Post by PAmedic on Dec 20, 2005 0:10:34 GMT -5
of interest to us anyway. (couldn't figure where else to put this thread)
ELON with a nice hire today, though not sure why this guy left a great situation at Lehigh. $$$?
www.elon.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=3872&sport=fb
ELON with a nice hire today, though not sure why this guy left a great situation at Lehigh. $$$?
www.elon.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=3872&sport=fb
Lembo Named Elon Head Football Coach
Monday, December 19, 2005
ELON, N.C. - Pete Lembo was announced as Elon University's 19th head football coach in a press conference held Monday at Rhodes Stadium. Lembo, who served the last five years as the head coach at Lehigh University, replaces Paul Hamilton who resigned last month.
Lembo, the country's second youngest NCAA Division I head football coach at 35, will lead Elon into its 85th football season next fall as well as its eighth campaign as an official NCAA-IAA member and fourth in the Southern Conference. He inherits eight offensive starters and five defensive starters from this past season's 3-8 Phoenix squad.
“My family and I are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to move to North Carolina and become part of the Elon community,” said Lembo. “It's obvious to me that Elon folks are very passionate about their University and about seeing their football program succeed.”
Lembo has spent the past eight years at Lehigh, serving the Mountain Hawks as an assistant coach for three seasons (recruiting coordinator in 1998-2000, running back coach in 1998-99 and offensive line coach in 2000) before taking over as head coach for the 2001 campaign. Each of those eight squads made appearances among the country's top-25 teams.
In five seasons at the helm, Lembo compiled some impressive credentials. He posted a 44-14 overall record, and his .759 winning percentage is the highest among all Lehigh coaches. In Patriot League play, Lembo led the Mountain Hawks to a 26-7 mark - more wins than any league school during that time span.
He guided Lehigh to a pair of Patriot League titles and two NCAA Division I-AA playoff berths. Lehigh was nationally ranked in all five seasons, and the Mountain Hawks finished in the final top 25 national poll in four of Lembo's five seasons.
Lehigh concluded the 2005 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark against Patriot League opposition on its way to a No. 22 ranking in The Sports Network's final regular season poll. The Mountain Hawks are one of only two programs in NCAA-IAA (along with Montana) to have won eight or more games in each of the last eight years.
Also in 2005, eight Mountain Hawks were named to the First Team All-Patriot League. In all, 11 Lehigh players earned all-league recognition - the fourth straight season in which Lehigh has placed at least 10 members on the teams.
During Lembo's tenure as its head coach, Lehigh posted an undefeated regular season, its first ever home playoff victory, its first Lambert Cup trophy since 1980 and its first win over an NCAA-IA opponent since 1987 while capturing two Patriot League championships.
The Mountain Hawks have consistently hovered in the NCAA-IAA top-25 throughout the last five years, peaking as high as No. 2 in September 2002. No team in all of NCAA-IAA has fashioned a better winning percentage over the past eight years than Lehigh (.813 at 78-18). The 78 wins over that span rank third behind Georgia Southern (87) and Montana (85).
Lembo arrived on South Mountain in the summer of 1998 when he was hired by former head coach Kevin Higgins as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. That fall, the Mountain Hawks went 12-1 and ended the year ranked 14th in the nation.
After Lehigh completed the 1999 season with a 10-2 slate, Lembo was promoted to assistant head coach and offensive line coach in addition to his recruiting coordinator duties. When Higgins left to become an assistant with the Detroit Lions after the successful 2000 campaign, Lembo was quickly became the 27th head coach in the history of the program.
Lembo proved to be ready for the challenge as his 2001 team went 11-1, finishing No. 5 in both NCAA-IAA polls. The rookie coach was named both the Patriot League Coach of the Year and the Eddie Robinson NCAA-IAA Coach of the Year while Lehigh became the first I-AA need-based scholarship program to ever win the prestigious Lambert Cup.
Lembo's gritty 2002 and 2003 teams posted back-to-back eight-victory records despite an upgraded schedule that included two I-A opponents. In both seasons, the Mountain Hawks knocked off league rival Fordham when the Rams also ranked among the top-25. In 2003, the Mountain Hawks posted a 6-1 league mark with an average margin of victory of over 21 points. Lehigh's sole league loss was a tough seven-point decision on the road at Colgate, the eventual national runner-up.
The 2004 edition of the Mountain Hawks surprised many by posting a nine-win season and a 5-1 conference record en route to a share of a Patriot League title, and an at-large berth in the NCAA playoffs. Though Lehigh lost a heartbreaking 14-13 game to eventual national champion James Madison at Goodman Stadium, the fact that the Mountain Hawks garnered an at-large bid and a home playoff game speaks to the level of respect the program earned in recent years.
