Medal of Honor Bowl - South Carolina's Premier College Football Bowl Game
Charleston, South Carolina
January, 2018
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All posts in Coaches

December 3, 2014
American Team Coaches
Two Former Major College Head Coaches to Serve as Assistants for the Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Team

CHARLESTON, SC – Willie Jeffries, head coach of the 2nd Annual Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Team, has announced that two former major college head coaches will assist him.

Former Air Force Academy head coach Fisher DeBerry and Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson will join Jeffries’ defensive staff. DeBerry will guide the defensive linemen and Johnson will handle the defensive backs and special teams. DeBerry and Johnson coached in the inaugural game in 2014.

Jeffries previously announced that former VMI head coach Cal McCombs, will serve as the defensive coordinator. McCombs doubles as the bowl game’s director of player personnel.

Set for 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game the features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL Draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, disabled veterans and wounded warriors.

DeBerry, a native of Cheraw who earned letters in four sports while at Wofford, served as the head football coach at the Air Force Academy from 1984 to 2006, and compiled a record of 169–109–1. He led 17 of his 23 Falcons squads to winning records and 12 captured a bowl game bid. Three times his teams won the Western Athletic Conference title, in 1985, 1995, and 1998, and retired with the most wins and highest winning percentage (.608) in Air Force football history.

After the 1985 season in which the Falcons finished 12-1 and captured the Bluebonnet Bowl, DeBerry received the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award as the NCAA’s college football’s coach of the year. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame as a coach in 2011.

DeBerry has also been awarded the State Farm Coach of Distinction award in 2001, and was enshrined in the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2003, he received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Wofford, his alma mater, where he played flanker, defensive back and linebacker, and graduated in 1960.

Active in the American Football Coaches Association, where he served as president in 1996, DeBerry served on the AFCA’s ethics committee.

Johnson most recently was the head football coach at Vanderbilt University, a position he held from the 2002 season until his retirement in 2010. In December 2001, Johnson became the Commodores’ head coach after leading Furman University to the Division I-AA national championship game. He coached the Paladins from 1994–2001 and led the team to a 60–36 overall record during his eight years. Prior to his hiring at Furman, Johnson was the defensive coordinator at Clemson.

In 2008, Johnson led Vanderbilt to its first winning season since 1982, as his team went 7–6 with a 16–14 win over Boston College in the Music City Bowl, Vanderbilt’s first bowl victory since 1955 and only their second in school history. That season Johnson was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year sharing that honor with Nick Saban of Alabama and Houston Nutt of Ole Miss.

His tenure at Vanderbilt was lauded for bringing a resurgence to a team that had long been dominated by its fellow members of the SEC, notably guiding the Commodores to their first bowl game win in 53 years and snapping a 22-game losing streak to rival Tennessee.

Johnson graduated from Clemson in 1973, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in management, before earning his master’s degree in education from Furman in 1979.

For news surrounding the game, follow @MOHbowl on Twitter and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Coaches, Press Release American Team Coaches, Defensive Coordinator, MOH Bowl No Comments
November 11, 2014
Patrick Sapp
Chan Gailey Tabs Patrick Sapp as Assistant Coach for Medal of Honor Bowl’s National Team

CHARLESTON, SC – Chan Gailey, head coach of the 2nd Annual Medal of Honor Bowl’s National Team, has announced that former Clemson and NFL standout Patrick Sapp will serve as an assistant coach and will guide the defensive line.

Set for 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game the features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL Draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Sapp played for the Tigers from 1992 to 1995 and lettered all four seasons. He began his career at Clemson as a quarterback and complied 2,278 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 starts over three seasons. He converted to linebacker in 1995 and led Clemson with 5.5 sacks that season.

The Jacksonville, Fla. native went on to be drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the NFL Draft (50th overall) in 1996 and enjoyed a four-year NFL career with the Chargers and Arizona Cardinals. In 63 NFL games Sapp recorded 57 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.

Since March 2006, Sapp has been serving as the Director of Major Gifts at Clemson University.

Coaches, Press Release MOH Bowl, National Team, National Team Coaches No Comments
October 16, 2014
Cam Turner and Cal McCombs
Former Citadel Players Cam Turner, Cal McCombs Named Offensive and Defensive Coordinators for the Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Teams

Youthful Turner, veteran McCombs to assist Coach Willie Jeffries

CHARLESTON, SC – Willie Jeffries, head coach of the 2nd Annual Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Team, has announced that former Citadel quarterback Cam Turner will serve as the offensive coordinator and that former Bulldog Cal McCombs will be the defensive coordinator.

