Former NFL Coach Jerry Glanville To Lead Portland State

For the past two seasons, Glanville has been the defensive coordinator at the University of Hawaii.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

PORTLAND - Portland State University announced the hiring of Jerry Glanville as its new head football coach on Wednesday.

Glanville will be the 12th head coach in the history of the program, as it begins its 61st season of football in 2007.

He replaces former coach Tim Walsh, who left Portland State on Feb. 16th to be the new offensive coordinator at Army.

Walsh coached 14 seasons on the Park Blocks and compiled a 90-68 record.

“When we started this process, we were looking for a coach who would take us to the next level in two areas: winning Big Sky Championships and playing an exciting brand of football that would put people in the stands,” said Interim Athletics Director Teri Mariani. “In his meeting with the committee and talking with all the people in our community, I think we have hit a home run.”

Since arriving late Sunday night, Glanville has met with a host of people, including administrators, athletics department officials, boosters, sponsors and the football search committee.

“I think everybody I’ve been with the last two-and- half-days showed me the strength of this program is the people,” said Glanville. “Everybody I’ve met in the city has been really supportive, and I think we will be representing more than the university here, but also the city.”

“They had me meet a lot of people and lot of people here are totally committed to this program. What I found here is a huge support group.”

“The strength of the entire two days were supporters, the alumni, and my meeting with the President (Bernstine) was tremendous. Teri (Mariani) told me I would like him and he would be supportive. And he was. We sang the blues together so I knew we were connected. That guy is on my side.”

The renowned Glanville, who has had a lengthy career in football, coached for 20 years in the NFL, nine years in the collegiate ranks and spent more than a decade as an NFL broadcaster.

For the past two seasons, Glanville has been the defensive coordinator at the University of Hawaii under former Portland State quarterback June Jones.

The Warriors improved from 5-7 in 2005 to 11-3 in 2006, winning the Hawaii Bowl over Arizona State.

The Warriors also improved statistically on defense, allowing 61 fewer yards and 11 fewer points per game.

Glanville’s time at Hawaii follows a long and successful NFL coaching career and broadcasting career.

Glanville coached in the NFL from 1974 to 1993.

He spent his final eight seasons as a head coach for the Houston Oilers and the Atlanta Falcons.

Glanville began his NFL career as a special teams coach and defensive assistant with the Detroit Lions from 1974-76.

He joined Atlanta in 1977 as a defensive back coach and then served as defensive coordinator (1979-82) for a Falcons defense that once set an NFL single-season record for fewest points allowed (129).

Glanville then traveled to Houston in 1984, and as the team's defensive coordinator the next two seasons, turned the league's worst rushing defense into the top-ranked unit in the NFL.

He took over the head coaching duties in the final two games of the season in 1985, following the firing of Hugh Campbell, and became their full-time head coach in 1986. He led the club to three consecutive appearances in the playoffs.

His success in Houston brought him back to Atlanta in 1990, this time as head coach.

After a disappointing first-year record of 5-11, Glanville turned the team around with a 10-6 record in 1991 and a wild-card playoff berth.

He spent two more years as head coach at Atlanta.

While an NFL head coach, Glanville had Jones as an assistant twice, as the Houston Oilers' quarterbacks coach (1987-88) and as the Atlanta Falcons' assistant head coach (1991-93).

Glanville and Jones reunited in Hawai’i prior to the 2005 season when Jones hired Glanville as his defensive coordinator.

Glanville had spent the previous 11 years broadcasting NFL games, including on FOX for five years, on HBO's Inside the NFL for six years and on CBS's NFL Today and TFN (The Football Network).

Now 65, Glanville began his career in collegiate coaching. In 1967, he was the defensive coordinator at Western Kentucky. Then from 1968 to 1973, Glanville was the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach at Georgia Tech. He helped lead the Yellow Jackets to three bowl game appearances.

As an avid motor-sports fan and participant, he and his No. 81 Glanville Motor Sports Inc., team have raced in various NASCAR series, while drag racing in the NHRA and Fun Ford.

Born in Detroit, Glanville was raised in Perrysburg, Ohio.

On July 17th, 2001, his high school, Perrysburg High, retired his jersey (number 73).

The city proclaimed the day to be "Jerry Glanville Day."

A graduate of Northern Michigan University where he played linebacker on the football team, he was inducted into the NMU Hall of Fame in 1992 and is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. He later received a master's degree from Western Kentucky University.

Glanville, his wife, Brenda, have a son, Justin.

GLANVILLE'S FILE

Age: 65

Date of Birth: Oct. 14th, 1941

Hometown: Perrysburg, OH

Alma Mater: Northern Michigan (1964)

Playing Experience: Linebacker, Northern Michigan, 1961-64

Coaching Experience

Hawaii (Defensive Coordinator), 2005-present

Atlanta Falcons (Head Coach), 1990-93

Houston Oilers (Head Coach), 1986-89

Houston Oilers (Defensive Coordinator), 1984-85

Buffalo Bills (Secondary), 1983

Atlanta Falcons (Defensive Coordinator), 1979-82

Atlanta Falcons (Secondary), 1977-78

Detroit Lions (Special Teams/Defensive Assistant), 1974-76

Georgia Tech (Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers), 1968-73

Western Kentucky (Defensive Coordinator), 1967

PORTLAND STATE FOOTBALL

The Portland State football program competes at the NCAA 1-AA level (Football Championship Subdivision) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference.

The Vikings were 7-4 in 2006, 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference.

PSU football has had seven winning seasons in the past eight years.

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