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Contact Coach Tavani: Frank Tavani begins his 10th season as head coach of the Lafayette football program with the same fire that fueled him when he took over the program in 1999. Boasting the second-longest head coaching tenure of all Patriot League coaches, Tavani has transformed the Lafayette football program into a consistent championship contender. Lafayette has spent time in the Top 25 each of the last five seasons and is the only Patriot League program to claim a winning record in every regular season during that span. Tavani's teams hold a 22-8 Patriot League record over the last five years when they won three consecutive Patriot League championships from 2004 to 2006. During that championship run, the Leopards made the first three postseason appearances in school history, laying claim to the Patriot League's automatic NCAA Playoff bid in 2004 and 2006, while earning the program's first at-large berth in 2005.
In addition to Patriot League championships and NCAA Playoff appearances, Lafayette has taken care of business close to home. Lafayette has beaten its cross-valley rival Lehigh four of the last five times they met in College Football's Most Played Rivalry. The win in 2007 at Lehigh allowed the Class of 2008 to leave College Hill without ever having lost to its archrival, a feat not equaled since the since the Class of 1950. Tavani became Lafayette's 27th head coach Dec. 11, 1999 after having served as the Leopards' running backs coach for 13 seasons. His charge upon taking the job was to restore the once proud Lafayette program to glory. With that already behind him, Tavani continues to raise his own program's expectations. The Leopards are coming off a 2008 season that was highlighted by a 35-14 win at No. 14 Liberty in a hostile environment. The victory was the first for a Patriot League team over a ranked non-league foe in the past three seasons. It showcased Tavani's ability to get his troops ready for the big games. From 2004-07, Lafayette compiled 29 wins for the best record since the Class of 1927 won 29 games from 1923-1926. The Leopards' near upsets of defending national champion Delaware in 2004 and eventual national champion Appalachian State in 2005, both in enemy territory, cemented Tavani's reputation in big games. In 2004, Tavani was named Patriot League Coach of Year after leading the Leopards to their first championship in a decade, despite being picked no higher than fifth in the preseason poll of the league's coaches. He was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award for his efforts, and signed a five-year contract extension following the season. Tavani added two more years to his contract after 2006's successful title defense and tacked on another two following the 2007 season, allowing him to patrol the sidelines at Fisher Stadium through at least 2014. Tavani has been a part of six Patriot League championship teams in his 21 years at Lafayette. He came to College Hill in 1987, and the Leopards captured their first league crown the next year. He was also the running backs coach on the 1992 and 1994 championship teams, and has secured each of the last three titles as the head coach. During his tenure, Tavani has coached some of the top players in the program's history. Andy Romans, the 2007 and 2008 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, anchored the No. 1-ranked defense in the country in 2007 which allowed just 85 yards per game on the ground and 175.2 yards per game through the air. He led the Leopards with 113 tackles that season, and is the third Lafayette player, and first under Tavani, to win the award. Romans and the Leopards finished in second place in the Patriot League standings, one conference win away from a fourth straight title. Jonathan Hurt `07, the 2006 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, grinded out 1,165 rushing yards as a senior, giving Tavani a 1,000-yard rusher in 10 of his 20 seasons on the Leopards' coaching staff. He has recruited and coached the top four rushers in Lafayette history (five of the top six) and has mentored four different tailbacks to Offensive Player of the Year honors. Erik Marsh `95, the Patriot League's all-time leading rusher, was recognized in 1992 and 1993, while Joe McCourt `05 took the honors in 2004 and Tom Costello `92 was the recipient in 1989. An explosive offense guided by that running attack has been a staple of Tavani-led football programs. McCourt finished his career in 2004 as the all-time school and Patriot League-leader with 50 rushing touchdowns and is second in Lafayette annals with 4,474 yards on the ground. Marko Glavic and John Weyrauch concluded their careers in 2003 after rewriting the Lafayette record book. Glavic owns nearly every school passing record as well as Patriot League records for passing yards (9,819) and total offense (10,064 yards) while Weyrauch is Lafayette's all-time leader in both receptions (162) and receiving yards (2,406). While Lafayette won when outside expectations were low in 2004 and defended its championship with an experienced senior class in 2005, the difficulties of an anticipated "three-peat" may have made the Leopards' 2006 performance Tavani's best coaching job. The Leopards broke into the top 25 early in the season, only to drop the next four against an extremely challenging Ivy League slate, and the losing streak was extended to five by Holy Cross. Lafayette went to Colgate on Oct. 28 facing a 10-game losing streak to the Raiders, a perennial conference