Westfield State Owls football

Westfield State Owls
Head coach	Steve Marino 22nd year, 105–99–1 (.515)
Stadium	Alumni Field
Seating capacity	4,800
Field surface	FieldTurf
Location	Westfield , MA
Conference	New England Football Conference
Division	NEFC Bogan
All-time record	138–141–1 (.495)
Bowl record	0–1 (.000)
Colors	Blue and White
Mascot	Owl
Website	Westfield State Owls

Westfield State Owls football team is a NCAA Division III college football team located in Western Massachusetts.

History

1984 to 2001

From 1984 to 1986 the Owls would stay around .500 going 4-5, 5-5, and 5-4. In 1987 the Owl would experience their most successful season of the 80s finishing with an impressive 6-3 record. The owls would finish the 80s going 5-4 in '88, 3-7 in 89. The Owls would start the 90's going 3-7 in 1990 for the second year. The Owls would improve every year for the next 3 years going 4-6 in '91 6-3 in '92. In this 1992 season they would experience a heartbreaking loss in triple overtime again Umass Darthmoth. During the 1992 season the Owls offense would gain an impressive 279 yards per game would be a record that still stands today. They would experience their best season in 10 years going 7-2 with one tie against Hartwick. This would be the best season of the decade they would spend the rest of 90's hovering around .500 having mixed success. Westfield would go 5-5 in '94, 3-6 in '95, 4-6 in both 1996 and '97. In 1998 they would again go .500 and would cap of the decade going 4-6. The 2000 season proved to be a heartbreaking season the Owls would go 3-6 losing 3 games by an average of 4 points. This close games would help prepare the team for there upcoming championship runs.

2001 to 2003

In 2001 the Owls went undefeated in the regular season and winning the Bogan division and meeting Nichols college in the NEFC Championship Game which they won 12-0. However they would come up one point short failing to advance in the NCAA playoffs in a heart breaking loss to Western Connecticut 7-8. They would finish the season with a 10-1 record. In both 2002 and 2003 the Owls would again win the Bogan division. In 2003 the Owls Finish 7-3; Advance To NEFC Championship Game for the third straight season. Highlights of the season were a 21-19 victory at Worcester State and a thrilling 27-24 come-from-behind homecoming victory over Bridgewater State. This would be the third and last time the Owls would win the division title. In there impressive three year run the compiled a 25-7 record.

2004 to present

The Owls would finish 5-4 in 2004 and 4-5 in 2005. In 2006 they would have a difficult season going 1-8 in what would turn out to be a rebuilding season. The next year they would go 5-4 in 2007. In 2008 they would be in top form having an impressive 7-3 season however coming up just short of capturing a Bogan division title. 2010 would have a .500 season going 5-5.

Current coaches

Steve Marino (head coach)

The current head coach of the Owls is Steve Marino, who will begin his 23rd year coaching Westfield State in 2011. He has the second longest coaching tenure in the 16-team New England Football Conference, highlighted by three consecutive NEFC championship game appearances in 2001, 2002, and 2003. During the past nine seasons, the Owls have compiled a 41-23 divisional record. Marino guided the 2001 squad to its first perfect regular season, a 10-0 record. The Owls won their first New England Football Conference championship and qualified for their first NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Western Connecticut State, 8-7, in a first-round game. Marino's coaching during the special 2001 season did not go unnoticed as he was selected the American Football Coaches Association Northeast Region Coach of the Year; the New England Division II/III Coach of the Year by the New England sportswriters, and the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Division II/III Coach of the Year.^[1] Marino has been the New England Football Conference Coach of the Year twice. He was a unanimous pick by the coaches during the NEFC championship season, and the NEFC Coach of the Year in 1992 when the Owls were 6-3. In the spring of 1990, Marino was named head coach at Westfield State. Marino is the fourth head coach in the Westfield State football program’s 30-year history, and he has provided the stability that was lacking in the program's first decade when there were three head coaches during an eight-year span.^[2]

