Football
Sep 13 (Sat)
5 p.m.
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- falconrecruit@bgsu.edu
- Phone:
- 419-372-7083
| Coach Loeffler | |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Barberton, Ohio |
| College | Michigan (1998) |
| Family | Wife, Amie, children Luke, Alexis and Mary Elizabeth |
| Coaching History | |
| 1996-97 | Michigan, Student Assistant |
| 1998-99 | Michigan, Graduate Assistant |
| 2000-01 | Central Michigan, Quarterbacks |
| 2002-07 | Michigan, Quarterbacks |
| 2008 | Detroit Lions, Quarterbacks |
| 2009-10 | Florida, Quarterbacks |
| 2011 | Temple, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2012 | Auburn, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2013-15 | Virginia Tech, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2016-17 | Boston College, OC /QBs |
| 2018 | Boston College, Deputy Head Coach Offense/OC /QBs |
| 2019-24 | Bowling Green, Head Coach |
| Bowl Games Coached | |
| 1997 | Michigan, Rose (National Championship) |
| 1998 | Michigan, Citrus |
| 1999 | Michigan, Orange |
| 2002 | Michigan, Outback |
| 2003 | Michigan, Rose |
| 2004 | Michigan, Rose |
| 2005 | Michigan, Alamo |
| 2006 | Michigan, Rose |
| 2007 | Michigan, Capital One |
| 2009 | Florida, Sugar |
| 2010 | Florida, Outback |
| 2011 | Temple, New Mexico |
| 2013 | Virginia Tech, Sun |
| 2014 | Virginia Tech, Military |
| 2015 | Virginia Tech, Independence |
| 2016 | Boston College, Quick Lane |
| 2017 | Boston College, Pinstripe |
| 2022 | Bowling Green, Quick Lane |
| 2023 | Bowling Green, Quick Lane |
| 2024 | Bowling Green, 68 Ventures |
| Career Head Coaching Record | |
| 2019 | Bowling Green, 3-9 |
| 2020 | Bowling Green, 0-5 |
| 2021 | Bowling Green, 4-8 |
| 2022 | Bowling Green, 6-7 |
| 2023 | Bowling Green, 7-6 |
| 2024 | Bowling Green, 7-6 |
| Total | Six Years (27-41) |
Progress under Loeffler began to take shape in 2021, and by 2022, Bowling Green returned to a bowl game for the first time since 2015. Currently, the Falcons are one of four MAC programs with an active bowl streak of three or more years. Additionally, BGSU’s 16 conference wins since the start of the 2022 season rank fourth in the league. The three programs with longer bowl streaks and more MAC wins are also the past three MAC champions.
Since BGSU’s four-win improvement between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, no other FBS program has made similar win gains without experiencing at least one losing season. Excellence has been achieved on the field and in the classroom. BGSU has boasted 23 All-MAC players since the start of the 2022 season, with eight earning first-team honors. Additionally, a program-record 18 Falcons earned Academic All-MAC recognition in 2024. Six of BGSU’s seven best seasons for Academic All-MAC selections have occurred under Loeffler, including breaking or tying the program record in each of the last four years.
In 2024, Loeffler led BGSU to his third win over Toledo in six tries, making him the first BGSU head coach since Gary Blackney (1992, 1994) to lead the Falcons to back-to-back victories at the Glass Bowl. Currently, Loeffler is the first BGSU head coach to hold a winning record at the Glass Bowl against Toledo since Doyt Perry, who went 5-0.
Under Loeffler’s leadership, talent development has been a priority. Most recently, Harold Fannin Jr. became the first Falcon in program history to earn consensus All-America honors following a prolific 2024 season. His 117 receptions and 1,555 receiving yards not only led the nation but also set all-time FBS season records for a tight end. Fannin led all FBS tight ends in over 105 statistical categories and all receivers in more than 20. He was the first tight end in FBS history to lead the nation in both total receptions and receiving yards. Additionally, Fannin became the first FBS tight end to earn a conference MVP honor, winning the Vern Smith Leadership Award, and was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year.
With an invite to the 2025 NFL Combine, Fannin is poised to be the next Falcon to transition to the NFL, becoming the sixth player under Loeffler to sign with an NFL team. With Fannin in the league, all three of Loeffler’s starting tight ends (receiving) at BGSU will have signed NFL contracts, collectively earning four of the last five first-team All-MAC honors at the position.
