THE CITADEL FOOTBALL 2006 Bob Fello
Assistant Head Coach Special Teams Coordinator Linebackers Second Season Kent State ‘74 Bob Fello, Higgins’ first hire at The Citadel since taking over the helm of Bulldog football, made his debut at The Citadel as the special teams coordinator and the linebackers’ coach. This season, Fello was promoted to Assistant Head Coach. Prior to joining Kevin Higgins’ staff, Fello spent a year at the Big XII Conference office where he assisted with game day operations and coordinated the evaluation of the conference’s officials.
Fello also spent time at Texas Christian University assisting Horned Frogs Head Coach Pat Sullivan. From 1995-97, he was the special teams coordinator and the defensive line coach at TCU. The Horned Frogs’ 1995 squad was ranked in the top-20 in every special teams category. Fello coached Lou Groza Award winner Mike Reeder during that time. He began his coaching career at Kent State University as a graduate assistant coach, but progressed up the chain of command from linebackers’ coach to defensive coordinator to recruiting coordinator from 1976-87. Following his stint at Kent State, Fello was with head coach Glen Mason at the University of Kansas from 1988-94. For the first four years on the Jayhawks’ staff, Fello coached the outside linebackers and was their clinic coordinator. But from 1991-94, Fello served as the team’s defensive leader as well as the tackles and linebackers coach. While at Kansas, Fello’s defense led the Jayhawks to a 1992 Aloha Bowl victory over BYU. Before entering into the coaching profession, Fello was a three-year starter for legendary coach Don James at Kent State where he earned a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation in 1974. Fello was born on July 11, 1950 in Baton Rouge, La., and resides in Charleston with his wife, Rona.
Before joining the Big XII staff, Fello spent two seasons, 2002-04, as an assistant head coach at Southern Methodist University in Texas. While coaching at SMU, he coached the defensive line and coordinated the Mustangs’ punt return and punt block schemes. His punt return unit set several single game and season records and was ranked third in the NCAA. From 1999 to 2001, Fello was the defensive line coach at Kansas State University under head coach Bill Snyder. He also assisted with special teams while coaching the Wildcats to the 2001 Cotton Bowl, 2001 Insight.com Bowl and 1999 Holiday Bowl. During his tenure at K-State, Fello helped the Wildcats achieve a total defense national ranking of fourth in 2001. Both starting defensive ends, Monty Beisel and Chris Johnson, recorded at least 10 sacks and earned All-Big XII honors that season. He also helped Kansas State to a secondplace mark in the nation in total defense in 1999. While coaching the 2000 K-State punt return team, which consisted of two-time All-American David Allen (1998, 1999) and All-American Aaron Lockett, Fello led them to a No. 1 ranking in punt return average. Fello also coached Darren Howard, KSU’s career sack leader and Big XII sack leader.
Assistant Head Coach
A 1974 graduate of Kent State, Fello has 32 years of football experience under his belt, with the majority of it coming as a coach, but he has also spent time as a scout, teacher and administrator. He has coached in four bowl games and has coached prominent players such as Dana Stubblefield who won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, Gilbert Brown who won a the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, Don Davis who won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams and Darren Howard, a No. 1 draft pick for the New Orleans Saints.
Preceding his three years at KSU, Fello was the defensive and recruiting coordinator at James Madison University from 1998-99. Coaching under head coach Alex Wood, Fello also concentrated his efforts in the Dukes’ secondary. There he coached All-American Tony Booth who went on to play for the Carolina Panthers.
The Fello File Coaching Experience College:
The Citadel - Assistant Head Coach (2006) The Citadel - Assistant Coach (2005) Southern Methodist - Assistant Head Coach (2002-04) Kansas State - Assistant Coach (1999-01) James Madison - Def./Recruiting Coord. (1998-99) Texas Christian - Special Teams Coord. (1995-98) Kansas - Assistant Coach, Def. Coord. (1988-94) Kent State - Assistant Coach, Def. Coord. (1978-87)
Playing Experience College:
Kent State, 1968-72
Bowl Experience Coach:
2001 Insight.com Bowl (Kansas State) 2001 Cotton Bowl (Kansas State) 1999 Holiday Bowl (Kansas State) 1992 Aloha Bowl (Kansas)
Creating an Environment for
Success
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