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Randy Awrey

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Randy Awrey
Current position
TitleHead coach (football)
TeamPerquimans County HS (NC)
Biographical details
Born (1956-04-27) April 27, 1956 (age 68)
Iron Mountain, Michigan, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1974–1977Northern Michigan
Position(s)Running back, cornerback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1981Westwood HS (MI) (freshmen)
1982–1985Michigan Tech (DB)
1986–1989St. Lawrence (DC)
1990–1993Kentucky Wesleyan
1994–1998Lakeland
1999–2007Saginaw Valley State
2008–2011Northern Michigan (DC)
2012Marietta (DC)
2013–2017Concordia (IL)
2018–presentPerquimans County HS (NC)
Track and field
1982–1986Michigan Tech
1986–1990St. Lawrence
Head coaching record
Overall134–106–1 (college football)
TournamentsFootball
4–5 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 IBFC (1996–1997)
2 GLIAC (2000, 2003)
Awards
Football
2× IBFC Coach of the Year (1995–1996)
GLIAC Coach of the Year (2003)

Randy Awrey (born April 27, 1956) is an American football coach, former player, and former track and field coach. He is the head football coach at Perquimans County High School in Hertford, North Carolina, a position he has held since 2018. Awrey served as the head football coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College (1990–1994), Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (1994–1998), Saginaw Valley State University (1999–2007), and Concordia University Chicago (2013–2017), compiling a career college football coaching record of 134–106–1. He was also the head track and field coach at Michigan Technological University from 1982 to 1986 and St. Lawrence University from 1986 to 1990.

Awrey played college football as a running back at Northern Michigan University from 1974 to 1977 and was a member of the 1975 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team, which won the NCAA Division II Football Championship title. He has been inducted in the athletics hall of fame at Northern Michigan, St. Lawrence, Lakeland, and Saginaw Valley State.

Early years and playing career

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Awrey was born and raised in Iron Mountain, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He was a childhood friend of Steve Mariucci, with whom he played college football at Northern Michigan University.[1] Awrey played for the Northern Michigan Wildcats football team as a cornerback during his freshman year before switching to running back. As a sophomore on the 1975 Northern Michigan team, he scored the winning touchdown on a 67-yard run in the second half of the Camellia Bowl, earning MVP honors for the game as the Wildcats captured the NCAA Division II Football Championship title over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.[2][3] As a senior, Awrey earned honorable mention on the 1977 Little All-America college football team by the Associated Press. He finished his career for the Wildcats with 2,096 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 45 receptions for 487 yards receiving. He graduated in 1978 from Northern Michigan with degrees in criminal justice, business administration, and physical education and health.[4]

Coaching career

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In 1981, Awrey coached the freshman football team at Westwood High School in Ishpeming Township, Michigan.[5]

In February 1990, Awrey was hired as the head football coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky, succeeding Billy Mitchell, who had been fired the previous November.[6] He resigned from his post at Kentucky Wesleyan in 1993 after leading the Panthers to a record of 11–29 in four seasons. His 1993 squad went 6–4, achieving the program's first winning season since the school reinstituted the sport in 1983 following a 50-year hiatus.[7]

Awrey moved on to Lakeland College—now known as Lakeland University—in Plymouth, Wisconsin, where he was introduced as the school's new head football coach in February 1994.[8][9] After a 4–6 campaign during his first year at Lakeland in 1994, Awrey's Muskies improved to 6–3–1 overall in 1995 with a mark of 4–2 in Illini–Badger Football Conference (IBFC) play, and he was named IBFC Coach of the Year.[10] In 1996, Lakeland improved again to 8–2, winning the IBFC championship as Awrey repeated as the conference's coach of the year.[11] The Muskies won a second consecutive IBFC title in 1997 with a perfect 10–0 season. Awkrey resigned after the 1998 season to become the head football coach at Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan. He finished his five-year tenure at Lakeland with a record of 35–14–1 and the best winning percentage (.700) of any head coach in program history.[12]

