Aug. 4, 2003
Duquesne University Director of Athletics Brian Colleary announced today that the contract of head football coach Greg Gattuso has been extended through the 2007 season. Gattuso, who is in the final year of a four-year contract, has posted a 82-26-0 record in 10 seasons at DU.
"Greg has done a tremendous job of building and maintaining a championship-caliber program here at Duquesne," said Colleary. "I don't know of very many schools that can match the level success Greg has achieved at DU. His record speaks for itself. We are very pleased he will be the head football coach here through 2007."
Gattuso, a former standout defensive lineman under Joe Paterno at Penn State in the early 1980s, has guided the Dukes to six Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League titles in the last eight years (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), while earning league Coach of the Year honors five times (1995, '96, '99, '00 and '02). He is entering his 11th season at Duquesne as the third-winningest active coach at the NCAA Division I-AA level.
"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to coach at Duquesne, and I am thrilled to be able to stay here," said Gattuso. "Duquesne has been a great place for myself and my family. I'm looking forward to continued success."
Gattuso, 40, is also closing in on the Duquesne school record for career wins. Only Dan McCann (1970-83, '88-92), winner of 91 games in 19 seasons, has posted more victories than Gattuso's 82 in 10 seasons. Gattuso, a Pittsburgh native, also ranks second only to McCann in longest tenure as head coach of the Dukes.
I-AA ACTIVE FOOTBALL COACHES BY WINNING PERCENTAGE
minimum five years as I-A / I-AA head coach - entering 2003
Mike Kelly, Dayton 22 206-41-1 .832Al Bagnoli, Penn 21 163-51-0 .762GREG GATTUSO, DUQUESNE 10 82-26-0 .759Pete Richardson, Southern 15 126-47-1 .727Roy Kidd, Eastern Kentucky 39 315-123-8 .715Joe Gardi, Hofstra 13 105-42-2 .711
DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY HEAD COACH GREG GATTUSO 82-26-0 (.759), 11th season
* Five-time MAAC Football League Coach of the Year (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 & 2002). Has led the Dukes to league titles in six of the last eight seasons. Has now guided the Dukes to four of the six 10-win campaigns in DU's 75 recorded seasons of football.
* Has won 75.9 percent of his games (82-26-0) in 10 seasons at Duquesne, including a 57-7 mark in the MAAC.
* Has produced three Associated Press All-Americans in the last seven seasons: specialist Joe Rosato (1996), LB Matt Fisher (1998) & DB Leigh Bodden (2001 & '02). DU has also had three Verizon Academic All-Americans over that same span: Bob Nithman (1996), Mike Hilliard (2002) and Joe Pavlick (2002).
* Has had a league-high total of 48 players named All-MAAC a total of 75 times in 10 seasons.
* The 2002 Dukes (11-1, 8-0) finished the season ranked 1st nationally in total defense (188.0 ypg.), 1st in scoring defense (9.58 ppg.) and 2nd in pass defense (95.0 ypg.). The DU offense averaged 33.1 points (11th nationally) and 406.5 yards per game (19th nationally). Duquesne, who finished the year ranked No. 2 among the nation's I-AA Mid-Major programs, received votes in the ESPN/USA Today and Sports Network I-AA polls during the season. The Dukes were just the second Mid-Major to ever achieve a ranking in both polls.
GATTUSO'S CAREER RECORD
Year Team Overall Pct MAAC Place1993 Duquesne 4-6-0 .400 n/a n/a1994 Duquesne 6-4-0 .600 4-3 3rd1995 Duquesne 10-1-0 .909 7-0 1st1996 Duquesne 10-1-0 .909 8-0 1st1997 Duquesne 7-3-0 .700 6-1 2nd1998 Duquesne 8-3-0 .727 5-2 3rd1999 Duquesne 8-3-0 .727 6-1 1st2000 Duquesne 10-1-0 .909 7-0 1st2001 Duquesne 8-3-0 .727 6-0 1st2002 Duquesne 11-1-0 .917 8-0 1st10 Seasons 82-26-0 .759 57-7 6 titles
