Feb. 9, 2009

EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette football associate head coach and offensive coordinator Bob Heffner will leave the Leopards' program to join the staff at Northwestern University while Leopards' defensive line coach Al Holcomb has accepted a position on the coaching staff of the N.Y. Giants.

Tabbed the "superbacks" coach at Northwestern, Heffner will be charged with overseeing the development of the tight ends, fullbacks and H-backs in the Wildcats' spread offense. Heffner re-joins Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who led the Wildcats to a bowl appearance in 2008. The two coached together at Maryland when Fitzgerald was a graduate assistant and Heffner was the offensive coordinator.

"We are happy that Bob received this tremendous professional opportunity to coach in the Big Ten Conference at Northwestern," said Lafayette head coach Frank Tavani. "Bob has been an invaluable member of the Lafayette football family for many years and has been integral to our success. But, more importantly to me, he is a good friend."

Heffner has spent the last eight seasons at Lafayette serving as the Leopards' offensive line coach from 2001 through 2007, before assuming offensive coordinator duties in 2008. In 2002, Heffner was named the program's associate head coach. During those eight seasons, he mentored offensive lines that served as fronts for some of the Patriot League's most prolific offenses. In the past five years, Leopard linemen have been honored 13 times for all-league play.

In 2008, he oversaw the Leopards' offense which ranked second in the Patriot League in rushing and led the nation with the fewest turnovers. Lafayette finished 7-4. In 2006, when Lafayette won its third straight Patriot League title and advanced to the FCS playoffs, Heffner's offensive line blocked for tailback Jonathan Hurt '07, the conference's Offensive Player of the Year. Six times in his last eight seasons with Lafayette, the Leopards have ranked either first or second in Patriot League rushing or passing.

Heffner also had two earlier successful stints at Lafayette, which were sandwiched around four years in the professional ranks. In 1988 and 1989, he coached the offensive line and helped the 1988 Leopards to the Patriot League title. He then worked with CFL's British Columbia Lions (1990-92) as their co-offensive coordinator, which featured Doug Flutie, the CFL's MVP in 1991 and Jim Mills, the two-time Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in 1990 and '91. Then Heffner spent one season with the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm as their offensive coordinator and director of player personnel in 1993 before returning to Lafayette for his second coaching stint with the Leopards in the fall of '93. He was the Leopards' offensive coordinator/offensive line coach for three seasons, which included a Patriot League title in 1994.

"Having worked at Lafayette for so many years, I enjoy coaching and teaching that caliber of student-athlete, and I know I will get that opportunity at Northwestern," Heffner said.

Holcomb has joined the N.Y. Giants staff as the defensive quality control coach with some of his daily repsonsibilities including film breakdown and game analysis for the 2008 Super Bowl champions. While on College Hill, Holcomb served as the defensive line coach for three seasons, the first of which (2006) marked the program's third straight Patriot League title and NCAA FCS Playoff appearance.

"Al has received a chance to coach in the NFL at the pinnacle of our profession," Tavani said. "He has been a standout performer on our staff during his time here, and we wish he and his family the best of luck."

In 2008, Holcomb helped coach a defense that was eighth in the nation in scoring defense (17.5 ppg), 10 in rushing defense (92.2 ypg) and 20th in the NCAA in total defense (303 ypg) while leading the conference in every category. Holcomb's unit was especially effective in the red zone (seventh in the nation). In 2007, the Leopards' defense allowed an NCAA-best 260.1 yards per game and ranked fourth in the country in rushing defense (85.7 ypg) and eighth in scoring defense (16.9 ppg). In his first season on College Hill, Holcomb coached three defensive linemen to All-Patriot League honors as Lafayette led the conference in rushing defense (139 ypg).

Holcomb got his first taste of coaching in the NFL ranks in the summer of 2007, when he participated in the NFL's minority coaching internship with the N.Y. Jets. He spent mini camp and training camp working the Jets' defense. Over the last 13 seasons, Holcomb has coached 30 all-conference players on the defensive side of the ball.

Al Holcomb has accepted a coaching position with the N.Y. Giants.

Prior to coming to Lafayette, Holcomb coached at Division II Kutztown University, where he was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2004 and 2005 and served as acting head coach in the winter of 2005. Holcomb was the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Bloomsburg for six seasons, beginning in 1998, before moving to Kutztown. Prior to his time at Bloomsburg, Holcomb was linebackers coach, assistant track coach and a physical education instructor at Colby College. In 1996 and 1997, he was the graduate assistant coach in charge of linebackers at Temple when the Owls were a member of the Big East. Holcomb began his coaching career as linebackers coach at Morgantown High School in the fall of 1994, and served as a volunteer administrative assistant at West Virginia University.

"I think it's a tribute to what we have built here with Lafayette football that members of our coaching staffs are highly sought after by institutions and organizations at the highest levels of football," Tavani said. "I'm confident that we will continue to work with some of the top coaches in the country."

Lafayette has begun its replacement search for both positions.

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