Awrey was the head football coach at Saginaw Valley State for nine seasons, from 1999 to 2007, compiling a record of 76–27. He has the highest winning percentage (.738) of any head coach Saginaw Valley State football history.[13]

Honors

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Awrey was inducted into the athletic hall of fame at Northern Michigan in 1998 and at Saginaw Valley State in 2022.[14][15]

Head coaching record

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College football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs AFCA#
Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (NCAA Division III independent) (1990–1992)
1990 Kentucky Wesleyan 0–10
1991 Kentucky Wesleyan 2–8
1992 Kentucky Wesleyan 3–7
Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (NCAA Division II independent) (1993)
1993 Kentucky Wesleyan 6–4
Kentucky Wesleyan: 11–29
Lakeland Muskies (Illini-Badger Football Conference) (1994–1998)
1994 Lakeland 4–6 2–4 T–3rd
1995 Lakeland 6–3–1 4–2 T–2nd
1996 Lakeland 8–2 5–0 1st
1997 Lakeland 10–0 5–0 1st
1998 Lakeland 7–3 4–3 4th
Lakeland: 35–14–1 20–9
Saginaw Valley State Cardinals (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1999–2007)
1999 Saginaw Valley State 4–6 4–5
2000 Saginaw Valley State 9–3 9–1 T–1st L NCAA Division II First Round 4 (Northeast)
2001 Saginaw Valley State 11–2 9–1 2nd L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal 9
2002 Saginaw Valley State 9–3 8–2 T–2nd L NCAA Division II First Round 15
2003 Saginaw Valley State 12–1 10–0 1st L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal 1
2004 Saginaw Valley State 7–3 7–3 4th 25
2005 Saginaw Valley State 11–2 9–1 2nd L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal 3
2006 Saginaw Valley State 6–4 6–4 T–4th
2007 Saginaw Valley State 7–3 7–3 T–2nd
Saginaw Valley State: 76–27 69–20
Concordia Cougars (Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference) (2013–2017)
2013 Concordia 2–8 1–5 6th
2014 Concordia 1–8 1–5 T–5th
2015 Concordia 2–8 0–6 7th
2016 Concordia 4–6 2–4 5th
2017 Concordia 3–6 1–5 T–5th
Concordia: 12–36 5–25
Total: 134–106–1
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ Wood, Mike (November 13, 2021). "Perquimans football coach Randy Awrey: He chose the right profession". Elizabeth City Daily Advance. Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Glass slipper fits 'Cinderella' Wildcats". Escanaba Daily Press. December 15, 1975. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Northern Michigan wins Division II". The Gadsden Times. Gadsden, Alabama. Associated Press. December 14, 1975. p. 57. Retrieved November 19, 2010 – via Google News.
  4. ^ Suwanski, Rich (February 17, 1990). "KWC names Awrey head football coach". Messenger-Inquirer. Owensboro, Kentucky. p. sports, 1. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ Suwanski, Rich (February 17, 1990). "Awrey (continued)". Messenger-Inquirer. Owensboro, Kentucky. p. sports, 5. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  6. ^ "U.P. teams in playoff picture". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, Wisconsin. October 11, 1981. p. C4. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  7. ^ "The Thrill of Victory..." Messenger-Inquirer. Owensboro, Kentucky. December 31, 1994. p. 8B. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  8. ^ Knuth, Michael (February 18, 1994). "Head Musky knows rebuilding". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. p. B1. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. ^ Knuth, Michael (February 18, 1994). "Muskies (continued)". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. p. B2. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ^ "Lakeland's big season rewarded by conference". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. November 24, 1995. p. B10. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ^ "Honors roll in for Lakeland football". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. November 22, 1996. p. B2. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  12. ^ "Lakeland football coach accepts job in Michigan". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. February 16, 1999. p. B12. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  13. ^ DeLassus, David. "Saginaw Valley State Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  14. ^ "Randy Awrey (1998) – Hall of Fame". Northern Michigan University. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  15. ^ "SVSU announces Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022". Saginaw Valley State University. April 28, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
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