|
| Photo by Doug Sasse, d3photography.com |
Peter Jennings has been named the new head coach of the UW-Oshkosh football program following a national search. UW-Oshkosh athletic director Darryl Sims made the announcement at a press conference held March 1 at the campus's Culver Family Welcome Center.
Jennings was most recently the offensive coordinator for four seasons at UW-Whitewater from 2018-21, helping the Warhawks to a 39-4 record and three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.
Jennings takes over for former UW-Oshkosh head coach Pat Cerroni, who announced his retirement unexpectedly in November after 15 successful years at the helm. Cerroni compiled a program-best 109-45 record with four WIAC championships and each of the team's five NCAA postseason appearances.
"Peter has a great vision for Titan football," Sims said. "He has an innovative mind and has demonstrated the ability to work well with student-athletes and make them better both in the classroom and on the football field. Peter's enthusiasm is contagious and resonates well with players and coaches through his interactions. He also understands the makeup of our conference and knows what it takes to be successful in our league and at the national level."
Jennings becomes the 23rd head coach in the 126-year history of the UW-Oshkosh football program that has produced 11 WIAC titles and five NCAA Division III playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2016 national title game.
"It is with great humility and unabashed excitement that I accept the offer to become the next head football coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh," Jennings said. "Throughout my athletic career, as a player and a coach, I have had great teammates, great players, great coaches, great administrators, and unwavering support from my family.
"I would like to say thank you to the search committee, our athletics administration, Darryl Sims and Abby Gildernick, and our Chancellor, Dr. Andrew Leavitt. I am truly ecstatic that they have entrusted me to take the reins of one of the flagship programs in all of Division III football."
With Jennings directing the offense, UW-Whitewater advanced to the 2019 NCAA Division III championship game and reached the national semifinals in 2018 and 2021. The Warhawks compiled records of 13-1 in both 2018 and 2021, and 13-2 in 2019. The 2020 season was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
During his four years on the UW-Whitewater sidelines, Jennings' offenses averaged 41.6 points and 444.3 yards per game in 2018, 30.1 points and 376.7 yards per contest in 2019, and 40.9 points and 447.1 yards in 2021.
Jennings has mentored two UW-Whitewater quarterbacks who were voted WIAC Offensive Player of the Year in addition to 10 Division III All-Americans and one recipient of Division III's Rimington Award.
Prior to his tenure at UW-Whitewater, Jennings was the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Rhodes from 2016-18, the offensive coordinator at Carroll from 2012-16, and the offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan University from 2008-11. Jennings, who served as Iowa Wesleyan's interim head football coach during the 2009 offseason, also had stints as the Carroll passing game coordinator in 2011 and the interim head baseball coach at Carroll in 2013.
Jennings' offenses at Rhodes set program season records in total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns, total yards and passing yards. At Carroll University, Jennings helped the offense to its two highest scoring seasons in school history.
"I have been blessed to work for, or with, a ton of great people along my coaching journey," Jennings said. "The lessons I have learned being in their company was instrumental in me achieving my goal of becoming a head football coach at the collegiate level."
Jennings, a Fort Madison (Iowa) High School graduate, earned his bachelor's degree in psychology and exercise science from Illinois College in 2007. Jennings, who went on to receive his master's degree in psychology from Walden University (Minn.) in 2009, was the Illinois College starting quarterback for four years from 2004-07 after transferring from Bemidji State.
Jennings and his wife, Kim, are the parents of son, Ben, and daughter, Mara.
The UW-Oshkosh football program, which began in 1893, had just six different head coaches between 1946-2021. The Titans, who have clinched at least a share of four of the past nine conference titles, won their 11 league championships in 1920, 1923, 1928, 1935, 1968, 1972, 1976, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019. UW-Oshkosh reached the 2016 national championship game, the semifinal round in both 2012 and 2017, the quarterfinals in 2015, and the first round of the 2019 NCAA postseason.
UW-Oshkosh's current string of 10 consecutive winning seasons is the longest in program history. Last season the Titans had a 6-3 overall record, including a fourth-place 4-3 mark in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh produced recent records of 7-3 in 2011, 13-1 in 2012, 8-2 in 2013, 6-4 in 2014, 11-2 in 2015, 13-2 in 2016, 12-1 in 2017, 6-4 in 2018 and 8-3 in 2019.
"This job is truly one of the best in all of football," Jennings said. "We have a fantastic university with awesome academic offerings, an athletics department with 47 (and counting) national championships, a football program with a great foundation of success, and the Fox Valley region is a great place to live!
"I cannot wait to get to know our players and staff better. Throughout the interview process I was impressed with how much everyone I had contact with truly loved their experiences at UW-Oshkosh. There has been a ton of work put in by past players, coaches, supporters and administrators to get the UW-Oshkosh football program to where it is at."
Jennings and the Titans are scheduled to open the 2022 season at home against East Texas Baptist on Sept. 10 at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.