Mike Houston (American football)
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | James Madison |
| Conference | CAA |
| Record | 10–1 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | c. 1971 (age 44–45) |
| Alma mater | Mars Hill University |
| Playing career | |
| 1990–1993 | Mars Hill |
| Position(s) | Tight end |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1994–1995 | Forbush HS (NC) (DC) |
| 1996–2000 | T. C. Roberson HS (NC) (DC) |
| 2001–2005 | T. C. Roberson HS (NC) |
| 2006 | Brevard (DC) |
| 2007–2010 | Lenoir–Rhyne (DC) |
| 2011–2013 | Lenoir–Rhyne |
| 2014–2015 | The Citadel |
| 2016–present | James Madison |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 53–20 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
|
SoCon Coach of the Year: 2015 SAC Coach of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013 | |
Mike Houston (born c. 1971) is an American college football coach, currently serving as head coach of the James Madison Dukes football team. He was named to that position after the 2015 season.[1]
Houston played as a tight end at Mars Hill, where he earned a degree in Biology in 1994. He began his coaching career that fall as Defensive Coordinator at Forbush High School in East Bend, North Carolina, where he remained for two seasons. He moved to the same position at T. C. Roberson High School in Asheville, North Carolina. After six seasons, he was elevated to the head coaching position. In his five years as head coach, he compiled a record of 42–18, including a 5–4 playoff record, and earned the 2002 and 2004 Asheville Citizen-Times Area Coach of the Year awards. In 2004, his team finished the regular season undefeated, falling in the state semifinals and winning the first conference championship in school history. He also served as an assistant coach for the North Carolina team in the 2005 Shrine Bowl, helping lead them to a victory over South Carolina's squad.[2][3]
In 2006, Houston moved to the Division II college ranks, serving as Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach at Brevard in their first season of football in 56 years. The Tornados won two games while starting a roster entirely composed of true freshmen. The next season, Houston became Defensive Coordinator at Lenoir–Rhyne. In his final season as DC, the Bears defense led the South Atlantic Conference in total defense and were fourth in the nation in rushing defense. He was named head coach prior to the 2011 season. In his first season, the Bears finished 7–3, shared the conference title, and earned Houston Coach of the Year honors. The next season, he led the Bears to the Division II playoffs and their first playoff win since 1962 and again earned Coach of the Year honors. In his third and final season, the Bears reached the national championship game, falling 43–28 to undefeated Northwest Missouri State. Houston again was named SAC Coach of the Year and drew interest from several larger programs, as the Bears set an NCAA all-division rushing record.[2][3][4]
Houston was hired as the 24th head coach at The Citadel in January 2014.[2][5][6][3][7][8] After a 5–7 opening season, he led the 2015 Bulldogs to their first conference championship since 1992, and only third in program history. They also made their first playoff appearance in 23 years. For his efforts, Houston was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year.[9]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Rank# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir–Rhyne Bears (South Atlantic Conference) (2011–2013) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 7–3 | 6–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 2012 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 9–3 | 6–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division II Second Round | 20 | |||
| 2013 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 13–2 | 7–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division II Championship | 2 | |||
| Lenoir–Rhyne: | 29–8 | 19–2 | |||||||
| The Citadel Bulldogs (Southern Conference) (2014–2015) | |||||||||
| 2014 | The Citadel | 5–7 | 3–4 | 5th | |||||
| 2015 | The Citadel | 9–4 | 6–1 | 1st | L FCS Playoffs Second Round | 15 | |||
| The Citadel: | 14–11 | 9–5 | |||||||
| James Madison Dukes (Colonial Athletic Association) (2016–present) | |||||||||
| 2016 | James Madison | 10–1 | 8–0 | 1st | FCS Playoffs | ||||
| James Madison: | 10–1 | 8–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 53–20 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title | |||||||||
| #Rankings from final AFCA Coaches Poll. | |||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ http://jmusports.com/news/2016/1/18/Football_0118160646.aspx
- 1 2 3 "Mike Houston". The Citadel Bulldogs. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Football: Mike Houston". Lenoir–Rhyne Bears. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Matt Osborne (January 10, 2014). "Houston Ready to Lead The Citadel". Southern Pigskin. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ↑ Jeff Hartsell (January 7, 2014). "Source: Lenoir-Rhyne's Mike Houston agrees to coach Citadel football". Post and Courier. Charleston, SC. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Jeff Hartsell (January 9, 2014). "New Citadel football coach Mike Houston promises aggressive approach". Post and Courier. Charleston, SC. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Game Changer: Mike Houston, Lenoir–Rhyne". Asheville, NC: WLOS. December 19, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ "Houston chasing a national title". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, NC. December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ "2015 Football Awards and All-Conference Announced". Southern Conference. November 24, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.