Mike Ayers
Head Coach
Phone: 4095
Email:
For the past twenty-two seasons, the leader of the Wofford football program has been head coach Mike Ayers. In those twenty-two seasons, Ayers has guided the Terriers from the NCAA Division II ranks to Division I and the Southern Conference. Along the way, the team made appearances in the Division II Playoffs in 1990 and 1991, the Division I Playoffs in 2003, 2007 and 2008, and claimed Southern Conference titles in 2003 and 2007.
The story of Mike Ayers as head coach at Wofford began in 1988. The Terrier football program had fallen on desperate times. A program that had a proud history, with bowl game appearances and wins over Southeastern Conference teams on its resume, had fallen on hard times. The 1987 team had gone 1-10, been shutout twice and scored just 87 points in 11 games while surrendering more than 26 points per game.
Enter Mike Ayers. The young, energetic coach had built East Tennessee State into a Southern Conference contender and had knocked off Atlantic Coast Conference opponent North Carolina State in 1987. Over milkshakes at the Biltmore Dairy Bar in Asheville, N.C., Wofford Athletic Director Danny Morrison and President Joe Lesesne discussed the opportunity with Ayers. A few days later, he was introduced as head coach.
Ayers’ impact on the Terriers was immediate. He transformed that 1-10 Wofford team into a .500 squad in 1988 and then led the Terriers to an NCAA Division II playoff berth in 1990.
Now, over 20 years later, Ayers is the head coach of a Terrier team that, over the last seven years, has been the epitome of success within the Southern Conference. Since the start of the 2002 season, Wofford has posted a 63-31 overall record, a winning percentage of .670 that only three-time national champion Appalachian State has bettered.
In 2007, Ayers marked his 20th season at the helm of Wofford football. He is the longest-serving head coach of any sport in school history. Gene Alexander coached Terrier basketball for 19 seasons from 1958-77.
For 22 seasons, Ayers has instilled his own intensity, character and pride into his teams. He has recruited the type of student-athletes that fit the academic profile of Wofford (the college has an average SAT score of 1237). With 35 victories, the 2005 seniors graduated as the winningest class in school history while the 2006 seniors were the second-winningest class. Wofford’s winning percentage of .632 in the 2000s makes this the winningest decade in the school’s long football history.
WOFFORD
In 2009, a young squad combined with several key injuries impacted the overall and conference records. Two losses were to South Florida and Wisconsin, teams that advanced to FBS bowls at the end of the season. The team did have two wins in conference play over Western Carolina and The Citadel, however the record of 2-6 was eighth in the Southern Conference. Despite the record, the Terriers had three players named All-Conference. Nationally, the Wofford offense was ranked second in rushing at 270.18 yards per game and the offenive line allowed only nine sacks, the fifth-fewest in the nation.
The 2008 season saw the Terriers reach the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the second straight season and finish second in the Southern Conference with a 7-1 mark. The conference record was the second-best in school history. Wofford opened the season with two wins before a close loss at South Carolina. After a thrilling 38-37 overtime win at Georgia Southern, the Terriers put together three straight wins over Chattanooga, Western Carolina and Elon by scoring 42-points or more in all three games to improve to 6-1.
Wofford suffered a set-back during a Friday night game televised nationally on ESPN2 at Appalachian State, but rebounded and posted three straight wins over The Citadel, Samford and Furman to complete the regular season with a 9-2 mark. In the NCAA Playoffs, the Terriers were sent on the road for the first round against top-ranked James Madison. Wofford scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game at 28-28. However in the fourth quarter the Dukes scored ten points to take a 38-35 win.
At the end of the season, the Terriers had the nation’s second-ranked rushing offense with 339.75 yards per game and the second-ranked total offense in the nation with 467.17 yards per games. The defense was tenth in the nation in sacks, while the offensive line led the nation in the fewest sacks allowed. Nine student-athletes earned All-Southern Conference honors, while Derek Wooten and Dane Romero both were named All-Americans. In the final polls, Wofford was ranked as high as eighth in the nation.