Set for 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game the features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL Draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

McCombs, who doubles as the bowl game’s director of player personnel, is a native Belton, SC. He was the 28th head football coach at VMI for seven years (1999-05) and his tenure was the third-longest of any VMI football head coach since 1946 and he completed his time in Lexington as the sixth-winningest football coach in their history. Prior to guiding the Keydets, McCombs coached defense at The Citadel from 1971-83 before spending the next 14 years (1984-98) as a defensive assistant/defensive coordinator to coach Fisher DeBerry at the Air Force Academy.

He also spent five years as a scout for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

McCombs is a 1967 graduate of The Citadel where he earned five letters as a defensive back and a track and field standout, and was enshrined in The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. He received a United States Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award for saving the lives of two people in January, 1981.

Turner recently completed his third season as an assistant coach with Florida International University football working with the Panthers quarterbacks and wide receivers.
 
In 2011, he joined the Minnesota Vikings as Assistant to Head Coach Leslie Frazier. He spent two years in Minnesota, embracing every preparatory aspect of managing an NFL coaching staff, from administrative details to coaching strategies.
  
Turner graduated from The Citadel in 2010, where he played quarterback and wide receiver for the Bulldogs from 2006-09.
  
He first played quarterback, into his junior season, then after a sustaining a shoulder injury was moved to wide receiver for his final season. He was a four-time scholar-athlete, five-time Dean’s List recipient, two-time Citadel Gold Star recipient and earned a spot on the 2009 Southern Conference All-Academic Team, amongst other school acknowledgments. He graduated in 2010 with a degree in Business Administration.
 
Following his playing career, Turner joined the Bulldogs’ staff as an assistant coach in 2010 working with the receivers and special teams.
 
For more information please follow us on Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl.

Cal-McCombs

Cal McCombs through the Years

1971-83 The Citadel (defensive assistant)
1984-98 Air Force Academy (defensive assistant/defensive coordinator
1999-05 VMI (head coach)

Cam Turner

Cam Turner through the Years

2010 The Citadel (receivers and special teams)
2011 Minnesota Vikings (assistant to the head coach)
2012-14 Florida International (quarterbacks and wide receivers)

Coaches, Press Release American Team, Cal McCombs, Cam Turner, Citadel Players, Defensive Coordinator, Offensive Coordinator 2 Comments
September 30, 2014
Coach Willie Jeffries
Hall of Famer Willie Jeffries to Guide Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Team

Popular Former South Carolina State Head Coach Returns to Lowcountry to Coach

CHARLESTON, SC

Hall of Fame coach Willie Jeffries, the former South Carolina State, Wichita State and Howard head coach, will guide the American Team for the 2nd Annual Medal of Honor Bowl, which will be played on January 10, 2015, at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium.

“The Medal of Honor Bowl is privileged to have Hall of Famer and living legend Willie Jeffries coach the American Team,” said Medal of Honor Bowl Chairman Tom McQueeney. “Coach Jeffries has demonstrated throughout an amazing career his passion for the game and his abilities on the sideline. His team will certainly enjoy playing for him. His engaging personality will make every player and NFL scout feel special as part of our game.”

Jeffries, a native South Carolinian, replaces new Rutgers University Offensive Coordinator Ralph Friedgen, who guided the American Team in the Bowl’s inaugural year in 2014 to a 20-3 victory. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey was previously announced as returning to guide the National Team.

In his 29-year coaching career, Jeffries compiled a 179-132-6 record. He coached for 19 years at his alma mater, South Carolina State University, another five years at Wichita State and five years at Howard University. Jeffries is the winningest coach in the 107-year history of SCSU and in the history of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Jeffries grew up in Union, SC, and started his coaching career in 1960 as an assistant at Barr Street High in Lancaster. He followed at Granard High in Gaffney, where he went 64-8-2 in seven seasons.

His record during his two stints with South Carolina State (1973-78 and 1989-01), include three Black National Championships, seven MEAC championships, several post-season appearances in the Division I-AA playoffs and the Heritage Bowl. He received numerous coaching awards and produced many future NFL players to include Harry Carson, Donnie Shell, Robert Porcher, Orlando Brown, Jumpy Geathers, Chartric Darby, Dexter Clinkscale, David Norman and Anthony Cook.

In 2010, Jeffries was named Head Football Coach Emeritus by the South Carolina State University Board of Trustees. In that role, he serves as a liaison between the university, its alumni and other constituents and also helps market the university.

When Jeffries took over Wichita State in 1979, he became the first African-American to coach a Division I-A University. He is the only man to coach against both Eddie Robinson of Grambling State University and Paul “Bear” Bryant of the University of Alabama.

