Bowling Green State University Athletics
Hofher Named Quarterbacks Coach at BGSU
February 15, 2008 | Football
Feb. 15, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University head football coach Gregg Brandon has announced that Jim Hofher will be the newest assistant coach for the BGSU football program. Hofher, who was the head coach at the University at Buffalo from 2001-05, will coach quarterbacks for the Orange and Brown.
"I want to thank coach Brandon for this tremendous opportunity he has given me to coach quarterbacks at Bowling Green," said Hofher. "It is an honor to be associated with a program that has been so successful for many years. Watching them from across the field, to observing the team in the booth, it is easy to see why they are one of the top programs in the conference."
Prior to his time at Buffalo, he spent the 2000 season coaching quarterbacks at Syracuse and the 1998 and 1999 season coaching that same position at North Carolina. This past season he worked as a color analysis for ESPN Regional Television, broadcasting two BGSU games in 2007.
"I am very pleased to be adding Jim to our staff here at Bowling Green," said Brandon. "He has been the head coach at two different schools, and with that wealth of experience, not only will he be able to help our players, but he will also be a tremendous asset to me and the entire coaching staff at BGSU."
Hofher, who spent eight seasons as the head coach at Cornell (1990-97) and is the winningest coach in the Big Red's Ivy League history, has also been an assistant coach at Wake Forest (1983-86), Miami (OH) (1981-82), Tennessee (1989) and Syracuse (1987-88).
While coaching the Big Red he compiled a career record of 45-35, including a 33-23 record in Ivy League games. The 33 league victories are the most of any Cornell head coach in their long and storied history. His Ivy League win percentage is also the best in Cornell history.
During his tenure as head coach, the Big Red played for two league titles, winning one, and set 170 team or individual records for game, season and career standards at Cornell. In addition, he had two players selected in the NFL Draft and two players sign NFL free agent contracts.
Hofher was the quarterbacks coach at Tennessee in 1989 when the Volunteers won the Cotton Bowl and were SEC tri-champions. He mentored former NFL quarterback Andy Kelly while at Tennessee.
Prior to his stint at UT, he served three seasons as running backs coach at Wake Forest from 1983-86 prior to his first appointment at Syracuse. Hofher's first full-time collegiate coaching experience was at Miami, a member of the Mid-American Conference, where he served as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach from 1981-82.
During his collegiate coaching career, Hofher has coached in five bowl games (Cotton, Sugar, Hall of Fame, Las Vegas and Tangerine).
A three-year letterwinner at Cornell, Hofher was the starting quarterback and led the team in passing yardage from 1976-78. He played two years under current Carolina Panthers and two-time Super Bowl champion head coach George Seifert.
A 1979 graduate of Cornell's College of Human Ecology, Hofher graduated with a bachelor's degree in Consumer Economics and Public Policy. An All-ECAC player for the Big Red, he also earned academic scholarships through Cornell, Psi Upsilon and the Sphinxhead Honorary Society.
He was selected to the Xavier (CT) High School Hall of Honor in 1992 and the Middletown (CT) Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
Hofher and his wife, Cathy, have three children, Tara, Shannon and Molly.
With the addition of Hofher, Brandon has shuffled his coaching staff for next season. Assistant head coach/Inside WR Troy Rothenbuhler has also assumed the duties of passing game coordinator, Matt Campbell will remain the offensive line coach, and has also been named the running game coordinator and defensive end coach Doug Phillips will be the new recruiting coordinator, a job Rothenbuhler held since 2003.
Hofher Coaching File 2001-05 Buffalo, head coach 2000 Syracuse, assistant coach/QB 1998-99 North Carolina, assistant coach/QB 1990-97 Cornell, head coach/offensive coordinator 1989 Tennessee, assistant coach/QB 1987-88 Syracuse, assistant coach/RB 1983-86 Wake Forest, assistant coach/RB 1981-82 Miami (OH), assistant coach/QB/WR 1979-80 Wake Forest, graduate assistant/offense