The 2023 season marked another successful campaign under Loeffler's leadership, as the Falcons made impressive strides. BGSU secured a spot in the Quick Lane Bowl for the second consecutive year, facing off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. This achievement marked the first time BGSU had participated in back-to-back bowl games since their four-year streak from 2012 to 2015. BGSU was the only school in the nation to improve from 2020 to 2021 with +4 wins, then +2 wins from 2021 to 2022 and +1 wins from 2022 to 2023.
In 2023, BGSU led the nation with 28 takeaways, including four forced turnovers against the eventual national champion Michigan, who had only eight turnovers throughout the season. Notably, BGSU's defense intercepted Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy three times, marking the most interceptions surrendered by the 2024 first-round NFL Draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in his collegiate career. These three interceptions accounted for half of the six total offensive turnovers Michigan yielded all season.The 2023 season also witnessed the recognition of 10 Falcons on the All-MAC team and 15 on the Academic All-MAC squad. The latter equaled the previous program record set in 2022, surpassing the previous record established in 2021. Under Loeffler's guidance over his first six years, BGSU has achieved six of its top seven outputs in program history for representation on the Academic All-MAC team.
One standout performer in Loeffler's offense was Fannin, who earned first-team All-MAC honors and third-team All-America honors by CFN (College Football News). Fannin concluded the season ranked No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in the MAC among tight ends, boasting 623 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. His 44 receptions led the MAC and placed him 12th nationally among tight ends, while Fannin's 406 yards after the catch ranked him second in the nation among tight ends, trailing only Georgia's Brock Bowers, who secured back-to-back Mackey Awards.
In 2022 Bowling Green was one of four FBS programs whose win totals improved 4+ games from 2020 to 2021 and then improved 2+ more games from 2021 to 2022. Joining BGSU on the list were Kansas State, Oregon State and Tennessee.
Karl Brooks was a forced to be dealt with on the defensive line in 2022 as he earned first-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus (PFF) after finishing No. 11 in the nation with 10 sacks, which also rank No. 3 all-time at BGSU on the career single-season ledger. Brooks led the nation in total pressures (69) and was the highest-graded player (93.0) at his position in the nation per PFF. Brooks was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Brooks led a defensive unit that finished with 38 team sacks in 2022, which ties the 1992 and 2012 Bowling Green teams for most in a season in records dating back to 1990. Over 90 percent of BGSU's sacks in 2022 came in a base defense.
Offensively, Matt McDonald finished his BGSU career No. 9 all-time in career passing with 5,921 passing yards after throwing for 22 touchdowns and 2,654 yards in 2022. His 22 passing touchdowns rank No. 11 on BGSU's all-time single-season ledger. Five of BGSU's six wins were by seven points or less, which ranked No. 3 in the nation. Ta'ron Keith scored the game-winning touchdown in three of those games and his 83-yard kick return for a touchdown against Western Michigan set up the game-winning score in a fourth BGSU win.
The 2021 season the rebuild started to turn as the Falcons enjoyed some signature wins, highlighted by a 14-10 triumph at Minnesota. The Gophers ultimately finished the year 9-4 and in second place in the West division of the Big Ten. BGSU’s gains in 2021 were foundational as the Falcons were one of the nation’s youngest teams with 71 student-athletes on the roster that were taking part in their first or second season of college football.
The BGSU defense led the way in 2021 as it recorded its best season dating back to the 2013 MAC championship year, allowing opponents only 373.7 yards per game. Nate Needham earned first-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America after leading the nation in field goal percentage through the regular season (.950) on 19-of-20 field goal attempts. He was only the third Falcon to earn first-team honors from the FWAA, the second-oldest All-America team.
Linebacker Darren Anders, Needham and tight end Christian Sims all earned first-team All-MAC honors, giving BGSU the most first-team nods since the 2015 MAC championship season. Anders led the MAC and was No. 8 in the nation with 10.3 tackles per game. Sims led the MAC tight ends with 41 receptions and 418 receiving yards.
Loeffler’s second season at Bowling Green came during the COVID-19 pandemic when the MAC started its season late and the Falcons played only five games. Despite going winless, the young Falcons had valuable game experience. Tight end Quintin Morris earned first-team All-MAC honors after leading the league in tight end receptions and tight end receiving yards.
