Former Bucknell Football Coach Tom Gadd Passes Away
3/1/2003 7:00:00 AM | Football
March 1, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Tom Gadd, one of the most successful football coaches in Bucknell University annals, passed away early Saturday morning at his home in Lewisburg after a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. He was one week shy of his 56th birthday.
Gadd arrived at Bucknell in the winter of 1994 to take over a Bison football squad that had posted just one winning record in its previous 14 seasons. In his seven years on the Bucknell sideline, the Bison had a winning season every year, and Gadd tied the school record for coaching wins with 48, reaching that plateau faster than any coach in University history.
He leaves behind his wife, Carol, and sons, Dan (25) and Jeff (24).
A memorial service will be held in his honor at Rooke Chapel on the Bucknell campus on Wednesday, March 5 at 2 p.m. A reception will follow in Sojka Pavilion.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Bucknell University and the Tom Gadd Memorial Fund via the Bucknell Office of University Relations, Cooley Hall.
"Tom Gadd was an extraordinary member of the Bucknell community," said university president Steffen Rogers. "He will be remembered as one of the finest football coaches Bucknell has ever seen, but his contributions went long beyond the gridiron. Tom made a lasting impact on Bucknell University, the department of athletics and everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him. He was the perfect coach for Bucknell. It was an honor to have worked with Tom, and he will be greatly missed."
In January 2001 Gadd was diagnosed with a small tumor on the surface of his brain. He underwent successful surgery to remove the tumor, but it resurfaced last summer and was determined to be inoperable. Gadd was unable to coach the team during the 2002 season, instead handing the reigns to longtime assistant and friend Dave Kotulski, who served as acting head coach this fall.
Tim Landis was named as Gadd's permanent successor in December.
"Tom was a special coach, a tenacious competitor and an outstanding leader. He will be deeply missed," said John Hardt, director of athletics and recreation. "Tom came to Bucknell with more than 20 years of coaching experience at major Division I programs, and he was able to re-establish the proud tradition of winning football at Bucknell. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Carol, Dan, Jeff and the rest of the Gadd family."
An inspiring presence to the Bucknell coaching staff, alumni and, most importantly, his student-athletes, Gadd helped infuse a jolt of energy and pride back into a storied program after more than a decade of lean years. Never before had Bucknell enjoyed seven straight winning campaigns until the Bison wrapped up the 2001 season with a 6-4 record. Bucknell was one of only nine Division I-AA teams that could claim that feat at the time.
In his very first year in Lewisburg, Gadd led Bucknell to a 7-4 record, tying the team's best record in the previous 35 years. A year later, his team won its first Patriot League championship - and Bucknell's first football crown in more than 30 years. The title came after an epic, season-ending 28-27 overtime win over Colgate that many longtime Bison followers have dubbed the most memorable game in school history.
In 1997, the Bison lunged into uncharted territory with its first and only 10-win season in the 117-year history of the program. The 10-1 Bison achieved a national top-20 ranking for the first time in seven years. While his squad drew national notice that season, so did Gadd. He was one of 10 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award as the Division I-AA Coach of the Year, and he was the Patriot League Coach of the Year.
Four more winning seasons followed after 1997, and after Bucknell's 21-14 victory over Holy Cross on Nov. 3, 2001, Gadd tied Bob Curtis for the most wins by a Bucknell head football coach.
In addition to his tireless work on the gridiron, Gadd put forth a similar effort in the area of alumni relations, working endlessly to bring alumni and former players back in touch with the program. One of his first major tasks upon accepting the position was to personally telephone as many Bison football alums as he could find.
The popular Bud Ranck Memorial Kickoff Classic golf tournament is a testament to his commitment to alumni - and their commitment to Gadd and the program. Gadd constantly preached that, "the alumni need to feel a sense of ownership in the program."
A 1970 graduate of the University of California-Riverside, Gadd coached at his alma mater for three years, serving as defensive coordinator from 1972-73. He proceeded to serve as defensive coordinator at Long Beach State (1974-76) and the University of Utah (1977-82), and his 1981 Utah team ranked eighth in the nation in rushing defense.
Gadd then moved to the University of South Carolina in 1983 as defensive coordinator, and helped the Gamecocks to the best season in school history (10-1) in 1984. The Gamecocks were ranked as high as second in the nation that year, and if it weren't for a late-season upset loss to Navy, they likely would have played for the national championship. Gadd's defense at South Carolina, nicknamed the "Fire Ants" because of the all-garnet uniforms and swarming style, was at the heart of the success.
Gadd returned to Utah in 1987, and served as the Utes' defensive coordinator from 1987-89 before moving to that same post at the University of Minnesota, where he coached from 1990-91. When he was tapped for the head coaching position at Bucknell, Gadd had been serving as the defensive coordinator at San Jose State University.
"Tom's success story while at Bucknell is an impressive one," said Hardt. "The Bison football program was at a crossroads and found a leader in Tom Gadd who had been a successful assistant coach with more than two decades of experience at Division I institutions across the nation. Through hard work and determination, Coach Gadd and Bucknell University and the town of Lewisburg all meshed perfectly. The result is a legacy that will always be remembered, and a foundation that will forever impact Bison Football."