Recruiting Areas – Northern New Jersey, Southern Texas, Western Florida
Mark Fabish was named interim head coach of the Columbia football program for the 2023 season on August 4. This season marks his ninth with the Lions after serving as associate head coach and as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach since 2016. Under Fabish, Columbia has built some of the most successful, efficient, and dynamic offensive units in the school's football history.
Since taking over as offensive coordinator, his hybrid spread offenses have averaged 328.8 yards per game and completed 58.0 percent (1,145-1,971) of its passes. That offensive production enabled Columbia to amass 27 victories since 2016, its highest win total in such as span since the institution joined the Ivy League in 1956.
Fabish recruited former Columbia standouts Josh Wainwright, Rory Schlageter, Ben Mathiasmeier, Mike Roussos and Daniel DeLorenzi, who earned First Team All-Ivy League honors a combined seven times during their careers.
Over his career, Fabish has played a key role in winning five total Ivy League Championships. After winning two Ivy League titles as a student-athlete at Penn in both 1993 and 1994, Fabish helped guide the Quakers to three Ivy championships in five years as a coach.
In 2022, Columbia’s offense put up 26.5 points per game, racked up 362.5 yards of total offense per game and scored 34 touchdowns, which are the highest marks in all three categories since 2000 and rank in the top five on the team’s single-season charts. The Lions tied a school record with 30 first downs in a win at Georgetown and led the Ivy League in third down conversion rate (46.7 percent). Columbia’s quarterbacks combined for a 61.4 percent completion percentage, which sits No. 2 on the program’s single-season list. More impressively, the Lions accomplished the feats after incumbent starter Joe Green, who set a school record completing 64.5 percent of his passes in 2022, missed the final five contests of the season due to injury.
Fabish handed the keys over to sophomore quarterback Joe Green, who earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, in 2021 after the Lions came out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Green finished the season with 1590 yards, 11 total touchdowns and threw three interceptions during a 7-3 campaign. Columbia also posted 162.7 yards per game on the ground, utilizing the power of Ryan Young (551 yards, three TDs) and speed of Dante Miller (814 yards, four TDs), who each went on to earn All-Ivy League honors.
In 2019, Rory Schlageter became the first Columbia tight end to earn First Team All-Ivy League honors since Andrew Kennedy in 2010.
Despite suffering injuries to over 25 key players, Columbia completed its 2018 season with a 6-4 overall and 3-4 Ivy League record. Amazingly, Columbia won games while starting four different quarterbacks as six different players saw action behind center and seven different players threw forward a pass in 2018. Despite losing Columbia’s top-two passers, top two receivers and its top-two rushers for major stretches of the season, the Lions still averaged 306.3 yards of offense per game. Columbia also led the nation in fewest fumbles lost (1) and ranked No. 16 nationally in time of possession (332:29). Two offensive Lions earned All-Ivy League honors including wide receiver Kyle Castner and offensive lineman Parker Coogan and due to the injuries, several new faces emerged with productive seasons including quarterback Ty Lenhart (59.2 completion percentage, 74-125 for 778 yards), running back Ryan Young (365 yards on 98 carries) and Castner (41 receptions for 430 yards), who emerged as a triple-threat wildcat quarterback.
A key factor in helping Columbia to its best season in 21 years with an 8-2 overall and second place finish in the Ivy League with a 5-2 record, Fabish’s 2017 offense featured superior speed, athleticism, and depth. The Lions averaged 359.3 yards of total offense per game and 240.8 yards passing per contest, 23.9 points per game, 20.0 first downs per game, and converted 43.3 percent (69 of 159) of its third downs. In addition, Columbia was a threat to score every time it gained possession as the offense combined for 46 “big plays” totaling 20 yards or more and 16 plays spanning 40 yards or more. Quarterback Anders Hill put together a senior season that saw him set a school-record for completion percentage (63.4 percent), throw for 2,407 yards and 16 touchdowns, while completing 206 of 325 passes. Wide receiver Josh Wainwright set a school-record for season receiving yards with 1,001 on a team-high 78 catches and eight touchdowns, Ronald Smith (31 catches for 437 yards) provided big-play potential and running back Chris Schroer (638 rushing yards on 137 carries) emerged at the end of the season as a threat in the running game. In the end, five offensive players earned All-Ivy League honors including Wainwright (First Team), Hill (Second Team), offensive lineman Bewley Wales (Second Team), offensive lineman Markham Paukune (honorable mention) and Smith (honorable mention).
In 2016, Columbia’s youthful wide receiver corps took a major step forward as two first-years—Josh Wainwright (42 receptions for 515 yards, 5 TD) and Ronald Smith (21 catches for 342 yards, 4 TD)—emerged as key playmakers. In addition, seniors Scooter Hollis (36-363) and Cameron Dunn (32-332, 2 TD) both made major contributions. In 2015, Fabish’s first season at Columbia, the Lions’ receiving corps was led by Hollis, who hauled in 51 catches for 515 yards, the most receptions and receiving yards by a Lion in five years.
