ALBANY >> The University at Albany has apparently found the successor to legendary coach Bob Ford.

The University will announce on Monday that Maryland assistant head coach Greg Gattuso will be named the next head coach of the Great Danes.

Gattuso, who spent the past three seasons on Randy Edsall’s staff with the Terrapins, will be formally introduced as UAlbany’s coach on Tuesday.

Reports of Gattuso’s hiring were made early on Saturday and it was confirmed by multiple sources to The Record, later in the afternoon.

Gattuso was promoted to assistant head coach at Maryland in February 2012, having first worked exclusively as the defensive line coach. A member of the 1982 national championship Penn State squad, Gattuso also worked as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh (2005-10) and the head coach at Duquesne (1993-2004). 

Gattuso emerged from a group of five that included former UAlbany assistant Pete Rossomando, former Delaware coach K.C. Keeler, Holy Cross assistant Antoine Smith and current UAlbany associate head coach Ryan McCarthy.

Ford announced in August that this would be his 44th and final year as coach of the Great Danes. UAlbany finished 1-11 in 2013, in their first season in the Colonial Athletic Association. Ford retired as the winningest active coach in Division I college football, with a final record of 265-190-1.

J.S. Carras/The Record

The calendar just flipped to October, but we're already talking about college basketball season.

Both the University at Albany and Siena College men's basketball squads have kicked off practice in the past few days.

The Saints are trying to put last season's disappointments behind them and start fresh with new head coach Jimmy Patsos (left) and a slew of new players on the roster. Tuesday was also Patsos' 47th birthday.

Here is the link to a story from Wednesday's paper about the team kicking off practice and hoping to have some success.

I also checked in with the UAlbany team and this story appeared in Sunday's paper.

Our new columnist Steve Amedio also has a take from Wednesday's paper on Danes head coach Will Brown, who beings his 13th season leading UAlbany. Could he be the next Doc Sauers or Bob Ford and remain on Western Avenue until the end of his career?

J.S. Carras/The Record

On Tuesday afternoon, I asked on Twitter for people to react to the news that UAlbany football coach Bob Ford would be retiring following the 2013 season.

Below are tweets that were sent to me or that were sent out to the twittersphere on Coach Ford and what he's meant to people.

Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator

@ChuckSchumer: “Congrats to legendary UAlbany football coach Bob Ford on impending retirement after 43 yrs of leading the #purplefam”

UAlbany Athletics

@UAlbanySports: “Coach Ford, the most modest man alive, announcing that the 2013 season will be his last with @UAlbanyFootball #44seasons”

Tim McDonnell, CAA Communications Assistant

@timmcd_123: “Do people really realize how much of a legend Bob Ford is? Guy literally built the UAlbany football program. #CAAFB”

Will Brown, UAlbany men’s basketball coach

@UAHOOPSWB: “On vacation but have seen many tweets about Coach Bob Ford. Great guy and a great coach. Has impacted the lives of so many he has coached!”

Mike McMahon/The Record

Jim Fiore, Stony Brook AD

@JDFiore: “Much congratulations & respect to @UAlbanySports football coach Bob Ford on his retirement announcement. Hall of fame coach; better person”

Greg Viscomi, Monmouth Assistant AD

@OneandOnlyGregV: MT: “Class act, great coach – best of luck”

Anthony Sciarra QB (’04)

@danefan: “Coach Ford is without a doubt one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever encountered. That is true both on and off the field. His number one goal was to turn out fine young men and that was evident in everything he did. He developed skills in so many of us that we never could have imagined we had. He will be impossible to replace, but we’re looking forward to his next chapter.”

Paul Layton P (’10-12)

@PunterLayton: “Congrats to Coach Ford announcing his retirement for after this season”

Dave Plungas ILB (’08-12)

@TheGR8Plungini: “If you didn't play for or know coach ford you don't understand. Never once seen him in a bad mood. Retiring a legend.”

Justin Brancaccio LB (’06-09)

@JBran54: “It’s crazy to think this is the last season #BobFord will coach @UAlbanyFootball the program he built & tradition will grow! #Purplefam

Rashad Barksdale DB (’07) 

@RB25HUD: “gave me a chance that made my dream come true! not just a great coach, he’s a great guy! Him & his straw hat u can’t replace!

Ryan Kirchner WR (’09-12)

@RyKirch8: “There is no coach to ever have an impact on his players in both football and especially life like Ford has had. He’s a legend.”

Kevin Richards OL (’06-09)

@KevinRichards75: “Coach Ford is UA’s best rep and his coaching tree is massive. It’s VERYHARD to find a coach in the Northeast NOT connected with him.”

