Dennis Douds
Encyclopedia
Dennis "Denny" Douds is an American football
coach and former player. He has been a football coach at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
since 1966 and the head football coach there since 1974. With 230 career coaching wins, he ranks 11th in wins among all active college football
coaches across all divisions of the NCAA
and NAIA
. He played football at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
, from which he graduated in 1963.
, and Slippery Rock University
in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
. Douds played football for Slippery Rock University as a right guard on offense and a nose tackle on defense. He earned All-Conference, All-State and NAIA All-America honors, and was named Slippery Rock's outstanding senior athlete in 1962–1963. Douds graduated from Slippery Rock in 1963.
After graduating from Slippery Rock, Douds was hired as an assistant football coach at McDowell High School
in suburban Erie, Pennsylvania
. In 1965, he was hired as an assistant freshman football coach at West Virginia University
while working on a master's degree
in physical education
.
in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
. He began coaching tight ends and linebackers and became the team's defensive coordinator in 1968. After eight years as an assistant coach under Charlie Reese (45–21–2), Douds took over as East Stroudsburg's head football coach in 1974. Douds is also an assistant professor of sport studies at East Stroudsburg.
In his 37 years as head coach, Douds' East Stroudsburg football program has been one of the leading programs in NCAA Division II. Douds has had seven seasons in which his team has won at least nine games, including consecutive undefeated seasons in 1975 (10–0) and 1976 (9–0–1). The 1982 team (9–2) won the Lambert Cup
as the top Division II football team in the East.
Douds' quarterback on the undefeated teams of 1975 and 1976 was Mike Terwilliger. Terwilliger joined Douds coaching staff after graduating, and has been Douds' assistant coach for more than 30 years. In 2006, Mike Terwilliger said of Douds, "The man hasn't changed any of his beliefs, any of his principles or the way he coaches football. What separates him from a lot of people around the game of football is that he realizes his job is bigger than what takes place on Saturday afternoons. The neat thing is to see guys came back after 30, 35 years and see the impact he's had on their lives."
Terwilliger's son, Jimmy Terwilliger
, also played quarterback for Douds. The younger Terwilliger won the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy
and set 12 NCAA records at ESU, including tying the NCAA record for all levels with 148 career touchdown passes and setting a new Division II record with 16,064 yards of total offense. The 2005 East Stroudsburg team with Terwilliger at quarterback broke the school record with 11 wins, won the Lambert Trophy and produced five All-America selections. Douds said of Terwilliger, "Jimmy Terwilliger is simply the best football player ever in the PSAC, and I give you that with over 50 years of experience in the league."
NFL coach Harry Hiestand
also got his start as an assistant coach working under Douds.
Douds won his 200th career victory in 2006, and in 2008, he became the winningest coach in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
history. On the eve of his 200th win, Douds said, "I never scored a touchdown, never made a tackle, never threw a block, never threw a pass. This represents a great tribute to the thousands of guys who have played here, and the 100 or so coaches who have been with me here in that tenure." As he neared the PSAC coaching wins record, the Associated Press
opened its story on Douds' drive to the PSAC coaching wins record as follows:
Interviewed in 2006, Douds said he would stop coaching when it was no longer fun. Asked if he would still be coaching at age 82, like fellow Pennsylvania coaching legend, Joe Paterno
, Douds responded, "Am I still breathing at that time?" In May 2010, the 69-year-old Douds gained attention for jumping with the Golden Knights, the United States Army Parachute Team
. Douds described jumping from the plane at 13,500 feet as "magnificent." He noted, "I don't care if you're 16, 18 or 22, getting ready to play West Chester or Bloomsburg. If you're 69 and there's something you like to do, go ahead and do it."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player. He has been a football coach at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . It is commonly referred to as ESU by its students and members of the community...
since 1966 and the head football coach there since 1974. With 230 career coaching wins, he ranks 11th in wins among all active college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coaches across all divisions of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. He played football at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public, master's-level university that offers some doctoral programs in cooperation with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Both institutions are members of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education...
, from which he graduated in 1963.
Early years
Douds is a native of western Pennsylvania, having attended Indiana High School in Indiana, PennsylvaniaIndiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana is a borough in and the county seat of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,895 at the 2000 census.The borough and the region as a whole promotes itself as the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World" because the national Christmas Tree Grower's Association was...
, and Slippery Rock University
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public, master's-level university that offers some doctoral programs in cooperation with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Both institutions are members of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education...
in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,068 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.-Geography:Slippery Rock is located at ....
. Douds played football for Slippery Rock University as a right guard on offense and a nose tackle on defense. He earned All-Conference, All-State and NAIA All-America honors, and was named Slippery Rock's outstanding senior athlete in 1962–1963. Douds graduated from Slippery Rock in 1963.