Coach Jeffries has been recognized with the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in the state. He also was presented with the Order of the Silver Crescent, which is awarded to those who make community or professional accomplishments of local significance.

A proud member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Coach Jeffries was also inducted into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Coach Willie Jeffries
Coach Willie Jeffries (Year-by-Year as Head Coach)
1973-78 South Carolina State
1979-83 Wichita State
1984-88 Howard
1989-01 South Carolina State

For player confirmations and news surrounding the game, follow @MOHbowl on Twitter and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MOHbowl

About the Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is America’s highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress to US military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guardreceive the Navy version.

Coaches, Press Release American Team Coaches No Comments
September 23, 2014
Coach Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey Returns as One of the Medal of Honor Bowl’s Head Coaches

Former Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Georgia Tech Head Coach Returns to Lead the National Squad

CHARLESTON, SC –

Chan Gailey, the former Georgia Tech, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys head coach, will return to the guide the National Squad for the 2nd Annual Medal of Honor Bowl, which will be played on January 10, 2015, at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium.

“The Medal of Honor Bowl is thrilled to have an experienced NFL coach in Chan Gailey return as coach of our National Team,” said Medal of Honor Bowl Chairman Tom McQueeney. “Coach Gailey is perfect for this format. He’s well respected, experienced, and has taught players at every level. The players that came here last year expressed their admiration of his coaching style and insight to the business that is the NFL.”

Gailey guided the National Team in the Bowl’s inaugural year in 2014, but the American Team, which was coached by Ralph Friedgen, prevailed, 20-3. Friedgen is currently coaching at Rutgers University as their offensive coordinator and will not be available to coach in the 2015 game. The coach of the American Team will be announced soon, according to McQueeney.

After graduating from the University of Florida in 1974 where he was a three-year quarterback for Doug Dickey(1971-73),Gailey stayed with Florida as a graduate assistant for two years before taking his first true coaching job as the secondary coach for Troy State University in Alabama. After two seasons there, he spent four seasons with the Air Force Academy, including two as defensive coordinator under Ken Hatfield. In 1983, he took over the head coaching duties at Troy, where he led the Trojans to a 12–1 record in 1984 en route to the Division II championship.

Prior to serving as a NFL head coach, Gailey coached under Dan Reeves with the Denver Broncos (1985–90), Bill Cowher of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1994–97), Dave Wannstedt of the Miami Dolphins (2000–01) and Herman Edwards of the Kansas City Chiefs (2008).

In 1985 Gailey moved to the NFL when the Denver Broncos signed him as a defensive assistant and special teams coach. The team made three Super Bowl appearances during his six-year tenure. In 1991, Gailey left the NFL to become the head coach of the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football, where the team made the playoffs in both years that he was coach.

After a one-year stint as head coach at Samford University, he returned to the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started as the wide receivers coach, and then moved to offensive coordinator for the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The Steelers won their division all four years, and made one Super Bowl appearance.

In 1998 Gailey was hired to take over a struggling Dallas Cowboys squad, one that had faltered under Barry Switzer during his last year. Gailey’s Cowboys won the NFC East in 1998, and made the playoffs under his two years at the reins. Gailey remains the only Cowboys coach to make the playoffs every season with his team.

He returned to the offensive coordinator role, this time with the Miami Dolphins for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

Gailey was hired by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 2002 to replace George O’Leary. In his first five years at Georgia Tech, Gailey compiled a 37–27 record and went to bowl games each year, winning the 2003 Humanitarian Bowl (a 52–10 win over Tulsa) and the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl (a 51–14 victory over Syracuse). The 2006 season was his most successful at Georgia Tech as the Yellow Jackets won the ACC Coastal Division.

In 2008 Gailey became the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs and was introduced as the 15th head coach of the Buffalo Bills on January 19, 2010, replacing interim Head Coach Perry Fewell.

A native of Gainesville, Georgia, Gailey graduated in 1970 from Americus High School where he earned letters in basketball, baseball and golf. In football, he was an all-state selection as quarterback.

Gailey, 62, won’t be the only NFL man in town. The premier all-star event expects to have around two-hundred NFL scouts, coaches, and general managers in attendance when practices begin on January 5.

The Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game that features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients with expected proceeds dedicated to the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. The new Medal of Honor museum is planned for Patriot’s Point.