Marino received his B.A. degree from Westfield State in 1971 and his master’s degree in 1978. He taught English at Ludlow High School for 29 years, then moved into an administrative post as dean of students for five years before retiring in June 2006. The 1967 graduate of Springfield Classical High School coached football at Ludlow High School for 16 years, including an eight-year stint as the head coach from 1979-86. He served as defensive coordinator at Western New England College in 1987 before returning to Ludlow as an assistant in 1988. Marino's wife, Betsy, also is a 1971 graduate of Westfield State. He is also a big fan of ordering late night filet of fish sandwiches at McDonalds. They reside in Ludlow and have two sons and a daughter: Don, a 1995 graduate of Westfield State; Steve, a 1999 Westfield State graduate, and Katie, a 2000 graduate of Bridgewater State(ironically a rival of the Owls football team).^[3]

Pete "Killer" Kowalski (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers)

Beginning his 15th season as a member of the Westfield State coaching staff, Pete Kowalski was the architect of the Owls' outstanding defense that led the nation in total defense in 2001 and 2002. Furthermore, the Owls led the NEFC in total defense in four of the past nine years and in 2009 they led the nation in turnover margin and pass efficiency defense. In addition to his title as defensive coordinator with an emphasis on linebackers, Kowalski was named the assistant head coach six years ago. Prior to Westfield, Kowalski coached for 14 years at Bulkeley High School in Hartford, Conn., and was the defensive coordinator for six seasons. Bulkeley was a state finalist in 1991 and had one of the top defenses in the state, allowing 5.4 points per game. In 1992 the Hartford school was ranked second in the state. Kowalski has a wealth of coaching experience. He has served as a track and field coach at Bulkeley since 1985, including the past 16 years as head coach. Kowalski graduated from West Springfield High School in 1972 and participated in football, basketball and track and field. He played one year of both football and lacrosse at UMass Amherst and graduated in 1977 with a health and physical education degree. He has taught health and physical education in the Hartford schools since 1980.^[4]

Sean O'Brien (defensive secondary)

Fourteenth-year assistant Sean O'Brien oversaw the secondary unit that set a school record in 2009 with 25 interceptions and led the nation in pass efficiency defense. The Owls' pass defense was ranked first in the NCAA Division III in 2005, and second nationally in 2001 and 2002. O'Brien has a wealth of coaching experience. His coaching stops include Frontier Regional High School in 1996; Fitchburg State from 1993–95; Athol High School from 1991–92; Oberlin College in Ohio in 1990; and Nichols from 1986-90. O'Brien was the defensive coordinator at both Fitchburg State and Athol High School. He was the defensive line coach at Oberlin and the secondary coach and head scout at Nichols. The Orange, Mass., native also has been the highly successful coach of the Westfield State men's and women's track and field teams for the past decade, and he was recently elevated to full-time status. O'Brien has guided the men's track and field team to 11 MASCAC championships in 12 years and 10 New England Alliance titles in 12 years. The Owls have placed in the top 10 in the New England championships in each of the past seven seasons.^[5]

Graham Raymond (defensive line)

Graham Raymond is in his second year at Westfield; he is a graduate assistant coach, pursuing a master’s in history education. Raymond majored in history at Bates, where he participated in football and track & field. He was a starting middle linebacker for two years. In track & field he was a hammer thrower, long jumper and sprinter. Raymond graduated from Westfield High School in 2004 and was a two-way (fullback/linebacker) three-year starter and team captain. He earned All-Western Mass. Honors as a linebacker. In addition to his academic and coaching pursuits at Westfield State, Graham is an assistant track coach at Westfield High School.^[6]

Tony Couture (receivers)

Tony Couture begins his first season at Westfield State. Couture comes to Westfield from Chicopee Comprehensive High School, where he was an assistant coach for four years, including the past two seasons as defensive coordinator. Chicopee Comp won a Super Bowl title his first year and qualified for postseaon play in 2009. Couture was a standout athlete at Chicopee Comp High School. He was a three-year starter, a two-time Western Mass. first-team quarterback, and the Western Mass. player of the year as a senior in 2001. He was a two-time Western Mass. second-team selection in basketball. Couture played collegiately as a wide receiver for two years at RPI in Troy, N.Y., and during his sophomore season was a key member of the RPI squad that advanced to the NCAA Division III national semifinals. Couture graduated from RPI in 2006, majoring in industrial engineering with a minor in psychology. He is employed full-time as a physics teacher at Chicopee Comp High School. Couture was also an assistant boys’ volleyball coach at Comp High, helping to guide the Colts to three Western Mass. titles and the state championship in 2010.^[7]

Scott Woodward (quarterbacks)

