Head Coach/ Defensive Coordinator: Geoff
Harlan
Associate Head Coach/ Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan
Michaeles
Head Coach Geoff Harlan |
Head Coach Geoff Harlan is in his fourth
season at the helm of the Hawks. In addition to his duties as head
coach, Harlan serves as the team’s defensive coordinator and
secondary coach.
Harlan has been at Saint Anselm since March of 1997 when the school
resurrected a football program that had been dormant before his
arrival, literally. As a result of World War II, Saint Anselm discontinued
football in 1941 and did not field a team again for 57 long years.
Harlan has not missed a beat since coming to the Hilltop.
Harlan has guided the Hawks to a 15-14 overall record, 14-12 in
conference play over the past three years. Saint Anselm played its
first varsity game on September 11, 1999, a 46-18 thrashing of UMass
Lowell in front of a celebrated capacity crowd. The 1999 team surprised
almost everyone by finishing the season at 4-5 overall, 4-4 in conference
play.
With an even more impressive 6-4 overall record in 2000, and a 4-1
home record last season, it is clear that Harlan and his Hawks are
on the right path as Saint Anselm begins another chapter, this time
in the newly-formed Northeast-10 Conference.
The 2000 football season got off to a rough start for Harlan and
his staff. The team started out with three straight losses by a
combined score of 105-48, their closest game a 12-point loss to
UMass Lowell. However, Harlan’s Hawks showed their mettle by
winning six of their remaining seven games including five straight
to close out the season.
Tabbed as a playoff contender prior to the 2001 season, Harlan’s
Hawks might already have the first letdown season in the program’s
revival with the team ending at 5-5 both overall and in the conference.
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A closer look reveals a program taking even bigger steps despite
winning one less game than in 2000. The Hawks broke single season
records in almost every category and found a refreshing ground game
to complement the team’s feared air attack.
The Hawks posted a 4-1 record in the friendly confines of Grappone
Stadium which included a homecoming win over Bryant. With 15 wins
in the first three years of the program’s new life, Harlan
has earned the respect of his coaching peers, and his team is largely
considered one to watch alongside traditional powers AIC and LIU
C.W. Post.
Harlan’s coaching experience was extensive before he took the
reigns at Saint Anselm as his first head coaching position. Before
coming to the Hilltop, Harlan had been an assistant coach at Division
I-AA Villanova for nine successful seasons. He joined Villanova
as a graduate assistant secondary coach in 1988. One year later,
he was named the outside linebacker coach, and also focused on Villanova’s
special teams.
In 1993, Harlan took over for the Wildcats’ defensive line
but his x’s and o’s experience extended beyond the chalkboard.
During his nine seasons, Harlan served as the academic coordinator.
For three years, he served as Villanova’s strength and conditioning
coach, overseeing all of the college’s 20 athletic teams. Harlan
was also the team’s video coordinator.
Harlan’s recruiting skills were, and are now, employed across
a vast array of regions across the east, northeast and midwest.
Harlan’s recruiting efforts have brought him across New England,
New York and New Jersey, and have extended as far away as Kentucky,
Florida, Ohio and Illinois.
During his tenure in Pennsylvania, Harlan was part of a program
that won two Yankee Conference championships and a handful of national
top 20 rankings.
Harlan’s direction of the team’s defense was impressive.
During the 1991 Yankee Conference Championship season, the Wildcats
finished first nationally in overall scoring defense and second
nationally in total defense. A year later, Villanova finished ranked
#10 nationally among I-AA colleges, while ending the year ranked
number one nationally in rushing defense and won the prestigious
Lambert Meadowlands Trophy as the top I-AA team in the East.
During his career at Villanova, Harlan also guided three players
to All-Yankee Conference Honors and another to All-ECAC accolades.
Harlan’s experience began in the small town of Barrington,
R.I., where he was a three-sport standout, excelling in football,
swimming and track.
He began his college football playing and coaching at perennial
Division III power Middlebury College, where he was a three-year
(1982-85) letterman for the Panthers.
After graduating from Middlebury with a degree in English, Harlan
stayed on as a graduate assistant coach in charge of the team’s
defensive line and the college’s freshmen team. He also served
as an assistant coach on the baseball team.
In 1987 Harlan moved on to Hobart College where he served as defensive
line coach under then head coach Richard Taylor. There, Harlan coached
a Division III All-American, was in charge of the junior varsity
defensive team, and served as assistant coach for the college’s
lacrosse program. At the conclusion of that year, Harlan moved south
to Pennsylvania and began his tenure with the Wildcats.
Harlan resides in Concord, N.H. with his wife, Megan and their three
children, Merritt, Jack and Grace.