Previously, the former University of Pennsylvania football standout spent six years on the Quakers' coaching staff, with his first four seasons coaching tight ends and his last two as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
During the 2014 campaign at Penn, Fabish coached two wide receivers to All-Ivy League recognition in Spencer Kulcsar (first team) and Conner Scott (honorable mention). Kulcsar ranked first in the FCS in receptions per game and 18th in receiving yards per game. That same year, Fabish coached Justin Watson to a runner-up finish for Ivy League Rookie of the Year after a record-setting freshman season at Penn with 42 receptions for 497 yards. In 2016, Watson would go on to earn runner-up honors for the Bushnell Cup. In his first season with the wideouts, Fabish coached two players into the school record book. Both Conner Scott and Ryan Mitchell entered Penn's all-time top-10 in career receptions and receiving yards. In 2011, tight end Luke Nawrocki earned honorable mention All-Ivy League for the third straight year under Fabish. Nawrocki had a string of 17 consecutive games with a catch during that time. He and the tight ends were also a part of the sixth-best rushing offense in the nation in 2010 and combined with the offensive line to allow the fewest sacks in the Ivy League for two consecutive years.
When Penn’s starting tight end was sidelined with an injury midway through the 2009 campaign, Fabish replaced him with Nawrocki, who went on to earn All-Ivy League honorable mention status despite starting just five games. Nawrocki ranked sixth on the team in receptions and second in touchdowns as a sophomore.
Fabish returned to Penn after spending the 2008 season at the University of Rhode Island as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. In addition to those roles, he was also put in charge of the Rams’ recruiting efforts. While at Rhode Island, Fabish guided wide receiver Brandon Johnson-Farrell to all-conference honors in his freshman season. Johnson-Farrell also broke the school’s single-season record for kickoff return yards under the tutelage of the former Quakers return specialist, while quarterback Derek Cassidy passed for nearly 3,000 yards and threw 15 touchdown passes in 2008.
Before his time at Rhody, Fabish spent 10 years at Monmouth University, the last six as the Hawks’ offensive coordinator. In 2007, the Hawks led the Northeast Conference (NEC) in passing offense (207.9 ypg) and placed three offensive players on the NEC First Team. In 2006, five members of the Monmouth offense earned All-Northeast Conference honors. The 2005 Hawks squad featured current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Miles Austin, who became the third player in the history of the Northeast Conference to post 1,000 yards receiving in one season (20.5 yards per reception). Monmouth captured its second NEC title in school history and MU's first-ever NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major National Championship in 2004.
Fabish spent two seasons as wide receivers coach and two more as quarterbacks coach prior to his appointment as offensive coordinator. He arrived at Monmouth following a tryout at the Atlanta Falcons mini-camp and a stint as the special team’s coordinator at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. in 1997.
Fabish enjoyed an illustrious playing career at Penn from 1993-96 as he helped the Quakers win two Ivy League titles while amassing an NCAA-record 24 consecutive victories from 1993-95. Penn did not lose a game until his junior season. The four-year letterwinner still holds dual school records as the all-time leader in career punt return yardage and kickoff return yardage. As the team's top receiver during his senior season in 1996, Fabish was named All-Ivy League and also received the Edgar Church Memorial Award, which is voted on by Penn letterwinners and granted to the one player who contributed most to the team's success.
A native of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey and a graduate of Bergen Catholic High School, Fabish led the Crusaders to back-to-back undefeated state championship seasons in 1991 and 1992. He was then a part of Head Coach Al Bagnoli's first recruiting class at Penn in 1993.
Fabish graduated from Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in American Civilization. He and his wife, Lara, have two sons, Thomas and Charlie.
THE MARK FABISH FILE
Hometown: Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, American Civilization, University of Pennsylvania, 1997; Bergen Catholic High School, 1993.
Family
Wife Lara, sons Thomas and Charlie.
Coaching Career
Offensive Coordinator, Tight Ends Coach, Columbia University, 2016-current
Offensive Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach, Columbia University, 2015-16
Passing Game Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach, University of Pennsylvania, 2010-15
Tight Ends Coach, University of Pennsylvania, 2009-10
Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, University of Rhode Island, 2008-09
Offensive Coordinator, Monmouth University, 2001-08
Quarterbacks Coach, Monmouth University, 2000-01
Wide Receivers Coach, Monmouth University, 1998-2000
Special Teams Coordinator, Don Bosco Preparatory High School, 1997
Playing Career
Four-year letterman at wide receiver at Penn (1993-96) … All-Ivy League receiver in 1996 … Led Quakers to two Ivy League championships, NCAA-record 24-game win streak from 1993-95 … Holds Penn school records as the all-time leader in career punt return average and kickoff return yardage.
