Dick Biddle just completed his 18th season with the Raiders.
(Editors Note — This story was written by John Painter, director of athletic communications. Contact him by email (jpainter@colgate.edu) or phone (315-228-7566) for information about Tuesday’s 1 p.m. news conference.)
Ʊ’s winningest head football coach has announced his retirement after 18 stellar seasons and seven Patriot League titles, leaving behind a legacy of championship play, outstanding mentorship and the class and dignity recognized nationwide as
stepped down today after 18 seasons as the Fred ’50 and Marilyn Dunlap Head Football Coach. Director of Athletics Victoria M. Chun 91, MA ’94 also announced that Associate Head Coach is succeeding Biddle as the 29th head coach in school history, effective July 1, 2014.
A news conference is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Ʊ Inn.
“My wife and I carefully considered this decision,” Biddle said. “Our love for Ʊ and Hamilton is unparalleled, but 18 years as head coach is a long time at any one place. Sometimes a change is good for everybody.
“I’ve had a great run here and accomplished many of my coaching goals. There are other things I want to do in my life, and this is the perfect opportunity for my wife and me to begin a new chapter.”
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Biddle, who just turned 66, retires as the winningest coach in history. He compiled a 137-73 (.652) overall record and won three out of every four conference games he coached, finishing 81-27 (.750) against league competition. The next-closest Patriot League coach is Lafayette’s Frank Tavani, who has 76 overall victories and 45 in conference play.
The Raiders legend also finishes 39-10 against the Ivy League, and his 18 seasons as head coach matches the great Andy Kerr for Ʊ football coaching longevity.
Biddle’s duties at Ʊ officially run through the end of the current academic year, but Hunt assumes all responsibilities for recruiting, spring practice and preparations for next season.
“Dick’s list of accomplishments is great, but what’s truly amazing is that he always acted with the utmost sportsmanship, humbleness and class,” Chun said. “He’s a man of few words, but when he does speak – whether it is a subtle joke or a life lesson – we all listen.
“His inspiration reached from the football field to the classroom to life after Ʊ.”
Five-Time Coach of the Year
In 2012, Biddle was named Patriot League Coach of the Year for the fifth time while guiding the Raiders to their seventh Patriot League title and seventh appearance in the NCAA playoffs.
Biddle achieved the best winning percentage of any Ʊ coach with seven or more years at the helm of the Raiders. He also is the first Ʊ coach to ever record nine straight seasons (1997-2005) with seven or more victories. In addition, 2012 marked his 14th campaign with at least seven victories.
“My career was supported by great coaches, players and administrators who stood behind our commitment to succeed,” Biddle said. “We won seven championships but three or four other times we were second and had a chance to win the championship, like this past year.”
A season that will be long remembered is Ʊ’s 2003 run to the national championship game. The Raiders won their first 15 games of the season – three in the NCAA playoffs – and Biddle was named the American Football Coaches Association Division I-AA National Coach of the Year.
“For a non-scholarship program with the highest academic standards to compete for a national championship speaks volumes about what that team was made of,” Biddle said. “That’s something Ʊ Football and I will never forget.”
Star Player at Duke
The Parkersburg, W.Va., native starred on the gridiron collegiately at Duke as a two-time All-ACC linebacker. He received All-America third team honors his senior year and played in the Blue-Gray and Hula Bowl all-star games. Biddle later was elected to Duke’s All-Century Team.
Prior to taking over the Raiders, Biddle’s coaching career took he and his wife, Sheila, to stops at Virginia Tech, Minnesota and Navy, along with two stints as a Ʊ assistant. Biddle began his coaching career at Allegheny in 1973 before meeting Sheila during his first tenure with the Raiders.
“My wife is a great supporter of mine,” Biddle said. “She was as much of the reason the program has been successful as I was. She’s a coach’s wife and knows a lot about football. I owe my whole career to her.”
Chun recognizes Biddle’s legacy and also appreciates the fact that he was wise enough to have a right-hand person like Hunt by his side all these years.
“Dick is a great coach, person and a dear friend who leaves a legacy of success and leadership at Ʊ,” Chun said. “Our football program has had an incredible line of legendary coaches: Andy Kerr, Fred Dunlap ’50 and Dick Biddle.
“Therefore, it was important to find a leader who is highly accomplished, has experienced success under a legendary head coach, has a proven history of recruiting success at a highly selective academic institution, inspires assistant coaches and players and, most importantly, understands how to develop and foster the kind of culture that fits Ʊ.
“We found all those things in our associate head coach, Dan Hunt.”
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Dan Hunt (left) becomes the 29th head coach in Ʊ football history.
Hunt, 44, has been by Biddle’s side since Biddle took over as Raiders head coach to begin the 1996 campaign. An immediate sign of the two men’s coaching abilities saw th