Jerry Davitch
Encyclopedia
Jerry J. Davitch is a former college football
coach and secondary school administrator. Since 2004 he has served as the superintendent of schools in Richland Township
, just northeast of Johnstown
, Pennsylvania
. He served in a similar capacity for eight years (1996–2004) in nearby Conemaugh Township
in Davidsville
. He was previously the principal of CT
High School and its head football coach.
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
. He was an undersized right guard
(5'10", 168 lb.) for the Trojans on an undefeated championship team in the fall of 1958. After graduation in 1959, he accepted a scholarship
and headed west to play college football
and wrestle
at the University of Arizona
in Tucson
. Davitch started two years at guard for the Wildcats and was the captain of the wrestling team as a senior; he earned a bachelor's degree in education from UA in 1965.
in 1969 at Salpointe High School
in Tucson
. His record was 28-12 (.700) in the four years, including a 9-1 season in 1971. While at Salpointe, he completed his master's degree in secondary education at UA in 1971. Davitch moved up to college ranks after the 1972 season as an assistant coach at Air Force
for five seasons, from 1973
-77
. Under head coach Ben Martin
, Davitch coached the offensive line for the first three seasons and receivers for the final two.
of the Idaho Vandals
of the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference
, at an annual salary of $26,000.
At the time, the Idaho football program had posted just four winning seasons in over four decades, and the last four head coaches had been fired after three or four seasons. In addition, no Vandal head football coach had left with a winning record since 1928.
Davitch replaced the popular Ed Troxel
, a longtime defensive assistant and former head coach of the track team. Troxel was asked to resign by the new university president on New Year's Eve, six weeks after his fourth season concluded with a 3-8 record. The Vandals were 7-4 the previous season in 1976, for their first winning record in five years. (Troxel had been reluctant to accept the position; he turned it down after the 1970 and 1973 seasons, but was ultimately persuaded by the players to accept.)
Davitch retained the veer
option on offense, but the progress was slow in his first two seasons. In 1980
, the improving Vandals went 6-5 with redshirt
freshman quarterback
Ken Hobart
, with a 4-3 receord in conference play. The Vandals were picked as one of the top five teams in Division I-AA by Sports Illustrated
before the 1981
season. The Vandals lost close games and then were hit by injuries; they lost their final six games to finish at 3-8 in 1981, winless and in last place in the Big Sky
. (Mercurial Idaho State
won the Big Sky and the Division I-AA title in 1981.) Davitch compiled a record of 15-29 (.341) in his four seasons in Moscow
and became the fifth consecutive head coach to fired. He was notified nine days before his final game (a 43-45 home loss to rival
Boise State
, the defending I-AA national champions). Davitch was succeeded by 34-year-old Dennis Erickson
, hired on December 11. Idaho would achieve success in the next two decades and did not fire a head football coach for 22 years (Tom Cable
after 2003
).
football. While at Idaho in 1980, Davitch had interviewed for the Arizona head coaching position, which went to Larry Smith, then at Tulane
.
After several years in Arizona, Davitch returned to Pennsylvania
and was the head coach
at his alma mater
, Greater Johnstown High School
, from 1985–90. His record in six seasons was 37-23-3 (.611), and included a title in 1988. He was later the head coach
at Conemaugh Township
High School in Davidsville
. Davitch was also the principal of CT High School, and later the superintendent of schools (1996-2004). In 2004 he became superintendent of schools in Richland Township, just northeast of his childhood hometown of Johnstown
, Pennsylvania
.
, as did their wives.
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...
coach and secondary school administrator. Since 2004 he has served as the superintendent of schools in Richland Township
Richland Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Richland Township is a township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,598 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, just northeast of Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He served in a similar capacity for eight years (1996–2004) in nearby Conemaugh Township
Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Conemaugh Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,452 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in Davidsville
Davidsville, Pennsylvania
Davidsville is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,119 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He was previously the principal of CT
Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Conemaugh Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,452 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
High School and its head football coach.
Playing career
The son of immigrant parents, Davitch played on the offensive line at Greater Johnstown High SchoolGreater Johnstown High School
Greater Johnstown High School is a high school located in between the neighborhoods of Moxham, 8th Ward and Hornerstown in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the senior high school for the Greater Johnstown School District. The current Superintendent is Barbara Parkins, herself a...
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
. He was an undersized right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
(5'10", 168 lb.) for the Trojans on an undefeated championship team in the fall of 1958. After graduation in 1959, he accepted a scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
and headed west to play 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...
and wrestle
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
at the University of Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. Davitch started two years at guard for the Wildcats and was the captain of the wrestling team as a senior; he earned a bachelor's degree in education from UA in 1965.
