Medical Symposium which addressed a variety of medical topics in addition a presentation of case studies. Waite earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training from Ohio State in 2005, and a Master of Science Degree in Sports Medicine from Oregon State in 2007. He originally came to Villanova in 2008 from the United States Military Academy, where he was the head athletic trainer for the football team. He previously served a year-long internship with the Buffalo Bills and was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Oregon State, where he worked with the football, women’s golf, baseball and women’s basketball programs. He and his wife, Stephanie, reside in West Chester, Pa. Mike Tucker enters his fourth year as the Villanova Football strength & conditioning coach. Tucker arrived at Villanova after spending two years at San Jose State as the assistant athletic performance coach for the Spartan football program. In this role, he assisted in planning, implementing and coaching all aspects of football athletic performance. He was also the head baseball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball athletic per- formance coach. Prior to his stint at San Jose State, Tucker served a six month internship at Clemson University where he helped coach baseball, track & field and men’s & women’s soccer in the weight room and field training. He also spent a year at Kutztown University where he was both the head athletic performance coach and defensive line coach. In this role, he designed and implemented a year round strength & condi- tioning program for the football team. In his two seasons at Kutztown, Tucker coached three defensive linemen to All-Conference honors. He began his career in strength & conditioning at North Dakota State University as an athletic performance intern coach in August of 2014. Tucker is a 2014 graduate of Holy Cross University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History and was a four-year letter winner in football, including a three-year starter at outside line- backer. He also owns a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology from San Jose State. Rev. Rob Hagan, O.S.A. is in his 19th sea- son at Villanova and is currently a Senior Associate Athletic Director overseeing all aspects of Student-Athlete Welfare, a role which includes oversight of the Sports Medicine and Strength & Conditioning departments. He is also the team chaplain for the football and men’s basketball pro- grams. Father Rob first came to Villanova in 2003 as the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and was promoted to his cur- rent position in July 2004. He was ordained to the priesthood in September 2003. After graduating from Villanova in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Father Rob went on to earn a J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 1990. He then spent seven years as an attor- ney with Gillin and Associates, where from 1990-97 he served as Criminal Defense Counsel in addition to handling contract negotia- tions, arbitrations and mediations. He also served as counsel to the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority and the Delaware County Register of Wills. Father Rob is a past member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Delaware County Bar Association and the Delaware County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Father Rob currently presides at Villanova campus masses and assists on weekends at St. Paul’s Parish in South Philadelphia. Former baseball student-athlete Dr. Michael Duncan came back to his alma mater in the summer of 2012 and serves as the physician for the Athletics Department. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Villanova, where he majored in biology with a minor in business along with being a four- year student-athlete. Duncan earned his medical degree from Georgetown School of Medicine and completed his residency at the Bryn Mawr Family Practice Residency Program at Bryn Mawr Hospital. He completed his primary care sports medicine fellowship through the Drexel University Sports Medicine fellowship program, and while at Drexel he served as an assistant team physician for two Division I uni- versities, one Division II university and two Philadelphia area high schools. Duncan is an active member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Academy of Family Physicians and Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. Tyler Waite Athletic Trainer • 13th Season Mike Tucker Strength & Conditioning Coach 4th Season Rev. Rob Hagan, O.S.A. Team Chaplain 19th Season Dr. Michael Duncan Team PhysicianNext >