Steve Dunlap

College coach infobox


Name = Steve Dunlap
| DateOfBirth = Birth date and age|1953|2|4|mf=y
Birthplace = Hurricane, West Virginia
DateOfDeath =
Sport = College football
College = West Virginia
Title = Assistant head coach, Safeties coach
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord =
Conf Record =
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID =
Player =
Years = 1973-1975
Team = West Virginia
Position = Inside Linebacker
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1976-1981
1981-1984
1984-2000
2000-2004
2004-2006
2007
2008-"present"
CoachTeams = West Virginia (assistant)
Navy (assistant)
West Virginia (assistant)
Syracuse (assistant)
North Carolina State (assistant)
Marshall (assistant)
West Virginia (assistant)

Steven Dunlap (born February 4, 1953 in Hurricane, West Virginia) is an American football coach for West Virginia University. Dunlap is currently the assistant head coach and safeties coach.

Playing career

Steve Dunlap was a three-year letterwinner at inside linebacker at West Virginia University for current Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden. Dunlap was a member of the 1975 team that defeated North Carolina State in the Peach Bowl, 13-10. He also set school records for most tackles in a single season, 190 tackles, and most tackles in a game, 28 tackles against Boston College. He also ranks ninth on the all-time school list in career tackles with 359 tackles in three seasons of varsity action.

Coaching career

Early career

Steve Dunlap served as a graduate assistant for West Virginia from 1976 up to 1978, becoming a part-time assistant until 1981. In 1982, Dunlap accepted the defensive line coaching opening at the United States Naval Academy.

West Virginia University

1984-2000

In 1984, Steve Dunlap returned to West Virginia University to coach the inside linebackers under head coach Don Nehlen. That season, the Mountaineers won the 1984 Blue Bonnet Bowl. Dunlap continued to coach inside linebackers until 1986.

In 1987, Dunlap moved to defensive backs. During this tenure, Dunlap coached school legends: Bo Orlando and Darrell Whitmore. Orlando eventually played professional football in the NFL, while Whitmore played Major League Baseball.

Dunlap was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1991, and eventually returned to coaching linebackers in 1993. Dunlap remained as the defensive coordinator until 2000, when Don Nehlen retired from the head coaching position and Rich Rodriguez took over.

During his tenure under Don Nehlen, Dunlap coached teams with .500 or better records in 12 of his 17 coaching years and made 10 bowl game appearances, including the 1989 Fiesta Bowl and the 1993 Sugar Bowl for national championships. Dunlap's 1996 defense ranked first in the nation and was a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award for the nation's best assistant coach. Dunlap also mentored 16 All-East and All-Big East selections, including All-American defensive back Bo Orlando and All-American linebacker Canute Curtis. He also coached school legends Aaron Beasley, Mike Logan, Gary Stills, Chris Haering, and John Browning.

University of Syracuse

Following his departure from West Virginia University in 2000, Steve Dunlap joined the University of Syracuse staff as the linebackers coach. Following the 2001 season, he was promoted to assistant head coach. Dunlap coached school greats Academic All-American Rich Scanlon, freshman All-American Kelvin Smith, and Kellen Pruitt. Scanlon moved from outside to middle linebacker and eventually earned All-Big East honors. Dunlap also coached linebacker Charles Burton, who eventually moved on to play in the NFL Europe league and with the Arizona Cardinals.

North Carolina State and Marshall

Steve Dunlap left the University of Syracuse in 2004 to become the new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for [North Carolina State for the 2005 season. That season, the Wolfpack ranked 8th in the nation in total defense. Dunlap also coached three first-round NFL Draft selections, including #1 selection Mario Williams.

Dunlap left North Carolina State after the 2006 season, to become the defensive coordinator for Marshall University under Mark Snyder in the 2007 season.

West Virginia University

2008

After being hired by Marshall University to coach as the defensive coordinator in 2007, Dunlap would eventually leave the Thundering Herd. After head coach Rich Rodriguez departed West Virginia University for the University of Michigan head coaching position, interim head coach Bill Stewart led the Mountaineers to a 48-28 upset victory over the University of Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Stewart was hired the next day, January 3, as the Mountaineers' 32nd head coach.

On January 9, 2008, Bill Stewart announced he would be hiring Steve Dunlap from Marshall and former West Virginia football player David Lockwood from the University of Kentucky as assistant coaches. Dunlap was hired as assistant head coach and safeties coach under defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. [ [http://www.register-herald.com/sports/local_story_009231919.html?keyword=secondarystory The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia - Mountaineers coach Stewart to hire Dunlap, Lockwood ] ] Dunlap would also be returning to work with defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich, whom he coached with during his previous tenure at West Virginia, and former Mountaineer player David Lockwood.

External links

* [http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?sport=football&show=64 Steve Dunlap's WVU Profile]
* [http://www.suathletics.com/sports/football/2001/dunlapbio.asp Steve Dunlap's Syracuse Profile]
* [http://herdzone.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/dunlap_steve00.html Steve Dunlap's Marshall Profile]