Dick Bumpas

Dick Bumpas

Player Profile

Position:
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line

Dick Bumpas joined TCU in February 2004 as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.

Bumpas first worked with Horned Frog coach Gary Patterson at Kansas State in the early 1980s. He was the Wildcats' defensive line coach in 1981 when Patterson was a senior linebacker. Patterson then became a Kansas State graduate assistant in 1982 and joined Bumpas on staff.

The duo also worked together at Utah State from 1992-94 and at Navy in 1995. At both places, Bumpas was the defensive coordinator while Patterson was the secondary coach.

Bumpas was ranked by Rivals.com in 2007 as the seventh-best defensive coach in the nation.

Bumpas coached defensive ends Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz to first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, Ortiz became TCU's first three-time first-team all-conference player in 30 years (Mike Renfro, 1975-77). Ortiz signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Browns.

The 2006 TCU defense ranked second nationally in run defense (60.8 yards per game) and total defense (234.9 ypg.) while placing third in scoring defense (12.3 points per game).

Bumpas was nominated for the 2005 Frank Broyles National Assistant Coach of the Year award. He was named the Rivals.com National Defensive Coordinator of the Week following the Horned Frogs' season-opening 17-10 win at Oklahoma. TCU held the Sooners to 225 yards of total offense and the second-lowest point total in coach Bob Stoops' tenure in Norman.

TCU led the nation in 2005 in turnover margin (+21), interceptions (26) and takeaways (40). The Frogs topped the Mountain West Conference with 41 sacks and allowed just three touchdowns in their final three games, keeping their opponent out of the end zone for 10 quarters from Oct. 29 at San Diego State to the Dec. 31 EV1.net Houston Bowl.

In a coaching career that has spanned 30 years, Bumpas has won championships in four different conferences and coached at all three service academies. He has also coached in 15 bowl games.

Bumpas came to TCU after serving as Western Michigan's defensive coordinator for one season.

Bumpas worked at the University of Houston from 1999-02, serving as assistant head coach and linebackers coach and later as co-defensive coordinator, installing the 4-2-5 defense in his initial season. Houston finished 25th in the nation in total defense that first year while ranking 20th against the run and 22nd in scoring defense. In 2001, Bumpas coached Wayne Rogers, the Conference USA Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to his stint at Houston, Bumpas worked four seasons at the U.S. Naval Academy as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. His 1997 Navy unit ranked sixth in total defense and turnover margin. At season's end, he was invited to coach in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game. In 1996, Bumpas' defense held California to just three second-half points in an Aloha Bowl victory.

Bumpas spent three seasons (1992-94) as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Utah State, helping the Aggies to a 1993 Big West Championship and a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Ball State. Other coaching stops include two seasons as defensive line coach at Notre Dame (1990-92), during which time he mentored 1990 Lombardi Award winner Chris Zorich. In 1989, Bumpas coached the defensive line at his alma mater, Arkansas, a team that went on to win a Southwest Conference title and advanced to the 1990 Cotton Bowl.

Bumpas coached seven years in the Volunteer state, splitting time between the University of Tennessee (1985-89) as linebackers coach/special teams coordinator and Tennessee Tech (1983-84) as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. While with the Vols, Bumpas coached three bowl championship teams (1986 Sugar, 1986 Liberty, 1988 Peach) and was part of the Southeastern Conference championship in 1985.

Bumpas began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1977. From there, he went to the U.S. Military Academy and implemented a new defense under Homer Smith in 1978. Installing new defenses would become a trend for Bumpas, who did the same thing as defensive line coach at the Air Force Academy during a two-year tenure (1979-80) with the Falcons.

A native of Fort Smith, Ark., Bumpas received three varsity letters and was a captain for the Razorbacks. He was named SWC Defensive Player of the Year in 1970, earning consensus All-America honors at defensive tackle. He received a Bachelor's degree in education from Arkansas in 1973. He went on to play tight end and linebacker professionally for the Memphis Southmen in the World Football League and the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.

Bumpas was a 2006 inductee into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.

Bumpas is married to the former Gloria Surratt.