For player confirmations and news surrounding the game, follow @MOHbowl on Twitter and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Coach Chan Gailey
Coach Chan Gailey (Year-by-Year)

1974-75 Florida (Graduate Assistant)

1976-78 Troy State (Defensive Backs)

1979-80 Air Force (Defensive Backs)

1981-82 Air Force (Defensive Coordinator)

1983-84 Troy State (Head Coach)

1985-86 Denver Broncos (Tight Ends / Special Teams)

1987 Denver Broncos (Wide Receivers / Tight Ends)

1988 Denver Broncos (Quarterbacks Coach)

1989-90 Denver Broncos (Offensive Coordinator / Wide Receivers)

1991-92 Birmingham Fire (Head Coach)

1993 Samford (Head Coach)

1994-96 Pittsburgh Steelers (Wide Receivers)

1997 Pittsburgh Steelers (Offensive Coordinator)

1998-99 Dallas Cowboys (Head Coach)

2000-01 Miami Dolphins (Offensive Coordinator)

20002-07 Georgia Tech (Head Coach)

2008 Kansas City Chiefs (Offensive Coordinator)

2010-12 Buffalo Bills (Head Coach)

About the Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is America’s highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress to US military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guardreceive the Navy version.

Coaches, News, Press Release National Team, National Team Coaches No Comments
December 31, 2013
Chan Gailey Names Six Assistant Coaches to Medal of Honor Bowl’s National Team

Former Cowboys, Bills and Georgia Tech head coach loads up staff with seasoned coaches
CHARLESTON, SC – Chan Gailey, head coach of the Inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl’s National Team, has announced six of his assistant coaches.

Veteran coach Bob Valesente will serve as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Ethan Horton will guide the running backs, Kevin Patullo will have the wide receivers, the offensive line will be led by Donnie Woods, John Bock will have the defensive line and Matt Hartle, who coaches locally at Northwood Academy, will be responsible for quality control.

“Coach Chan Gailey has assembled an outstanding group of both experienced veteran coaches and rising young stars of the profession,” said Brian Woods, the game’s executive director. “The guys will enjoy playing for these outstanding coaches.”

Valesente, who currently lives in Hilton Head, served as the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks from 1986-87. He also served as an assistant coach in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts (secondary and special teams, 1982–83), Pittsburgh Steelers (linebackers, 1990–91), Green Bay Packers (linebackers, 1992–94; defensive backs, 1995–98), and Carolina Panthers (defensive backs, 1999).

Horton, a native of Kannapolis, NC, played one season for the Kansas City Chiefs (1985), and seven seasons as a tight end for the Los Angeles Raiders (1987, 1989–1993), and the Washington Redskins (1994). He starred at the University of North Carolina, where he was an all-Atlantic Coast Conference running back and 1984 ACC Player of the Year. In 1981, he was named the co-MVP of the Gator Bowl when the Tar Heels defeated Arkansas.

Patullo spent the 2007-08 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive assistant working primarily in quality control and served in the same capacity under Gailey with the Buffalo Bills. Patullo began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Mike Stoops at the University of Arizona (2004-06).

Woods, who started for three years as a guard at the University of Maryland (2003-06) and who played for Coach Ralph Friedgen – the coach of the Medal of Honor Game’s American Team – participated in the Gator and Champs Bowls, winning both. He is currently the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the Reivers recorded a 23-1 record over the past two seasons including a No. 1 final ranking and a NJCAA National Championship in 2012 and rated second in 2013.

Bock is a former NFL offensive lineman who played one year for the New York Jets (1995) and five seasons with the Miami Dolphins (1996-00). He played collegiately at Louisville and Indiana State, and is a former assistant coach at Florida Atlantic University.

Hartle, who coaches at Northwood Academy in Charleston, will also assist with the wide receivers and tight ends. From 2011-13, he served as an assistant coach and was assistant recruiting coordinator at Northwestern State University (LA). Since August, he has been working with Northwood Academy and coaches the running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. He graduated from University of Texas-Austin in 2008 with a degree in Kinesiology.

While Gailey has yet to announce his defensive backs coach, he stated that he would personally serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“Coach Gailey is a very serious competitor and has been earnest in assembling a top staff, one that could orchestrate a very fine NFL caliber team,” noted Tommy McQueeney, the bowl’s chairman. “His history of demanding performance has resulted in his career success.”

Set for 2 pm on Saturday, January 11 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Tickets may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.MOHbowl.com. They will also be available at www.Etix.com and charge by phone at 800/514-ETIX (3849).

For more information, please refer to www.mohbowl.com, Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Medal of Honor Bowl

About the Game

The Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information about the game and to find out how you can become a supporter, visit www.MOHbowl.com.

About the Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is America’s highest military honor and is awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress to US military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version.

Primary Contacts:

Brian Woods, Executive Director
917/257-5801
bwoods@MOHbowl.com

Tommy McQueeney, Bowl Chairman
843/297-5555
tommymcqueeney@me.com

Andy Solomon, Media Relations
843/209-4723
andy.solomon@citadel.edu

Coaches, Press Release Assistance Coaches, National Team Coaches No Comments
December 30, 2013
Medal of Honor Bowl Tabs Bobby Cremins & Les Robinson as Honorary Special Teams Assistant Coaches

CHARLESTON, SC – Medal of Honor Bowl Chairman Tommy McQueeney has announced that retired basketball coaches Bobby Cremins and Les Robinson will serve as honorary special teams coaches.

Cremins will be assigned to the National team that is coached by Chan Gailey while Robinson will serve with Ralph Friedgen and the American team.

Set for 2 pm on Saturday, January 11 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

“Bobby Cremins and Les Robinson are Lowcountry legends in basketball, and they will add a lot to the coaching staffs and to the players,” said McQueeney. “While neither has extensive knowledge with the ball that isn’t round, they both have tremendous coaching knowledge and will be an added benefit to the players.”

Although not there at the same time, Cremins and Gailey both guided Georgia Tech teams to successful seasons. Robinson was The Citadel’s head basketball coach when Friedgen was the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator.

Cremins, a 31-year head basketball coach veteran, enjoyed stints at Appalachian State, Georgia Tech and College of Charleston and amassed a 570-367 overall record.

Robinson, who spent 22 years as a head basketball coach, is the only person in NCAA Division I history to serve as director of athletics and head basketball coach at three institutions (The Citadel, East Tennessee State and North Carolina State).

Tickets may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.MOHbowl.com. They will also be available at www.Etix.com and charge by phone at 800/514-ETIX (3849).

For more information, please refer to www.mohbowl.com, Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Medal of Honor Bowl

About the Game

The Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information about the game and to find out how you can become a supporter, visit www.MOHbowl.com.

About the Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is America’s highest military honor and is awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress to US military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version.

Primary Contacts:

Brian Woods, Executive Director
917/257-5801
bwoods@MOHbowl.com

Tommy McQueeney, Bowl Chairman
843/297-5555
tommymcqueeney@me.com

Andy Solomon, Media Relations
843/209-4723
andy.solomon@citadel.edu

Coaches, Press Release Assistant Coaches No Comments
December 6, 2013
Friedgen Adds Bobby Johnson, Eric Moulds and Rusty Hamilton as Assistant Coaches

CHARLESTON, SC – Ralph Friedgen, head coach of the Inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Team, has announced that former Vanderbilt and Furman head coach Bobby Johnson, former all-Pro wide receiver Eric Moulds and local longtime coach Rusty Hamilton will serve as assistant coaches.

Set for 2 pm on Saturday, January 11 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

“Getting Bobby Johnson, Eric Moulds and Rusty Hamilton brings immeasurable mentorship and football knowledge to the great players that will be in this game,” Friedgen remarked. “We feel we have an amazing staff in place now and the fans are going to enjoy seeing very familiar faces on the sidelines.”

“What a great opportunity to be a part of this game! I look forward to coaching these young men and especially the full experience that only a bowl week can provide,” said Johnson. It’s an exciting event that honors our military at every level.”

Johnson most recently was the head football coach at Vanderbilt University, a position he held from the 2002 season until his retirement in 2010. In December 2001, Johnson became the Commodores’ head coach after leading Furman University to the Division I-AA national championship game. He coached the Paladins from 1994–2001, led the team to a 60–36 overall record during his eight years. Prior to his hiring at Furman, Johnson was the defensive coordinator at Clemson. In 2008, Johnson led Vanderbilt to its first winning season since 1982. His team went 7–6 with a 16–14 win over Boston College in the Music City Bowl, Vanderbilt’s first bowl victory since 1955 and only their second in school history. That season Johnson was named SEC Coach of the Year sharing that honor with Nick Saban of Alabama and Houston Nutt of Ole Miss.

His tenure at Vanderbilt was lauded for bringing a resurgence to a team that had long been dominated by its fellow members of the Southeastern Conference, notably guiding the Commodores to their first bowl game win in 53 years and snapping a 22-game losing streak to rival Tennessee.

Johnson graduated from Clemson in 1973, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in management, before earning his master’s degree in education from Furman in 1979. He currently lives on the Isle of Palms with his wife, Catherine.

Moulds, who earned Pro Bowl accolades three times, will serve as the wide receivers coach.

Moulds, who starred at Mississippi State where he caught 117 passes for 2,022 yards (averaging 17.1 per catch), was the 1994 NCAA kickoff return champion with a 32.8 yards/return average. For his professional career, Moulds played for the Buffalo Bills (1996–05), Houston Texans (2006), and Tennessee Titans (2007).

