Chuck Amato AKRON, Ohio -- He’s seen a lot ... and he’s done a lot!!
University of Akron associate head coach and defensive coordinator Chuck Amato has decided to retire from coaching, the 71-year-old legend announced on Monday after addressing the members of the team.
“It’s been a while that I’ve been thinking about this.” Amato said. “Bobby Bowden preached for years the three ‘F’s– faith, family, and football– in that order.
My wife has . . .
University of Akron associate head coach and defensive coordinator Chuck Amato has decided to retire from coaching, the 71-year-old legend announced on Monday after addressing the members of the team.
“It’s been a while that I’ve been thinking about this.” Amato said. “Bobby Bowden preached for years the three ‘F’s– faith, family, and football– in that order.
My wife has . . .
. . . a sister and brother who are not doing well right now, and I’ve got twin boys (grandsons) in my house, and they just kill me. [he said with a laugh] I said to myself, ‘Maybe it’s time to go ahead and let someone else do it.’ Just be happy and glad. I’ve been around. I’ve been to the top of the mountain twice, and if it wasn’t for a wide left and a wide right, there’d be five of them (national championships). But I’m ready to retire, and I have to find something to do. If anybody out there has something they can give me, call me.”
In 2017, Amato completed his sixth season at Akron and his 45th year in the collegiate coaching ranks, which included serving as head coach at North Carolina State and as a long-time assistant coach at Florida State.
“One of the hardest things I’m going to have to do as the head coach at the University of Akron is to replace Chuck Amato, my associate head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach, who has decided after an illustrious career at Florida State, N.C. State, and Akron to retire,” head coach Terry Bowden said.
“We’ll have another person in here, but I’m not sure you can ever replace a guy like Chuck Amato. The thing that he has done to add character to our team, to add leadership, to be a mentor to our young men, and he’s done it for nearly 50 years of coaching, that’s irreplaceable in a lot of ways. On an individual basis, his development of linebackers was above all else. In his six years here, Justin March, Jatavis Brown, and Ulysees Gilbert—two of them playing in the NFL and the other I’m sure will have the opportunity, he’s continued to be one of the premiere linebacker coaches in the country.
“We’re excited about what he’s done during his tenure here, getting us to two bowls in the last three years, getting us to a (MAC East) division championship for the first time in 12 years, beating our rival in three straight years, I think without Chuck Amato, that would not have been nearly as easy to obtain.”
Amato is one of the most respected coaches and recruiters in college football and has produced winning football teams and numerous top draft picks throughout his career. In 2002, he was elected to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.
Amato served as head coach at his alma mater NC State from 2000-06 and posted a 49-37 record while guiding the program to five bowl appearances (4-1 record in those bowl games). He led the Wolfpack to their first 11-win season in school history in 2002 and highest national ranking (No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll; No. 11 in the final Coaches poll) since 1974, after defeating Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. The 2004 NC State squad led the nation in total defense. Additionally, under Amato, quarterback Philip Rivers rewrote the program and ACC record books in every passing and total offense category. During his tenure, he had 22 players drafted into the NFL, including five in the first round.
In 2000, Amato’s NC State squad defeated Minnesota in the MicronPC.com Bowl, in 2001, lost to Pittsburgh in the Tangerine Bowl, in 2003 downed Kansas in the Tangerine Bowl, and in 2006 topped South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Amato spent 21 seasons on the staff at Florida State (1982-1999 and 2007-09). In his most recent stint (2007-09) he served as executive head coach to then-head coach Bobby Bowden. From 1982-95 he coached the defensive line, 1996-99 the linebackers and from 1986-99 also served as assistant head coach. He was part of 10 ACC championship teams and two national championship squads (1993 and 1999). Six of his Seminole players were selected in the NFL Draft’s first round and 24 defensive players overall that he directly coached were drafted during his FSU tenure.
Amato was also a member of the NC State staff from 1971-79, serving as graduate assistant (1971-72), defensive secondary coach (1973-75) and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (1976-79). He also coached linebackers at Arizona from 1980-81. His coaching career began at Easton High School in his hometown of Easton, Pa., where he was an assistant coach from 1969-70.
