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Head Coach Jack Leipheimer Entering his eighth season as the Tomcat's head coach, Jack Leipheimer has returned Thiel College football back to prominence.  Thiel has amassed a 26-16 record over the past four years with its most successful season in school history coming in 2005.  After posting an undefeated regular-season record (10-0) and leading the Tomcats to their first NCAA Division III playoff birth in 2005, Leipheimer was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Region II Coach of the Year and the Football Gazette’s South Region Coach of the Year. He guided Thiel to an 11-1 overall record, the program's first PAC title since 1972, its first undefeated regular season since 1950, its first-ever playoff victory, and final season rankings of 15th in the Football Gazette’s Top 40, 16th in the AFCA Coaches Poll, and 17th in the D3foootball.com Top 25 poll. Leipheimer has led the resurgence through a solid recruiting effort and a strong emphasis on academics. Last season 43 percent of the team attained a 3.0 or higher, with 13 players being named to the PAC Academic Honor Roll. Over the past eight semesters, Leipheimer's Tomcats have posted a higher combined GPA than the all-male average of the College. Over the past seven seasons Thiel has had 114 all-Conference selections, 17 players named all-Region, 10 players named all-American and five players named ESPN The Magazine Academic all-American.  Thiel has also had 26 players earn PAC Player of the Week honors and set or tied 60 school records.  A 1974 Thiel graduate, Leipheimer was a four-year letter winner and three-year starter at tight end, earning all-PAC accolades in 1973. He was a member of the 1972 squad that registered the college’s second PAC title with a 6-1 conference mark. He was also a three-year letter winner with the Tomcat baseball squad, playing both catcher and first base. Leipheimer enters his 34th year of coaching and his 25th at the collegiate level. Before arriving at Thiel he served as an assistant coach at Allegheny College for 17 years, with the last 12 seasons as the defensive coordinator. He began his coaching career in 1975 as the offensive coordinator at the Bullis School, Potomac, Md. He then served as the defensive coordinator at Trinity High School, Garfield Heights, Ohio, from 1976-1978, and as head coach of the former Kennedy Christian High School, now Kennedy Catholic, Hermitage, Pa., from 1979-1984. During his 12 seasons as Allegheny’s defensive play-caller (1989-2000), the Gators tallied an impressive overall record of 106-23-1, including 22 shutouts. Leipheimer’s defensive schemes helped the Gators win the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1990, and six North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships.  At Allegheny Leipheimer coached 70 All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) defensive players, 43 of whom were named to the first team and 22 defensive All-Americans. Jack and his wife, Patti, reside in Greenville. They have two daughters: Shanna Bossler, a 2002 Thiel graduate and Krista, a 2005 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.     Volunteer Assistant Coach/Secondary (Cornerbacks) Frank Amato Frank Amato enters his 15th season as a Tomcat assistant and will work primarily with the cornerbacks. A former head coach at Reynolds High School, Amato amassed a record of 156-58-9 (.700) during his 23-year tenure. He is a 1960 graduate of Purdue University and played defensive back for the Boilermakers from his sophomore through senior years. In 1974 he earned a master’s degree from Edinboro University. Amato and his wife, Patti, have six grown children.     Assistant Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Bill Brest With 23 years of coaching experience, Bill Brest enters his 11th season with the Tomcat football program and his second as the Special Teams Coordinator. He will also coach running backs in 2008, beginning his second stint in that role. Brest, a 1989 Slippery Rock University graduate, went on to earn a master’s degree from his alma mater in 1996. He coached at Mercer High School, Slippery Rock High School, and from 1989-1997, was an assistant football coach at Hickory High School. While at Hickory he served as offensive coordinator as well as both the offensive and defensive line coach. In 1989 Brest was part of the staff that led the team to a PIAA State Championship. He also served as Hickory’s head track and field coach for five years. Brest and his wife, Diane, have three children: Carly, Kendall, and Anthony.     Assistant Coach/Linebackers Dante Darby Dante Darby enters his fourth season on the Tomcat coaching staff and will work with the linebackers while also serving as the junior varsity head coach and defensive coordinator. Darby is a 2003 Thiel graduate and was a four-year starter and four-time all-PAC selection as a linebacker. In 1999 he was selected to the Lutheran Brotherhood all-American team. Darby is currently second on the all-time tackles chart with 322, second in career tackles for loss (42.5) and currently holds the single season tackles for loss mark with 17. Darby also serves as a Multicultural Affairs Advisor on campus. He and his wife Tiffany have a son, Dante, Jr. They reside in Greenville.     Assistant Coach/Defensive Line Brian Dickison A 2002 Thiel College alumnus, Dickison returns to his alma mater in 2007 for his second stint as an assistant coach under Coach Leipheimer. He will serve as the team’s defensive line coach. Dickison spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the assistant defensive line coach at the University of Maine. In all, he was an assistant coach with the Tomcats for five seasons before departing for the University of Maine. His coaching career began in 2000 as a student coach at Thiel, a position he held through the 2001 season. He became a regular assistant in 2002 and last served under Leipheimer in 2004 when he worked primarily with the fullbacks. Dickison is a 1998 Reynolds High School graduate. He resides in Greenville.     