Associate Head Coach
Jonathan Michaeles |
Associate Head Coach Jonathan Michaeles:
Jonathan Michaeles enters his third season with the Saint Anselm
football program.
Coach Michaeles served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks
coach in his first season and was promoted to associate coach prior
to the 2000 season.
In addition to his associate position, Michaeles continues his duties
as offensive coordinator for a potent Hawks program, and serves
as the team’s academic advisor.
Under Michaeles’ watchful eye, the Hawks have averaged 22.2
points per game over the last two seasons. In the team’s first
year of play, Michaeles’ unit averaged nearly 300 yards per
game (298.4).
Last season, the team put up an impressive 317.2 yards per game
using a balanced attack. The Hawks surpassed 500 total yards in
a game four different times including a 610 yard outburst in a 39-33
win over SCSU in the season finale. In fact, in the Hawks’
five-game win streak at the end of the season, the offensive unit
averaged 486.8 yards, gaining at least 457 in four of the five games.
Michaeles has coached four all-conference players in two years at
the Hilltop with two players being selected in both 1999 and 2000.
Michaeles comes to Saint Anselm after gaining considerable coaching
experience at the Division III and most recently, Division I-AA
college football level.
Michaeles has two seasons of Division I-AA experience, one season
at Fordham University as the wide receivers coach and recruiting
coordinator, and one year in the Ivy League as the wide receivers
and tight ends coach at the University of Pennsylvania.
A native of Sturbridge, Mass., Michaeles has been in the coaching
ranks since graduating from Bates College in 1992 where he earned
a degree in political science. He was a four- year letter winner
with the Bobcats football program in the New England Small College
Athletic Conference.
After graduation, Michaeles returned to his hometown where he spent
two seasons at Tantasqua Regional High School as the assistant head
coach and head coach of the junior varsity and freshman program.
One year later, Michaeles joined the staff at Division III Allegheny
College in Meadville, Pa., as the wide receivers, tight ends and
kickers coach. In three seasons, Michaeles was part of a program
that garnered an impressive 29-3 mark and qualified for two NCAA
Division III national tournaments under Head Coach Ken O’Keefe,
the winningest NCAA coach of the 1990s.
Michaeles has worked a number of summer football camps since 1994,
particularly the Vermont All-Star Football Camps, which enabled
him to begin his college coaching career at Allegheny.
While at Allegheny, Michaeles coached current Miami Dolphins wide
receiver Ronny Anderson who graduated from Allegheny as the Gator’s
all-time leading receiver.
Michaeles is a resident of Manchester, N.H.
Linebackers Coach David Rozumek |
Linebackers David Rozumek:
Returning for his second season at Saint Anselm is linebackers coach
David Rozumek.
Many in the New Hampshire area will remember Rozumek as a 1976 graduate
of the University of New Hampshire, where he dominated the outside
linebacker position for four seasons.
Rozumek captained the 1975 and ‘76 squads, earning the team’s
MVP award in his junior year.
Rozumek graduated with a BS in Secondary Education and was drafted
in the 15th round of the NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
As a Chief, Rozumek played five seasons, four of which came as a
starter at the middle linebacker position. Rozumek was elected defensive
captain of the team, replacing legendary Willie Lanier upon his
retirement. Rozumek played with the Chiefs until 1981 when a shoulder
injury ended his professional career.
In 1982, the University of New Hampshire elected Rozumek to the
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Rozumek owned and operated a supermarket in Nashua, N.H. from 1981
until 1992, leaving the business to his family to pursue his teaching
and coaching career.
Since 1992, Rozumek has been the defensive coordinator at Salem
(N.H.) High School, guiding a defensive unit that ranked first among
Division II schools in overall defense in 1995. Rozumek is a regular
at the Penn State coaching clinic in Happy Valley.
Rozumek is a resident of Salem, N.H.
Running Backs Coach Mike Vaillett |
Running Backs Michael Vaillett:
Running Backs coach Michael Vaillette returns to Saint Anselm for
his second season on the Hilltop.
Vaillette brings with him 28 years of experience in football coaching,
as well as a wealth of knowledge about the Northeast-10 Conference.
Vaillette has spent 13 seasons in the college ranks, most recently
with the River Hawks of UMass Lowell. Vaillette started at Lowell
in 1996, serving in the role of Defensive Coordinator until last
season when he was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
Prior to working at UML, Vaillette coached at
Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., for seven years from 1988
until 1995. He coached the offensive line and special teams unit
for four seasons before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator.
A native of Leominster, Mass., Vaillette has been a physical education
teacher at the high school level since 1971. He also coached the
football team from 1970 to 1985, the last five years as Head Coach.
