Ithaca College’s ninth head football coach, Mike Welch -- who completed his 22nd year at the helm of his alma mater in 2015-- has continued the success of one of Division III’s winningest programs. His teams have been consistent playoff contenders, and he owns a record of 164-73 (.692) as Bomber coach. In 2014, Welch served as president of the American Football Coaches Association. Welch was inducted into Ithaca's Hall of Fame at the end of September 2015.
Recruiting responsibilities: Sections 4 and 5 (New York state); Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C.
Taking over for Jim Butterfield, one of college football’s most successful coaches, Welch was college football’s most successful rookie coach in 1994. He led the Bombers to a 10-3 record and the NCAA Division III semifinals that year.
He posted more victories (10) than any other first-year NCAA coach. For his efforts, Welch was named Division III coach of the year by College Sports magazine and Eastern Division III coach of the year (Stan Lomax-Irving Marsh Award) by the Football Writers of New York.
In 1996, the Bombers started the season with five straight wins and at one point earned the top spot in the NCAA Division III East Region rankings. Ithaca won the ECAC Northeast championship by downing previously unbeaten Worcester State, 27-21. The 1998 team lost only to NCAA playoff teams Springfield and Buffalo State on its way to the ECAC playoffs. Once there, Ithaca defeated Hartwick, 40-6. A year later Ithaca made the program’s 17th postseason appearance in 25 years.
In 2001 the Bombers reached the NCAA quarterfinals, posting road wins at Montclair State and Rensselaer. The 2003 Bombers reached the national quarterfinals after recording NCAA playoff wins at Brockport and Montclair State. In 2004 Ithaca routed Massachusetts-Dartmouth in an ECAC postseason game. A year later the Bombers won their fourth straight Empire 8 title and advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the third time in five years.
The 2007 and 2008 Bomber teams made the program's first consecutive NCAA playoff appearances in 16 seasons (the latter team won Ithaca's fifth conference title). The 2009 season was highlighted by season-ending wins over undefeated Alfred and Cortaca Jug rival Cortland.
Ithaca returned to the NCAA playoffs in 2013 following the program's sixth Empire 8 title. The Bombers clinched the conference crown with an overtime win at Salisbury and finished the regular season with an 8-2 record. Ithaca went on to a first-round playoff victory at Butterfield Stadium against Framingham State before falling in the round of 16 at Wesley. During the 2013 season, Welch earned his 150th career victory with a win over St. John Fisher. It made Welch one of 19 active Division III coaches to hit that career-wins milestone.
A high school standout at Dansville, Welch was coached there by Ithaca Athletic Hall of Fame member Tom Vogt ’64 and earned all-county honors as a junior halfback and a senior linebacker. Dansville was 16-0 during Welch’s sophomore and junior seasons.
At Ithaca he earned two letters playing for Butterfield. A running back, he missed most of his sophomore season with an ankle injury. Welch was named the Bombers’ Most Improved Back as a junior after gaining 467 yards on 117 carries. The starter at fullback and a captain as a senior, Welch was again slowed by an injury but still gained 257 yards on 61 attempts. Welch also spent four years with the lacrosse program, including two with the varsity.
From 1973-76 Welch worked as an assistant football coach at Rush-Henrietta High School in Rochester. He earned his master’s degree from Albany in 1977. Welch was also a member of the Great Dane coaching staff, serving as offensive back coach and later defensive line coach on Bob Ford’s staff. Albany reached the NCAA semifinals in 1977.
In 1980 Welch began a four-year tenure as offensive coordinator at Washington (Mo.) University. He came back to his alma mater in 1984 as linebacker coach.
The Bomber football program has posted a 258-93 (.735) record with Welch on its coaching staff. In addition to winning national championships in 1988 and 1991, the Bombers made NCAA playoff appearances in 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2014. Ithaca was an ECAC playoff participant in 1984, 1987, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
In 2006 Welch was elected to the AFCA Board of Trustees. He served as the organization's president for 2014, and turned over the yearly position to University of Cincinnati’s Head Coach Tommy Tuberville in 2015.
Welch is married to the former Susan Price, a 1973 Ithaca College graduate. They have two children; Jessica, a 2003 Ithaca graduate, was an All-American lacrosse player, and Jeff, a 2005 graduate, was an all-conference football and lacrosse player and captained both sports.
8/10/2016
