From IUP Sports Information
Indiana University of Pennsylvania President Dr. Michael Driscoll has removed the interim tag from football head coach Paul Tortorella, officially naming him the 12th head coach in program history.
Tortorella was named the Crimson Hawks’ acting head coach on Jan. 3, and preceded to lead IUP to an 11-0 record and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship.
“There is something fundamentally important in the philosophy that IUP has about athletics and our student-athletes: we want our student-athletes to be competitive on the field, but we also want our student-athletes to be competitive academically, in their service to our IUP community, and in service to our greater community,” said Driscoll.
“Coach Paul Tortorella has shown a real embodiment of this philosophy. While we definitely have seen success on the field this season, we have also seen how the culture of the team has grown, built on his leadership, and we believe his work will continue to bear fruit in the future.
“We are very pleased to make this ongoing commitment to Coach Tortorella and are pleased he has made this commitment to IUP.”
Tortorella took the reins of IUP football program after spending the last 22 years as its defensive coordinator. Under his leadership, the Crimson Hawks put together their best regular season in the last 25 years, posting an 11-0 record for the first time since IUP’s 1993 national finalist season.
“I would like to thank our administration, most importantly Dr. Michael Driscoll, [Vice President of Student Affairs] Dr. Rhonda Luckey, and [Director of Athletics] Steve Roach for their renewed confidence in my leadership,” said Tortorella.
“I would also like to thank our assistant football coaches, support staff, our players, fans, and all the donors of the program. Without the continued hard work, assistance, and financial support, this would not be possible.”
This announcement comes on the heels of IUP’s 24-7 PSAC Championship win at West Chester on Saturday. The conference title is the program’s fourth all-time and second since 2012. The win helped IUP secure the No. 1 seed in Super Region One, and home field advantage throughout the regional bracket, as the NCAA Division II Championships begin this week. The 11-0 record is the best start by a first year head coach in IUP history.
“Since being named acting head coach in January, Coach Tortorella has not only met, but surpassed in meeting the expectations of leading the IUP football program,” said Roach. “The on-the-field results speak for themselves, but just as importantly, he has made an impact with our student-athletes both in the classroom and in the community. Paul has earned this opportunity and I am excited to see where he leads this program moving forward.”
Coach Tortorella and the Crimson Hawks received a first round bye with their No. 1 seed, and will host the winner of Shippensburg and West Chester on Saturday, Nov. 25 at George P. Miller Stadium.
“We are all very excited about our opportunity to compete in the upcoming NCAA playoffs and will continue to strive to do something that’s never been done before,” said Tortorella. “ALL IN.”