His teams posted a 36-15-1 (.710) record and won three Central Massachusetts
Super Bowls. In 1982, Vaillette was named the Massachusetts State
Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Vailette is a 1970 graduate of Springfield College where he earned
a degree in physical degree while earning two varsity letters. He
earned his masters degree from Cambridge College 1995 with a degree
in education.
Tight Ends Coach
Jim O'Keefe |
Tight Ends Coach Jim O'Keefe:
Jim O’Keefe returns to the football sidelines after a one-year
hiatus for his second season with the Saint Anselm program in 2002.
Coach O’Keefe brings a wealth of football coaching experience
from his collegiate playing days in the Division I ranks of New
England.
O’Keefe was a four year varsity letterwinner for the University
of Connecticut. He graduated from UConn in 1978 with a degree in
Physical Education and went on to coach for three seasons with the
University of Rhode Island.
O’Keefe moved to New Hampshire in 1984, and since that time,
has remained very active in the sport, assisting numerous high school
and youth programs in the Concord, N.H. area, spending last year
at Bishop Brady HS.
Defensive Line, Special Teams Coach Walter
Fletcher |
Defensive Line Walter Fletcher:
Walter Fletcher returns to the Saint Anselm program for his second
full season as defensive line coach.
Fletcher coached a pair of All-Conference players in 2000, Lance
Flagg and Matt Savino.
After giving up 105 points in the first three games of the 2000
season, the defense picked up the slack and held its final seven
opponents to just 134 points.
Coach Fletcher came to the Hilltop from Cornell University, where
he interned as an assistant coach while also assisting in football
operations and team relations for two seasons. Fletcher oversaw
the team’s work-study students and assisted in game-day operations.
Fletcher is a native of Pittsfield, Maine, and is a 1999 graduate
of Ithaca College where he completed a degree in sports management
and a minor in coaching with football certification.
In the fall of 1998, Fletcher was an assistant coach at Dryden High
School in Dryden, N.Y., where he also worked with the JV program.
Wide Receivers Coach
Kevin Magouirk |
Wide Receivers Kevin Magouirk:
New to the Saint Anselm football family this season is Kevin Magouirk.
Magouirk, who is in his first season as a collegiate coach, comes
to the Hilltop after a three-year career at the University of South
Carolina.
Magouirk, a native of Mandeville, La., transfered to S.C. from the
University of West Alabama. He brings a great deal of big game experience
to the team, having seen action in several games as a Gamecock,
including one Outback Bowl.
Magouirk graduated from S.C. in May 2001 with a degree in Retail
Management but aspires to stray from that field into coaching where
he hopes to one day be head coach of a top college program.
Offensive Line Coach Michael Wells |
Offensive Line Coach Michael Wells:
Also new to the Saint Anselm football family this season is
Michael Wells.
Wells, who is in his first season as a collegiate coach, comes to
the Hilltop after a four-year career at the University of New Hampshire
in Durham, N.H.
Wells was a four-year starter on the Wildcats’ defensive line
and also played at the offensive guard and center positions for
two years.
In his senior season, Wells started all 11 games for the Wildcats
and was the seventh-leading tackler on the team. He totaled 51 tackles
including 19 solo efforts and eight for a loss. Wells also illustrated
a nose for the ball, recording one sack, intercepting a pass and
recovering one fumble.
Wells graduated from UNH in May 2002 with a degree in Sport Studies
and a minor in psychology. In addition to his football career, Wells
was a member of the school’s track and field team and was a
recipient of the James T. Hayes Memorial Scholarship.
Wells hails from nearby Salem, N.H. He has been an instructor at
fellow coach Dave Rozumek’s Football Camp since 1995 as an
offensive and defensive line coach.
Team Chaplain Fr. John Fortin, O.S.B.:
Father John Fortin, O.S.B., serves an important role for the Saint
Anselm College football team as a personal advisor to all members
of the program. He has been the team’s chaplain since the program
formed with its exhibition season in 1998.
Father John is a fixture on the sidelines for all Hawks football
contests and is highly respected for his advice and guidance. He
is a widely respected proponent for Saint Anselm athletics and he
serves as chaplain and provides support for the Hawks men’s
ice hockey program which has won two ECAC Division II titles over
the past three years.
Fr. John has been a member of the Saint Anselm community since 1967
when he enrolled as an undergraduate. He professed his first vows
in 1970 and graduated from Saint Anselm in 1971 with a degree in
philosophy.
After being ordained to the priesthood in 1976, Fr. John went on
to earn a Master’s Degree at St. John’s College (N.M.)
in 1979, his MMS in 1984 and his Ph.D. in 1992, both from the University
of Notre Dame.
Father John served as dean of students for four years and is currently
an associate professor in the philosophy department.