Al Molde

College coach infobox


Name = Al Molde
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DateOfBirth =
Birthplace =
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Sport = College football
College = Gustavus Adolphus College
Title = Athletic Director
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 94-62-2 [ [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=1649 All-Time Coaching Records by Year ] ]
Awards =
CFbDWID = 1649
Player =
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Position =
Coach = Trigger
CoachYears = 1987-1996
1983-1986
CoachTeams = Western Michigan
Eastern Illinois
FootballHOF =

Al Molde is the Director of Athletics at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, having held this position since 1997. Under his guidance, the Golden Gusties have finished in the top 20 in the NCAA Division III NACDA Director's Cup standings several times.

Coaching History

Western Michigan

Prior to his tenure at Gustavus, he was the head American football coach at Western Michigan University from 1987 through 1996, where he is tied as the winningest coach in school history (62-47-2) and led the Broncos to their only outright Mid-American Conference championship in 1988. At the time of his departure, he was also among the top 10 winningest coaches in college football, with nearly 200 wins in his 26-year career.

Molde's departure from WMU generated a significant amount of controversy. His contract was set to expire following the 1996 season, and then-WMU President Diether Haenicke along with Director of Athletics Jim Weaver had repeatedly promised an extension prior to the season. Heading into the 1996 season, Molde's teams had won seven games every year in the 1990s, but some untimely injuries, and a young and inexperienced team, caused the Broncos to lose their first nine games that year, something that had never happened during Molde's distinguished coaching career.

Ultimately, Weaver and Haenicke opted not to provide an extension, citing the poor start to the season, as well as "irreparable damage to the recruiting process" by Molde (who had gone public with the news immediately after being told by Weaver that he would not return as head coach for the 1997 season).Fact|date=March 2007 The 1996 campaign, in which WMU finished 2-9, [ [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=1649&year=1996 Coaching Records Game by Game ] ] was only his third losing season overall and came with that lineup full of young players -- many of whom would be a huge part of WMU's MAC West Division championship teams in 1999 and 2000, coached by Molde's successor Gary Darnell).

In June 2008, Western Michigan University announced that Molde will be inducted into the WMU Hall of Fame in a ceremony on October 31, 2008. Molde earned Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors in guiding WMU to its only outright MAC championship and a California Bowl berth in 1988. Among other highlights during his 10-year career at WMU, Molde boasts the highest home winning percentage (37-16, .698) in school history, is tied with former coach William Spaulding for the most career wins (62), coached 22 of the 100 players on WMU's "All Century Team," has the eighth-most victories among all-time MAC football coaches, and his teams led the MAC in passing offense five times (1987-88-90-92-94), total offense three times (1988-90-92), scoring offense once (1988), and rushing defense and scoring defense once (1994).

Eastern Illinois University

Molde was the 20th head college football coach for the Eastern Illinois University Panthers located in Charleston, Illinois and he held that position for four seasons, from 1983 until 1986. His career coaching record at Eastern Illinois was 32-15-0, and he guided his 1983 and 1986 teams into the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, with the latter team finishing the season with a record of 11-2 and one of the most prolific passing offenses in the nation. As of completion of the 2007 season, he is fourth at Eastern Illinois for total wins, and third at EIU for winning percentage. [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ohiovalley/eastern_illinois/coaching_records.php Eastern Illinois Coaching Records ] ] While the head coach at Eastern, he tutored current New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton),

Other coaching jobs

Other coaching stops included Central Missouri State University (1979-1982), University of Minnesota Morris (1970-78) and Sioux Falls College.

References

External links

* [http://www.eiupanthers.com/ Eastern Illinois University athletics website]