Early coaching career
After starting as an assistant coach, Davitch first became a head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
in 1969 at Salpointe High School
Salpointe Catholic High School
Salpointe Catholic High School is a co-ed Catholic high school in Tucson, Arizona, run by the Carmelite Order. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.-Founding and early development:...
in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. His record was 28-12 (.700) in the four years, including a 9-1 season in 1971. While at Salpointe, he completed his master's degree in secondary education at UA in 1971. Davitch moved up to college ranks after the 1972 season as an assistant coach at Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
for five seasons, from 1973
1973 college football season
The 1973 college football season was the first for the NCAA's current three-division structure. Effective with the 1973–74 academic year, schools formerly in the NCAA "University Division" were classified as Division I...
-77
1977 college football season
The 1977 college football season was one in which the top five teams all finished with records of 11-1-0. Notre Dame, which beat a #1 ranked Texas team in the Cotton Bowl Classic, became the national champion. The year 1977 was the last before NCAA's Division I was divided into I-A and I-AA...
. Under head coach Ben Martin
Ben Martin
-External links:...
, Davitch coached the offensive line for the first three seasons and receivers for the final two.
Collegiate head coach
On January 11, 1978, Davitch was hired as the head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Idaho Vandals
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
of the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
, at an annual salary of $26,000.
At the time, the Idaho football program had posted just four winning seasons in over four decades, and the last four head coaches had been fired after three or four seasons. In addition, no Vandal head football coach had left with a winning record since 1928.
Davitch replaced the popular Ed Troxel
Ed Troxel
-External links:* - Ed Troxel - Idaho - 1974-77...
, a longtime defensive assistant and former head coach of the track team. Troxel was asked to resign by the new university president on New Year's Eve, six weeks after his fourth season concluded with a 3-8 record. The Vandals were 7-4 the previous season in 1976, for their first winning record in five years. (Troxel had been reluctant to accept the position; he turned it down after the 1970 and 1973 seasons, but was ultimately persuaded by the players to accept.)
Davitch retained the veer
Veer
The Veer is an option running play often associated with option offenses in American football, made famous at the collegiate level by the Houston Cougars. It is currently run primarily on the high school level, with some usage at the collegiate and the professional level with varying degrees of...
option on offense, but the progress was slow in his first two seasons. In 1980
1980 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1980 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Jerry Davitch and were members of the Big Sky Conference...
, the improving Vandals went 6-5 with redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ken Hobart
Ken Hobart
Kenneth Charles "Ken" Hobart is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the USFL and CFL, where he played from 1985-90.-Collegiate career:...
, with a 4-3 receord in conference play. The Vandals were picked as one of the top five teams in Division I-AA by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
before the 1981
1981 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1981 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals, led by fourth-year head coach Jerry Davitch, were members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in...
season. The Vandals lost close games and then were hit by injuries; they lost their final six games to finish at 3-8 in 1981, winless and in last place in the Big Sky
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
. (Mercurial Idaho State
Idaho State Bengals football
The Idaho State Bengals football program represents Idaho State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . As of the end of the 2010 season they have an all-time record of 449–463–20...
won the Big Sky and the Division I-AA title in 1981.) Davitch compiled a record of 15-29 (.341) in his four seasons in Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
and became the fifth consecutive head coach to fired. He was notified nine days before his final game (a 43-45 home loss to rival
Boise State – Idaho rivalry
The Boise State–Idaho rivalry is a college football game between the Boise State University Broncos and the University of Idaho Vandals, the only two Division I FBS programs in the state of Idaho. The game had been played annually from 1971–2010, and with the exception of the 2001–04 games, the...
Boise State
1981 Boise State Broncos football team
The 1981 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at Bronco Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Boise, Idaho...
, the defending I-AA national champions). Davitch was succeeded by 34-year-old Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
, hired on December 11. Idaho would achieve success in the next two decades and did not fire a head football coach for 22 years (Tom Cable
Tom Cable
-NFL:-References:...
after 2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
).
After Idaho
In 1982, Davitch returned to Tucson to work as an athletics administrator for the public school district and as a broadcaster for ArizonaArizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
football. While at Idaho in 1980, Davitch had interviewed for the Arizona head coaching position, which went to Larry Smith, then at Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
.
After several years in Arizona, Davitch returned to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and was the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Greater Johnstown High School
Greater Johnstown High School
Greater Johnstown High School is a high school located in between the neighborhoods of Moxham, 8th Ward and Hornerstown in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the senior high school for the Greater Johnstown School District. The current Superintendent is Barbara Parkins, herself a...
, from 1985–90. His record in six seasons was 37-23-3 (.611), and included a title in 1988. He was later the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at Conemaugh Township
Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Conemaugh Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,452 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
High School in Davidsville
Davidsville, Pennsylvania
Davidsville is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,119 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. Davitch was also the principal of CT High School, and later the superintendent of schools (1996-2004). In 2004 he became superintendent of schools in Richland Township, just northeast of his childhood hometown of Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Personal
While head coach at Idaho, Davitch married his wife Terry and both of their sons were born, Jim and Jerry. Both served as officers in the U.S. Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, as did their wives.
Head coaching record
External links
- College Football Data Warehouse - Idaho Vandals - head coaching records