He was the Bills’ first round draft pick (24th overall) in 1996, and for his first two seasons, Moulds was on the depth chart behind receivers Andre Reed and Quinn Early. He had his breakout season in ‘98, where set a single-season team record with 1,368 receiving yards, a total that led the AFC and was second in the league. Moulds also owns the Bills’ second-highest single-season total, with 1,326 in 2002, and his 20.4 yards per catch was second in the NFL in 1998.

In his eight seasons as the number one receiver for the Bills (1998-05), Moulds had 626 receptions for 8,523 yards, an average of 78.25 catches and 1,065 yards per season. Moulds’s yardage was the seventh-most in the NFL over that span.

In 2002, Moulds became the first player in Bills history to log 100 receptions in a single season.

Moulds established himself as one of the premier receivers in football in the late 1990s and early 2000s, amassing 675 career receptions and being selected to three Pro Bowls (1998, 2000 and 2002). He was named to the Bills’ 50th Anniversary Team

Hamilton, a native Charlestonian, also served as an assistant coach at The Citadel under Red Parker, Bobby Ross and Art Baker. He coached with Friedgen during Friedgen’s first fulltime assistant role in 1973.

“I’ve known Ralph for so many years and am quite honored that he would have me help,” Hamilton stated. “I have always loved the game and to get the chance to coach and prepare some of the best players in college is a challenge I enjoy.”

Friedgen has already announced that former Air Force Academy head coach Fisher DeBerry and former VMI head coach Cal McCombs would be part of his staff.

Previously, the Medal of Honor Bowl Game announced that Chan Gailey, former head coach at the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Georgia Tech, would guide the National Team. Gailey’s full staff will be announced soon.

Tickets may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.MOHbowl.com. They will also be available at www.Etix.com and charge by phone at 800/514-ETIX (3849).

For more information, please refer to www.mohbowl.com, Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

— Medal of Honor Bowl—

Coach Bobby Johnson
Coach Bobby Johnson
Coach Eric Moulds as a Houston Texan
Eric Moulds as a Houston Texan
Coaches, Press Release American Team Coaches, coaches 1 Comment
December 6, 2013
Friedgen Adds Fisher DeBerry, CalMcCombs as Assistant Coaches

Former head coaches at Air Force and VMI to help coach American Team’s defense

CHARLESTON, SC – Ralph Friedgen, head coach of the Inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl’s American Team, has announced that former Air Force Academy head coach Fisher DeBerry and former VMI head coach Cal McCombs will serve as defensive assistant coaches.

Set for 2 pm on Saturday, January 11 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

“Having a Hall of Fame coach like Fisher DeBerry next to you is humbling,” said Friedgen. “He’s proven himself to be the best of the best in his career.

“I know that these players will benefit from his knowledge, insight, and motivation,” Friedgen added. “And to get Cal McCombs, whom I’ve coached with and who Fisher has coached with for so many years is very special as well.”

“I am happy to be a part of this inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl,” DeBerry stated. “I really look forward to being on the field with one of my former defensive coordinators and former VMI head coach and Citadel graduate Cal McCombs. It will be fun to coach with these great coaches and friends that have been asked to participate in the game. And this game is for such a great cause.”

DeBerry, a native of Cheraw, served as the head football coach at the Air Force Academy from 1984-06, and compiled a record of 169–109–1. He led 17 of his 23 Falcons squads to winning records and 12 captured a bowl game bid. Three times his teams won the Western Athletic Conference title (in 1985, ‘95, and ’98), and retired with the most wins and highest winning percentage (.608) in Air Force football history.

After the 1985 season in which the Falcons finished 12-1 and captured the Bluebonnet Bowl over Texas, DeBerry was voted as NCAA’s college football coach of the year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2011.

DeBerry has also been awarded the State Farm Coach of Distinction Award in 2001, and was enshrined in the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2003, he received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Wofford, his alma mater, where he played flanker, defensive back and linebacker, and graduated in 1960.

Active in the American Football Coaches Association, where he served as president in 1996, DeBerry has also served as Chairman the AFCA’s ethics committee.

DeBerry is retired and currently lives on the Isle of Palms with his wife, LuAnn.

McCombs, a 1967 Citadel graduate and football player, track standout and former assistant coach, worked as an NFL scout for the Denver Broncos after stints at The Citadel, the US Air Force Academy and VMI. A native South Carolinian, McCombs lives on the Isle of Palms with his wife Lynn.

“This should be very competitive football as each of these young men will be interviewing for a job with the NFL,” McCombs said. “Coaching with Ralph Friedgen and Fisher DeBerry for a week is something I would never pass up.”

Friedgen indicated that his staff was nearly completed and the names will soon be released.

