SIX NEW HEAD COACHES NAMED TO THE AFCA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
January 9, 2023
Tulane University head coach Willie Fritz, University of New Mexico head coach Danny Gonzales, University at Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist, Oregon State University head coach Jonathan Smith, University of South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack, and McKendree University head coach Mike Babcock have been elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Those head coaches were elected by members attending the 2023 AFCA Convention today. Fritz will represent the American Athletic Conference, Gonzales will represent the Mountain West Conference, Linguist will represent the Mid-American Conference, Smith will represent the Pac-12 Conference, Wommack will represent the Sun Belt Conference and Babcock will be a Division II representative.
Those coaches will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Todd Knight of Ouachita Baptist University, first vice-president Jeff McMartin of Central College (Iowa), second vice-president Bobby Hauck of the University of Montana and third vice-president Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College.
Also serving on the Board in 2023 are: Steve Ryan, Morningside University; Neal Brown, West Virginia University; Sam Pittman, University of Arkansas; James Franklin, Penn State University; Dave Clawson, Wake Forest University; Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State University; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International University; Bobby Kennedy, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Advancement Committee; Michael Christensen, Carson (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee; and Scott Strohmeier, Iowa Western Community College, ex officio member and Junior College representative. AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.
Fritz completed his 30th year as a collegiate had coach, with the last seven coming at Tulane. He guided the Green Wave to a 12-2 record in 2022, including the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title, a victory in the Cotton Bowl, earning him his third AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor. Fritz has guided Tulane to four bowl games, the most of any head coach in program history. In 2018, he led Tulane to a 7-6 record, a share of the AAC West Division title and a victory in the Cure Bowl. Fritz has an overall record of 197-114 when you include his stops at Central Missouri, Sam Houston State and Georgia Southern. Fritz was 97-47 at Central Missouri with one shared Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and an NCAA Division II playoff appearance in 2002. In his four seasons at Sam Houston State, Fritz guided the Bearkats to a 40-15 record with two straight appearances in the FCS National Championship game in 2011 and 2012. He led Georgia Southern to a Sun Belt Conference title in his first year with the program in 2014, then a third-place finish in 2015 before taking the Tulane job in 2016.
Gonzales returned to his alma mater as head coach in December of 2019. He completed his third season at New Mexico and has guided the Lobos to seven victories. Gonzales began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Lobos in 1999, then became video coordinator in 2003. He was named safeties and specials teams coach in 2006, holding that position for three seasons. In 2011, Gonzales became the safeties coach at San Diego State, a position he held until 2017 when he was named defensive coordinator. He spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as defensive coordinator at Arizona State before returning to New Mexico as head coach in 2020.
Linguist finished his second year as head coach at Buffalo by leading the Bulls to a 7-6 record and a victory in the Camellia Bowl. He has an overall record of 11-14 in his first head coaching job. Linguist began his coaching career in 2007 as graduate assistant and safeties coach at Baylor after his playing days with the Bears were over. He spent one season at Valdosta State as defensive backs and special teams coach before spending three years as safeties coach at James Madison. Linguist’s first stint at Buffalo started in 2012 as defensive backs coach, then he added a defensive pass game coordinator title in 2013. He left Buffalo for Iowa State for the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the same job responsibilities, then moved on to Mississippi State as safeties coach in 2016. Linguist traveled north in 2017 as defensive backs coach at Minnesota, then returned home to Texas for the 2018 and 2019 seasons as cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M. In 2020, Linguist moved to the NFL as the cornerbacks coach with the Dallas Cowboys, then was the co-defensive coordinator at Michigan before landing the Buffalo job.
Smith turned in his best season in 2022. The fifth-year head coach led Oregon State to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl. For his efforts, Smith was named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year and Pac-12 Coach of the Year. The former Beaver quarterback has led Oregon State to 26 victories in his short time as a head coach. Smith started his career as a graduate assistant at Oregon State in 2002, then moved on to Idaho as quarterbacks coach from 2004 to 2009. He stayed in the Big Sky Conference as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Montana for two seasons, then moved on to Boise State in 2012 as quarterbacks coach. After two seasons with the Broncos, Smith became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington from 2014-2017. He returned to his alma mater in 2018 as head coach.
After becoming the youngest head coach in FBS when he took the job as head coach at South Alabama in December of 2020, Wommack produced a 10-win season in just his second season, guiding the Jaguars to a 10-3 mark and an appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. He has a 15-10 record in his two years as a head coach. A former fullback at Arkansas and Southern Mississippi, Wommack started his coaching career as a student assistant with the Golden Eagles. He moved on to UT Martin as an assistant coach in 2010, then was a graduate assistant at Jacksonville State in 2011, and at Mississippi in 2012 and 2013. Wommack was named defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Eastern Illinois in 2014 and stayed there for two seasons before making his first coaching stint at South Alabama from 2016 to 2017 as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He went to Indiana as linebackers coach in 2018, then added defensive coordinator duties in 2019 and 2020 before returning to South Alabama.