Scott Woodward is a graduate assistant coach for the Owls. He graduated from UMass Amherst in the fall of 2009 and was a dependable four-year reserve quarterback for the Minutemen, playing in 41 games. He saw significant playing time his senior year and served as a backup quarterback to UMass all-time passing leader Liam Coen his first three seasons. The Wendell native was a standout three-sport athlete at Mahar Regional High School. In football he was an All-State quarterback his senior year and a three-time All-Western Mass. all-star. The left-handed signal caller threw for 46 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards and led Mahar to back-to-back Super Bowl titles. He was a standout punter and defensive back with 26 interceptions. He also earned All-Western Mass. honors in basketball and baseball. Woodward majored in psychology at UMass and is pursuing a master’s degree in guidance counseling at Westfield.^[8]

Head coaching records

Coach	Years	Games	win	Lost	Tie
Steve Marino	21	205	106	98	1
Jack Murdock	4	37	19	18	0
Howard Murphy	3	28	11	17	0
Roger LeClerc	1	9	2	7	0
Totals	29	279	138	140	1

^[9]

Game scores since 1984

"

1984 (4-5) Curry 21, Westfield 16 Westfield 21, Nichols 14 Plymouth 34, Westfield 6 West. Connecticut 27, Westfield 7 Mass Maritime 29, Westfield 21 Westfield 20, Framingham 0 Maine Maritime 13, Westfield 10 Westfield 20, Bridgewater 0 Westfield 11, WNEC 6 1985 (5-5) Westfield 30, Fitchburg 0 Westfield 33, Curry 20 Westfield 28, Nichols 0 Plymouth 20, Westfield 0 West. Connecticut 35, Westfield 7 Mass Maritime 28, Westfield 13 Framingham 12, Westfield 0 Westfield 27, Maine Maritime 23 Bridgewater 7, Westfield 0 Westfield 46, WNEC 9 1986 (5-4) Westfield 34, Fitchburg 0 Curry 20, Westfield 9 Westfield 19, Worcester 2 Westfield 17, Mass Maritime 8 Nichols 19, Westfield 17 Bridgewater 30, Westfield 13 Plymouth 23, Westfield 8 Westfield 15, Framingham 0 Westfield 14, WNEC 10 ** 1987 (6-3) Westfield 20, Nichols 0 Plymouth 17, Westfield 7 Westfield 21, Lowell 14 Westfield 28, WNEC 21 Westfield 28, Framingham 7 Westfield 36, Mass Maritime 16 Worcester 26, Westfield 21 Bridgewater 35, Westfield 7 Westfield 35, Fitchburg 8 1988 (5-4) Nichols 21, Westfield 7 Westfield 20, Curry 10 Westfield 14, Fitchburg 6 Mass Maritime 15, Westfield 10 Plymouth 20, Westfield 2 Worcester St. 13, Westfield 7 Westfield 21, Bridgewater 16 Westfield 7, SMU 0 Westfield 20, Framingham 15 1989 (3-7) Nichols 17, Westfield 0 Curry 10, Westfield 7 Westfield 6, Fitchburg 0 Mass Maritime 35, Westfield 27 Plymouth 45, Westfield 0 Westfield 22, Worcester 21 Bridgewater 27, Westfield 7 Westfield 3, SMU 0, 3 OTs Framingham 28, Westfield 21 WNEC 7, Westfield 0 1990 (3-7) Nichols, 20, Westfield 14 Curry 32, Westfield 26 Westfield 20, Fitchburg 6 Mass. Maritime 17, Westfield 14 Plymouth 44, Westfield 6 Worcester 12, Westfield 0 Bridgewater 48, Westfield 21 SMU 14, Westfield 13 Westfield 49, Framingham 23 Westfield 7, WNEC 0 1991 (4-6) Maine Maritime 40, Westfield 28 UMass Lowell 25, Westfield 13 Westfield 26, Worcester 15 Westfield 44, Framingham 35 Bridgewater 45, Westfield 12 Westfield 33, UM-Dartmouth 24 Mass. Maritime 43, Westfield 34 Plymouth 24, Westfield 22 Westfield 12, Fitchburg 6 WNEC 13, Westfield 12 1992 (6-3) UMass Boston 34, Westfield 20 Westfield 41, Fitchburg 0 Westfield 24, Framingham 6 Westfield 31, MIT 12 Bridgewater 22, Westfield 10 Westfield 29, Worcester 0 Westfield 13, Mass Maritime 10 UMass Dartmouth 21, Westfield 14 (Triple Overtime) Westfield 22, Maine Maritime 13