Intern Assistant Coach/Tight Ends/Video Coordinator Jonathan Howson Jon Howson begins his third season as a member of Coach Leipheimer's staff transitioning from assistant defensive line coach to tight ends coach. He also serves as a junior varsity special teams coordinator. Howson, a 2006 Thiel graduate, is the program's all-time leader in tackles for loss (53.5) and is second in career sacks (25.0). He was named to the all-PAC first team following the 2005 season after being recognized as a second team selection in 2003 and 2004 and a honorable mention pick in 2002. Howson started all 42 games during his Tomcat playing career.     Intern Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers Jon Kutterna Jon Kutterna enters his second season as a member of the Tomcat coaching staff with responsibility for Tomcat wide receivers. Kutterna, a native of North East and a 2007 Thiel graduate, was a four-year letter winner with the Tomcat football team and was a two-time all-PAC second team selection at tight end. He caught 10 passes last season for 118 yards. In addition to his duties on the varsity squad, Kutterna will coach the junior varsity receivers and backs.     Assistant Coach/Secondary/Strength & Conditioning Coordinator J.P. McFeeley McFeeley begins his second season as secondary coach and his first as the team's strength and conditioning coordinator. He arrived in Greenville after serving as assistant secondary coach at Division I-AA Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. during the 2006 season. McFeeley helped guide the Leopard team that won the Patriot League championship that season and went on to participate in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. Prior to his stint at Lafayette, McFeeley spent a season as assistant linebackers coach at Division I-AA Fordham University. He also spent two seasons as linebackers and strength and conditioning coach at Clarion University. A 2003 Allegheny College alumnus, McFeeley was a four-year starter with the Gators. He was a two-time All-NCAC selection and was named All-American by the National Strength & Conditioning Association following his senior campaign in 2002. He was the Gators’ captain and MVP in 2002. McFeeley furthered his education while coaching at Clarion, graduating cum laude with a master of arts in English in 2004. His full name is John Paul McFeeley. He resides in Greenville.     Volunteer Assistant Coach/Secondary (Safeties) Barry Oman Barry Oman enters his eighth season as a volunteer assistant coach at Thiel and will be working primarily with the safeties.  Oman earned his bachelor’s degree from Thiel in 1974 and his master’s degree from Youngstown State University in 1986. He was a two-time all-PAC first team selection as a free safety for the Tomcats and is third on the school’s all-time interceptions list with 13.  Oman was inducted into the Thiel Athletic Hall of Fame in February, 2006.   He and his wife, Linda, have two children, Ryan and Lauren.       Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Fitness Center Director Kurt Reiser Kurt Reiser begins his eighth season as a member of the Tomcat coaching staff and his second as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Reiser also serves as the director of the Paul Bush ’66 Memorial Fitness Center on campus. Prior to arriving at Thiel, Reiser was the offensive coordinator at Leyden High School, Chicago, for six years. A 1993 Allegheny graduate, he earned his master’s degree from DePaul University in 1997. With the Gators, Reiser was a three-year starter at tight end and was a two-time All-NCAC selection and an All-American. Reiser was also a starter on the Gators’ 1990 National Championship team. He and his wife, Nancy, have two sons and a daughter: Ben, Ethan, and Ellie.     Intern Assistant Coach/Assistant Linebackers Corey Russell Corey Russell is in his first season as a member of the Tomcat coaching staff. He will assist Coach Darby with the linebackers in addition to working with the junior varsity defensive unit. Russell graduated from Thiel in 2007 with a bachelor of arts degree in history. Hailing from Euclid, Ohio, he was a three-year letter winner for the Tomcats and started at strong safety in his senior season.  This is not his first time on head coach Jack Leipheimer's staff; due to an injury in 2004, he briefly worked as a student assistant.     Assistant Coach/Offensive Line/Academic Coordinator Kyle Smesko Kyle Smesko begins his second season as the offensive line coach and academic coordinator for the Tomcat football squad. Smesko came to Thiel from Franklin & Marshall College where he had served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 2003-06. Prior to his time at Franklin & Marshall, Smesko was an assistant at Yale University from 1999-2002. Under Smesko's direction the Diplomats passing offense finished the 2006 season ranked 37th in Division III (225.7 yards per game) and 64th in total offense (347.2 yards per game) while ranking first and second in the Centennial Conference in passing and total offense, respectively. Smesko, a 1997 Allegheny College graduate, was a two-time all-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) selection for the Gators. He holds the top spot in the NCAC record book in career rushing average (6.9 yards per carry) and is sixth in career rushing touchdowns (46). Smesko rushed for a career-high 1,068 yards during the 1995 season.