At Akron, alone, Amato mentored linebacker Jatavis Brown [2012-15], the 2015 All-Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, three-time first-team All-MAC selection, and first-ever UA linebacker to be drafted into the NFL; linebacker Justin March-Lillard [2011-14], who plays for the Dallas Cowboys; junior linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III, a two-time first-team All-MAC honoree; and safety Zach Guiser [2014-17] a first-team Academic All-American (second time in program history and first time since 1980); as well as 19 Academic All-MAC honorees, 11 All-MAC picks, and seven NFL players.
Amato lettered in football (linebacker) and wrestling at NC State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969 and master’s degree in education in 1973. The 1965 football team won an ACC co-championship and he was captain of the defense in 1967. He won two ACC titles as a wrestler in 1966 (heavyweight) and 1968 (191-lb. weight class).
(Courtesy of UA Athletics)
In 2017, Amato completed his sixth season at Akron and his 45th year in the collegiate coaching ranks, which included serving as head coach at North Carolina State and as a long-time assistant coach at Florida State.
“One of the hardest things I’m going to have to do as the head coach at the University of Akron is to replace Chuck Amato, my associate head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach, who has decided after an illustrious career at Florida State, N.C. State, and Akron to retire,” head coach Terry Bowden said.
“We’ll have another person in here, but I’m not sure you can ever replace a guy like Chuck Amato. The thing that he has done to add character to our team, to add leadership, to be a mentor to our young men, and he’s done it for nearly 50 years of coaching, that’s irreplaceable in a lot of ways. On an individual basis, his development of linebackers was above all else. In his six years here, Justin March, Jatavis Brown, and Ulysees Gilbert—two of them playing in the NFL and the other I’m sure will have the opportunity, he’s continued to be one of the premiere linebacker coaches in the country.
“We’re excited about what he’s done during his tenure here, getting us to two bowls in the last three years, getting us to a (MAC East) division championship for the first time in 12 years, beating our rival in three straight years, I think without Chuck Amato, that would not have been nearly as easy to obtain.”
Amato is one of the most respected coaches and recruiters in college football and has produced winning football teams and numerous top draft picks throughout his career. In 2002, he was elected to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.
Amato served as head coach at his alma mater NC State from 2000-06 and posted a 49-37 record while guiding the program to five bowl appearances (4-1 record in those bowl games). He led the Wolfpack to their first 11-win season in school history in 2002 and highest national ranking (No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll; No. 11 in the final Coaches poll) since 1974, after defeating Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. The 2004 NC State squad led the nation in total defense. Additionally, under Amato, quarterback Philip Rivers rewrote the program and ACC record books in every passing and total offense category. During his tenure, he had 22 players drafted into the NFL, including five in the first round.
In 2000, Amato’s NC State squad defeated Minnesota in the MicronPC.com Bowl, in 2001, lost to Pittsburgh in the Tangerine Bowl, in 2003 downed Kansas in the Tangerine Bowl, and in 2006 topped South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Amato spent 21 seasons on the staff at Florida State (1982-1999 and 2007-09). In his most recent stint (2007-09) he served as executive head coach to then-head coach Bobby Bowden. From 1982-95 he coached the defensive line, 1996-99 the linebackers and from 1986-99 also served as assistant head coach. He was part of 10 ACC championship teams and two national championship squads (1993 and 1999). Six of his Seminole players were selected in the NFL Draft’s first round and 24 defensive players overall that he directly coached were drafted during his FSU tenure.
Amato was also a member of the NC State staff from 1971-79, serving as graduate assistant (1971-72), defensive secondary coach (1973-75) and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (1976-79). He also coached linebackers at Arizona from 1980-81. His coaching career began at Easton High School in his hometown of Easton, Pa., where he was an assistant coach from 1969-70.
At Akron, alone, Amato mentored linebacker Jatavis Brown [2012-15], the 2015 All-Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, three-time first-team All-MAC selection, and first-ever UA linebacker to be drafted into the NFL; linebacker Justin March-Lillard [2011-14], who plays for the Dallas Cowboys; junior linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III, a two-time first-team All-MAC honoree; and safety Zach Guiser [2014-17] a first-team Academic All-American (second time in program history and first time since 1980); as well as 19 Academic All-MAC honorees, 11 All-MAC picks, and seven NFL players.
Amato lettered in football (linebacker) and wrestling at NC State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969 and master’s degree in education in 1973. The 1965 football team won an ACC co-championship and he was captain of the defense in 1967. He won two ACC titles as a wrestler in 1966 (heavyweight) and 1968 (191-lb. weight class).
(Courtesy of UA Athletics)
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