Jan. 22, 2007
LAS VEGAS - UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford completed his 2007 staff with Monday's announcement that he has hired former Army and Illinois State head coach Todd Berry to oversee the Rebels' offense.
After spending the 2006 season as quarterbacks coach at Miami (Fla.), Berry, 46, will now serve as UNLV's associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
"I did a national search looking for the best coach out there and I believe we found him in Todd Berry," Sanford said. "Todd has many years of big-time experience and brings a lot to our staff, including having been a head coach of two programs."
Sanford said Berry will call the plays on offense while Sanford remains involved in the game-planning and overall philosophy of the Rebel Shotgun Spread.
"Primarily, I was looking at what kind of person the candidate was as well as if we had chemistry working together," Sanford said. "He also needed to be someone who believed in the spread offense and had experience running it. I also wanted a coach who was strong in teaching fundamentals, which will be a key in the development of (returning starting quarterback) Rocky Hinds. We got the entire package in Todd Berry."
Berry joined the Hurricanes' staff after two years running a spread offense at Louisiana-Monroe in 2004-05. That followed four seasons as head coach at Army where his teams set 25 Academy records. He moved to West Point after a wildly successful run as head coach at Illinois State from 1996-99, presiding over one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Division I-AA history. A team that had not won a conference title since 1950 advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in his third season in 1998. The following year, the Redbirds were undefeated in the conference and advanced to the I-AA semifinals.
Berry was a semifinalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award in both 1998 and 1999. His teams set more than 100 records during his four seasons as head coach, and he compiled a record of 19-7 his last two seasons.
Berry was offensive coordinator at East Carolina from 1992-95, and the Pirates went to the Liberty Bowl his last two seasons. He was the offensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri State in 1991, receivers coach at Mississippi State in 1989 and 1990, and offensive coordinator at Tennessee-Martin from 1986-88.
Berry was a graduate assistant at Tennessee (1983) and Oklahoma State (1985), as well as the receivers coach at his alma mater, Tulsa (1984). He was a quarterback for the Golden Hurricane before graduating from the school in 1983.
"I am excited about this opportunity because I think there are great things on the horizon for UNLV," Berry said. "I was very impressed with Coach Sanford both personally and professionally along with the quality of his staff. I have been fascinated with the spread offense for a long time. I think I bring something to the table for the program while also being able to learn from this staff while we create a very dynamic offense."
Berry, who begins his new job later this week, is actually making his second stop at UNLV, as he was the offensive coordinator under former head coach Jim Strong from January to June of 1991 before leaving to run the offense at Southeast Missouri State.
TODD BERRY FILEBorn:Nov. 12, 1960Hometown:Miami, OklahomaEducation:B.S. in business marketing, University of Tulsa (1983)Wife: LisaChildren:Daughters Jordan and Ryleigh
Coaching Career2007 UNLV (assoc. head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)2006 University of Miami (quarterbacks)2004-05 Louisiana-Monroe (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)2000-03 Army (head coach)1996-99 Illinois State (head coach)1992-95 East Carolina (offensive coordinator/running backs)1991 Southeast Missouri State (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)1989-90 Mississippi State (receivers)1986-88 Tennessee-Martin (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)1985 Oklahoma State (graduate assistant/quarterbacks)1984 Tulsa (receivers)1983 Tennessee (graduate assistant/tight ends)
Bowl Games as a Coach (4)1995 Liberty Bowl (East Carolina)1994 Liberty Bowl (East Carolina)1985 Gator Bowl (Oklahoma State)1983 Citrus Bowl (Tennessee)
Coaching AccomplishmentsTutored Louisiana-Monroe quarterback QB Steven Jyles, the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2005
As head coach at Army from 2000-03, his teams set 25 Academy records
As head coach at Illinois State, led the Redbirds to the Division I-AAplayoffs twice, the first postseason appearances for the school in nearly 50 years
Semifinalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award in 1998 and 1999
Gateway Conference and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999
