Tom Gilmore named new head coach at Holy Cross
12/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh defensive coordinator Tom Gilmore has been named the head football coach at Holy Cross, it was announced Wednesday. Gilmore heads to Worcester to begin his first collegiate head coaching job.
“Coming into my time at Lehigh, I appreciated the opportunity to get involved with such a great program,” Gilmore said Wednesday afternoon. “I have enjoyed my time at Lehigh a great deal. The coaches, players, and administrators have all treated me very well. It’s bittersweet, because [I] hate leaving a great situation at Lehigh, but, at the same time, this is a great opportunity for me and it was something I could not pass up.” Gilmore has spent the last four seasons as Lehigh’s defensive coordinator. This past season, Lehigh’s defense led the Patriot League in fewest points allowed, and the Mountain Hawks’ defense ranked second in fewest total yards allowed per game. Five Mountain Hawk defenders were selected to All-Patriot League teams in 2003, to go along with the six defensive all-league selections in 2002. In 2001, Gilmore was named the American Football Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year. That year’s squad allowed only 86 rushing yards per game, and featured the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year in Abdul Byron. "I am extremely excited that Holy Cross has decided to offer Tom this position,” said Lehigh head coach Pete Lembo. “He has been a tremendous asset to our staff over the last four years, and I’m sure he will do a great job as a head coach at Holy Cross. It is the ultimate compliment to our football program when a league opponent opts to hire one of our assistant coaches. Holy Cross’ decision further solidifies our belief that we are doing the right things in our program.” Gilmore looks to join the ever-growing list of Lehigh assistants who have gone on to have successful careers elsewhere. Since Pete Lembo’s appointment in February, 2001, Dave Ungerer has moved on to become the special teams coach at the University of Alabama. Former Lehigh offensive coordinator Dave Cecchini took a similar post at Harvard in 2003, and promptly led the Crimson offense to an average of over 450 yards and over 31 points per game. Meanwhile, Gilmore becomes the third Patriot League head coach with direct Lehigh ties. In addition to Gilmore and Lembo, Fordham head coach Dave Clawson is a former Lehigh assistant. The current Rams’ leader spent three seasons as Lehigh’s offensive coordinator. Gilmore came to Lehigh after coaching for eight years at Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth, Gilmore served as offensive line coach, linebacker coach, and defensive coordinator. He helped lead the Big Green to two Ivy League Championships, in 1992 and 1996. During the 1996 season Dartmouth posted a 10-0 record and was ranked 17th in Division I-AA. Gilmore began his coaching career as an assistant defensive line coach at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. From 1987-89 he served as the defensive line coach and outside linebacker coach at Columbia before returning to Pennsylvania in 1990. For two years Gilmore coached the Quaker offensive line before landing at Dartmouth. An Academic All-American for the Quakers, Gilmore played defensive tackle while at Pennsylvania and was the Ivy League Player of the Year in his senior season. In his four-year career he helped lead Penn to four consecutive Ivy League Championships. In 1986 he received his bachelor’s in computer mathematics and signed with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL where he played outside linebacker for a season. Lehigh – which recently completed its sixth straight season with eight or more wins – has begun its search for a replacement.
