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Jeff Hanson coming back to UR

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Apr 8, 2008
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Jeff Hanson, who will turn 71 in September, just completed his 46th season in coaching. He started coaching at UR in 1974.

In addition to ECU and JMU, Hanson's coaching tenures included a collective 26 seasons at Richmond (1974-79, 1989-06, 2008-09), Marshall (1980-81), Lamar (1982-83), Texas State (1983-86), West Texas A&M (1987-88), VMI (2007), Virginia (2010-12), Ferrum (2014) and Virginia State (2015).

He earned his first national championship ring in 2008 as the Spiders' associate head coach.
Hanson graduated from UR with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1972 after lettering as a linebacker and helping the Spiders to a 1968 Tangerine Bowl title.
Hanson and his wife DeDe are the parents of three daughters - Laurie, Kristin and Katie.
 
Thanks. I played for Coach Hanson. I wonder if he'll stay in Greenville - I hear it's a nice place to retire.
 
Good for him. Outstanding coaching career. Classmate of mine and a great guy.
 
Ex-Spider Jeff Hanson calls it a coaching career after nearly half a century
  • By JOHN O’CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • 4 hrs ago
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Jeff Hanson made a point in 1997 as a member of the University of Richmond staff.

1997, BOB BROWN/TIMES-DISPATCH
University of Richmond defensive lineman Kerry Wynn arrived at his first college practice in 2009 and drew the attention of Spiders defensive line coach Jeff Hanson. Wynn wore white shower shoes over his socks and carried his cleats. All other players wore cleats to the field.

As Wynn prepared to change his footwear, Hanson approached with a solemn stare.

“Kerry,” Hanson said without raising his voice, “you’re not going to the beach.”

That summed up Hanson’s approach through nearly a half-century as a college assistant coach. He recognized a policy breach and immediately offered rapid counsel, with a touch of levity. Wynn never again wore shower shoes to practice. Had he, Hanson’s frivolity would have been absent. Hanson did not tolerate repeated mistakes.

Former Richmond coach Jim Reid once described Hanson as “intense beyond words.”

The long coaching ride of Hanson, 70, ended Wednesday, when he announced his retirement from Mike Houston’s East Carolina staff. Counting a couple of years as a graduate assistant at Richmond in the early 1970s, Hanson coached for 48 years, 26 of them at UR, his alma mater.

“This is a day I thought would never come because the game of football is everything to coach Hanson,” said former defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, who went from UR to a six-year NFL career. “He loved coaching hard, he loved the preparation, he loved the challenge.”

Hanson played linebacker during Richmond’s glory years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then immediately joined the UR staff. He worked at all college levels, always saying what he cherished most was his relationships with players.

“To him, it didn’t matter if you were the star player or the back-up. It mattered to him what type of young man you were, if you were going to class, finishing your education,” said Sidbury. “If you went to class and worked hard, man, he loved you for it.”

Before following Houston to East Carolina, Hanson was a member of Houston’s James Madison staff from 2016 to 2018. Of Hanson, Houston said in an ECU release: “He is a great coach and communicator who positively impacted and helped develop countless of young men during his career, and he will be missed.”

Hanson was the defensive line coach for the Dukes who won the 2016 FCS championship, and the assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the 2008 Spiders who captured the FCS championship. Sidbury was among the standouts on that team.

“One of the best coaches I’ve had the privilege to coach with,” Richmond coach Russ Huesman, the defensive coordinator for the 2008 Spiders, said of Hanson. “Hard worker. Knows ball. He was a huge part of our success.”

Hanson, a native of Beloit, Wisc., coached at Richmond (1974-79, 1989-06, 2008-09), Marshall (1980-81), Lamar (1982-83), Texas State (1983-86), West Texas A&M (1987-88), VMI (2007), Virginia (2010-12), Ferrum (2014) and Virginia State (2015) in addition to JMU and ECU.

“Everyone knows how much he loves the University of Richmond,” said Sidbury. “His passion for the school is unwavering.”
 
Great guy. Knew him well from my days working in the gym. Close friend of another former great spider Ray Tate. Coaches one year at my Alma Mater with another former Spider Phil Emiasian. Enjoy retirement Jeff!
 


Hanson’s role at Richmond is to be determined. The Spiders, of the FCS and Colonial Athletic Association, will not play football this fall because of the pandemic and are looking into the possibility of a spring season.


Hanson was the defensive line coach for the Dukes who won the 2016 FCS championship, and the assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the 2008 Spiders who captured the FCS championship.

Richmond coach Russ Huesman was the defensive coordinator for those 2008 Spiders. When Hanson stepped down at ECU in January, Huesman called Hanson “one of the best coaches I’ve had the privilege to coach with. Hard worker. Knows ball. He was a huge part of our success.”
 
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I wish there was a love button on here. One of my all time favorites. An excellent recruiter. Just ask Tim Hightower who he signed.

Something is up with recruiting, it seems.We need help.No closers.



Hopefully,Jeff will bring his A+ recruiting game.We miss those Sparky Woods abilities.Braithwaite(UNCC)was a good recruiter as well.
 
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Something is up with recruiting, it seems.We need help.No closers.



Hopefully,Jeff will bring his A+ recruiting game.We miss those Sparky Woods abilities.Braithwaite(UNCC)was a good recruiter as well.
I think Coach Lacy is doing a good job with recruiting, and now combined with Coach Hanson things are only going to get better. We’ll have two closers.
 
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Is it just my imagination, or did our commits jump up after Jeff came back on staff.
 
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I remember meeting Jeff his freshman year. I was friends with several of the players and I thought,
“who is this babyface kid with blonde hair?“ I even verbalized my thoughts. My friends looked at me
and just laughed. Yep, I ate a lot crow on that remark. LOL
 
Jeff was a fun guy, back then the football players were just like the rest of us and would hang with the regular students. I was a Fiji but loved hanging with the Theta Chi's.
 
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