A former UCLA linebacker, Babcock completed his 10th season as the head coach at McKendree and has an overall record is 53-46. His 2015 squad finished 8-2 with a second-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), then followed it up the next year with an 8-3 record and a third place finish in the GLVC. Prior to coming to McKendree, Babcock was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Colorado State-Pueblo for five years. In 2007, he was the tight ends coach and director of football operations at San Diego. Babcock began his coaching career at UCLA as a student assistant in 2000, coaching linebackers for three years, then moved to defensive line in 2003 and offensive line in 2004.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Tulane University head coach Willie Fritz, University of New Mexico head coach Danny Gonzales, University at Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist, Oregon State University head coach Jonathan Smith, University of South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack, and McKendree University head coach Mike Babcock have been elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Those head coaches were elected by members attending the 2023 AFCA Convention today. Fritz will represent the American Athletic Conference, Gonzales will represent the Mountain West Conference, Linguist will represent the Mid-American Conference, Smith will represent the Pac-12 Conference, Wommack will represent the Sun Belt Conference and Babcock will be a Division II representative.
Those coaches will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Todd Knight of Ouachita Baptist University, first vice-president Jeff McMartin of Central College (Iowa), second vice-president Bobby Hauck of the University of Montana and third vice-president Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College.
Also serving on the Board in 2023 are: Steve Ryan, Morningside University; Neal Brown, West Virginia University; Sam Pittman, University of Arkansas; James Franklin, Penn State University; Dave Clawson, Wake Forest University; Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State University; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International University; Bobby Kennedy, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Advancement Committee; Michael Christensen, Carson (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee; and Scott Strohmeier, Iowa Western Community College, ex officio member and Junior College representative. AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.
Fritz completed his 30th year as a collegiate had coach, with the last seven coming at Tulane. He guided the Green Wave to a 12-2 record in 2022, including the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title, a victory in the Cotton Bowl, earning him his third AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor. Fritz has guided Tulane to four bowl games, the most of any head coach in program history. In 2018, he led Tulane to a 7-6 record, a share of the AAC West Division title and a victory in the Cure Bowl. Fritz has an overall record of 197-114 when you include his stops at Central Missouri, Sam Houston State and Georgia Southern. Fritz was 97-47 at Central Missouri with one shared Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and an NCAA Division II playoff appearance in 2002. In his four seasons at Sam Houston State, Fritz guided the Bearkats to a 40-15 record with two straight appearances in the FCS National Championship game in 2011 and 2012. He led Georgia Southern to a Sun Belt Conference title in his first year with the program in 2014, then a third-place finish in 2015 before taking the Tulane job in 2016.
Gonzales returned to his alma mater as head coach in December of 2019. He completed his third season at New Mexico and has guided the Lobos to seven victories. Gonzales began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Lobos in 1999, then became video coordinator in 2003. He was named safeties and specials teams coach in 2006, holding that position for three seasons. In 2011, Gonzales became the safeties coach at San Diego State, a position he held until 2017 when he was named defensive coordinator. He spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as defensive coordinator at Arizona State before returning to New Mexico as head coach in 2020.
Linguist finished his second year as head coach at Buffalo by leading the Bulls to a 7-6 record and a victory in the Camellia Bowl. He has an overall record of 11-14 in his first head coaching job. Linguist began his coaching career in 2007 as graduate assistant and safeties coach at Baylor after his playing days with the Bears were over. He spent one season at Valdosta State as defensive backs and special teams coach before spending three years as safeties coach at James Madison. Linguist’s first stint at Buffalo started in 2012 as defensive backs coach, then he added a defensive pass game coordinator title in 2013. He left Buffalo for Iowa State for the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the same job responsibilities, then moved on to Mississippi State as safeties coach in 2016. Linguist traveled north in 2017 as defensive backs coach at Minnesota, then returned home to Texas for the 2018 and 2019 seasons as cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M. In 2020, Linguist moved to the NFL as the cornerbacks coach with the Dallas Cowboys, then was the co-defensive coordinator at Michigan before landing the Buffalo job.
Smith turned in his best season in 2022. The fifth-year head coach led Oregon State to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl. For his efforts, Smith was named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year and Pac-12 Coach of the Year. The former Beaver quarterback has led Oregon State to 26 victories in his short time as a head coach. Smith started his career as a graduate assistant at Oregon State in 2002, then moved on to Idaho as quarterbacks coach from 2004 to 2009. He stayed in the Big Sky Conference as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Montana for two seasons, then moved on to Boise State in 2012 as quarterbacks coach. After two seasons with the Broncos, Smith became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington from 2014-2017. He returned to his alma mater in 2018 as head coach.
After becoming the youngest head coach in FBS when he took the job as head coach at South Alabama in December of 2020, Wommack produced a 10-win season in just his second season, guiding the Jaguars to a 10-3 mark and an appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. He has a 15-10 record in his two years as a head coach. A former fullback at Arkansas and Southern Mississippi, Wommack started his coaching career as a student assistant with the Golden Eagles. He moved on to UT Martin as an assistant coach in 2010, then was a graduate assistant at Jacksonville State in 2011, and at Mississippi in 2012 and 2013. Wommack was named defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Eastern Illinois in 2014 and stayed there for two seasons before making his first coaching stint at South Alabama from 2016 to 2017 as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He went to Indiana as linebackers coach in 2018, then added defensive coordinator duties in 2019 and 2020 before returning to South Alabama.
A former UCLA linebacker, Babcock completed his 10th season as the head coach at McKendree and has an overall record is 53-46. His 2015 squad finished 8-2 with a second-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), then followed it up the next year with an 8-3 record and a third place finish in the GLVC. Prior to coming to McKendree, Babcock was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Colorado State-Pueblo for five years. In 2007, he was the tight ends coach and director of football operations at San Diego. Babcock began his coaching career at UCLA as a student assistant in 2000, coaching linebackers for three years, then moved to defensive line in 2003 and offensive line in 2004.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
