Coach Bagnoli Announces Football Staff
3/17/2015 3:09:00 PM | Football
Al Bagnoli, Columbia's Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football, has assembled an outstanding collection of coaches to join him on Morningside Heights.
“I am very pleased to officially announce the 2015 coaching staff. I have spent the majority of my short tenure trying to find the correct fit and balance relative to age, experience, Ivy League recruiting background, energy and football wisdom,” Coach Bagnoli said. “Given all of the great resources Columbia has, I had the good fortune of being able to attract a quality group of individuals who are not only excellent coaches, but are also outstanding teachers, recruiters and human beings. I feel quite confident they will do an excellent job representing our football program, athletic department and Columbia University.”
OFFENSIVE STAFF
Michael Faragalli will serve as Columbia's Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach of Offense and QB Coach.
Faragalli's resume includes extensive experience as both an assistant as well as a head coach. At the collegiate level, he has served as an assistant coach at Rhode Island (1981), Wisconsin (1982), William & Mary (1983-84), Bowling Green (1991-94 and 1996-99), Lafayette (2000-07), Richmond (2008-09), Virginia (2010-12), Virginia State (2013) and Christopher Newport (2014).
Bagnoli on Faragalli:
I have tried to hire Mike on several previous occasions during my tenure at Penn, but the timing never seemed to work. I have known him since our days competing against each other while he was at Lafayette and was always impressed with his offensive production and creativity as well as his play calling skills.
Jonathan McLaughlin will serve as the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator.
McLaughlin was at Penn with Coach Bagnoli for the past nine years as the offensive line coach, and was also the offensive coordinator for the Quakers for the past six years.
Bagnoli on McLaughlin:
Jon was my offensive coordinator and offensive line coach while I was at Penn. He was an integral part of our offensive staff, which produced three outright Ivy League championships. Jon is an excellent teacher, coach and recruiter and was the first person I reached out to hire. He will bring a toughness and tenacity to the offensive line.
Mark Fabish has been named Associate Head Coach and Wide Receivers Coach.
Fabish served as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Penn for the last six years. Fabish won two Ivy League Championships as a student-athlete and coached three championship teams on the sidelines at Penn.
Bagnoli on Fabish:
Mark was the other coach I “recruited” from Penn. Mark served as our wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator as well as a member of my offensive staff, which produced three outright championships. He is a former great player at Penn and part of my first recruiting class. Mark will be a great fit as he is a North Jersey native who played at Bergen Catholic.
Joseph D'Orazio will coach the tight ends.
D'Orazio, a 2011 Penn graduate and two-time first team All-Ivy League offensive lineman, has worked as the senior assistant to the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid, for the past few seasons.
Bagnoli on D'Orazio:
Joe is a former outstanding player at Penn who garnered multiple All-Ivy League honors at offensive center and was part of multiple championship teams. Joe was coached by Jon McLaughlin during his tenure at Penn, which should help us as we transition into a different offensive blocking scheme. Joe is a very bright, accomplished individual with an excellent future in coaching.
Todd Gilcrist will coach the running backs.
Gilcrist comes to Columbia from Carnegie Mellon University where he was the wide receivers coach. Gilcrist played football at the University of Pittsburgh for three years and graduated from Pitt in 2012.
Bagnoli on Gilcrist:
Todd was an outstanding player at the University of Pittsburgh, whom we first met when he worked our summer camps at Penn. Todd possesses outstanding people skills and is an excellent communicator and teacher. He will provide the program with great passion and energy. He will also do a great job relating to our current players.
DEFENSIVE STAFF
Paul Ferraro, a coach with more than 30 years of experience at the highest levels of football, has been named Defensive Coordinator.
Ferraro has coached at Dartmouth, Catholic University, Maine, Ohio, Bowling Green, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Central Florida, and the NFL's Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, and St. Louis Rams,.
Bagnoli on Ferraro:
Paul brings a wealth of experience as both a defensive coordinator and kicking game coordinator. He has coached at all levels of college as well as in the NFL. He possesses great technical expertise along with a long history of calling defenses. Paul has coached every position on defense and will bring a toughness and tenacity to that group.
Darin Edwards will coach the defensive line.
Edwards comes to Columbia from Fordham where he coached the defensive line last season. Previously, Edwards coached six years at Sacred Heart.
Bagnoli on Edwards:
I am very excited to have Darin join us. He was the defensive line coach at Fordham University last season and played an integral part in the development of an outstanding defensive front. He is an accomplished teacher, coach and recruiter. The staff and I were very impressed with his passion, energy level and technical expertise.
Justin Stovall will be the Linebackers Coach and Special Teams Coordinator.
Stovall has coached at Lehigh, Villanova and Franklin & Marshall.
Bagnoli on Stovall:
Justin is another one of our young coaches who possess great energy and will bring excitement and enthusiasm to our players and program. Despite his relative youth, he has extensive experience as both a positional coach, as well as a kicking game coordinator. I have known him since his playing days at Lafayette College where he was an accomplished all-league linebacker.
Jon Poppe has been named Secondary Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
Poppe comes to Columbia from Harvard where he worked with the secondary since 2011. Poppe also worked at Holy Cross and Springfield College.
Bagnoli on Jon Poppe:
Jon was one of the first coaches I targeted when I arrived. He has spent the previous five years working with the secondary at Harvard as well as serving as one of their west coast recruiters. A natural fit here, as both his father and brother are Columbia graduates, he is another North Jersey guy who went to Bergen Catholic and has great contacts throughout the state. Jon possesses an outstanding combination of technical expertise, a thorough knowledge of the league and a high energy level.
Full biographies of the new football coaching staff will be updated on gocolumbialions.com throughout the week. Check back daily!