1993 (7-2-1) Westfield, 7, Hartwick 7, tie Westfield 14, Fitchburg 7 Westfield 28, Framingham 7 Westfield 20, MIT 0 Bridgewater 22, Westfield 8 Westfield 33, Worcester 6 Westfield 27, Mass Maritime 9 Westfield 33, UMass Dart. 14 Maine Maritime 22, Westfield 14 1994 (5-5) Hartwick 17, Westfield 10 Westfield 34, UMass Boston 0 Westfield 23, Fitchburg 0 Westfield 13, Framingham 3 Westfield 36, MIT 13 Bridgewater 27, Westfield 13 Worcester 34, Westfield 8 Westfield 26, Mass Maritime 19 UMass Dartmouth 21, Westfield 14, (Triple Overtime) Maine Maritime 48, Westfield 16 1995 (3-6) Westfield 35 - UMass Boston 0 Westfield 41 - Fitchburg 17 Framingham 10 - Westfield 7 Coast Guard 12 - Westfield 0 Bridgewater 20 - Westfield 3 Worcester 17 - Westfield 6 Mass Maritime 37 - Westfield 6 Westfield 12 - UMass Dartmouth 0 Maine Maritime 14 - Westfield 7 1996 (4-6) WPI 20 - Westfield 9 Westfield 18 - UMass Boston 17 Westfield 24 - Fitchburg 14 Westfield 20 - Framingham 10 Coast Guard 55 - Westfield 6 Bridgewater 32 - Westfield 17 Worcester 42 - Westfield 0 Mass Maritime 27 - Westfield 26 UMass Dartmouth 41 - Westfield 26 Westfield 21 - Maine Maritime 20 1997 (4-6) Hartwick 38 - Westfield 25 Westfield 26 - UMass Boston 18 Fitchburg 35 - Westfield 13 Westfield 28 - Framingham 22, OT Coast Guard 44 - Westfield 28 Bridgewater 55 - Westfield 21 Westfield 19 - Worcester 14 Westfield 28 - Mass Maritime 26 UMass Dartmouth 48 - Westfield 23 Maine Maritime 54 - Westfield 28 1998 (5-5) Hartwick 32 - Westfield 0 Westfield 27 - WNEC 25 Westfield 21 - Fitchburg 0 Mass Maritime 21 - Westfield 20 Westfield 13 - Framingham 0 Maine Maritime 26 - Westfield 13 Bridgewater 18 - Westfield 6 Westfield 14 - UMass Boston 7 Westfield 16 - Nichols 14 Worcester 24 - Westfield 13 1999 (4-6) Hartwick 27 - Westfield 15 WNEC 28 - Westfield 21 Fitchburg 34 - Westfield 20 Mass Maritime 14 - Westfield 9 Westfield 31 - Framingham 13 Westfield 14 - Maine Maritime 13 Bridgewater 49 - Westfield 19 Westfield 52 - UMass Boston 14 Nichols 35 - Westfield 13 Westfield 31 - Worcester 26 2000 (3-6) WNEC 26 - Westfield 6 Fitchburg 7 - Westfield 3 Mass Maritime 9 - Westfield 7 Westfield 28 - Framingham 14 Westfield 47 - Maine Maritime 8 Bridgewater 38 - Westfield 20 Westfield 27 - UMass Boston 12 Nichols 30 - Westfield 3 Worcester State 14 - Westfield State 9 2001 (10-1) Westfield 20 - WNEC 13 Westfield 28 - Fitchburg 15 Westfield 27 - Mass Maritime 0 Westfield 37 - Framingham 20 Westfield 34 - Maine Maritime 0 Westfield 27 - Bridgewater 19 Westfield 28 - Mount Ida 6 Westfield 14 - Nichols 7 Westfield 34 - Worcester State 30 Westfield 12 - Nichols 0 (NEFC Championship Game) Western Connecticut 8 - Westfield 7 (NCAA Tournament)

