Springfield will join the Liberty League as an associate member in the sport of football beginning with the 2012 football season. The announcement was made today by Jim McLaughlin, Liberty League president and athletic director at Union.

"We're delighted to welcome Springfield College as an associate member in the sport of football into the Liberty League," said McLaughlin. "We look forward to the participation and contribution of Springfield College for many years to come and we're excited to be increasing our presence in the New England area."

Springfield has been a member of the Empire 8 since the breakup of the Freedom Football Conference. The Empire 8 will be able to retain its automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs because associate members Frostburg State and Salisbury will be joining the league before Springfield departs. Buffalo State joins the Empire 8 in 2012, leaving the Empire 8 with eight football members in 2012. Springfield will join Worcester Polytech and Merchant Marine as associate members of the Liberty League in football. Full members Hobart, RPI, Rochester, St. Lawrence and Union comprise the remainder of the football playing institutions in the league.

"Springfield College football is pleased to accept the invitation extended it by the Liberty League to join as an associate member in 2012," said Springfield president Richard B. Flynn. "The Liberty League is a highly competitive conference comprised of outstanding academic and athletic institutions. It also allows us a well-balanced home and away schedule. We look forward to becoming a part of this conference."

"Springfield College is looking forward to building and rekindling relationships with such quality schools as those found within the Liberty League," added athletic director Cathie Schweitzer. "This move makes sense from a geographical and economic standpoint for Springfield College, and should benefit many of our constituencies, including fans, students, families, and friends of the football program."

Springfield coach Mike DeLong noted "Our football program is excited about the opportunity to compete in the Liberty League. The chance to compete in such a highly-regarded conference, and on more of a regional basis, should certainly benefit everyone involved with Springfield College football."

Originally founded as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association in 1995, the conference was renamed the Liberty League during the summer of 2004. Beginning with the 2011-12 academic year Bard and Rochester Tech, which do not sponsor football, will join the league as full members. Hamilton, which did not participate in Liberty League football, will depart in order to fully integrate its athletic programs within the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Wheaton graduate Pete Ittersagen has signed a contract to join the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Ittersagen signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars last April. He was in the Jaguars' training camp and played in Jacksonville's four preseason games as he accumulated six total tackles, including four solo stops. He recorded an interception in the Jaguars' first preseason game against Miami. He also returned two punts in the preseason, with returns of 14 and 13 yards.

Ittersagen graduated from Wheaton in December 2008 with a degree in business and economics. His 60 career passes defended, is fifth all-time in Division III history in the category. Ittersagen's five career punt returns for a touchdown established a school record, as did his nine career touchdown returns (five punt, three interception and one kick).

He is the program's all-time leader in punt return yardage with 65 punts returns for 1,075 yards (16.5 yards per return). The four-time All-CCIWselection at cornerback recorded 252 career tackles, with 189 solo stops.

Jim Bickel has resigned as coach at Capital effective immediately after nine seasons on staff, two as head coach, to take the defensive coordinator position at NAIA Ohio Dominican. He was 12-8 in two seasons.

Athletic director Dawn Stewart announced Capital has started a national search for a new coach. "Jim is a good coach with a strong work ethic," Stewart said. "We appreciate his service to Capital as he has been an integral part of the success of this football program. We wish Jim well in his new role at Ohio Dominican."

"I truly enjoyed nine great years at Capital," said Bickel who was named head coach at Capital, in 2008 after spending the previous seven seasons as associate head coach/defensive coordinator under Jim Collins.

Bickel's impact on the Capital program has been a smart, aggressive defense that has produced a national defensive player of the year, four All-American players selected a total of eight times, a school record 50 quarterback sacks in 2007 and a school-record 27 interceptions in 2002. Bickel was twice named the Ohio Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year (2002, 2007).

"I am very grateful to all of the men have played from the Crusaders and I am proud of what has been accomplished by the efforts of our players, coaches, alumni, faculty and staff throughout the years," Bickel said. "I am appreciative of the opportunities afforded to me by Capital and will be thankful for the fond memories and friendships that I have built over the past nine years."

Capital closed out the most successful decade in school history with a 7-3 record and a fourth place finish in the Ohio Athletic Conference in 2009. The Crusaders tallied 72 victories in 107 games over the past 10 seasons, which are the second most wins and second best winning percentage in the Ohio Athletic Conference during that time span. Capital also made the second most NCAA Tournament appearances in the decade among OAC teams with trips to the postseason in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Widener announced that Isaac Collins, defensive coordinator for The Citadel has been named the university's 22nd football coach. Collins becomes the first African-American head football coach in Widener history, and only the fifth active one in NCAA Division III.

Collins joins Chapman's Bob Owens, Salisbury's Sherman Wood, DePauw's Robby Long and another offseason hire, Greenville's Ordell Walker, as the only African-American head football coaches in Division III out of nearly 240 programs, according to D3football.com research.

