Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Phil Stambaugh
- Induction:
- 2010
- Class:
- 2000
One of the best quarterbacks in school history, Phil Stambaugh has his name all over the Lehigh record book following a terrific career that saw him throw for 10,575 yards and 78 touchdowns. During his time in the Brown and White, which spanned from 1996-1999, Stambaugh led Lehigh to 31 victories, including an undefeated regular season in 1998 as well as two playoff appearances and a playoff road victory over Richmond. The record setting star entered the starting lineup with four games remaining in his freshman season and wound up completing nearly 55 percent of his passes for 967 yards and eight touchdowns. In the final game of that season, Stambaugh led the Mountain Hawks back from a 19-6 halftime deficit to defeat archrival Lafayette 23-19 and in the process became the first freshman to earn the MVP trophy in the storied rivalry.
“I am extremely excited to receive this recognition,” Stambaugh said of his election to the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. “I worked very hard during my time at Lehigh and to have been nominated and selected for the Hall of Fame at a school with such a great athletics tradition is truly an honor. My years at Lehigh were definitely highlights in my life and my athletics career and I want to thank all my teammates and coaches as well as the Lehigh staff for making those years filled with great memories.”
Stambaugh threw for 2,586 yards and 23 touchdowns, while completing over 60 percent of his passes as a sophomore to earn Second Team All-Patriot League honors. He led the league in passing and total offense that season and once again led the Brown and White past Lafayette, this time by a score of 43-31. During his junior season, Stambaugh unleashed an aerial assault on opponents, as he completed 66 percent of his passes and totaled 3,121 yards and 22 touchdowns. He went on to be named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year as well as an all-league pick and an ECAC All-Star. With Stambaugh leading the way, the Mountain Hawks captured their third Patriot League championship that season and defeated a tough Richmond squad in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA I-AA playoffs. Lehigh, which handed Lafayette a 31-7 defeat to complete its undefeated regular season, finished the year with a national ranking of seventh.
As a senior, Stambaugh led the Mountain Hawks to ten more victories, including another win over rival Lafayette, as well as their second consecutive Patriot League crown and I-AA playoff appearance. Stambaugh completed a career-best 68 percent of his passes for 2,995 yards and 26 touchdowns and earned All-America accolades from Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette as well as his second straight selection to the ECAC All-Star Team. Stambaugh was also a finalist for the Walter Payton Award that season and was selected to the Kelly Tire Blue-Gray All-Star Game.
Current Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, who served as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Lehigh for the majority of Stambaugh’s career shares his thoughts on the former Mountain Hawks quarterback. “I am very happy for Phil to be receiving induction to the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. It is a great honor and one that is well deserved. Phil was certainly an outstanding player during his time at Lehigh but he was also a fierce competitor. Phil made it enjoyable to be the offensive coordinator; he and his teammates had the knack for making big plays at any time as well as the clutch plays.
“Phil provided many outstanding moments for Lehigh fans during his career, but always did so in a very humble way,” Coen continued. “He worked hard at becoming a great quarterback and it was fun to watch him develop during his four years. Phil played the game with a tremendous amount of confidence, which his teammates really fed off. I have many great memories of those teams Phil quarterbacked and it was a pleasure to be able to coach him.”
“Phil was unique in a variety of ways and that’s the best way to put it,” Stambaugh’s former teammate Kody Fedorcha ‘00 explained. “He could do things with a football that allowed him to rewrite the record books. He was also extremely soft spoken but always displayed character and the ability to lead through his actions and this allowed us to win championships. Knowing Phil, he will make this a team award, which gives more insight into how special of a player and friend he remains.
“When I met Phil in February of 1996 at Goodman Stadium for a photo shoot of the local players attending Lehigh, it was obvious by the way he carried himself that he would have a big impact on Lehigh football,” Fedorcha continued. It is a great honor to know that this impact will live on in the Hall of Fame.”
As of the start of the 2017 season, Stambaugh still holds the Lehigh career records for pass completions, completion percentage, passing yardage, touchdown passes and the single season record for completion percentage. He is also in the top-five in Patriot League history in career passing yards, passing yards per game, pass attempts, pass completions and passing touchdowns. During his career Stambaugh passed for 400 or more yards on two occasions, 300 or more nine times and 200 or more in 13 games. In addition, he threw four or more touchdowns five times, three or more touchdowns nine times and two or more TDs on nine occasions. Stambaugh earned seven varsity letters while at Lehigh including four in football and another three in baseball where he was a first baseman and relief pitcher.
Following his time at Lehigh, Stambaugh spent time with a number of professional teams including the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL), the Rhein Fire and Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe and the New Haven Ninjas of Arena Football 2.
