Colby hired as Illini DL coach
Updated: February 12, 2013
(UI Release) Illinois
football coach Tim Beckman announced today the hiring of Greg Colby as
defensive line coach following a five-year stint as head coach at
Millersville University, an
NCAA Division II institution located in Millersville, Pa.
"Greg
Colby brings a wealth of coaching experience and Fighting Illini
historical football knowledge to our staff," Beckman said. "Greg grew up
in Danville, was a great student-athlete
at Illinois, was on the coaching staff here for eight years, and has
worked at several different successful programs since. He has built
some outstanding relationships with his extensive recruiting experience
in the Chicagoland area. Greg understands what
it means to be a Fighting Illini football player and what it takes to be
successful here. I have no doubt our players will respond very
positively to him as a coach and as a person."
From
1988-95, Colby was assistant coach for outside linebackers and special
teams at Illinois, helping the Fighting Illini to a Big Ten Championship
in 1989 and six bowl appearances
in seven years.
As
a student-athlete at Illinois, Colby was a three-year starter for both
the Fighting Illini football and baseball teams, serving as captain of
the baseball squad as a senior
in 1974. He is a native of Danville, Ill., and graduated from Danville
High School in 1970, where he was an all-state team captain for the
football and baseball teams during his senior year.
"I'm
thrilled at the opportunity to come back," Colby said. "When I left and
went to Michigan State in 1995, it was the intention to improve my
coaching skills and come back
here at some point in time, possibly finish my career here, and it has
worked out. I'm going to do everything I can to help Coach Beckman take
this program back to where it belongs, and in the short time I've been
back on campus, I'm very confident that's going
to happen."
Other
stops during his collegiate career include Michigan State from 1995-97
under Nick Saban, where he served as defensive line, outside linebackers
and co-special teams coordinator
and helped the Spartans to three bowl appearances. Colby was defensive
coordinator, linebackers coach and defensive line coach at Kent State
from 1998-2001 under current Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator
Dean Pees. From 2002-07, Colby served as Northwestern's
defensive coordinator under Randy Walker and Pat Fitzgerald, helping the
Wildcats to two bowl games.
The Colby File
Education: Danville (Ill.) High School, '70
Illinois, '75 (bachelor's degree in physical education)
Family: Janet; sons Matt and Mike
2008-12 Millersville University, Head Coach (11-44)
2002-07 Northwestern, Defensive Coordinator
1998-2001 Kent State, Defensive Coordinator
(Defensive Line, Inside Linebackers, Outside Linebackers)
1995-97 Michigan State, Asst. Coach
(Defensive Line, Outside Linebackers, Co-Special Teams Coordinator)
1988-95 Illinois, Asst. Coach
(Outside Linebackers, Defensive Ends, Special Teams Coordinator)
1986-88 Michigan State, Graduate Assistant
(Defensive Line)
1982-86 Naperville (Ill.) High School, Head Coach
1979-82 Danville Schlarman (Ill.) High School, Head Coach
1978-80 Illinois, Assistant Baseball Coach
1977-78 Illinois, Graduate Assistant Football Coach
1975-77 Marshall (Ill.) High School, Defensive Coordinator
1975 Illinois, Assistant Baseball Coach
1974-75 Illinois, Graduate Assistant Football Coach
