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Mike Hodges (born November 14, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1992 to 1997, compiling a record of 35–30.

Coaching career

Hodges served as an assistant coach and a defensive coordinator at UMass for 14 years, under three different head coaches. Following the 1991 season he was named the school's head coach after Jim Reid resigned following budget disagreements with administration.

As head coach, Hodges compiled a 35–30 overall record with four winning seasons. His 35 wins were the fifth most in UMass history at the time, and he still ranks 7th on the UMass all-time win list. During his head coaching tenure, Hodges coached eight All-Americans and 39 All-Conference selections (Yankee Conference, Atlantic 10), including Walter Payton Award finalist and current ESPN analyst Rene Ingoglia. Hodges resigned after a 2–9 season in 1997.

After resigning as head coach, Hodges served as the Director of Football Operations for UMass until his retirement in 2011. Although Hodges did not make the postseason as head coach of the Minutemen, many fans of the school appreciated his contributions to the program. Hodges kept the Minutemen competitive at a time when huge budget cuts ravaged the Athletic Department. Also, many of his recruits were prominent members of the 1998 UMass team that won the Division 1AA National Championship.^[1]

Head coaching record

References