Collins previously served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Delaware in 2005 and at Lehigh from 2000 to 2003. In addition, Collins participated in the National Football League Minority Fellowship Program, completing coaching internships for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2001 and the New York Giants in 1999.

“We were looking for a head coach whose values align with Widener's mission and who has the ability to lead our team to success on and off the field. We found both of those qualities in Isaac Collins,” said Widener president James T. Harris III, a member of the NCAA Executive Committee and chair of NCAA Division III.

“Widener has a great football tradition and I am honored to be selected to continue that tradition,” Collins said. “I'm familiar with the high level of competition in the Middle Atlantic Conference, and I look forward to the challenge.”

Collins had previously been an assistant coach at Hobart from 1994 to 1998, serving as defensive coordinator in his final year there. He was also an assistant at Columbia from 1998 to 2000, and the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Holy Cross from 2004 to 2005.

Collins earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1994 from Rochester, where he was captain of the football team in 1993 and was named conference offensive player of the year in 1992.

After a nationwide search yielded more than 130 applicants, Puget Sound has named Jeff Thomas football coach. The 2009 Division III AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year has served as the offensive coordinator for Redlands for the past three years before recently moving over to the defensive coordinator position.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be the next head football coach at the University of Puget Sound. I will bring an enthusiastic, well-disciplined approach to the football program," said Thomas. "I look forward to working hand in hand with our team as we develop the success on the field that our student-athletes already experience off of it."

Thomas has been a member of the Redlands staff since 2003 and the team has won two SCIAC titles. He has worked both sides of the ball serving as coach of the defensive backs and wide receivers as well as serving as special teams coordinator. As the offensive coordinator, Thomas helped lead the Bulldogs to various school-record performances, including total offense in a single game with 677 yards on Nov. 3, 2007.

"Puget Sound is very fortunate to have an individual who brings a dynamic level of enthusiasm and confidence to Logger football,” said Puget Sound director of athletics Amy Hackett. “Coach Thomas has a clear competitive vision for our program and will enhance the overall educational experience for our student-athletes."

In addition to his on the field responsibilities, Thomas is the recruiting coordinator and the athletics department technology liaison. He has also been active in community outreach projects spearheading a blanket and food drive for the San Bernardino Mission, leading two team trips to New Orleans to help with the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and coordinated a seven-day building effort for Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, he organized a project that entailed planting more than 4,000 trees in four days throughout the San Bernardino National Forest.

A four-year letter-winner and senior captain at Redlands, Thomas began his career as a quarterback but then developed into one of the most decorated defensive backs in Redlands history. He won numerous accolades as he helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA playoffs in 2002. His play earned him a spot on the U.S. team in the 2002 Aztec Bowl.

Thomas graduated with a bachelor's degree in Government from Redlands and was named CoSIDA Academic All-District as a senior. In late 2005, Thomas completed his masters from Redlands' school of education.

Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon caught 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown as Indianapolis defeated the New York Jets 30-17 on Sunday to reach Super Bowl XLIV.

Garcon, who was a two-time D3football.com first team All-American at receiver for Mount Union, gives Division III football a player in the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. Former Trinity (Texas) receiver, Jerheme Urban, himself a D3football.com first-team All-American, played in Super Bowl XLIII for the Arizona Cardinals last season, catching a pass for 18 yards.

"It's all up to awesome work from the guys ahead of me, like Reggie (Wayne), Gonzo (Anthony Gonzalez), all the guys," Garcon said on CBS after the game, holding the flag of Haiti, where he has relatives. "They just tell me to stay motivated and keep it in there and just play hard, because that's all it about -- trying to do it for the country."

Garcon has caught 63 passes for 950 yards and five touchdowns this season, despite missing the final two games of the regular season because of injuries.

Nico Botembe, a recent Wartburg alumnus and member of the football team, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, as a result of lupus. Botembe played a key role on the defensive line for the Knights from 2006-08, earning first team all-Iowa Conference honors at the end of the 2007 season and helping lead Wartburg to the NCAA Division III national quarterfinals and an Iowa Conference championship in 2008.

As a senior, Botembe had 35 tackles, 19 solo, including 11 tackles for loss and six sacks as Wartburg went 10-3.

"Nico was a kind, thoughtful, and fun-loving guy of huge stature," recalled Wartburg coach Rick Willis. "He was a gentle giant who was respected and loved by his teammates and classmates alike, certainly as popular a player as we have had in our program with everyone. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he has touched."

According to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, Botembe was born March 3, 1987, in Tanzania. He graduated from Wartburg in 2008 with a degree in international business and a minor in French.

After four seasons at the helm of the Austin football team, coach Ronnie Gage will be stepping down from that position after accepting the same position at Barbers Hill ISD in Mont Belvieu, Texas. Gage will also serve as Barbers Hill's athletics director.

Gage was 17-22, 9-17 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

"My time at Austin College has been an enjoyable experience," said Gage. "I have met many people through the experience and have made many friends. The people I have worked with and worked under are first class. I will miss the players and I know the program is headed in the right direction. Their commitment and effort are commended. Austin College is a first-class institution, and I know the high standards of success will always be a draw."

