COACHING STAFF recruiting coordinator and the athletic department’s strength and conditioning coach in addition to his defensive coordinator responsibilities. He also assisted with the punting, punt return and kickoff teams. Fordyce was part of a staff that helped the Crusaders win the 2009 Liberty League title and advance to the NCAA playoffs. At least three players were named first-team all-league in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and Susquehanna ranked sixth nationally in turnover margin and 23rd in the country in takeaways in 2012. A 1997 graduate of Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, Fordyce later earned his master’s degree in education from McDaniel College in 2001. After serving as a strength and conditioning intern at Navy and coaching the wide receivers and defensive backs at C. Milton Wright High School immediately following graduation from Springfield, Fordyce joined the staff at McDaniel, where he filled a number of roles over the next nine years. He began his tenure as the head strength and conditioning coach while also mentoring the linebackers on a team that won five straight conference championships and had three All-Americans in that position group. After five years in that position, Fordyce took over as defensive coordinator in 2003 and had the Green Terror ranked 26th in scoring defense in his first year in the new role. The very next year McDaniel moved into the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and was 13th in total defense while allowing only two passing touchdowns all season. In addition to his duties as defensive coordinator, Fordyce served as McDaniel’s recruiting coordinator from 2005 to 2006 and was the director of the Green Terror Football Camp from 2004 to 2006. Fordyce resides in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Allison, and sons, Tate and Nash, and daughter, Grayce. RECRUITING AREAS: Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. Alternate Areas: Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
ASSISTANT COACH WIDE RECEIVERS 2ND YEAR AT BUCKNELL HOWARD ’08 Rickey Jackson joined the Bucknell staff in March 2014 and works closely with the Bison wide receivers. He was a four-year member of the Howard football team from 2003-07 and earned an invitation to attend a pre-draft workout with the Washington Redskins. Jackson, a 2008 graduate of Howard with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, began his professional career as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater. He then became a strength and conditioning student assistant at James Madison University while pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology, which he obtained in 2011. During the first half of 2011, Jackson had the opportunity to serve as a strength and conditioning intern with the United States Olympic Committee. He trained Sheena Tosta, the winner of the 400-meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and Elexis Gillette, the owner of the world record in the long jump for blind athletes. In the fall of 2011, Jackson moved on to Northwestern as the assistant director of sports performance, working closely with the football program. In 2012 and 2013, Jackson was an offensive graduate assistant coach with the Wildcats, working primarily with the wide receivers. He also assisted with the punt, punt return, kickoff and kickoff return units. During his time at Northwestern, Jackson was also pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration. RECRUITING AREAS: Eastern New York, Central New York, Jacksonville, Space Coast Palm Beach County Florida Alternate Areas: Chicago Area, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan
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ASSISTANT COACH TIGHT ENDS/FULLBACKS 7TH YEAR AT BUCKNELL WAKE FOREST ’04 R.D. Montgomery returns for a seventh season at Bucknell. He joined the staff in August 2009 and has worked predominantly with the tight ends throughout his tenure. In 2011, he added the running backs and fullbacks to his list of duties, while the tight ends and fullbacks have been his main focus since 2012. A 2004 graduate of Wake Forest, Montgomery was a four-year member of the Demon Deacons’ football squad and also played one season of basketball. Prior to his appointment at Bucknell, Montgomery worked for Friends of Terry McAuliffe as a field organizer. He acted as a campaign representative for McAuliffe’s campaign for Virginia governor. Montgomery helped McAuliffe win 17 precincts as he managed the Get Out The Vote efforts. Montgomery married former Bucknell assistant field hockey coach Jamie Montgomery in 2011. She is now a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team. RECRUITING AREAS: Lehigh Valley, Northeast Pennsylvania, Orlando, Tampa Alternate Areas: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
ASSISTANT COACH OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/QUARTERBACKS 7TH YEAR AT BUCKNELL LAFAYETTE ’04 Like Bucknell head coach Joe Susan, seventh-year Bucknell assistant coach Mike O’Connor previously coached at Rutgers under former Bison football player Greg Schiano. A Lewisburg native and a former quarterback at Lafayette, O’Connor initially joined the Bison staff as an assistant coach in the winter of 2009. He spent the previous four years as a grad assistant and full-time assistant coach with the Scarlet Knights.
MIKE O’CONNOR
2015 BUCKNELL FOOTBALL | 41
2015 Bison 1-44
Opponents 46-52
Season in Review 54-64
Patriot League 65-68
History 70-118
General Info 120-142