ASSISTANT COACHES BILL M Mc cGOVERN DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR 12TH YEAR AT BOSTON COLLEGE
Bill McGovern is in his 12th season and 15th overall with Boston College. College McGovern was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2009 after serving for nine seasons as the Eagles’ linebackers coach. The 2010 Eagles ranked as one of the top defenses in the country. The Eagles ranked first in the country in rushing defense and first in the ACC and 13th in the country in total defense. McGovern’s defense was also one of the best in the country in scoring defense and turnovers ranking 19th and seventh respectively. Under McGovern’s guidance, sophomore linebacker Luke Kuechly was named first team All-ACC and became the 11th consensus first-team All-American in Boston College football history.
McGovern has become known as one of the top recruiters in the Northeast and his linebackers have received numerous ACC and Big East honors. In 2006, in fact, Dunbar was named National Defensive Player of the Week when he scored two of BC’s three defensive touchdowns vs. Maryland. Dunbar was also named MVP of the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl when he finished with a game-high 14 tackles (10 solos) and a key fumble recovery late in the game that led to a last-second field goal to secure BC’s 25-24 win over Navy. McGovern has coached or recruited notable BC linebackers including Frank Chamberlin, Scott Bradley, Vinny Ciurciu, Josh Ott, Ricky Brown, Ray Henderson and Brian Toal. In 2004, Henderson (two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Week) topped the Big East with .5 interceptions per game (fourth in the nation) and Toal was named Big East Rookie of the Year. A native of Oradell, N.J., McGovern was a four-year starter at defensive back for Holy Cross before his graduation in 1985. He set a single-season record for interceptions (11) for I-AA and was a consensus first-team All-America (I-AA) selection in 1985. He is a member of the Holy Cross Hall of Fame and has been named to the Bergen County (N.J.) All-Century Team. McGovern played a key role in recruiting New Jersey linebackers Frank Chamberlin and Gerald Hayes, both of whom went on to play in the NFL.
McGovern has coached in 10 collegiate bowl games, including the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, the 2006 In 2009, faced with the challenge of losing senior linebacker Mike McLaughlin for several games Meineke Car Care Bowl, the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl, the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl, the 2003 with an Achilles’ injury and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich to cancer treatment, Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, the 2002 Motor City Bowl, the 2001 Music City Bowl, the 2000 McGovern’s defense rose to the occasion. Picked to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division in the Aloha Bowl, the 1994 Aloha Bowl (in his first stint at BC) and the 1997 Liberty Bowl with Pittsburgh. preseason media poll, the young Eagles overachieved and finished with an 8-5 record and a secondplace finish in the division. The 2009 Eagles ranked second in the ACC in rushing defense, allowing McGovern lives in Ashland with his wife, Colleen, and daughters Amanda, Delainey and MacKenzie. just 103.2 rushing yards per game. The Eagles also ranked second in the league in red zone defense, third in scoring defense and fourth in total defense. True freshman linebacker Luke Kuechly was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year after coming out of nowhere to lead the league in tackles and averaging more tackles-per-game than any rookie since the NCAA began tracking the stat in 2003. Came to Boston College from: University of Pittsburgh • Brian Toal received 2004 Big East Rookie of the Year; In 2008, McGovern coached a linebacking corps that was a key Year: 2000 received Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting part of a defense that ranked fifth in the country and first in the Age: 48 News ACC in total defense, allowing 286.14 yards per game. The BC Date of Birth: December 31, 1962 • Ray Henderson (two-time Big East Defensive Player of defense ranked in the top 10 nationally in seven different categories Family: Wife, Colleen; children, Amanda, the Week) topped Big East with .5 interceptions per game including interceptions (first, 26), turnovers gained (second, 36), total Delainey and MacKenzie (fourth in the nation) in 2004 defense (fifth, 286.14), red zone defense (sixth, .72), rush defense • Coached two first-team All-BIG EAST selections (seventh, 91.2), pass efficiency defense (seventh, 98.81) and first (Pittsburgh’s Hank Poteat and Ramon Walker) in 1999 COACHING EXPERIENCE downs defense (sixth, 14.71). • 1994 Boston College defense was ranked second in BIG 2009Boston College (defensive coordinator) EAST and seventh nationally 2000-08 Boston College (linebackers) McGovern developed Herzlich into one of the top linebackers in the • 1993 UMass defense was second in Yankee Conference 1997-99 University of Pittsburgh (defensive backs) country. In addition to being named ACC Defensive Player of the in rushing and total defense 1994-96 Boston College (defensive backs) Year, he was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given annually