In his first season at Bowling Green, the Falcons built a foundation for success. Although BGSU went just 3-9 overall and 2-6 in MAC play, the program started the rebuild in many ways. Most notably, the Falcons defeated rival Toledo 20-7 to end a nine-game losing streak in the Battle of I-75.
In BGSU’s three victories (over Toledo, Akron and Morgan State), the Falcons outscored their opponents 101-16, highlighting explosive offensive performances and stifling defensive efforts. Bowling Green held Morgan State to just 70 yards of offense and Akron to 100 yards. BGSU gave up just one touchdown in those three victories.
Loeffler’s coaching career, which spans back to his time as a student assistant at Michigan during the 1996 season, includes stops at Michigan, Central Michigan, Florida, Temple, Auburn, Virginia Tech and Boston College. He also spent a year coaching the quarterbacks for the Detroit Lions.
Over his career, Loeffler has coached eight quarterbacks who went on to play in the NFL – Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, Brian Griese, Chad Henne, Drew Henson, John Navarre, Logan Thomas and Anthony Brown. Those eight quarterbacks have won a combined 10 Super Bowl championships (Tom Brady, 7; Chad Henne, 2; Brian Griese, 1). He has also directed a potent rushing attack at Boston College behind AJ Dillon, who was 12th nationally in rushing yards per game in 2018. Dillon was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2017 and the nation’s second-leading rusher among freshmen. Dillon was later drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In 2018, Boston College scored 40+ points in four of its first five games, including an average of 52.7 points in consecutive wins over Massachusetts, Holy Cross and Wake Forest. The Eagles then defeated Temple 45-35 and Louisville 38-20. The team ended the regular season at 7-5 overall.
Prior to coming to BGSU, Loeffler’s teams have played in 15 bowl games in the 17 seasons he has been a college coach.
In 2017, Loeffler’s offense posted 35+ points in three consecutive games for the first time in 15 years at Boston College. The team scored 40+ points in consecutive conference games for the first time in the program’s Big East and ACC history. The rushing offense climbed from 96th to 25th in the country and the Eagles were one of the faster teams in the nation, ranking 18th nationally in total plays.
In 2016, his first year on staff at Boston College, the Eagles won a bowl game for the first time in nine years.
Prior to his tenure at Boston College, Loeffler served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech from 2013-15. He mentored Logan Thomas, who finished his collegiate career by breaking career records for passing yards, attempts, touchdown passes and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He oversaw a trio of wide receivers who became the first group in Virginia Tech history to each record 40 or more receptions in a season. While at Virginia Tech he directed a VT offense that went into Columbus, Ohio, and defeated Ohio State, 35-21, in the Buckeyes only loss during their 2014 national championship season.
As the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn in 2012, Loeffler mentored Tre Mason, a 1000-yard rusher who became the first non-quarterback to lead Auburn in total offense since Bo Jackson in 1985.
Loeffler guided Temple to the seventh-best rushing average in the nation as offensive coordinator in 2011 and running back Bernard Pierce ranked sixth nationally, including 107 yards on the ground in Doyt L. Perry Stadium in a 13-10 BGSU victory. That team went on to win the program’s first bowl game since 1979.
Prior to his time at Temple, he was the quarterbacks coach at Florida under former BGSU head coach Urban Meyer, helping the unit to the best pass efficiency in the nation in 2009. He guided Tebow in his final season in Gainesville as he passed for 2,895 yards and 21 touchdowns. Tebow graduated from Florida with five NCAA, 14 SEC and 28 school records.
In 2008, Loeffler worked with the Detroit Lions’ quarterbacks, following his tenure at Michigan. From 2002-07, he coached quarterbacks for the Wolverines. Chad Henne became the first true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a Big Ten title and start in a BCS game, while John Navarre became Michigan’s first All-Big Ten first-team quarterback since 1997.
Along with his time at Temple, Loeffler has familiarity in the Mid-American Conference as he was Central Michigan’s quarterbacks coach from 2000-01. Prior to that, he was a graduate assistant and student assistant at Michigan, working with Brady and Griese. He was part of the Wolverines’ undefeated national championship season in 1997.
A native of Barberton, Ohio and Barberton High School, Loeffler played quarterback at Michigan from 1993-96. A 1998 graduate of Michigan, Loeffler earned his undergraduate degree in history with a minor in political science.
Loeffler is married to Amie, who holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Bowling Green in 1999 and a graduate degree in chemistry in 2005. The couple has three children – Luke, Alexis and Mary Elizabeth.
