Bobby Wilder
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Robert S. Wilder (born August 1, 1964) is an American
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
coach who serves as the head football coach for Tennessee Tech University. Before that, served as the head coach of the
Old Dominion Monarchs football The Old Dominion Monarchs football program represents Old Dominion University in college football, U.S. college football. The first iteration of the team created in 1930 was known as the William & Mary Norfolk Division Braves. Founded in 2009, the ...
team. He was only the second coach all-time in the program's history and the first since football's rebirth at the school in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2009. Hired in 2007, Wilder spent the first two years recruiting and starting up the program. In 2009, in his first competitive season as head coach, the Monarchs finished 9–2. That was the best winning record ever for a first-year program in college football's modern era. The Monarchs were outscored by a total of only eight points in their two losses. Wilder's inaugural team finished the year ranked in the top ten in five FCS statistical categories, including second in sacks allowed, third in scoring offense, turnover margin and net punting. The 2009 Monarchs were ninth in rushing offense. ODU was fifth in FCS attendance in 2009, selling out all of their home games in the 19,782-seat Foreman Field. In his first three years, Wilder led Old Dominion to a 26–7 record. In 2011, in the Monarchs first season in the
Colonial Athletic Association The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), formerly the ECAC South Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA' ...
, they earned a berth in the 2011 FCS playoffs, hosting crosstown rival Norfolk State. Also in 2011, after playing 27 games in its "modern era", ODU received its first Top 25 ranking on October 3, coming in at No. 21 in
The Sports Network The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by the Sports Network Inc., a subsidiary of CTV Specialty Television, which is also a joint venture of Bell Media (70%), also owned by BCE ...
poll. The Monarchs were ranked among the Top Ten after competing in 33 games. In December 2023 Wilder was announced as the 13th head football coach of Tennessee Tech University.


Biography

Wilder grew up in
Madison, Maine Madison (formerly Norridgewock) is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,726 at the 2020 census. History The area was once territory of the Norridgewock Indians, a band of the Abenaki nation. Early visitors d ...
and attended Madison Area Memorial High School, where he graduated in 1982. A highly recruited quarterback, Wilder opted to play his college ball close to home. Upon graduation from the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...
in 1987 with a degree in physical education, Wilder served as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons under Jack Bicknell at
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
, where he earned his master's degree in educational administration in 1990. He then returned to Maine, where he was an assistant coach, assistant head coach and finally associate head coach from 1990 to 2006. He has two sons, Derek and Drew.


Head coaching record


Notes


References


External links


Tennessee Tech profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilder, Bobby 1964 births Living people American football quarterbacks Boston College Eagles football coaches Maine Black Bears football coaches Maine Black Bears football players Old Dominion Monarchs football coaches Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football coaches Lynch School of Education and Human Development alumni People from Madison, Maine Coaches of American football from Maine Players of American football from Maine