Previously, the Medal of Honor Bowl Game announced that Chan Gailey, former head coach at the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Georgia Tech, would guide the National Team.

Tickets may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.mohbowl.com. They will also be available at www.Etix.com and charge by phone at 800/514-ETIX (3849).

For more information, please refer to www.mohbowl.com, Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

— Medal of Honor Bowl—

Coach Fisher DeBerry
Coach Fisher DeBerry
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Coach Cal McCombs
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Shelly Nuttall Gardner

Shelly Nuttall Gardner is the owner/director of WheelHouse Concepts Inc., a firm specializing in strategic sales and events as well as creative project management.
Shelly Nuttall Gardner
Her current projects include:

* The Medal of Honor Bowl, director of Sales and Marketing. Gardner leads the sponsorship team, oversees the production of events as well as generates community and regional awareness and excitement about The Medal of Honor Bowl through advertising and marketing campaigns.

*Taste of Atlanta, director of Restaurants. Gardner works closely with Atlanta area chefs to produce and coordinate the restaurant participation in this festival, which draws 50,000 attendees annually over the 3 day schedule of culinary events.

*The Stray Dog Society, executive director. This member based social organization is for supporters (both graduate or non-graduate) of The Citadel. Gardner runs the membership and sponsorship campaign, as well as plans and executes the Society’s many events including the tailgate parties before each home game and the Annual Homecoming Jamboree to the sell-out crowd of 1500.

Gardner is originally from Charlotte, and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. Before starting WheelHouse Inc , she was a surgical sales representative for Medtronic’s neurosurgery division.

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Andy Solomon

Native Charlestonian Andy Solomon, who handles the media relations for the Medal of Honor Bowl Game, is concluding his 39th year in athletic administration and his 23rd year as an associate athletics director at The Citadel.
Andy Solomon
Having served in marketing, promotions and sports information capacities since joining The Citadel, Solomon now devotes his efforts on special events and coordinating the school’s licensing program. He also produces The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, and Today’s Blue & White, a weekly electronic newsletter. 

He is also a Visiting Professor in the school’s Health, Exercise and Sport Science Department and teaches Sports Management courses. He has served as the NCAA representative and tournament director at baseball regionals every year since 2003. Solomon also served a term as president of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and remains active as a member of the Board of Directors.

Solomon was selected as the inaugural Marketer of the Year (1999-2000) for NCAA Division I-AA and I-AAA institutions by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and was named National SID of the Year in 1983 by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), becoming the youngest ever to win the award.

In March 2004, Solomon was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame and became the third native Charlestonian to be enshrined in a national sports hall of fame, joining Art Shell (NFL) and Beth Daniel (LPGA). In 2009, he was inducted into Winthrop’s Hall of Fame.

Prior to his arrival at The Citadel, Solomon served in athletic administrative positions at College of Charleston (1973-77), Charleston Southern (1977-78), Winthrop (1978-84) and Limestone (1984-88).  He was the public relations manager at Wild Dunes Resort in 1988-89, and serves as a media relations consultant for the Charleston RiverDogs, the Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Solomon earned his bachelor’s degree from College of Charleston in 1977 and a master’s from Winthrop.  He and his wife, Amy, have two daughters, Anna and Addie.

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Tommy McQueeney

W. Thomas ‘Tommy’ McQueeney is the Chairman and Founder of The Medal of Honor Bowl Game, and works closely with our beneficiaries, The National Medal of Honor Museum and the Wounded Warrior Project.
Tommy McQueeny
A native Charleston area businessman with a background in sports development he chaired the Southern Conference Basketball Championships and the Charleston Area Sports Commission twice. McQueeney also chaired the $44.5 million Johnson Hagood Stadium Revitalization, has served on The Citadel’s Board of Visitors, the MUSC Children’s Hospital Board, and the Patriot’s Point Maritime Museum Foundation.

A 2009 recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, he is a local columnist and author.

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Thomas J O'Rourke

Tom O’Rourke is the Executive Director of the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. Tom’s Agency has been nationally recognized for operating an ever-expanding park system without using tax increases to fund growth.
Tom O'Rourke

Tom has the direct oversight responsibility for over 10,000 acres of parkland consisting of a very diverse offering of parks, programs and services.

Prior to joining Charleston County PRC, Tom was the Director of the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department in Mt. Pleasant South Carolina, and also worked as Manager of the Sports and Recreation Division for Seamon Whiteside and Associates a Landscape Architect and Engineering firm. Tom’s first job was as a high school Athletic Director and Coach.

Currently Tom spends a significant amount of time educating park and recreation professionals. In the past three years he has spoken at 13 different State Association Conferences and has presented sessions at the NRPA Congress for the past 12 years. He is on the Board of Regents at the NRPA Revenue School, The NRPA Directors School and a past member of the Supervisors Managements School Board.

