Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Head Football Coach Tim Landis Signs Multi-Year Contract Extension
11/1/2006 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 1, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Tim Landis, currently in his fourth season as the Bob Odell Head Football Coach at Bucknell, has signed a multi-year contract extension, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt announced today.
Landis has led the Bison to records of .500 or better in two of his first three seasons in Lewisburg, including a seven-win campaign in 2004. This fall Bucknell improved to 5-4 following Saturday's Patriot League victory over Fordham, and the Bison need to win one of their final two games to clinch the program's 10th season with an even or winning record in the last 12 years. Bucknell's four-victory increase over last year is tied with Robert Morris for the best one-year turnaround in the nation at this point in the season.
Named Bucknell's 25th head football coach in December 2002, Landis had previously spent seven years as head coach at Davidson (1993-99) and three seasons at St. Mary's (2000-02). In his first 13 seasons as a head coach, his teams have posted records of .500 or better nine times.
"Tim Landis has done an outstanding job as head coach of the Bucknell football program, and I am excited that he will continue in his role as a mentor of Bison student-athletes," said Bucknell President Brian C. Mitchell. "At Bucknell, we ask a lot of our coaches. They must create a team environment where students can thrive within our challenging academic program and grow as leaders. Coach Landis' success makes itself apparent on the field, in the classroom and in the community."
"I am pleased to have Tim Landis continue to lead the Bison football program," said Hardt. "He has a proven track record of coaching winning teams throughout his career, and during his tenure at Bucknell has recruited true scholar-athletes who are quality young men on and off the field. Coach Landis is determined to bring additional Patriot League championships to Bucknell, and I look forward to working with him in achieving this important goal."
When Landis arrived at Bucknell in 2002, the football program was going through a trying time. At the start of his first season, popular and successful coach Tom Gadd had just passed away from brain cancer, and in his absence the Bison had just suffered a difficult 2-9 season that ended a school-record run of seven straight winning seasons.
Landis quickly turned things around, however, leading Bucknell to a 6-6 record (three of the six losses came by a combined six points), including a 4-3 mark in the Patriot League. The following season the Bison improved on that win total, finishing with four straight wins to go 7-4 and place third in the league for the second straight year. A number of key graduation losses and a rash of injuries disrupted the 2005 season, and the Bison endured a rare losing season, but in 2006, despite another spate of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, the Orange & Blue have again rebounded and have a winning record through nine games.
A native of Yardley, Pa., and a 1986 graduate of Randolph-Macon College, Landis has also built teams that do well in the classroom. His 2004 Bucknell team set a league record with 26 players on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, and in each of the last four semesters the Bison have posted a combined team grade-point average of 3.0 or better. Landis has coached eight ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selections in three years, including a national Academic All-American in Justin Gibson (2004). This fall, senior defensive back David Frisbey was named a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, also known as the "Academic Heisman," which is awarded to the nation's best football scholar-athlete.
Landis also insists that his student-athletes participate in community service projects. In his first three-plus years at Bucknell the team has contributed to a number of worthy causes, including an American Red Cross blood drive, the Light the Night Walk for leukemia awareness, Lewisburg Community Pool Water Safety Day, Lewisburg Little League Cleanup Day, a Big Brothers Big Sisters event, "Sleepover Day" at the Donald Heiter Community Center and a recent drug and alcohol awareness assembly at Mifflinburg Elementary School, just to name a few.
On the field, Landis has coached 11 All-Patriot League players at Bucknell, including 2004 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Sean Conover, who is currently a member of the Tennessee Titans' practice squad.
Landis, who is a member of the athletics halls of fame at both Randolph-Macon and The Hun School (N.J.), was one of five coaches bestowed the Johnny Vaught Head Coach Award at the All-American Football Foundation banquet in 2005.
Specific terms of the multi-year contract extension will not be disclosed.
The Bucknell football team travels to Worcester, Mass., for another key Patriot League game this Saturday against Holy Cross at 12:30 p.m.
Bucknell sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports, 14 for women and 13 for men, at the Division I level (1-AA in football). It is a charter member of the Patriot League and has won the league's all-sports championship in 12 of the 16 years it has been contested. Bucknell annually ranks among the national leaders in graduation rate of student-athletes and ranks fourth among all Division I institutions in producing ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americans.
