Villanova was losing to undefeated Montana last December, 14-3, midway through the second quarter when the Wildcats rallied and then held on to win the Football Championship Subdivision National Championship, 23-21. In the process, head coach Andy Talley reached the pinnacle of his profession in his 25th season at the school.
The Wildcats finished 14-1 and for Talley, an assistant and head coach for over 40 years, it was a special moment. “It’s hard to explain how much this means, not just to me, but to the entire program,” Talley said. “We have been close before but I knew this was a very good team and had a chance to go all the way. For me, you don’t get a chance to come through on the national scene very often. It is extremely special.”
In his quarter century on the Main Line, Talley’s overall record now stands at 179-102-1. He is the winningest coach in Wildcat history. In fact, Talley has won everywhere he’s coached and helped turn around a number of programs. After graduating from Southern Connecticut State, his resume reads as follows:
1967-1968: Assistant Coach, Simsbury High School (CT)
1969: Secondary Coach, Springfield College (MA)
1970-1973: Backfield Coach, Middlebury College
1973-1978: Backfield Coach, Brown, 1973-1978
1979-1983: Head Coach, St. Lawrence University, 1979-1983
1984-Present: Head Coach, Villanova
While at Brown, Talley helped the Bears to an Ivy League title in 1976. At. St. Lawrence, with Talley leading the team, the Saints won the Lambert Cup in 1982. Talley now has over 200 wins as a head coach but the crowning achievement was last December.