Tom is the Chair of the Clemson University Parks Recreation and Tourism Management Advisory Board, and the Chair of the Charleston Area Sports Commission Board of Directors.

Recreation is his profession, but his passion has always been coaching. Tom currently is the Pole Vault Coach at Hanahan High School.

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Hoyt "Rusty" Holt, Jr.

Hoyt “Rusty” Holt, Jr. serves as the Medal of Honor Bowl’s Operations Director.

Rusty Holt

Having recently retired from a successful insurance career at New York Life, Holt is an active member of Savannah’s Sports Council, and a charter board member of the Savannah Hockey Committee. Holt was the presiding force behind Savannah’s Inaugural Rock n Roll Marathon in 2011.

Holt is a proud graduate of The Citadel’s class of 1973, earning his B.S. in Business Administration and lettering in both football and track. In 1988, Holt was inducted into The Citadel’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his excellence in both sports – football and track .

Originally from Mullins, SC , he currently shares his time between Savannah and Charleston with Mignon, his wife of 39 years. They are the proud parents of 3 children and 7 grandchildren whom they delight in spending time with.

In addition to his love of sports, and his involvement in The Medal of Honor Bowl, Holt is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys boating, fishing, hunting and riding his Harley Davidson.

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Rick Raybon

Rick Raybon Director of Finance

Senior Financial Executive with more than 35 years of achievement improving corporate financial performance through financial leadership in banking relations, operations, mergers and acquisitions, organizational development and global systems integration.

Raybon has served in senior financial leadership roles with both Northrop Grumman and Litton Industries. Additionally, he has served as an interim CFO in several smaller equity backed businesses.

A 1974 graduate of The Citadel he has also attended executive level leadership courses at both Harvard Business School and Wharton. He is a licensed CPA, a retired Commander, Supply Corps. USNR and resides in Mt. Pleasant, SC with his wife Vicki.

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Samuel Rivers

Samuel Rivers

Bio Coming Soon…

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Cal McCombs

McCombs1200mugCal McCombs enjoyed a standout career as a track and football athlete at The Citadel, graduating in 1967.
His coaching career included stints at The Citadel, the United States Air Force Academy and as Head Football Coach at VMI, where he was named both State of Virginia Coach of the Year and Southern Conference Coach of the Year.

McCombs also spent five years as a top player development scout for the Denver Broncos of the American football League. Through these experiences, he gained a solid reputation for assessing draft-level NFL talent.

His skills in the area of quantifying NCAA football talent brings an enormous asset to the Medal of Honor Bowl.
He coached on the winning American Team in the inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl in January of 2014.

McCombs is a native of Belton, SC, and lives on the Isle of Palms with wife Lynn. They have three children and six grandchildren.

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Austin B. Atkinson, J.D.

Austin B. Atkinson, J.D. Austin B. Atkinson, J.D. is an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor and is a registered Athlete Agent in the State of South Carolina. Austin earned a B.A. in Political Science from The Citadel in 1999, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Charleston School of Law in 2011.

As an NFL agent, Austin was able to put players from the FBS, FCS, and Division II levels of college football into NFL camps in recent years. His eye for talent at all levels of football is invaluable in his personnel role for the Medal of Honor Bowl.

Active in the community, Austin has served as the Vice-Chairman of the Town of Mount Pleasant Board of Zoning Appeals, member of the Town of Mount Pleasant Historical Commission, Past-President of the Mount Pleasant Sertoma Club, assistant coach of the Wando High School boys lacrosse team, and is a member of the Theta Commission of Kappa Alpha Order. Austin lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife and children.

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Roy Hamlin Jr.

roy_hamlinMr. Hamlin’s strong success in video and television projects for the nation’s leading nonprofit and sports organizations has helped him network across a broad range of corporate, celebrity and charitable leaders to achieve important goals. He founded AdCraft Associates, which became recognized as a national leader through innovative marketing. After selling AdCraft Associates to Host Communications, Roy’s next venture, NorthStar Visions, took an innovative approach to a marriage between the sports and entertainment worlds. His Fairway Productions Group has been a leader in television concepts and production.
Mr. Hamlin has produced numerous sports publications and live television broadcast programming, while developing many of today’s accepted sports traditions, including the National Championship Trophy Program, Director’s Cut (Div. I, Div IAA, Div III), Basketball Poll, Women’s Basketball Poll, Football Coaches Poll, Baseball Coaches Poll, Baseball National Championship Trophy, Mohamed Ali Museum and the PGA of America Library.

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