The aggressive scheduling policy instituted by Lembo made for increased excitement among NCAA-IAA football fans in the east. Not only did the Mountain Hawks begin to regularly take on an I-A opponent each season, but Lehigh also renewed rivalries with traditional I-AA powerhouses Villanova (in 2004) and Delaware (in 2005), among others.
Off the field, Lembo was hard at work to improve the student-athletes' bond with one another. He established a leadership council that consisted of four team members from each class. The council helped to resolve issues within the team and increased communication between the team and the coaching staff.
Lembo also improved alumni relations through a weekly email newsletter. He did quite a bit of traveling to meet with alumni in outlying areas as well as in the Lehigh Valley. During his last three years at Lehigh, Lembo was the featured speaker on the Lehigh Alumni Association's Midwest Swing, speaking in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago.
In the classroom, the program prided itself on producing not only great football players, but also true scholars. In 2003, wide receiver Dave Crockett was named to the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Academic All-Star Team, the second-straight year a Lehigh football player earned such a distinguished honor.
In 2002, strong safety Matt Salvaterra earned similar recognition while also being lauded as the Patriot League's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in all sports. In 2001, four student-athletes received honors as Verizon Academic All-District Selections. Lehigh had been ranked in the nation's top-20 in graduation rates for 18 consecutive years.
Not only had Lembo made an impact at Lehigh, but he had become quite active in the football coaching community as well. In May of 2003, Lembo was asked to serve on the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Public Relations Committee. That group is responsible for finding new ways to showcase the game in a positive light. He had also served three years as the Patriot League's representative to the Division I-AA Coaches' Executive Committee.
Lembo came to Lehigh from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he served as the team's offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to his stint with Hampden-Sydney, Lembo coached the tight ends and offensive tackles at Dartmouth College.
During this period, Dartmouth enjoyed outstanding success, including the nation's longest unbeaten streak in Division I-AA and an undefeated Ivy League Championship season in 1996. Several members of that Dartmouth staff have continued outstanding careers at other institutions.
Pete Lembo came to Lehigh as the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach in 1998. Prior to his third season as an assistant he was named the team's assistant head coach and offensive line coach.
Lembo began his career as a graduate assistant for two years under coach Bob Ford at the University at Albany. He coached the offensive line and earned a master's degree in public administration from the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs in 1994.
As an undergraduate at Georgetown University from 1988-1992, Lembo was a four-year starter and team captain as a member of the offensive line. As a senior, he received the Coaches' Award for outstanding leadership from Georgetown Athletics.
Lembo earned his bachelor of science degree in business of administration from Georgetown in 1992. He is married to the former Jenifer Kochis. They are the parents of Sophia (five) and A.J. (two).
Monday, December 19, 2005
ELON, N.C. - Pete Lembo was announced as Elon University's 19th head football coach in a press conference held Monday at Rhodes Stadium. Lembo, who served the last five years as the head coach at Lehigh University, replaces Paul Hamilton who resigned last month.
Lembo, the country's second youngest NCAA Division I head football coach at 35, will lead Elon into its 85th football season next fall as well as its eighth campaign as an official NCAA-IAA member and fourth in the Southern Conference. He inherits eight offensive starters and five defensive starters from this past season's 3-8 Phoenix squad.
“My family and I are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to move to North Carolina and become part of the Elon community,” said Lembo. “It's obvious to me that Elon folks are very passionate about their University and about seeing their football program succeed.”
Lembo has spent the past eight years at Lehigh, serving the Mountain Hawks as an assistant coach for three seasons (recruiting coordinator in 1998-2000, running back coach in 1998-99 and offensive line coach in 2000) before taking over as head coach for the 2001 campaign. Each of those eight squads made appearances among the country's top-25 teams.
In five seasons at the helm, Lembo compiled some impressive credentials. He posted a 44-14 overall record, and his .759 winning percentage is the highest among all Lehigh coaches. In Patriot League play, Lembo led the Mountain Hawks to a 26-7 mark - more wins than any league school during that time span.
He guided Lehigh to a pair of Patriot League titles and two NCAA Division I-AA playoff berths. Lehigh was nationally ranked in all five seasons, and the Mountain Hawks finished in the final top 25 national poll in four of Lembo's five seasons.
Lehigh concluded the 2005 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark against Patriot League opposition on its way to a No. 22 ranking in The Sports Network's final regular season poll. The Mountain Hawks are one of only two programs in NCAA-IAA (along with Montana) to have won eight or more games in each of the last eight years.
Also in 2005, eight Mountain Hawks were named to the First Team All-Patriot League. In all, 11 Lehigh players earned all-league recognition - the fourth straight season in which Lehigh has placed at least 10 members on the teams.
During Lembo's tenure as its head coach, Lehigh posted an undefeated regular season, its first ever home playoff victory, its first Lambert Cup trophy since 1980 and its first win over an NCAA-IA opponent since 1987 while capturing two Patriot League championships.