contender, but a convincing 27-10 victory in Hamilton, N.Y. resurrected the Leopards' season and provided the impetus for the stretch run. After wins over Fordham and Georgetown, Lafayette entered the 142nd game with Lehigh in a familiar situation - win and you're in. Tavani went back to the black jerseys that the Leopards wore for the 2004 game, which resulted in a 24-10 win over the Mountain Hawks. While the sartorial switch wasn't the reason for Lafayette's 49-27 triumph this time around, it allowed Tavani and the Leopards to claim their third straight championship in style. The Leopards' postseason performances have been just as impressive against a trio of teams that have competed for the national championship. In 2006, Lafayette trailed No. 3 seed Massachusetts 21-14 late in the third quarter before the Minutemen shook the Leopards with a pair of late scores for a 35-14 victory. UMass went on to play Appalachian State in the national championship game. In 2005, Lafayette traveled to Appalachian State, the No. 2 seed in the field. The Leopards led 17-10 at the half and entered the fourth quarter tied at 20-all before the Mountaineers emerged with a 34-23 victory, and went on to win the first of three straight national titles. The previous season, Tavani took his team to defending national champion Delaware and gave the Blue Hens all they could handle. A long touchdown drive capped by a one-yard run by McCourt gave the Leopards a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, before an 87-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the final three minutes turned the tide for Delaware in a 28-14 victory. Tavani resurrected the program with the second-best turnaround in I-AA football during the 2002 season. Lafayette improved upon a 2-8 season in 2001 with a 7-5 overall record and 5-2 league mark, which included a 14-7 win vs. Lehigh for the first victory over the Mountain Hawks in seven seasons. Although the Leopards finished 5-6 in 2003, they still proved the turnaround was no fluke. Four of those losses were by a touchdown or less, including two against Top 25 opponents. Tavani's student-athletes are also getting the job done in the classroom, with 23 CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees in his nine seasons as head coach, and a total of 38 players have earned the distinction since 1995. Lafayette has also claimed four of the last eight Patriot League Football Scholar-Athletes of the Year and three straight (Brad Maurer - 2006, Maurice Bennett - 2005, Stephen Bono - 2004, Stewart Kupfer - 2001). The Leopards also boasted 18 student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in 2008. Tavani's impact has extended beyond the playing field and the classroom. He worked with college officials and major donors on the $33 million transformation of Fisher Stadium. The project included new spectator seating, a FieldTurf playing surface, a new press box, 19'-by-35' video matrix board and the construction of the 24,000 square foot home of Lafayette Football at the Bourger Varsity Football House. The year before coming to Lafayette, Tavani served as the defensive coordinator at Lebanon Valley College, his alma mater. During that time, he was also Lebanon Valley's director of alumni services and parents' programs, activating 15 alumni chapters. From 1976-86, Tavani was the offensive coordinator at Franklin and Marshall College, helping guide the Diplomats to a 10-year record of 67-23-1. As an undergraduate at Lebanon Valley, Tavani was an outstanding running back, twice earning the team's Most Valuable Player honors. As a senior, he became the school's first player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. An Associated Press All-American as a senior, he was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 1988. Tavani was inducted into the Lebanon Catholic High School Hall of Fame in its inaugural class in March 2004 and joined the Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in November 2006. Tavani earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Lebanon Valley in 1975, and has completed postgraduate work in Counselor Education. Tavani and his wife, Agnes, reside on College Hill, and are the parents of four children. Liam '03 and Meghan '06 are graduates of Lafayette, while Bridget is a freshman on College Hill. Daniel graduated from Wofford College in 2007 where he was a four-year letterwinner for the football team. Personal File COACHING EXPERIENCE • Entering 33rd year in coaching • Begins 23rd year coaching at Lafayette • Holds a 52-50 mark through nine seasons at Lafayette • Lafayette College, Head Coach, December 1999-present • Lafayette College, Associate Head Coach, April 1987-99 • Lebanon Valley College, Assistant Coach, April 1986-April 1987 • Franklin & Marshall College, Assistant Coach, February 1976-March 1986 HONORS • Named Easton UNICO Man of the Year, Feb. 2009 • 2004 Patriot League Coach of the Year • Finalist for Eddie Robinson National I-AA Coach of the Year Award in 2004 • Lebanon Catholic High School Hall of Fame, Inducted March 2004 • Lebanon Valley College Hall of Fame, Inducted Oct. 1988 • Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Inducted Nov. 2006 • First player in Lebanon Valley College history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (1975), earning Associated Press All-America honors • Signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, 1976 PERSONAL • Born July 31, 1953 • Native of Lebanon, Pa. • Married with four children |
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