WFAN’s Paul Dottino

@giantswfan: “Albany’s Bob Ford and RMorris’ Joe Walton are retiring at end of year. Great FB guys. Thanks for the memories. Best to both of them.”

John Carpenter, Stony Brook Equipment Manager

@John_Carpenter1: “Congratulations to Coach Bob Ford on an outstanding career at @UAlbanyFootball. He is a true legend of CFB.”

ALBANY - Bob Ford announced on Tuesday that he will step down from his position as University at Albany football coach.

Ford has been the coach since the program began in 1970.

Below is the video of Ford's statement to a packed room at UAlbany's Hall of Fame room.



Below is UAlbany Director of Athletics Lee McElroy talking about Ford.

ALBANY - Bob Ford has been the coach at the University at Albany since the program started in 1970.

The upcoming 2013 season will be his 44th and final one.

Ford announced on Tuesday that he would step away from the program following this upcoming season.

"It's impossible to get to this point and put in this many years without a lot of memories flashing through your memory bank," said Ford, at the team's media day.

The Great Danes will start their first year in the Colonial Athletic Association, against Duquesne on Aug. 31.

UAlbany will play its first game on Bob Ford Field, on Saturday, Sept. 14, when they host new league foe Rhode Island.

Ford has 255 career varsity wins at UAlbany, make him the winningest active coach in Division I FBS or FCS. 

The University at Albany is a new member to the Colonial Athletic Association in football.

The Great Danes didn't receive much respect in the preseason poll, which was released on Wednesday, at the league's media day at M&T Stadium in Baltimore.

Coach Bob Ford and quarterback Will Fiacchi represented the team down at media day.

Here is the preseason poll.

1. Villanova
2. Towson
3. New Hampshire 
4. Richmond
5. James Madison
6. Delaware
7. Stony Brook
8. Maine
9. William & Mary
10. UAlbany 
11. Rhode Island

The Great Danes kick off the season on Aug. 31, at Duquesne, and play their first CAA game on Sept. 14, when they host Rhode Island, in the first game played at Bob Ford Field.

The University at Albany football team played its annual spring game on Saturday.

Nic Ketter caught the game-winning touchdown (picture below), on the final play, as the Offense posted a 45-40 victory.

Jeff Couch/The Record

Here is a link to the story that appeared in Sunday's paper.

Below is video of coach Bob Ford, talking about the game.

UAlbany football coach Bob Ford talks about his program's 2013 recruiting class.

AP

ALBANY — Drew Smith wants to make the most of every opportunity he gets to carry the football.
 
The senior running back is averaging nearly 100 yards per game so far this season for the University at Albany.
 
Smith will be one of the keys, as UAlbany (1-0, 3-1) gets set to host league rival Monmouth (2-0, 3-1), at home, on Saturday afternoon.
 
“It’ll be a tough ballgame,” said Great Danes coach Bob Ford. “We’ll have to play well.”
 
Smith, who has 392 yards and five touchdowns already this season, has been the Great Danes leading back for the past two years. He credits maturity with helping him turn things up even another level, as a senior.
 
“I think it’s me being more mature and knowing what to do, when to go and not being reckless,” said the Guilderland High grad. “I know my sophomore year, I was running high and got dinged up.”
 
Smith and his fellow seniors haven’t lost to Monmouth in their careers. The last time the Hawks won in this Northeast Conference matchup was back in 2006.
 
Smith says he spends more time in the tub and talking to trainer Jay Geiger, if even the slightest things flares up.
 
“I know my body now,” Smith said. “I know what to expect of it. I have Omar too, to help me out.”
 
Sophomore Omar Osbourne and Smith have helped UAlbany excel in the running game this season. The Great Danes are averaging more than 200 yards rushing per game and haven’t been held to fewer than 110.
 
Smith will likely become just the third running back in school history to surpass the 3,000-yard mark for his career, joining David McCarty (2006-09) and Gary Jones (2002-03), both also Section II high school products.
 
Smith has dealt with injuries in past seasons, but he says he’s running lower now, which helps him avoid some of the more violent contact.
 
For his career, Smith has averaged 5.3 yards per carry (484 total rushes) and scored 27 rushing touchdowns.
 
All this for a guy who played quarterback in high school and initially was slotted behind Vinny Esposito in the QB depth chart for the Great Danes.
 
The goal for the UAlbany running backs is to pick up four yards per carry. Smith just wants to do as much as he can to help the team to victory.
 
“I want to make the most of every carry,” he said.

The Northeast Conference revealed its preseason poll for the 2012 season.

Not surprisingly, the University at Albany, the 2011 champs, are at the top. Bob Ford and his Great Danes have some holes to fill, but they should definitely start the season at top, after earning the league's first playoff bid last season.