The Mountain Hawks have consistently hovered in the NCAA-IAA top-25 throughout the last five years, peaking as high as No. 2 in September 2002. No team in all of NCAA-IAA has fashioned a better winning percentage over the past eight years than Lehigh (.813 at 78-18). The 78 wins over that span rank third behind Georgia Southern (87) and Montana (85).
Lembo arrived on South Mountain in the summer of 1998 when he was hired by former head coach Kevin Higgins as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. That fall, the Mountain Hawks went 12-1 and ended the year ranked 14th in the nation.
After Lehigh completed the 1999 season with a 10-2 slate, Lembo was promoted to assistant head coach and offensive line coach in addition to his recruiting coordinator duties. When Higgins left to become an assistant with the Detroit Lions after the successful 2000 campaign, Lembo was quickly became the 27th head coach in the history of the program.
Lembo proved to be ready for the challenge as his 2001 team went 11-1, finishing No. 5 in both NCAA-IAA polls. The rookie coach was named both the Patriot League Coach of the Year and the Eddie Robinson NCAA-IAA Coach of the Year while Lehigh became the first I-AA need-based scholarship program to ever win the prestigious Lambert Cup.
Lembo's gritty 2002 and 2003 teams posted back-to-back eight-victory records despite an upgraded schedule that included two I-A opponents. In both seasons, the Mountain Hawks knocked off league rival Fordham when the Rams also ranked among the top-25. In 2003, the Mountain Hawks posted a 6-1 league mark with an average margin of victory of over 21 points. Lehigh's sole league loss was a tough seven-point decision on the road at Colgate, the eventual national runner-up.
The 2004 edition of the Mountain Hawks surprised many by posting a nine-win season and a 5-1 conference record en route to a share of a Patriot League title, and an at-large berth in the NCAA playoffs. Though Lehigh lost a heartbreaking 14-13 game to eventual national champion James Madison at Goodman Stadium, the fact that the Mountain Hawks garnered an at-large bid and a home playoff game speaks to the level of respect the program earned in recent years.
The aggressive scheduling policy instituted by Lembo made for increased excitement among NCAA-IAA football fans in the east. Not only did the Mountain Hawks begin to regularly take on an I-A opponent each season, but Lehigh also renewed rivalries with traditional I-AA powerhouses Villanova (in 2004) and Delaware (in 2005), among others.
Off the field, Lembo was hard at work to improve the student-athletes' bond with one another. He established a leadership council that consisted of four team members from each class. The council helped to resolve issues within the team and increased communication between the team and the coaching staff.
Lembo also improved alumni relations through a weekly email newsletter. He did quite a bit of traveling to meet with alumni in outlying areas as well as in the Lehigh Valley. During his last three years at Lehigh, Lembo was the featured speaker on the Lehigh Alumni Association's Midwest Swing, speaking in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago.
In the classroom, the program prided itself on producing not only great football players, but also true scholars. In 2003, wide receiver Dave Crockett was named to the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Academic All-Star Team, the second-straight year a Lehigh football player earned such a distinguished honor.
In 2002, strong safety Matt Salvaterra earned similar recognition while also being lauded as the Patriot League's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in all sports. In 2001, four student-athletes received honors as Verizon Academic All-District Selections. Lehigh had been ranked in the nation's top-20 in graduation rates for 18 consecutive years.
Not only had Lembo made an impact at Lehigh, but he had become quite active in the football coaching community as well. In May of 2003, Lembo was asked to serve on the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Public Relations Committee. That group is responsible for finding new ways to showcase the game in a positive light. He had also served three years as the Patriot League's representative to the Division I-AA Coaches' Executive Committee.
Lembo came to Lehigh from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he served as the team's offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to his stint with Hampden-Sydney, Lembo coached the tight ends and offensive tackles at Dartmouth College.
During this period, Dartmouth enjoyed outstanding success, including the nation's longest unbeaten streak in Division I-AA and an undefeated Ivy League Championship season in 1996. Several members of that Dartmouth staff have continued outstanding careers at other institutions.
Pete Lembo came to Lehigh as the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach in 1998. Prior to his third season as an assistant he was named the team's assistant head coach and offensive line coach.
Lembo began his career as a graduate assistant for two years under coach Bob Ford at the University at Albany. He coached the offensive line and earned a master's degree in public administration from the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs in 1994.
As an undergraduate at Georgetown University from 1988-1992, Lembo was a four-year starter and team captain as a member of the offensive line. As a senior, he received the Coaches' Award for outstanding leadership from Georgetown Athletics.
Lembo earned his bachelor of science degree in business of administration from Georgetown in 1992. He is married to the former Jenifer Kochis. They are the parents of Sophia (five) and A.J. (two).