2002 (8-3) Westfield 30 - WNEC 0 Wesfield 40 - Nichols 13 Westfield 19 - Fitchburg 7 Westfield 17 - Worcester State 13 Westfield 54 - Mass Maritime 0 Westfield 28 - Bridgewater 10 Westfield 42 - Framingham 0 Westfield 34 - Maine Maritime 8 Curry 13 - Westfield 12 UMass Dartmouth 16 - Westfield 0 (NEFC Championship Game) Cortland State 30 - Westfield 7 (ECAC Tournament) 2003 (7-3) Westfield 28 - WNEC 3 Nichols 33 - Westfield 28 Westfield 30 - Fitchburg 27 Westfield 21 - Worcester State 19 Westfield 21 - Mass Maritime 10 Westfield 27 - Bridgewater 24 Westfield 36 - Framingham 6 Westfield 43 - Maine Maritime 14 Curry 33 - Westfield 7 Curry 36 - Westfield 0 (NEFC Championship Game) 2004 (5-4) WNEC 28 - Westfield 21 Westfield 22 - Nichols 7 Fitchburg 22 - Westfield 15 Westfield 27 - Worcester State 3 Westfield 38 - Mass Maritime 4 Bridgewater 27 - Westfield 0 Westfield 28 - Framingham 12 Westfield 17 - Maine Maritime 14 Curry 34 - Westfield 7 2005 (4-5) Westfield 14 - WNEC 13 Westfield 16 - Nichols 14 Fitchburg 6 - Westfield 0, Triple Overtime Worcester State 47 - Westfield 7 Westfield 14 - Mass Maritime 0 Bridgewater 32 - Westfield 7 Westfield 10 - Framingham 2 Maine Maritime 21 - Westfield 11 Curry 31 - Westfield 11 2006 (1-8) WNEC 31 - Westfield 3 Curry 27 - Westfield 0 Coast Guard 35 - Westfield 21 Maine Maritime 14 - Westfield 11 Mass Maritime 15 - Westfield 13 Westfield 33 - Framingham 0 Bridgewater 28 - Westfield 13 Fitchburg 7 - Westfield 6 Worcester 20 - Westfield 16 2007 (5-4) Westfield 34, WNEC 21 Curry 42, Westfield 27 Coast Guard 42, Westfield 14 Maine Maritime 21, Westfield 14 Westfield 18, Mass Maritime 10 Westfield 36, Framingham 29 Westfield 21, Bridgewater 14 Fitchburg 49, Westfield 40 Westfield 7, Worcester State 0 2008 (6-4) Westfield 13, Nichols 10 Westfield 23, WNEC 21 Curry 42, Westfield 16 Coast Guard 16, Westfield 13 Maine Maritime 33, Westfield 28 Westfield 34, Mass. Maritime 3 Westfield 27, Framingham 0 Bridgewater 35, Westfield 21 Westfield 37, Fitchburg 30 Westfield 41, Worcester State 0 2009 (7-3) Westfield 33, Nichols 13 Westfield 21, WNEC 6 Curry 7, Westfield 6 Coast Guard 8, Westfield 5 Maine Maritime 21, Westfield 13 Westfield 13, Mass. Maritime 7 Westfield 21, Framingham 2 Westfield 28, Bridgewater 19 Westfield 32, Fitchburg 6 Westfield 33, Worcester State 16 2010 (5-5) Westfield 43, Nichols 21 Montclair State 34, Westfield 0 WNEC 17, Westfield 10 Worcester State 30, Westfield 18 Westfield 15, Bridgewater 0 Maine Maritime 42, Westfield 21 Westfield 26, Coast Guard 15 Framingham 48, Westfield 17 Westfield 28, Mass. Maritime 14 Westfield 17, Fitchburg 14

^[10]

References

1. = 2011-04-02 "Head Coach Steve Marino" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
2. = 2011-04-02 "Head Coach Steve Marino" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
3. = 2011-04-02 "Head Coach Steve Marino" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
4. = 2011-04-02 "Assistant Coaches" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
5. = 2011-04-02 "Assistant Coaches" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
6. = 2011-04-02 "Assistant Coaches" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
7. = 2011-04-02 "Assistant Coaches" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
8. = 2011-04-02 "Assistant Coaches" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
9. = 2011-04-02 "Westfield State School Records" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.
10. = 2011-04-02 "Westfield State Game Scores" Check |url= value (help). www.westfieldstateowls.com.

External links

• Official site
• Division 3 Football Profile
• New England Football Conference Profile