By Steve Maugeri
On Jan. 24, Drew Folmar shocked the KU football community by resigning as head football coach, almost an exact calendar year after his hiring. After a national search by Athletic Director Greg Bamberger, in which he reviewed almost 100 resumes over two months, the Golden Bears have found their new leader.
Jim Clements was announced as the new head coach at Kutztown University, effective Monday, March 24. Clements comes to town with a most impressive resume, coming from nearby Division III Delaware Valley College where he amassed a 66-24 record with the Aggies, making him the winningest coach in the history of the program.
During his tenure, DVC won four straight MAC titles from 2007-2011, including a perfect 10-0 regular season in 2011in which they were given a top seed in the NCAA tournament bracket. To cap off the season, he was honored as the 2011 Maxwell Club Tri-State Coach of the Year, a year after winning the 2010 AFCA Coach of the Year.
This past season, Clements’s squad finished the year with a 7-4 overall record with a 6-3 inter-conference record, good for fourth in the MAC. The Aggies boasted one of the most potent offenses in the conference, as they put up nearly 30 points per game, good for fourth in the MAC.
Despite their offensive success, Clements arrives as a defensive specialist. Prior to his promotion to head coach at Delaware Valley, he acted as the team’s defensive coordinator for the previous two years. He will have a strong group of players to work with in his first year in charge of the Maroon and Gold. As a former defensive lineman, Clements will have the privilege of working with all-PSAC defensive end Zach Greenwald, along with numerous other talented players.
The Golden Bears are coming off a 4-7 season which they ended on a three game winning streak. The Golden Bears will return four all-conference players along with a contingent of young talent. The Golden Bear football head coaching position has been in flux for the past few years, as Clements is the third head coach in as many years. However, with an impressive pedigree and a taste for success, Clements has all the intangibles to bring the football program back to the top of the bumpy mountain that is the PSAC East.