Marietta hires Wittenberg assistant
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Which new OAC coach will have the best 2013 season?
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Marietta athletic director Larry Hiser the hiring of Andy Waddle as the Pioneers’ head football coach.
- More moves in Coaching Carousel
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- Arth takes over at John Carroll
“We are excited and honored to welcome Andy to the
Marietta College family and community,” Hiser said. “We
were drawn to his impressive record of success as both a defensive
and recruiting coordinator.”
Waddle becomes the 29th coach in the program’s 117-year
history. The Pioneers played their 1,000th football game this past
fall when they traveled to Baldwin Wallace in the eighth week of
the season.
He replaces Jeff Filkovski, who stepped down last month after the Pioneers' 0-10 season concluded. He went 10-40 in five seasons.
“Along with quickly understanding our campus community,
Andy did an outstanding job of demonstrating his football knowledge
and vision for our program,” Hiser said.
With 10 years of collegiate coaching experience at three
institutions, Waddle brings a wealth of knowledge and a resume of
success to the Pioneer program.
“I’m excited about what’s going on at Marietta
College,” Waddle said. “The commitment the college and
Mr. Hiser have shown the football program with things like Don
Drumm Stadium and the weight room is what attracted me to Marietta.
It will help us recruit quality student-athletes to an already
strong curriculum. I am thrilled they chose me to lead Marietta
football into a new era.”
Waddle comes to Marietta after spending the last eight seasons at
Wittenberg. He joined the Tiger staff in 2005 as the defensive
secondary coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator a year
later.
Wittenberg won four North Coast Athletic Conference championships
and made four NCAA playoff appearances in the seven seasons Waddle
ran the defense. This past fall, the Tigers came from behind to
defeat Heidelberg in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.
Waddle’s 2009 Wittenberg defense led all divisions of the
NCAA in total defense and scoring defense. The Tigers allowed
opponents just 189.9 yards and 8.85 points per game as Wittenberg
tied the school record for wins with 12.
Waddle began his coaching career in 2003 at Mansfield as the
defensive backs coach. The NCAA Division II Mountaineers went 8-3,
a six-game improvement over the previous season, and recorded the
first winning season in nearly 30 years.
In 2004, Waddle moved to Division III Maryville (Tenn.) where he
coached the defensive secondary. The Scots improved dramatically
winning as many games in 2004 as they had in the previous three
seasons combined. Defensively, Maryville made a 17-point and
140-yard per game improvement.
An All-NCAC defensive back, Waddle played for two North Coast
Athletic Conference championship teams and made three NCAA playoff
appearances at Wittenberg. He spent two seasons at the University
of Findlay prior to transferring to Wittenberg. Waddle was
red-shirted during the Oilers’ 1997 NAIA national
championship season and was a starter the following year.
Waddle received a bachelor’s in sociology from Wittenberg in
2003. He is currently pursuing a master’s in health and
wellness from Liberty.
A native of Enon, Ohio, Waddle and his wife Kerry Jean are
involved with the Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry and have raised
nearly $20,000 while registering 1,000 potential bone marrow
donors.
