DeLane Fitzgerald heads into his second year as the head coach for Southern Virginia Football. Fitzgerald spent time as an assistant before taking over for the Knights in 2009. In his first campaign with SVU, the team faced off against solid NCAA D.II and D.I competition in the early phases of the season. A young team looking to gel found its way under Fitzgerald's leadership, and the team responded winning three of the last four games. The Knights also scored a win against traditional rivals Apprentice in the Oyster Bowl. Fitzgerald is looking to the solid late season improvement for the momentum heading into his second year at the helm.
Fitzgerlad started with the Knights as an assistant coach in 2006 and assumed the role of offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2007. He was the special teams coordinator and secondary coach in 2006. In his first season as offensive coordinator, Fitzgerald led the offense to its most productive season in program history. Southern Virginia’s offense set every single-game and season school record for yards gained (rushing, passing and total) and points scored in 2007. The Knights finished seventh in the NAIA in total offense (474.30 yards per game) and 16th in scoring (31.70 points per game) in 2007.
Prior to coming to SVU, Fitzgerald served as the offensive coordinator at Bethel College during the 2005 season. Bethel is an NAIA school that plays in the Mid-South Conference Western Division. The Wildcats finished the 2005 season 7-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play, winning the Western Division.
Fitzgerald’s offense was a big part of Bethel’s success in 2005. The Wildcats finished the season ranked fourth in the NAIA in total offense (453.8 yards per game), third in rushing offense (272.8 yards per game), seventh in pass efficiency rating (140.2) and 10th in third-down conversion percentage (43.1 percent).
In all, Bethel totaled 3,001 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground and 1,991 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air. Fitzgerald coached two 1,000-yard rushers in 2005 who averaged over 6.3 yards per carry.
Fitzgerald’s first coaching job was as the defensive coordinator at Bridgton Academy, a college preparatory school in North Bridgton, Maine. He then served as the defensive line coach at James Madison, his alma mater, in 2002. Following his stint with the Dukes, Fitzgerald was the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at University of Tennessee at Martin from 2003-2004.
Fitzgerald’s collegiate playing career began at Potomac State Junior College where he played quarterback and wide receiver. He was a two-year starter and a captain in 1996, his sophomore season. That year Fitzgerald earned the James “Horse” Lough Award for leadership.
After finishing at Potomac, Fitzgerald completed his eligibility at James Madison. After redshirting in 1997, he was a two-year starter in 1998 and 1999 at running back. Fitzgerald earned first-team Academic All-Atlantic 10 honors both seasons and in 1999 was a game captain and helped the Dukes capture the Atlantic 10 conference championship with an 8-4 record. That season James Madison defeated Connecticut and South Florida, teams that made the jump from NCAA Division I-AA to Division I-A the next season.
Fitzgerald graduated from James Madison in December of 1999 with a bachelor’s of science degree with a major in kinesiology and a minor in coaching.
Contact Information:
Football Office
Southern Virginia University
One University Hill Drive
Buena Vista, VA 24416
Arena
540-261-4244 office
540-261-8434 fax
delane.fitzgerald@svu.edu
Patrick Arrington is returning for his second season as the Knight's assistant running backs coach. Arrington will also serve as head equipment manager for the Knights during the 2010/2011 school year.
In Arrington's first season with SVU he helped coach the running backs during the 2009 campaign and fulfilled other duties for the team. Arrington played for the Knights in the 2006 season.
He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Roseville, CA., and is married to Aubrey Arrington. The couple live in Buena Vista, and have one son, Seth.
Anthony Buchanan enters his second season as the Defensive Line
coach for the Knights. Buchanan will also have special teams and
strength & conditioning responsibilities added to his duties
for the team. Buchanan came to the team in 2009 after serving as
the Defensive Line/Pro Liaison coach at Johnson C. Smith University
for three years. Prior to his stint at Johnson C. Smith University,
he was the Tight Ends Coach at Tennessee Tech University for two
years. Before moving onto to Tennessee Tech University, he was an
assistant at Scottsdale Community College where he was Tight
Ends/Recruiting Coordinator and coordinated the Strength &
Conditioning program over football.
Buchanan started his coaching career at his alma mater, Wingate
University, during the spring of 1999 working with the defensive
line, linebackers and special teams. He was at Wingate through the
spring of 2001. He handled multiple duties there including
recruiting for North Carolina, South Carolina and North
Georgia.
While an undergraduate at Wingate, Buchanan was a two year starter
for the 1997 & 1998 seasons as defensive tackle/rush end where
he was third on the team in quarterback hurries. Prior to that, his
playing days were for Phoenix College for the 1995 & 1996
seasons, where he was third on the team in quarterback sacks.
Originally born & raised in Seattle, WA., he received his
bachelors degree in liberal studies in December of 2000 from
Wingate University and then his master's of arts in instructional
leadership (summa cum laude) from Tennessee Tech University in May
of 2006. Buchanan and his wife, Debbie, have four children; Calvin,
Michael, Maleah, and Zion.
Tyler is entering his first season as the offensive line coach for Southern Virginia University after a standout career as a player for the Knights.
Card was a three year starter for SVU at the center position and an NAIA Honorable Mention All American in 2009. He was selected to the 2010 NAIA College Fanz All-Star game. Along with his Honorabl Mention as All-American, Card was a Third Team All-Independent team member. Voted a pre-season All-Independent member, Card finished off his season as one of the best centers SVU has ever had.
