Gregg Brandon Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado Position: Head Coach Birthdate: 02/29/1956

Gregg Brandon became the 16th head coach in the history of the Falcon football program on Dec. 19, 2002, and guided the Falcons to back-to-back bowl wins for just the second time in school history in 2003 and 2004 after the Falcons defeated Northwestern, 28-24, at the Motor City Bowl and Memphis, 52-35 in the GMAC Bowl. In three years at BGSU, he has a 26-11 overall record and an 18-6 mark against conference opposition. In addition, BGSU has made 13 national TV appearances during his tenure.

In 2005, BGSU shared the MAC East title and went unbeaten on the road in league play (4-0), including a 42-14 nationally televised win over arch-rival Miami. The Falcons were the top program in the MAC in punt returns (12.97) and finished second in passing (388.8), scoring (35.8) and net punting (35.1) and third in total offense (447.8), pass efficiency (142.4) and turnover margin (.73). The Falcons were ranked 16th in the country in punt returns, 17th in passing, 18th in scoring, 20th in turnover margin, and 21st in pass efficiency.

In 2004, he guided the Falcons to a national ranking in each major poll for the second straight year as they finished 9-3. The Falcons also boasted the most potent offense in MAC history finishing second in the country at 506.3 yards per game and fourth nationally in scoring offense at 44.3 points per game. Both established new league records. In addition, the Falcons finished third in the country in passing (338.3) and turnover margin (+1.25) and fourth in pass efficiency (165.5).

In addition, he saw sophomore quarterback Omar Jacobs earn All-American honors and blossom into the national leader in TD passes with 41 and set an NCAA record for touchdown to interception ratio with just four picks all season. For his efforts he was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2003, he guided BGSU to a #23 national ranking in the final AP and Coaches Poll (23rd) and a #24 position in the final BCS standings. Last year, he had the top record of any first-time, first-year head coach that season with an 11-3 mark after guiding the Falcons to a MAC West title (7-1) and a win over Northwestern in the Motor City Bowl. In addition, he saw BGSU ranked for a school record eight weeks and make five national television appearances. Also, BGSU finished third in the country in total offense (496.7), ninth in passing offense (300.4), 14th in passing efficiency (147.29), and 20th in scoring (33.6). Defensively, the Falcons were the third highest rated team in the MAC. Senior quarterback Josh Harris and senior cornerback Janssen Patton also earned All-American honors for their stellar individual performances.

Brandon was hired after more than than 22 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, including two years at BGSU where he has served as assistant head coach and directed the Falcons' record-setting offensive attack. In 2002, the Falcons finished third in the nation in scoring (40.8), eighth in total offense (448.9) and 15th in rushing (219.1). In addition, the Falcons toppled 17 school records and seven MAC records and Josh Harris set a then-league mark with 41 TDs responsible for. Brandon saw wide receiver Robert Redd earn first-team All-MAC honors for two straight seasons. In addition, BGSU had the top red zone efficiency in the nation (96.8) converting on 61 of 63 opportunities inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

In his first season at BGSU, the Falcon offense showed tremendous improvement, accumulating 124.46 more yards per game and 14.48 more points per game than the 2000 squad. Among MAC schools, the Falcons improved from 13th to fourth in total offense and from 11th to third in scoring offense under his leadership.BGSU set five school records on offense that year .

Brandon joined the Falcons after spending two seasons at Colorado under Gary Barnett, where he coached the receivers and kickoff return units both years and was the team's passing-game coordinator in 2000 and recruiting coordinator in 1999.

Brandon, 50, played football for Barnett at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, and stayed in close touch with him throughout the years. When Barnett was hired as head coach at Northwestern in 1992, Brandon joined the Wildcat staff as receivers coach. He was also Northwestern's recruiting coordinator for his last two seasons there (1997-98). In his seven seasons at Northwestern, Brandon assembled an extremely talented group of receivers, including D'Wayne Bates, the second all-time leading receiver in Big Ten history. Bates was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and an All-America candidate.

Brandon played collegiately as both a defensive back and wide receiver at Mesa State (1974) and Northern Colorado (1975-77). He graduated from UNC in 1978 with a bachelors degree in education, and began his coaching career that fall as head football coach at Ellicott (Colo.) High School. He spent three seasons there (1978-80) before joining the college ranks at Weber State (under former Washington State coach Mike Price), where he would coach the next six seasons (1981-86). He coached the tight ends and special teams in his first four seasons, the linebackers in his fifth year and the receivers and tight ends during his final year in Ogden. He was then named receivers coach at Wyoming, where he would work the next four years (1987-90). During his tenure with head coach Paul Roach, the Cowboys posted a 35-15 record, including a 16-0 run in Western Athletic Conference play in 1987 and 1988, and played in three bowls ('87 and '88 Holiday and '90 Copper). In 1991, he returned to Utah where he coached the linebackers for one season (1991) at Utah State. Brandon, born Feb. 29, 1956, in Tucson, Ariz., and his wife, Robyn, are the parents of two sons, Nicholas (21), a junior at Purdue, and Timothy (13).

THE BRANDON FILE

1978-80  Ellicott H.S. (Colo.)    Head Coach
1981-86  Weber State              Tight Ends/Special Teams
1987-90  Wyoming                  Receivers
1991     Utah State               Linebackers
1992-96  Northwestern             Receivers
1997-98  Northwestern             Receivers/Recruiting Coord.
1999     Colorado                 Receivers/Kickoff Return
2000     Colorado                 Passing Game/Recruiting Coord.
2001-02  Bowling Green            Assistant Head Coach
2003-PR  Bowling Green            Head Coach

BOWL EXPERIENCE

2004  GMAC Bowl (BGSU)
2003  Motor City Bowl (BGSU)
1999  Insight.com Bowl (Colorado)
1997  Citrus Bowl (Northwestern)
1996  Rose Bowl (Northwestern)
1990  Copper Bowl (Wyoming)
1988  Holiday Bowl (Wyoming)
1987  Holiday Bowl (Wyoming)