In 2007, Wofford reached the top of the Southern Conference for the second time in five years by claiming the league title. The Terriers were 6-1 early in the season, with a lone loss to ACC-foe North Carolina State. The wins included battles on the road against Furman and The Citadel, and a historic home win over defending National Champion Appalachian State. The top-ranked Mountaineers had earlier defeated Michigan in a game that was the talk of the nation.
Despite late season home loses to Elon and Georgia Southern, the Terriers were able to take road wins at Western Carolina and Chattanooga. The win at Chattanooga ensured Wofford a share of the conference title. After the day’s slate of game played out, the Terriers secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs.
In the NCAA Playoffs, the Terriers were given the task of traveling to Montana in the first round. The bitter cold did not deter Wofford, as the Terriers were down 16-10 in the fourth quarter. Wofford took the lead at 17-16 on a six-yard touchdown pass to Andy Strickland on fourth down. The Grizzlies added a touchdown, but missed the two-point conversion. Wofford took a 23-22 lead with 32 seconds left on a touchdown by Michael Hobbs. A missed field goal as time expired by Montana advanced Wofford to the second round. At home against Richmond, the Terriers had a 10-7 lead in the third quarter, however gave up 14 points in the fourth quarter and were defeated 21-10.
Following the season, the Terriers were ranked as high as #6 in the nation with a 9-4 record. Seven Terriers earned All-Southern Conference honors, while Ayers was named Southern Conference Co-Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches.
The 2006 season was another example of Ayers’ coaching mastery. The 7-4 final record did not accurately reflect how well the Terriers played throughout the season. On Sept. 16, Wofford trailed South Carolina 27-20 with 30 seconds to play. The Terriers had the ball at the Gamecock 10 and faced a fourth down with an excellent opportunity to score and knot the game. Only a spectacular defensive play by USC kept the Gamecocks from falling to the Terriers in Williams-Brice Stadium.
The loss to USC was one of three early season defeats as Wofford started a grueling schedule with a 1-3 mark. But The Terriers were able to regain their momentum and finished the season with five straight wins and victories in six of their final seven games. Wofford finished the season with a national ranking of 23 from both the coaches and the media.
Ranked among the top 20 teams in the country in the 2005 preseason poll, Wofford held the nation’s second-longest active streak for consecutive rankings in the Division I-AA Top 25 poll. Wofford appeared in 38 consecutive polls starting Oct. 21, 2002 before falling out at midseason in 2005.
Wofford has an all-time SoCon mark of 49-35 (.583), an impressive feat considering that its debut season in 1997 represented just its third year on the Division I-AA (FCS) level.
Ayers led the 2003 Wofford football team to its first SoCon championship. With the Terriers picked to finish fifth in a preseason poll by the league coaches and having no players being named first-team preseason All-SoCon, Wofford went 8-0 for the SoCon’s first perfect mark since 1998. At the end of the campaign, the coaches had selected a league-best 10 Terriers to their All-SoCon squad.
Wofford concluded the regular season with a No. 2 national ranking. The Terriers then advanced to the semifinals of the Division I-AA playoffs, defeating North Carolina A&T and defending national champion Western Kentucky in the opening two rounds.
His 100th win at Wofford was a 7-6 victory at Furman in the 2003 regular-season finale. He is 132-93-1 in 20 seasons with the Terriers and 143-114-2 in 23 years overall as a head coach.
After his team was picked to finish seventh in 2002 preseason polls, Ayers led Wofford to a 9-3 overall record and a second-place finish in the SoCon with a 6-2 league mark.
Wofford completed the 2002 campaign ranked No. 11 and No. 15, respectively, in final Division I-AA polls by ESPN/USA Today and The Sports Network. Wofford was also the only I-AA program in the nation to have two wins over teams (No. 2 Georgia Southern, No. 5 Appalachian State) ranked in the top five in the final regular-season poll.
Ayers has accomplished his success while facing an annual schedule that ranks among the most difficult in Division I-AA. The Terriers opened the 2003 season against an Air Force team that would be ranked in the Top 25 later that campaign. The Terriers played at Maryland in 2002 and faced Clemson and South Carolina in 2001. In 2005, the Terriers played at West Virginia in the second week of the season. The Mountaineers would go on to defeat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and finished fifth in the final AP national ranking. In 2006, Wofford trailed South Carolina 27-20 with 30 seconds remaining and the ball at the USC 10 before an outstanding defensive play derailed the upset bid. In 2007, turnovers cost the Terriers a chance to defeat North Carolina State.