Here is the poll.

    1.    UAlbany (6)
    2.    Duquesne (1)
    3.    Bryant (2)
    4.    Central Connecticut
    5.    Monmouth
    6.    Robert Morris
    7.    Wagner
    8.    Sacred Heart
    9.    Saint Francis (PA)

The preseason team was also announced.

Here are the UAlbany players who earned preseason honors.

WR - Ryan Kirchner
OL - Kadeem Williams
LB - Kyle Jordan
LB - Jon Morgan
DB - Leon Saddler
K - Paul Layton

The Great Danes begin practice on Monday. 

First off, here is a link to the game story - Heartbreaking loss for Danes in FCS playoffs

Here is the final play of the game, as Dan Di Lella's pass is intercepted in the end zone by Dominick Reyes.

UAlbany senior defensive end Eddie Delaney talks about the game.


UAlbany coach Bob Ford talks about the game.

STONY BROOK - What an incredibly good game, but a tough play that ended it for the University at Albany.

The Seawolves scored the last 21 points of the game, to advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Stony Brook (9-3) will face Sam Houston State (11-0) next weekend.

UAlbany (8-4) had a 28-10 lead, but let the game slip away, something they'll probably never forget.

Dan Di Lella who set program-records for passing touchdowns (25) and yards (2,548), threw an interception with less than a minutes to play, in the end zone.

“That last play was not the right decision and it cost us the game,” he said.

 
The Great Danes should feel good about the season, but it's certainly a tough way to bow out.  

UAlbany coach Bob Ford coached the second half with a torn MCL, after being involved in a collision with receiver Ryan Kirchner, on the sideline.

“I think I can put it into perspective,” Ford said. “We had a great, great season.”

I'm expecting a very good crowd this afternoon at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, down on Long Island.

It will be the first Football Championship Subdivision postseason game for both Stony Brook at the University at Albany.

On top of it being a SUNY school rivalry, the two teams used to play together in the Northeast Conference. In addition, Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore is a UAlbany alum and got his start in coaching, with Bob Ford and the Great Danes.

Here are some links from Saturday's edition of the paper. 

UAlbany. vs Stony Brook game capsule 

Student Chuck Priore and his teach Bob Ford will match wits in NCAA playoffs

UAlbany, Stony Brook have traveled different paths to reach playoffs

UAlbany football coach Bob Ford talks about his team's upcoming game against Bryant.

ALBANY - Occasionally, quarterback Buddy Leathley will turn a handoff into a scramble.

It's something that running back Drew Smith can appreciate.

See, Smith used to be a mobile quarterback, while playing at Guilderland High School.

Now, he's the tailback and Leathley, who took over the starting job from Dan Di Lella, is the mobile quarterback.

“We joke about it sometimes,” said Smith, who would still prefer to get the ball.

Leathley's legs may be one of his most dangerous weapons, but they are also something he needs to learn how to keep under control.

“He’s got to do a better job of holding onto the ball,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford after Wednesday's spring practice on University Field.

Leathley (who is seen in the above picture, throwing a touchdown in last year's spring scrimmage) was dynamic in his rookie season, but he has to cut down on turnovers.

“We have to stop that,” Ford said. “If we can’t stop that, we’ll keep searching. He can’t turn the ball over.”

While Leathley is just a red-shirt freshman, he has stepped up in leading the Great Danes through the start of the 2011 spring practices.

“He’s leading with his actions,” said fellow frosh, running back Dillon Romain.

“The team believes in him and follows him a little bit,” added Ford.

Two starters (Chris Wilk - ILB; Kyle O'Keefe - OG) are out with injuries.

The spring practices culminate with the intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, April 9, at 3 p.m.

"You hope to be healthy,” Ford said. “When it’s all said and done, you want to come out of this thing healthy.”

Here's a quick recap of what Ford thought about each area (this isn't quotes, but rather a paraphrase)

• Defensive line should be strong
• Three inside linebackers should be good (4 or 5 in the hunt for the fourth)
• Solid at safety and corner spots
• Very good at punter
• Fairly decent at kicker
• Offensive line "highly suspect"
• Wide receivers and running backs are very good
  

ALBANY - Junior linebacker Chris Wilk sat out last week's home football game against St. Francis (Pa.)

The news doesn't get much better for the Philadelphia native, who will have surgery on his right knee and is done for the season.

Wilk injured himself on the onside kick against Yale, two weeks ago, and will have surgery on Oct. 27.

Also on the injury front, freshman receiver Jameel Gay didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday but did practice on Tuesday.