Stambaugh graduated from Lehigh in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in history and following his playing days he entered the business world where he currently serves as President of Screen PAC/Pennsylvania Avenue Sports and Vice President of PMC316, Inc and he also owns a Rita’s Water Ice franchise. Stambaugh has also continued to work in the game of football where he served as the head coach at his alma mater, Pius X High School in Roseto, Pennsylvania before it closed in 2015. He is now the head coach at Notre Dame-Green Pond in Easton, Pennsylvania.
“I am extremely excited to receive this recognition,” Stambaugh said of his election to the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. “I worked very hard during my time at Lehigh and to have been nominated and selected for the Hall of Fame at a school with such a great athletics tradition is truly an honor. My years at Lehigh were definitely highlights in my life and my athletics career and I want to thank all my teammates and coaches as well as the Lehigh staff for making those years filled with great memories.”
Stambaugh threw for 2,586 yards and 23 touchdowns, while completing over 60 percent of his passes as a sophomore to earn Second Team All-Patriot League honors. He led the league in passing and total offense that season and once again led the Brown and White past Lafayette, this time by a score of 43-31. During his junior season, Stambaugh unleashed an aerial assault on opponents, as he completed 66 percent of his passes and totaled 3,121 yards and 22 touchdowns. He went on to be named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year as well as an all-league pick and an ECAC All-Star. With Stambaugh leading the way, the Mountain Hawks captured their third Patriot League championship that season and defeated a tough Richmond squad in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA I-AA playoffs. Lehigh, which handed Lafayette a 31-7 defeat to complete its undefeated regular season, finished the year with a national ranking of seventh.
As a senior, Stambaugh led the Mountain Hawks to ten more victories, including another win over rival Lafayette, as well as their second consecutive Patriot League crown and I-AA playoff appearance. Stambaugh completed a career-best 68 percent of his passes for 2,995 yards and 26 touchdowns and earned All-America accolades from Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette as well as his second straight selection to the ECAC All-Star Team. Stambaugh was also a finalist for the Walter Payton Award that season and was selected to the Kelly Tire Blue-Gray All-Star Game.Current Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, who served as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Lehigh for the majority of Stambaugh’s career shares his thoughts on the former Mountain Hawks quarterback. “I am very happy for Phil to be receiving induction to the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. It is a great honor and one that is well deserved. Phil was certainly an outstanding player during his time at Lehigh but he was also a fierce competitor. Phil made it enjoyable to be the offensive coordinator; he and his teammates had the knack for making big plays at any time as well as the clutch plays.
“Phil provided many outstanding moments for Lehigh fans during his career, but always did so in a very humble way,” Coen continued. “He worked hard at becoming a great quarterback and it was fun to watch him develop during his four years. Phil played the game with a tremendous amount of confidence, which his teammates really fed off. I have many great memories of those teams Phil quarterbacked and it was a pleasure to be able to coach him.”
“Phil was unique in a variety of ways and that’s the best way to put it,” Stambaugh’s former teammate Kody Fedorcha ‘00 explained. “He could do things with a football that allowed him to rewrite the record books. He was also extremely soft spoken but always displayed character and the ability to lead through his actions and this allowed us to win championships. Knowing Phil, he will make this a team award, which gives more insight into how special of a player and friend he remains.
“When I met Phil in February of 1996 at Goodman Stadium for a photo shoot of the local players attending Lehigh, it was obvious by the way he carried himself that he would have a big impact on Lehigh football,” Fedorcha continued. It is a great honor to know that this impact will live on in the Hall of Fame.”
As of the start of the 2017 season, Stambaugh still holds the Lehigh career records for pass completions, completion percentage, passing yardage, touchdown passes and the single season record for completion percentage. He is also in the top-five in Patriot League history in career passing yards, passing yards per game, pass attempts, pass completions and passing touchdowns. During his career Stambaugh passed for 400 or more yards on two occasions, 300 or more nine times and 200 or more in 13 games. In addition, he threw four or more touchdowns five times, three or more touchdowns nine times and two or more TDs on nine occasions. Stambaugh earned seven varsity letters while at Lehigh including four in football and another three in baseball where he was a first baseman and relief pitcher.
Following his time at Lehigh, Stambaugh spent time with a number of professional teams including the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL), the Rhein Fire and Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe and the New Haven Ninjas of Arena Football 2.Stambaugh graduated from Lehigh in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in history and following his playing days he entered the business world where he currently serves as President of Screen PAC/Pennsylvania Avenue Sports and Vice President of PMC316, Inc and he also owns a Rita’s Water Ice franchise. Stambaugh has also continued to work in the game of football where he served as the head coach at his alma mater, Pius X High School in Roseto, Pennsylvania before it closed in 2015. He is now the head coach at Notre Dame-Green Pond in Easton, Pennsylvania.
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