LEBANON, Ill. (GoThunderWolves.com - Dec. 5, 2012) - CSU-Pueblo pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Mike Babcock, has accepted the position of head coach at McKendree University, a Division II university in southern Illinois.
Babcock is the first CSU-Pueblo assistant since the program was revived in 2008 to earn a head coaching opportunity elsewhere.
Babcock departs CSU-Pueblo after helping the ThunderWolves' offense achieve numerous school records over the past five seasons and eventually rise to the top echelon of Division II football as the number-one ranked team in the nation to end the 2011 and 2012 regular seasons.
In 2012, the CSU-Pueblo offense broke records for points scored, total offense, touchdowns scored, passing yardage and passing touchdowns. Under his tutelage, CSU-Pueblo quarterback Ross Dausin (Sr., San Antonio, Texas) went 32-4 as a starter over three seasons and was named the 2012 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Babcock, who will be joined by CSU-Pueblo assistant Samuel Sewell at McKendree, was introduced in a press conference Wednesday as the Bearcats' new head coach.
"Mike Babcock will bring to McKendree's football program a sense of urgency and excitement," said McKendree Athletic Director, Chuck Brueggemann. "Mike's passion for the game and his expectations in creating a winning program are what drew us to him. McKendree's desire to become an offensive powerhouse in both NCAA Division II and the Great Lakes Valley Conference lends itself to expanding our recruiting base. He is the right person for that job as he has been part of winning programs, starting with his time as both a player and coach at UCLA. Mike played a vital role in building Colorado State University-Pueblo into a nationally-recognized program. We believe his experience and leadership with such a national powerhouse have prepared Mike well for the opportunity to lead the McKendree football program."
Babcock leaves behind a program at CSU-Pueblo that literally rose from dirt to first in his time with the team. An assistant since 2008, Babcock helped the Pack offense grow from alsorans to one of the most dominant and balanced attacks in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. He said his time at CSU-Pueblo will always be special to him.
"Being able to come into a program starting from scratch (in 2008) was a special opportunity," Babcock said. "Not a lot of coaches get to that, and that's why I took on the challenge at CSU-Pueblo in the first place. I also loved being able to work under (head coach) John Wristen, who's a classy guy that has a passion and vision that a lot of people are drawn to, including myself. It's going to be hard to leave behind the players, the community and rest of the athletic department."
He added, though, that the opportunity at McKendree, his first head-coaching job, allows him to put his own personal stamp on a program.
"I'm very excited about this opportunity to become the head coach at McKendree," said Babcock. "It's a new chapter for myself, my wife and my family. McKendree has a lot of great things to offer both academically and athletically. There's a lot of talent (at McKendree) and we need to add to that. When we started the program here (at CSU-Pueblo) in 2008, it was our challenge to recruit student-athletes who could believe in our vision, our goal for the program. That is an unbelievable feeling. We're going to use that same approach at McKendree, and I cannot wait to get started."
Babcock arrived at CSU-Pueblo after spending the 2007 season as the tight ends coach and director of football operations at the University of San Diego, where he helped the Toreros to a Pioneer Conference championship. Prior to that, Babcock served as the quality control intern for offense for two seasons at the University of Colorado. He served as an assistant in coaching the Buffaloes' offensive line, tight end and special teams.
Babcock began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was an undergraduate and graduate assistant with the Bruins from 2000-04. After spending the 2000-02 season coaching the UCLA linebackers, Babcock shifted to defensive line coach in 2003. He wrapped up his stay at UCLA by guiding the Bruins' offensive line in 2004.
During his stay at UCLA, Babcock helped coach the Bruins to four bowl appearances, and also helped guide the top-ranked defensive unit in the Pac-10 in 2001.
As an undergraduate at UCLA, Babcock was a linebacker and played on the Bruins' 1997 and 1998 Pac-10 championship squads, and played in both the Cotton Bowl (1998) and Rose Bowl (1999). UCLA put together a 20-game win streak during Babcock's playing days. Babcock earned both of his degrees from UCLA – an undergraduate degree in 2002 along with his master's degree in 2005.
Babcock takes over a McKendree football program that posted a 3-7 overall record in 2012. The Bearcats were 3-5 in the inaugural season of play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Babcock is excited to help lead the McKendree program through its final phases of transition into NCAA Division II membership. Babcock believes in a high-octane attack on both sides of the football.
"Offensively, we will run a pro-style offense," said Babcock. "I believe in being a physical football team where you must develop a strong running game to set up the pass. We must also be physical on the defensive side as well. We want guys that are going to fly to the football and be aggressive. If we can accomplish that, good things will happen."
Babcock replaces Carl Poelker, who retired from McKendree following a 17-year career with the Bearcats and a 31-year run as a collegiate head coach. Poelker led McKendree to 117 victories, nine national playoff appearances and seven conference titles after helping to revive the Bearcats' program in 1996 following a 45-year absence from the gridiron.
According to Brueggemann, Babcock was discovered early in the process. "We were looking for five traits in a new coach: experience at the (NCAA) Division I and II levels, experience in building a program, an offensive mind, a coach accustomed to winning, and a leader who believes that players are students first and athletes second," said Brueggemann. "We found all these attributes in Coach Babcock, and that makes him the ideal choice to lead the Bearcats."
Babcock and his wife Kimberly have two children: a son, Tyler, who is 2 ½, and a seven-month old daughter, Emily. The Babcocks plan to relocate to the Lebanon, Ill. area after the holidays.
