Bowling Green State University Athletics
A New Look To The BGSU Sidelines
March 22, 2000 | Football
March 22, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Entering the 2000 spring football season, Bowling Green head football coach Gary Blackney is more ready than ever to get out on the practice field. This year, he will not only get to see the progress that his players have made over the winter, but he will also get to see many of his new staff members in action on the field for the first time.
Bowling Green's spring practice season begins today, and culminates with the Orange/White game on Saturday, April 15. That game will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Perry Stadium.
The off-season proved to be a busy one for Coach Blackney, as he spent much of his time finding the right people to fill the vacancies on his staff. The time spent searching for these coaches, however, is beginning to pay off.
"There is a new excitement in the lockerroom, a rejuvenation with the new faces on staff," said Blackney. "The players can sense this excitement. For a lot of players, this is a chance to wipe the slate clean and showcase their talents without any preconceived notions of what they have and have not done in the past."
Five fresh faces will pace the sidelines this year, with former Ohio University and University of Maine head coach Tom Lichtenberg leading the list as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Lichtenberg's resume also includes assistant coaching stints at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and Morehead State University, where he also served as head coach for two years. In addition, this will not be Lichtenberg's first opportunity to work with Blackney, as the two coached together at The Ohio State University from 1986 to 1988.
Alan Seamonson, the most recent addition to the staff, will serve as the special teams coordinator, while also overseeing the linebackers. Seamonson touts an impressive resume of coaching experience, spending 13 years as the linebackers and special teams coordinator at The Citadel, one year as the linebackers coach at the United States Military Academy, and two years coaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Seamonson, a 1982 graduate of Wisconsin, was a wide receiver in his playing days as a Badger.
Coaching the offensive line (tackles and tight ends) will be Ron Hudson. Hudson left Southeast Missouri State after two years as the offensive line coach, and he also gained experience at The Citadel, Urbana University, Lenoir Rhyne College, Illinois State University, the University of Louisville, and Kent State University. Hudson is extremely happy to be back in the Mid-American Conference.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for me," said Hudson. "I think the MAC is one of the premier football conferences in the nation, and Bowling Green has a fantastic tradition."
A 1987 graduate of Muskingum College, Hudson is an Ohio native.
Brian Jenkins, the new runningbacks coach for the Falcons, also has an extensive football background. After a two year stint as passing game coordinator, wide receivers coach, and strength and conditioning coach at Western Kentucky, Jenkins went on to coach wide receivers and running backs at Eastern Illinois University for three years. A 1993 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Jenkins was a wide receiver and kick-off and punt returner for the Bearcats.
New to the "official" football coaching staff, but not to the program, is defensive line coach Mike Ward. Ward spent the last eight years as the strength and conditioning coach and director of the BGSU Athletic Fitness Center at Bowling Green. Ward worked with all 22 intercollegiate teams, including football, and was responsible for the maintenance and development of the $300,000 fitness center, a 5,800 square foot facility. He also served six years in a similar capacity at the University of Findlay where he also doubled as an assistant football coach.
A 1984 graduate of Georgetown College (KY), Ward served one year as both an assistant football coach and strength coordinator at his alma mater before moving on to UF. As an undergraduate at GC, Ward received second-team NAIA Division I All-America football honors as an offensive guard in 1983.
In addition, one more new coach will join the staff in the near future. Brian Sherman, who coached the guards and centers on the offensive line for four seasons at BG, has left coaching to take a job in private business in Columbus, Ohio.
Sherman, a 1992 graduate of BGSU, lettered all four years as a Falcon, starting in all 44 possible games. The starting center in 1988 and 1991 and the starting right guard in 1989 and 1990, Sherman played a big role in the Falcons capturing the Mid-American Conference title in 1991.
With all of the changes, however, one thing remains constant. The Falcons are focused on winning the Mid-American Conference title. A fresh outlook and new ideas might be just what the doctor ordered for a successful season.
"Our players and coaches are ready to get after it for the next 15 days," said Blackney. "The 2000 season starts right now."
