MOUNT PLEASANT – A total of eight former Iowa Wesleyan College football coaches and players are playing key roles for teams playing in college football bowl games this holiday season.
The Burlington Hawk Eye newspaper will be profiling all eight former Tiger players and coaches in a series of articles in the newspaper over the bowl season. Four former players and four former coaches are on the staffs of teams playing in NCAA Division I bowl games being played now through Jan. 7.
Those competing in bowls, along with their affiliation with IWC, the schools they are currently with and the bowl game their teams will be participating in:
Mike Fanoga — Outside linebackers coach at Wyoming. Fanoga was an assistant coach for four years at IWC from 1990-93. Wyoming is playing in the New Mexico Bowl against Fresno State Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Hawk Eye story at http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/FBC-Fanoga-feature-121809.
Doug Elisaia — Director of strength and conditioning at Utah. Elisaia played for the Tigers from 1991-95 as a defensive lineman and is a 1996 graduate of IWC. Utah is playing in the Poinsettia Bowl against California at 7 p.m. on Dec 23 on ESPN.
Marc Hill — Director of strength and conditioning at Kentucky. Hill played at Wesleyan as a linebacker from 1990-93 and is a 1994 graduate of IWC. He also is a native of Mount Pleasant and a graduate of Mount Pleasant Community High School. Kentucky is playing Clemson in the Music City Bowl at 7 p.m. on Dec. 27 on ESPN.
Bill Bedenbaugh — Offensive line coach at Arizona. Bedenbaugh played for the Tigers from 1991-94 and is a 1995 graduate of Iowa Wesleyan. Arizona is playing Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl at 7 p.m. on Dec. 30 on ESPN. Hawk Eye story at http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/FBC-Bedenbaugh-feature-123009.
Dana Holgorsen — Offensive coordinator at Houston. Holgorsen played for IWC from 1990-92 and is a 1993 graduate of IWC. He also is a native of Mount Pleasant and a graduate of Mount Pleasant Community High School. Houston is playing Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl at 11 a.m. on Dec. 31 on ESPN. Hawk Eye story at http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/FBC-Holgorsen-123109.
Pat Poore — Quarterbacks coach at Northern Illinois. Poore was a coach at Iowa Wesleyan from 1992-94, serving as an assistant in 1992-93 and as head coach for one year in 1994, when he compiled an 8-3 record. Northern Illinois is playing South Florida in the International Bowl at 11 a.m. on Jan. 2 on ESPN2.
Mike Leach — Head coach at Texas Tech. Leach was an assistant coach for three years at Wesleyan from 1989-91. Texas Tech is playing Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl at 8 p.m. on Jan. 2 on ESPN.
Sal Sunseri — Linebackers coach at Alabama. Sunseri was an assistant coach for one year with the Tigers in 1993. Alabama is playing Texas in the BCS Championship Game at 7 p.m. on Jan. 7 on ABC.
