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| Juniata athletics file photo |
Juniata head football coach Tim Launtz, a 1980 graduate of the institution, has announced his retirement.
Launtz, who has been associated with the program for 24 years and has served as head football coach since 2011, will stay on at the college in another role, which was not announced.
"We thank Tim for his leadership, integrity, commitment to our student-athletes, and for how he and his program have represented Juniata," said athletic sirector Greg Curley. "There truly isn't a better 'Juniata Man.' We are excited for this new chapter in his Juniata experience and look forward to his continued positive impact on the lives of our students, student-athletes, and our entire community."
Launtz compiled a record of 28-63 during his nine-year run as head coach, and his first-ever win was against Susquehanna in 2011, which brought The Goalpost, the trophy in the longstanding rivalry between the two schools, back to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, for the first time since 2008. The team continued to progress on an upward trajectory, in his third year he led the program to a 7-4 record including a trip to the ECAC Southwest Bowl against Albright. The team went 6-3 in Centennial Conference play that year, with six of the seven wins being by double digits. He was named the Centennial Coach of the Year following the 2013 campaign.
Launtz has served Juniata in a number of important roles, inside and outside of athletics. For 14 years, he worked in residential life and was the director of public safety from 2008-2011.
"I want to thank Juniata College, and all the Juniata men I had the opportunity to coach," stated Launtz. "Nine years ago, Juniata took a chance on hiring me as a head football coach, knowing the program had to go a different direction. It wasn't going the Juniata way, and that is the direction I tried to take the program. I hope we were able to accomplish that. We tried to truly embody the idea of the student-athlete to give our Juniata men a wholesome experience."
He expressed his appreciation for the support he received in leading the program.
"It was very gratifying to work for an athletic director who cared and who supported and understood the importance of the experience for the student-athlete," Launtz said. "I would also like to thank all of the assistant coaches I have had the opportunity to coach with over the past nine years. I worked with some really great men. The record of the young men we had the opportunity to coach is undefeated because they are men of integrity, of honor, and they will be great men, great fathers, great leaders, and great friends. I am going to miss it, but it is time for a change, and I look forward to my new role at Juniata College."
During his seasons as head coach, he coached two D3football.com All-Region players, and one CoSIDA Academic All-American. He coached 28 all-conference award winners, one Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year and one Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
A national search shall begin immediately.