to the • 1992 UMass defense was first in the Yankee Conference 1992-93 University of Massachusetts (defensive coordinator) nation’s top linebacker. Herzlich was an All-ACC first-team honoree, and second nationally in total rushing defense 1991-92 Holy Cross (defensive backs/kickers) a three-time conference player of the week, and a quarterfinalist for • 1991 Holy Cross team finished with a perfect 11-0 record 1987-90 University of Massachusetts (defensive backs) the Lott Trophy. Herzlich led BC with 81 solo tackles and 110 total • 1988 and 1990 UMass teams won Yankee Conference 1986-87 Holy Cross (part-time coach) stops. He also paced the defense with six interceptions, eight pass title 1985 Pennsylvania (freshmen coach) break-ups, two forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He was one of only two linebackers in the country to pick off six passes. PLAYING CAREER BOWL GAMES AS A COACH That number was also the eighth-highest total in the nation (seven • 1981-85 Holy Cross College • Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (Boston College) were tied with seven). He was one of four linebackers in the country (four-year starter at defensive back) • Emerald Bowl (Boston College) with two interception returns for touchdowns. • Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl (Boston College) • Champs Sports Bowl (Boston College) PLAYING ACCOMPLISHMENTS In 2007, McGovern oversaw a linebacking corps that included • Meineke Car Care Bowl (Boston College) • Four-year starter and team captain All-ACC second-team selection Jo-Lonn Dunbar and rising stars • MPC Computers Bowl (Boston College) • Set single-season (11) and career (24) record for Herzlich, McLaughlin, Robert Francois and Kevin Akins. Both • Continental Tire Bowl (Boston College) interceptions for I-AA Dunbar and Herzlich placed within the top 20 of the ACC in total • Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl (Boston College) • Consensus first-team All-America (I-AA) selection in 1985 tackles and the BC defense ranked in the top 20 nationally for • Motor City Bowl (Boston College) • Twice selected First-Team All-East scoring and total defense. He helped coach a defense that ranked • Music City Bowl (Boston College) • Member of Holy Cross Hall of Fame second in the nation and led the ACC in rush defense, allowing just • Aloha Bowl (Boston College) • Elected to the Bergen County (N.J.) All-Century Football Team 75.5 yards per game. The BC defense also ranked second in the • Liberty Bowl (Pittsburgh) ACC in red zone defense, keeping opponents from scoring nearly • Kickoff Classic (Boston College) 72 percent of the time. PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS COACHED • Aloha Bowl (Boston College) • B.J. Raji (Boston College) McGovern was part of a staff that led the Eagles to an 11-3 finish, • Ron Brace (Boston College) the first BC team to win 11 games since 1940. The 2007 Eagles COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Jo-Lonn Dunbar (Boston College) began the season 8-0 and were ranked No. 2 in the nation in both • 2010 Eagles ranked first in the country in rushing defense. • Robert Francois (Boston College) major polls. The team won the Atlantic Division of the ACC and went Linebacker Luke Kuechly became the 11th consensus • Daryl Porter (Boston College) on to win an eighth consecutive bowl game, the longest active bowl first-team All-American in BC football history. • Mike Reed (Boston College) game winning streak in America. The Eagles finished 10th in the • 2009 Eagles ranked second in the ACC in rushing • Hank Poteat (Pittsburgh) final AP poll, BC’s best finish since the 1984 season. defense, allowing just 103.2 rushing yards per game, and • John Jenkins (Pittsburgh) ranked second in the league in red zone defense, third in • Kory Blackwell (Massachusetts) McGovern came to BC in 2000 after serving as defensive backs scoring defense and fourth in total defense. • Andrew Thomas (Massachusetts) coach at Pittsburgh for three seasons. At Pitt, he coached two • 2008 BC defense ranked in the top 10 in seven differ• Ramon Walker (Pittsburgh) first-team All-Big East selections (Hank Poteat and Ramon Walker) ent categories and Mark Herzlich was named the ACC • DJ Dinkins (Pittsburgh) in 1999. He began his coaching career in 1985 as freshman coach Defensive Player of the Year and a Butkus Award finalist • Vinny Ciurciu (Boston College) at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a part-time coach • 2007 BC defense ranked second in the nation and led the • Ricky Brown (Boston College) at his alma mater, Holy Cross, from 1986-87 and defensive backs/ ACC in rush defense, allowing just 75.5 yards per game kickers coach in 1991; defensive backs coach at the University • Jo-Lonn Dunbar named National Defensive Player of the EDUCATION of Massachusetts from 1987-90 and defensive coordinator 1992Week in 2006 following Maryland game • 1985 B.A. (History), Holy Cross 93; and defensive backs coach at BC from 1994-96 (and interim • Mark Herzlich named to College Football News Freshman defensive coordinator in 1995) before accepting the Pittsburgh All-America Team (honorable mention) HOBBIES position. • Dunbar named MVP of 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl • Family, golf
THE McGOVERN FILE
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