Kent Austin named Cornell head football coach

In a press conference on Jan. 27, the Cornell athletics department formally announced the hiring of Kent Austin as head coach of Cornell football.

Austin, chosen from over 110 possible candidates, accepted the position as the 26th head coach of the team on Jan. 25, after former coach Jim Knowles resigned on Dec. 23 to take the position of defensive coordinator at Duke University.

Coach Austin definitely has his work cut out for him, as Cornell was 2-8 (1-6 Ivy) last season. But during the press conference, multiple Cornell faculty members expressed their faith in his abilities. “Cornell is in a time where we really need terrific leadership, and we need someone to take us forward in the Ivy League and we feel that we have found that gentleman,” said head athletic director Andy Noel.

Austin, the former offensive coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, may be exactly what Cornell needs to turn its program around. The year before he arrived at Ole Miss in 2008, the team had not won a single conference game and was 3-8 overall. But with Austin’s influence in the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the Rebels were able to achieve an overall record of 18-8 and claim two Cotton Bowl championships, accomplishing the program’s best one-year turnaround since 1947.

Prior to coaching at Ole Miss, Austin served as an assistant coach, head coach, and player for the Canadian Football League, and earned CFL Coach of the Year honors after leading the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a Grey Cup title in the 2007 season. Competing as an athlete in the CFL for eleven years, he played for Saskatchewan, Toronto, British Columbia, and Winnipeg. Austin is the ninth all-time leading passer at 36,030 yards, and ranks third in completion percentage at .576. While serving as quarterback for the Roughriders, Austin led his team to a Grey Cup title, throwing his way to MVP honors in the championship game in passing for 474 yards.

Austin also achieved much recognition during his career at Ole Miss, earning four varsity letters and attaining three Southeastern Conference player of the week titles. At the University of Mississippi, Austin remains one of the all-time passing leaders and ranks second in career completions (556) and attempts (981). He also ranks third in passing yardage (6,184) and fourth in passing touchdowns (31). Not surprisingly, Austin was named to the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

Austin expressed his enthusiasm for the Big Red and his goal for the football program at the press conference that announced his hire.

“Make no mistake, we’re not in this to be competitive, we’re in this to be champions,” he said. “There will be only one goal as a team, only one goal, and that is to win an Ivy League championship, because really there is no other reason why you play. You play to be the best and we will pursue that goal with a steadfast commitment. Any other goal that we set is not worthy of the time commitment and, quite frankly, not worthy of the position that we’ve been honored to receive here at Cornell. That will be our goal.”

When asked how he planned to achieve this goal, Austin expressed the importance of quality recruitment. “We will recruit the type of athlete who can compete for a championship at this level, that’s first and foremost,” he said. “We want players that fit Cornell in every area which we’ve discussed, but who can compete athletically to win.”

As for reviewing the returning players, Austin said, “I will get to work as quickly as I can and start making those evaluations.”

The current members of the team are also awaiting Austin’s arrival with great expectations. Emani Fenton, a junior two-year starter at defensive back for the Big Red, spoke about the transition from Knowles to Austin.

“Coach Knowles did a tremendous job turning this program around from the time he first arrived here in 2004,” he said. “There is no doubt that he has a great defensive mind, and I will always wish him the best.”

“There is excitement around this program right now in anticipation of playing for Coach Austin,” Fenton said. “We feel that we have the talent to be very competitive in the Ivy League next year. The motivation and the talent is there, we are just excited to combine that with everything that Coach Austin has to offer. He has been a winner everywhere he has been and we are definitely hungry to win.”

Fenton also mentioned that beyond winning, he and his team would like to see their new coach “seek to be a player-coach and build up the relationships between himself and the players. Being connected and having a true understanding of the pulse of the team is definitely a positive attribute in a head coach. Perhaps most importantly, we want to see him reestablish a fun environment in our program. Of course, football is a tough game, but you really want to be able to enjoy what you are doing.”

Fenton and the team’s anticipation will soon be ending, as Austin will be arriving at Cornell by the end of the week to begin working with the team and preparing for the 2010 season. His first in-season competition as head coach will be at Wagner College on Sept. 18.