After graduating from Slippery Rock, Douds was hired as an assistant football coach at McDowell High School
McDowell High School
McDowell High School is a public high school located in Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania a suburb of Erie. It is the only high school in the Millcreek Township School District. The current principal is Timothy Rankin. The school's mascot is the Trojan...
in suburban Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. In 1965, he was hired as an assistant freshman football coach at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
while working on a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
.
East Stroudsburg
In 1966, Douds joined the coaching staff at East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . It is commonly referred to as ESU by its students and members of the community...
in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg is the most populous municipality in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state. Originally known as "Dansbury", East Stroudsburg was renamed for geographic reasons when the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad opened a...
. He began coaching tight ends and linebackers and became the team's defensive coordinator in 1968. After eight years as an assistant coach under Charlie Reese (45–21–2), Douds took over as East Stroudsburg's head football coach in 1974. Douds is also an assistant professor of sport studies at East Stroudsburg.
In his 37 years as head coach, Douds' East Stroudsburg football program has been one of the leading programs in NCAA Division II. Douds has had seven seasons in which his team has won at least nine games, including consecutive undefeated seasons in 1975 (10–0) and 1976 (9–0–1). The 1982 team (9–2) won the Lambert Cup
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
The Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the Northeast in Division I FBS college football.The Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, August. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue...
as the top Division II football team in the East.
Douds' quarterback on the undefeated teams of 1975 and 1976 was Mike Terwilliger. Terwilliger joined Douds coaching staff after graduating, and has been Douds' assistant coach for more than 30 years. In 2006, Mike Terwilliger said of Douds, "The man hasn't changed any of his beliefs, any of his principles or the way he coaches football. What separates him from a lot of people around the game of football is that he realizes his job is bigger than what takes place on Saturday afternoons. The neat thing is to see guys came back after 30, 35 years and see the impact he's had on their lives."
Terwilliger's son, Jimmy Terwilliger
Jimmy Terwilliger
Jimmy Terwilliger, the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, played for East Stroudsburg and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, also played quarterback for Douds. The younger Terwilliger won the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy
Harlon Hill Trophy
The Harlon Hill Trophy is an award in American college football given to the individual selected as the most valuable player in NCAA Division II. The award is named for former University of North Alabama and National Football League player Harlon Hill...
and set 12 NCAA records at ESU, including tying the NCAA record for all levels with 148 career touchdown passes and setting a new Division II record with 16,064 yards of total offense. The 2005 East Stroudsburg team with Terwilliger at quarterback broke the school record with 11 wins, won the Lambert Trophy and produced five All-America selections. Douds said of Terwilliger, "Jimmy Terwilliger is simply the best football player ever in the PSAC, and I give you that with over 50 years of experience in the league."
NFL coach Harry Hiestand
Harry Hiestand
Harry Hiestand had been the offensive line coach for the National Football League Chicago Bears since 2005 before taking the same job at the University of Tennessee. Hiestand earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1983...
also got his start as an assistant coach working under Douds.
Douds won his 200th career victory in 2006, and in 2008, he became the winningest coach in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
history. On the eve of his 200th win, Douds said, "I never scored a touchdown, never made a tackle, never threw a block, never threw a pass. This represents a great tribute to the thousands of guys who have played here, and the 100 or so coaches who have been with me here in that tenure." As he neared the PSAC coaching wins record, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
opened its story on Douds' drive to the PSAC coaching wins record as follows:
"Quick, name the Pennsylvania college football coach climbing a career wins list who has spent decades at the same university. The one not named Joe Paterno. He's East Stroudsburg coach Denny Douds, who is a victory away from having the most wins in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference history."
Interviewed in 2006, Douds said he would stop coaching when it was no longer fun. Asked if he would still be coaching at age 82, like fellow Pennsylvania coaching legend, Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
, Douds responded, "Am I still breathing at that time?" In May 2010, the 69-year-old Douds gained attention for jumping with the Golden Knights, the United States Army Parachute Team
United States Army Parachute Team
The United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed and commonly known as the Golden Knights, is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army...
. Douds described jumping from the plane at 13,500 feet as "magnificent." He noted, "I don't care if you're 16, 18 or 22, getting ready to play West Chester or Bloomsburg. If you're 69 and there's something you like to do, go ahead and do it."
Awards and honors
Douds has received numerous awards for his accomplishments and contributions to the sport, including the following:- Douds was named the Kodak College Division Coach of the Year in 1975, 1976, and 1982.
- He was named PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year in 1976, 1982, 2002.
- Douds has been inducted into the East Stroudsburg Athletic Hall of Fame (1998), the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Indiana County Athletic Hall of Fame and the Northeast Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame.