Mike Ayers
Encyclopedia
Mike Ayers is the current head football coach of the Wofford
Terriers
located in Spartanburg, South Carolina
. He has filled the position since 1988. Wofford College, with an enrollment of 1,550 students, is one of the smaller National Collegiate Athletic Association
college football
schools in Division I. The Terriers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision as members of the Southern Conference
.
and offensive tackle for the Bengals of Georgetown College. He also played for the baseball team and competed in gymnastics and wrestling.
for Georgetown College in 1974 and 1975. He again performed the role of assistant during stops at Newberry
and Richmond
. In 1980 Ayers arrived at Wofford as defensive coordinator for the Terriers under head coach George F. "Buddy" Sasser. Ayers followed Sasser to East Tennessee State
where he resumed his role as defensive coordinator before taking over the head coaching position in 1985. Ayers was hired as the head coach of the Terriers in 1988. Wofford moved up to Division I-AA in 1995 and joined the Southern Conference in 1997. Under Ayers, the Terriers have claimed three Southern Conference football championships, in 2003, 2007 and 2010, and participated in the playoffs five times. Ayers won the Eddie Robinson Award
, given to the most outstanding FCS head coach, in 2003 after guiding the Terriers to a 12–2 record.He holds the black belt in karate, and is an accomplished artist and bass fisherman.
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
Terriers
Wofford Terriers
Wofford College sponsors 18 sports for men's and women's programs. The Terriers also compete in the Southern Conference, and have been a part of the league since the 1997–98 academic year. Wofford and the other SoCon members play football in the Football Championship Subdivision...
located in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
. He has filled the position since 1988. Wofford College, with an enrollment of 1,550 students, is one of the smaller National Collegiate Athletic Association
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...
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...
schools in Division I. The Terriers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision as members of the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
.
Playing career
Ayers played linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and offensive tackle for the Bengals of Georgetown College. He also played for the baseball team and competed in gymnastics and wrestling.
Coaching career
Ayers began his coaching career as a graduate assistant and defensive coordinatorDefensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for Georgetown College in 1974 and 1975. He again performed the role of assistant during stops at Newberry
Newberry College
Newberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
and Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
. In 1980 Ayers arrived at Wofford as defensive coordinator for the Terriers under head coach George F. "Buddy" Sasser. Ayers followed Sasser to East Tennessee State
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
where he resumed his role as defensive coordinator before taking over the head coaching position in 1985. Ayers was hired as the head coach of the Terriers in 1988. Wofford moved up to Division I-AA in 1995 and joined the Southern Conference in 1997. Under Ayers, the Terriers have claimed three Southern Conference football championships, in 2003, 2007 and 2010, and participated in the playoffs five times. Ayers won the Eddie Robinson Award
Eddie Robinson Award
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The award was established by The Sports Network in 1987 and is voted upon by the division's sports information directors and selected sports writers...
, given to the most outstanding FCS head coach, in 2003 after guiding the Terriers to a 12–2 record.He holds the black belt in karate, and is an accomplished artist and bass fisherman.