University of Richmond Athletics
Football's Dave Clawson Hires Five Assistants
March 8, 2004
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Combining experience in coaching and recruiting at the highest level, Richmond football coach Dave Clawson announced today the hiring of five assistants to his inaugural staff.
"I was very excited with the exceptional applicant pool of people interested in working at the University of Richmond," Clawson said. "This staff already has an excellent combination of coaches who have recruited the state of Virginia, worked in the Atlantic 10 Conference and who understand the philosophy of the University of Richmond and our football program."
The Spiders' new defensive coordinator, Russ Huesman, and offensive coordinator, Wayne Lineburg, have coached at I-A Memphis and Virginia, respectively, as well as in the Atlantic 10 on Jimmye Laycock's William & Mary staff.
Although only half of the coaching staff has been hired, it already contains attributes essential to success at Richmond: a thorough knowledge of the Virginia prep landscape; playing and/or coaching experience at elite academic institutions; and an understanding of Coach Clawson's system.
Russ Huesman
Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
Following a six-year stint at the University of Memphis where he led several positions, recently serving as their recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach, Russ Huesman joins Coach Clawson's staff as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach.
Huesman, who spent 14 years at William & Mary, was the Tribe's defensive coordinator during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. During his tenure at W&M, Huesman coached current Green Bay Packer Darren Sharper who led a defense that ranked second in the nation, allowing just 231.8 yards per game, in 1996. In 1997, the Tribe defense was third overall in the Atlantic 10 and led the league in pass efficiency defense. Huesman directed the Tribe secondary for eight seasons.
A four-year starter in the secondary at Chattanooga, Huesman played prep football at Cincinnati's Moeller High School where he lead Gerry Faust's club to a 43-0-1 record and two state championships.
Coaching Experience
Memphis - 1998-03
William & Mary - 1985-97
South Carolina - 1983-84
Chattanooga - 1982
Wayne Lineburg
Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
Wayne Lineburg will serve as Coach Clawson's offensive coordinator after working the past four seasons at William & Mary. Responsible for recruiting and the running backs at W&M, Lineburg also coached at his alma mater, the University of Virginia, where they earned consecutive bowl berths in 1998 and 1999.
A native of Radford, Va., Lineburg guided Tribe tailback Jon Smith to outstanding seasons in 2001 and 2002 when he ran for a combined 1,550 yards. Lineburg also oversaw the recruiting efforts that brought elite talent to Williamsburg from throughout the Southeast.
A four-year quarterback at Virginia, Lineburg was a member of three bowls teams with the Cavaliers. His father, Norman, is the long-time coach at Radford High and is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Coaching Experience
William & Mary - 2000-03
Virginia - 1998-99
William & Mary - 1996-97
Mike Elko
Recruiting Coordinator/Linebackers
After working with Coach Clawson for the past two years at Fordham as his linebacker coach and co-defensive coordinator, Mike Elko will oversee the recruiting operation as well as leading the linebackers at Richmond.
A member of the Penn football team for four years, Elko helped the Quakers win the Ivy League title in 1998. He began his coaching career at Stony Brook where he guided the linebackers (1999) and defensive backs (2000), before returning to his alma mater for two seasons.
While at Fordham, Elko coached a defense that led the Patriot League in scoring defense, sacks and ranked third with 25 turnovers caused in 2002. In 2003, the Rams led the league in pass defense.
Coaching Experience
Fordham - 2002-03
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - 2001
Pennsylvania - 2000-01
Stony Brook - 1999-00
Mark Carney
Quarterbacks
A standout quarterback at Fordham who earned All-Patriot League honors in 2001, Mark Carney spent the last two seasons working with Coach Clawson at his alma mater.
Carney helped guide Kevin Eakin, a program record-holder, to All-Conference honors each of the past two falls. During his playing career, Carney led the Patriot League and ranked 12th nationally in pass completion percentage (61.9) and ranked 21st in total offense as a senior. He completed 213-of-344 pass for 2,700 yards and 27 touchdowns, both school records.
Coaching Experience
Fordham - 2002-03
Patrick Graham
Assistant Defensive Line
A tight end at Yale from 1997-01, Patrick Graham joins Coach Clawson's staff as the assistant defensive line coach.
A decorated student-athlete who was a National Merit Scholar, Graham earned the Jackie Robinson Scholarship, Yale University Scholarship, Yankee Gas Scholarship and the State Heisman trophy. Graham participated in the Black Student Alliance and the Black Political Union as an active member of the Yale campus community. Graham has spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant, working with the defensive line, at Wagner.
Coaching Experience
Wagner - 2002-03