The 2009 season was not the only season of excellence, as Card was a member of the 2007 team which recorded the first winning season in program history, and was also recorded the most wins out of all of the independents in the NAIA.
Ryan Colt is entering his first season as an assistant coach at Southern Virginia University after four years as a standout player for the Knights. Colt will serve as the assistant defensive line coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach during the 2010/20011 school year.
He played four years at defensive tackle for Southern Virginia in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Also long snapped for the team in 2009. Colt was a member of the 2007 team which went 6-5, and recorded the first winning season in program history. With Colt the team also finished off with the best record of all NAIA Independents.
Andres Gispert is entering his first season as an assistant football coach at Southern Virginia University. He will serve as the Wide Receivers coach and Video Coordinator for the Knights during the 2010/2011 school year.
Gispert played four varsity sports while in high school and was All-county in each sport (Football, Soccer, Baseball, and Track & Field). In 1998 he graduated with honors from Miami Coral Park Senior High School; he later attended Air Force, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with honors from Nova Southeastern University.
Coach Gispert began his coaching career in the spring of 2002 at Miami Booker T Washington Senior High School coaching Football and Track& Field. He served as Offensive Coordinator under Head Coach Tim Harris the 2007 USA Today Football Coach of the Year. During coach Gispert’s five years at Booker T Washington the team accumulated a record of 67-7 with 8 District titles, 8 Regional titles, and in 2007 he assisted both the Football and Track & Field teams to State Championship titles. Coach Gispert was selected as a 2007 Under Armour All American coach.During his time at Booker T Washington the team boasted academic excellence, as 128 of 132 players that graduated from the school earned or are working towards a diploma from an institution of higher learning.
In 2008 Gispert served as Head Coach at Hillsborough Baptist School in Tampa, FL where he led Hillsborough Baptist to a 12-2 record and the school’s first State Championship title. Coach Gispert was selected as the Florida Christian Association of Christian and Parochial Schools coach of the year; and once again was selected as an Under Armour All American coach. In 2009 Coach Gispert completed a spring coaching internship at Webber International University; he later moved on to serve as the Video Coordinator with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League.
Justin Graff is entering his first season as a student assistant coach at Southern Virginia University. He will be serving as the assistant defensive backs coach and assistant equipment manager during the 2010/2011 school year.
Graff was a standout high school athlete playing varsity football all four years as a fullback and linebacker. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Riverside California. Graff is married to his wife Vanessa Koller, and the couple live in Buena Vista.
Corey Hall is entering his third year at Southern Virginia. Hall will move to coaching the tackles after a two year stint wit the tight ends. Hall is a Rockbridge County local who played football at Rockbridge County High School. He went on to play collegiately at Ferrum where he played long snapper for the Panthers. Hall is married to his wife Heather and they have a daughter, Makayla.
Don McCaulley enters his first year as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Southern Virginia Football team. McCaulley's career has spanned the globe with stops in several states and a stint in Italy coaching football. He has five stops at NCAA D.I schools on his resume, and has coached at all of the Rockbridge County area colleges.
His career started as the head football coach of Xeria High School in Xeria Iowa from 1960-1965. A graduate assistant position with Indiana University followed in 1966, and then Coach McCaulley moved on to be the Head Freshman coach at Richmond University in 1967. The year-long stint in Virginia would be his first coaching stop in the state would not be his last as he then moved to Chico State in California from 1968-1974. McCaulley was a member of the staff at Chico that took the team to a NCAA D.II championship game against Boise State.
The time at Chico was the first of five different times McCaulley was a defensive coordinator. After Chico State, he moved on to the University of Utah for two years, and then to Weber State for the 1978-1979 seasons. He returned to Virginia, coaching linebackers from 1980-1990. MCCaulley then made a trip abroad as he coached for the Ravenna Team in Ravenna, Italy for the 1991-1992 season. 1993 saw him at eventual SVUrival Apprentice, as the defensive coordinator. The two year stint then led him to his first trip to Rockbridge County with time spent as the linebackers coach at the Virginia Military Institute. In 2004 he returned to Apprentice, and then followed that in 2007 with a trip to the other Lexington, VA school, Washington & Lee.
Rad Patterson is entering his second year at Southern
Virginia. Patterson will change roles from coaching the
defensive backs to taking on the linebackers this season.
Prior to Southern Virginia he was the Head Coach at Parry McCluer
High School from 2004-2008. He was also an Assistant Coach at
Parry McCluer from 1990-2003. Rad was a successful Defensive
Back at Bridgewater College. He also was a first team
All-State selection and led his high school to a state title in
1983.
Rad graduated with a BS in Health and Physical Education for
Bridgewater and from James Madison with a MS in Education.
His wife is Angie and they have three children; Conrad, Katy, and
Maggie.
Ben Wilson is entering his first season as the running backs coach for Southern Virginia University after a standout career as a player for the Knights.
A self made college football player, Ben was a two year starter on the offensive line, three year long snapper, and 2nd team all independent in 2009. Wilson played on the 2007 team that will go down in history as one of the best offensive teams in the NAIA. Wilson helped an offensive line that ran and passed its way to high NAIA rankings in offensive categories, and the strong statistics helped push the team to the first winning record in program history.
Wilson is a returned missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He served in the Brisbane Australia Mission. He is married to his wife Mickenzie, and the couple live in Buena vista.
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