|
Bill McGovern is set to enter his ninth season as linebackers coach (and 12th overall) at Boston College. McGovern was one of two coaches (along with defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani) who remained on staff following the hiring of Jeff Jagodzinski as head coach.
In 2007, McGovern helped senior linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar earn All-ACC Second Team awards. Both Dunbar and sophomore linebacker Mark Herzlich placed within the top 20 of the ACC in total tackles. BC's defensive core finished last season ranked within the top 20 nationally for scoring and total defense.
McGovern came to BC in 2000 after serving as defensive backs coach at Pittsburgh for three seasons. At Pitt, he coached two first-team All-Big East selections (Hank Poteat and Ramon Walker) in 1999. He began his coaching career in 1985 as freshman coach at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a part-time coach at his alma mater, Holy Cross, from 1986-87 and defensive backs/kickers coach in 1991; defensive backs coach at the University of Massachusetts from 1987-90 and defensive coordinator 1992-93; and defensive backs coach at BC from 1994-96 (and interim defensive coordinator in 1995) before accepting the Pittsburgh position.
McGovern has become known as one of the top recruiters in the Northeast and his linebackers have received numerous ACC and Big East honors. In 2006, in fact, Jolonn Dunbar was named National Defensive Player of the Week when he scored two of BC's three defensive touchdowns vs. Maryland. Dunbar was also named MVP of the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl when he finished with a game-high 14 tackles (10 solos) and a key fumble recovery late in the game that led to a last-second field goal to secure BC's 25-24 win over Navy.
He has coached or recruited notable BC linebackers including Frank Chamberlin, Scott Bradley, Vinny Ciurciu, Josh Ott, Ricky Brown, Ray Henderson and Brian Toal. In 2004, Henderson (two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Week) topped the Big East with .5 interceptions per game (fourth in the nation) and Toal was named Big East Rookie of the Year.
A native of Oradell, N.J., McGovern was a four-year starter at defensive back for Holy Cross before his graduation in 1985. He set a single-season record for interceptions (11) for I-AA and was a consensus first-team All-America (I-AA) selection in 1985. He is a member of the Holy Cross Hall of Fame and has been named to the Bergen County (N.J.) All-Century Team.
McGovern played a key role in recruiting New Jersey linebackers Frank Chamberlin and Gerald Hayes, both of whom went on to play in the NFL.
McGovern has coached in nine collegiate bowl games, including the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl, the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl, the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl, the 2003 Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, the 2002 Motor City Bowl, the 2001 Music City Bowl, the 2000 Aloha Bowl, the 1994 Aloha Bowl (in his first stint at BC) and the 1997 Liberty Bowl with Pittsburgh.
McGovern lives in Ashland with his wife, Colleen, and daughters Amanda, Delainey and MacKenzie.
|
|
|||||||||||||