Freshman running back Dillon Romain practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday, but didn't practice on Thursday because of an ankle sprain. Romain should be good for Saturday's game.

Drew Smith is at about 90 percent. He's been dealing with leg and knee injuries most of the year and even back before the season started.

"We're as healthy as you can get this time of year," said UAlbany coach Bob Ford.

I received my media pass for UAlbany's first home football game (Oct. 9 vs. St. Francis) this afternoon from the UAlbany Athletics department .

That must mean football is on the way.

Okay, I'm joking. Obviously, the Great Danes 2010 season is already underway.

I probably have mentioned this already, but it bears repeating that UAlbany is the only FBS or FCS team that doesn't have a home game in the month of September. They are probably the only team in the country, including Division II and III, but that's not verified.

Anyway, the Great Danes are trying to stop a two-game slide that has them thinking the 3-0 season-opening victory over Maine was so long ago it was last season.

On a negative note, freshman running back Tramaine Wilson will not travel for the second straight week. Coach Bob Ford said it's a personal issue and he's again hoping he'll be there next week for the home opener.

I had a chance to talk to senior Ross Bertrand, who is the only player from the state of Connecticut about playing Yale.

"I know it has great history behind it, but I've never been there," said the Stamford, Conn., native.

Bertrand says he'll have at least 25-30 people coming to the game.

Look for our game preview online and in print on Saturday.

Below senior defensive end Mike Kelly talks about the Yale game. I've been told he is a theater minor, so he should be a natural on camera.

The Great Danes left for Pittsburgh Friday morning at 9 a.m. and will stop in Rochester to have a walk through at St. John Fisher College.

Fisher Offensive Coordinator Dave Parks is a 2003 graduate of UAlbany and another assistant coach, Colin Disch, is a 2007 graduate of UAlbany.

The team will arrive around dinner time and kickoff is 12 p.m. on Saturday against Duquesne (2-1).

I talked to defensive lineman Eddie Delaney, quarterback Dan Di Lella and coach Bob Ford for a story about beginning the Northeast Conference season that will appear in Saturday's paper.

Below sophomore running back Andrew Smith talks about how he'll be back on the field on Saturday.



Below is the video preview compiled by the UAlbany sports department

ALBANY - Freshman running back Tramaine Wilson has been suspended for one week according to coach Bob Ford for violating team regulations.

Ford wouldn't elaborate, but said he will "hopefully" be back next week.

Wilson, who the coaches were very high on during the preseason, has rushed for 50 yards on 24 carries so far this season.

That leaves the Great Danes (1-1) with Andrew Smith, freshman Dillon Romain and redshirt freshman Amsterdam High graduate Ben Miseikis in the back field for Saturday's Northeast Conference opener at Duquesne (2-1).

Smith will play, after missing the Stephen F. Austin game because of a leg injury.

Other Injury notes:

• Left guard Kyle O'Keefe back, but won't play the whole game
• Wide receiver Jason Poore has a hamstring issue, but he'll play
  

"There's two times that you're going to be healthy," Ford said. "Fourth of July and Christmas. In between, you'll always have aches and pains."

ALBANY - I'll admit that was a pretty bad use of the first opponents name in the headline.

The University at Albany football team is getting ready to kick off the 2010 season against Maine on Thursday evening.

I caught the tail end of practice on Tuesday and heard a couple of rave reviews about redshirt freshman running back Tramaine Wilson.

Wilson supposedly has had a great preseason camp and will help carry the load at the running back position.

UAlbany coach Bob Ford said that he thinks Wilson will play quite a bit.

The Great Danes lost a lot of players from last season, but Ford thinks they can plug the gaps.

“What you hope is that you replace him, or those specific kids, with an adequate replacement and then some of the other positions step it up a little more,” he said.

Ford was asked who he thought had most some big steps during the preseason camp, leading up to the season and he added in no particular order.

Wilson
Junior safety Jake Ciccarello
Senior captain offensive lineman Andy Sparano
Sophomore wide receiver Nick Hutcherson
Sophomore linebacker Jon Morgan
Redshirt freshman punter Paul Layton

Ford also said they are getting good play from senior defensive linemen Trevor Anderson and Eddie Delaney and they expect that from those two.

"We have the talent," Ford said. "I think the major question is how are we going to gel."

Another note from UAlbany camp. Former player Chris Simpson, who played last season at linebacker, is going after a Rhodes scholarship.

Simpson has one year left at RPI, after setting out for a 3 & 2 program with UAlbany and RPI, to get his undergraduate degree and his master's.

The team leaves for Maine at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Look for our preview pages in The Record and a feature on the versatile Andrew Smith on Thursday.