By JOHN ANDERSON
During his career as a college football coach, Hornell native Ted Egger has not only won on the field, but off the field with his players in the classroom.
It’s that combination that landed him his first head coaching job in New York, taking over the Hilbert College Eagles program.
We are beyond excited for Ted and his family to join the Hilbert College Community” said Hilbert College Athletic Director Tim Seil. “Ted was able to separate himself from an extremely deep group of candidates. We are confident that his vast experience and track record as a college football coach will help our program continue to grow and develop.”
Egger spent the last three seasons as the Head Coach at Hocking College in Ohio. Hilbert said what impressed them was he implemented a daily regimen of strict team core values and a rigorous academia-driven study program for his players. As a direct result of his efforts, the Hawks rose to a 98% graduation rate with an average team GPA of 3.1 over two seasons. Four different players, in 2022, led the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) as Individual Statistical Leaders.
Egger’s big chance came in 2017 when Pearl River Community College of Mississippi named him interim coach after letting go of the head coach. In his first season, the team had a winning record in conference and defeated Gulf Coast, 31-27, a team that won a national title in 2019. After that win, the college president and athletic director said the athletic and academic achievements of the players under Egger earned him the head coach job.
He coached four years at PRCC and defeated two nationally ranked teams.
“I’d like to first recognize and thank (Hilbet College President) Dr. Michael Brophy and Tim Seil for affording me this wonderful opportunity,” Egger said. “I’m excited to get to work building Hilbert College into a football program that the school and community will be proud of.”
In his coaching career, Egger has signed and/or coached eight players who have had a try-out, signed a free agent NFL contract, or been selected in the NFL Draft.
Here is the rest of his biography courtesy of Hilbert College:
Before Pearl River, Egger joined the Concordia University (Saint Paul, Minn.) football coaching staff in the summer of 2015 as the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach. He brought a diverse NCAA Division II football resume to the Bears’ sidelines after serving as the Defensive Coordinator at Adams State University, a Division II program in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
In his first tour with Adams State from 2002-2004, he was the Special Teams and Video Coordinator and also worked with the secondary and outside linebackers. Then when he rejoined the Grizzlies staff in 2011 as the Defensive, Special Teams and Recruiting Coordinator, ASU’s defense consistently ranked among the best in the RMAC and the Division II ranks. The 2013 team was fifth in Division II with 40 sacks, sixth with 99 tackles for loss, eighth in third-down defense and ninth in pass defense efficiency.
Between his two Adams State stops, Egger also worked at three other Division II programs: Lock Haven University from 2004-2005, Ferris State University from 2005-2008, and Northwood University from 2008-2011.
His coaching career started at his alma mater, Lock Haven, as a student assistant coach working with the secondary in 2000 and 2001 before taking a position as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Texas Lutheran University (2001-2002).
The Hornell, New York, native played three years as a defensive back for the Bald Eagles at Lock Haven University (1996-1999) where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education in 2000. He went on to get a Master of Arts in Human Performance and Education in 2002 from Adams State. Ted and his wife Sarah have two sons, T.J. and Christian.