Gage came to Austin prior to the 2006 campaign, and the 'Roos led the SCAC in rushing each of the four years. Austin also finished among the top rushing teams in NCAA Division III every year over that span.

"We are thankful for the time that we had Ronnie Gage as our head football coach," said vice president for Student Affairs and Athletics Tim Millerick. "He was instrumental in moving the program to a new, improved level of competition as we transitioned to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference."

"As I understand it, this move is a very good one for Ronnie and his family," added Millerick. "On behalf of the entire Austin College community and in particular those associated with the athletics family, I thank Ronnie for the effort he put forth here and wish him all of the best."

Before coming to Austin, Gage was a two-time Texas 5A State Championship coach at Lewisville High School, compiling a career record of 137-60-9 in his 18-year high school coaching career. His teams won five district championships over that span. Gage also formerly served as the president of the Texas High School Coaches Association, and in 2009 was inducted into the THSCA Hall of Honor in recognition of his accomplishments.

Whitworth's request for a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA for All-American running back Adam Anderson has been approved, according to Northwest Conference commissioner Matt Newman. Anderson will now have another year of eligibility and can play for the Pirates in 2010.

"We are excited that Adam has been granted another year of eligibility," said Whitworth coach John Tully. "Having his leadership, work ethic and ability back for this coming season greatly enhances our team's chances to make another run at the league championship and participate in the national playoffs."

Anderson played in only one full game in 2009. He suffered a severe ankle sprain on the opening kickoff of Whitworth's second game of the season, against La Verne. He attempted to return in the fifth game of the year, at Willamette, but re-sprained the ankle in the first quarter and missed the remainder of the season.

Anderson, a two-time NWC Offensive Player of the Year, concluded the 2008 season as a D3football.com Second Team All-American and First Team All-Region honoree. Anderson led NCAA Division III in all-purpose yards (243.8) per game and was second in the nation in scoring average (16.89 points per game). He led the NWC in rushing yards (139.9 yards per game), touchdowns (25), total points (152) and all-purpose yards. He posted a school record 324 all-purpose yards in a 41-35 win at Chapman and scored a school-record six touchdowns and ran for 217 yards in a 40-29 win at PLU.

In addition to the single game records noted above, Anderson holds Whitworth school records for single season all-purpose yards (2,194 in 2008), single season touchdowns (25 in 2008) and single season total points (152 in 2008). He is also Whitworth's all-time record holder for career touchdowns with 38 in just over two seasons as a Pirate.

Mount Union coach Larry Kehres will lead the American Football Coaches Association in 2010 as president of the organization.

Kehres, who moves up from first vice-president of the Association, succeeds outgoing president Dick Tomey of San Jose State. Kehres was elected president by members attending the Association's 2010 convention this week in Orlando.

"Serving on the board has been a great honor," Kehres said. "Moving into the presidency is an even greater honor and responsibility. I'm going to do the best that I can to live up to what it has become under the men who preceeded me."

In addition to Kehres, 2010 AFCA officers include first vice-president Rob Ash of Montana State; second vice-president Tim Murphy of Harvard and third vice-president Rich Rodriguez of Michigan.

Also serving on the Board in 2010: Mike Welch, Ithaca; Jim Tressel, Ohio State; Mack Brown, University of Texas; Lee Owens, Ashland; Jim Grobe, Wake Forest; Bill Cronin, Georgetown (Ky.); Lou Tepper, Indiana (Pa.); Frank Solich, Ohio; Randy Edsall, Connecticut; Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt; Turner Gill, Kansas; Mike Riley, Oregon State; Gary Patterson, TCU and Bobby Kennedy, Texas, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee. Patterson and Kennedy are newly elected members of the board this year. AFCA executive director Grant Teaff serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.

One of the most successful coaches in college football history, Kehres has led Mount Union to 10 Division III championships in 24 seasons at the school. He ended the 2009 season with a staggering career record of 289-22-3 (.925) at his alma mater. His career winning percentage is the best in the history of college football at any level.

Kehres has won more AFCA National Coach of the Year awards (9) and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year awards (14) than any other coach in the history of the association. Mount Union set the NCAA all-division record for consecutive wins with 55 in a row from 2000-2003. Kehres also guided the Purple Raiders to a 54-game winning streak from 1996-1999, which was the previous all-division record. Mount Union has won 139 of its last 140 regular season games and has an overall record of 139-5 (.965) this decade. He has guided Mount Union to 20 Ohio Athletic Conference titles, including a current streak of 18 in a row.

A 1971 graduate of Mount Union, Kehres began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 1971. He served as the head coach at Johnstown (Ohio) High School in 1973 before returning to Mount Union as an assistant coach in 1974. He was named athletic director in 1985 and still holds that position. After one year serving only as athletic director he became head coach in 1986.