BLOG 5: Ferris shuffles to fill coaching spot vacated by Egger

By Sandy Gholston

Big Rapids - - Ferris State had enjoyed some success in recent years keeping its staff of coaches intact, but that streak took a hit this week.

The Bulldog program learned defensive backs and special teams coach/video coordinator Ted Egger has accepted a position on the football coaching staff of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival school Northwood beginning this spring. The 2007 fall season was Egger’s third at Ferris as he joined the program following the 2004 campaign during which he was defensive backs coach and video coordinator at Lock Haven (Pa.) – his alma mater.

Egger’s departure is an off-season surprise for the Bulldogs who soon will begin the process to fill his shoes as Ferris continues spring drills in Big Rapids. Egger’s duties will be filled by current assistant Chris Reese, who has been on the staff the last two seasons and has helped as a coach of the safeties.

“Chris is going to be coaching the secondary during spring football and then we’re going to have to go through the hiring process after the spring,” said Ferris State head coach Jeff Pierce, who also indicated assistant Tony Rosso would assume Egger’s old duties as special teams coach. “We have confidence in Chris and his familiarity with our program and we think he’s going to do a nice job since he knows our team and our kids having been here for the last two years.”

The Bulldogs finished 7-4 last fall and 6-4 in the GLIAC (the new records reflect a forfeit of the Sept. 15 game in University Center by league rival Saginaw Valley State).

Northwood is now under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Sullivan, who takes over for long-time Timberwolves’ head coach Pat Riepma, who is now the school’s full-time athletics director. Last fall, Northwood finished 5-5 overall and lost the head-to-head meeting with Ferris by a score of 48-41 in an overtime thriller played at Top Taggart Field on Nov. 3.

The Bulldogs and Timberwolves are scheduled to play Oct. 25 in Big Rapids with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. from Top Taggart Field.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com