Ayers became Wofford’s career leader in victories in a 35-10 win over Charleston Southern during the 2001 season. He broke Conley Snidow’s mark of 77 victories that had stood for 35 years.
Ayers equaled Snidow’s career mark for victories in the 2000 regular-season finale with a convincing 24-6 win at Louisiana-Monroe, the Terriers’ first victory over a Division I-A member.
In 2000, Ayers garnered SoCon Coach of the Year honors when he guided the Terriers to a 7-4 record and its second consecutive 5-3 SoCon mark. Wofford concluded the season with a No. 23 national ranking in final Division I-AA polls by The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today.
Ayers was the runner-up for SoCon Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Terriers to a 5-3 record in 1999 and a fourth-place finish in the league standings. Wofford had been a preseason eighth-place pick out of nine teams. The Terriers also peaked at No. 27 and No. 28 in The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today national polls.
Showing a work ethic that is unparalleled, his teams have made a habit of playing the role of “Giant Killer.” In seven years as a Division II member, Wofford posted six wins and a tie against Division I-AA competition. Included in that total were a pair of victories at The Citadel and a 14-14 tie at Furman in 1993.
Ayers was the recipient of back-to-back Kodak AFCA Region Coach of the Year honors in 1990 and 1991, when he guided the Terriers to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. In each case, he was one of five finalists for national coach of the year.
His second playoff team in 1991 was accomplished with just six seniors on the roster. Wofford’s initial trip to the postseason in 1990 was its first-ever appearance in the NCAA playoffs and the school’s first time in postseason play in 20 years.
Without a doubt, the turnaround in Wofford’s football fortunes coincided with his return to campus. After inheriting a 1-10 football team that scored just 87 points in 1987, it took the Cincinnati, Ohio, native just three years to build a program that is now considered one of the nation’s finest with its academic and athletic balance.
Ayers made an immediate impact in his first season when he led Wofford back to respectability with a 5-5 record. The 1989 campaign then served notice that the Terriers were coming into their own. Wofford posted a 6-5 mark, winning its last three games by a combined score of 151-7.
The momentum then continued from the previous season as Wofford opened 1990 with eight victories to make it 11 consecutive wins. It was the longest current streak at the time in NCAA Division II football.
The season of highlights and Wofford’s reversal in football fortunes culminated on Nov. 11 at 4:06 p.m. in the Earth Station Room on the Wofford campus. Word came via satellite that the Terriers were one of 16 schools selected to compete in the 1990 NCAA Division II playoffs. It was the first postseason appearance since 1970.
When Ayers returned to Wofford in January 1988, he was not unfamiliar to winning football games on campus. A successful three-year stint (1980-82) as an assistant coach with Wofford saw the Terriers produce a 21-10-2 record and a national ranking.
EAST TENNESSEE STATE
It was at East Tennessee State where Ayers first gained his reputation as one of the country’s premier program rebuilders.
When Buddy Sasser was named head coach at East Tennessee State in 1983, Ayers joined him in Johnson City, Tenn., as the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator. Under his direction, the ETSU defense was ranked nationally in several categories.
Ayers then took over the helm as the Buccaneers’ head coach in 1985 when Sasser was promoted to athletic director.
During his three years (1985-87) at the SoCon school, Ayers turned an 0-10-1 team into a 6-5 contender the following campaign. The turnaround marked the nation’s second-best improvement that year.
In his final season at ETSU, the Buccaneers were nationally ranked during the early stages of the year and posted impressive victories over North Carolina State, Chattanooga, and William & Mary.
THE EARLY YEARS
The coaching career for Ayers began at Georgetown (Ky.) in 1974 as a graduate assistant for a 7-3 team. He was promoted the following year to defensive coordinator and Georgetown improved to 8-3. Ayers then served three years as an assistant at Newberry College and one season at the University of Richmond, before coming to Wofford in 1980 as a defensive assistant under Sasser.
During those three years with the Terriers, Ayers was part of a coaching staff that fielded some of the school’s finest football teams, including the 1982 squad that finished with an 8-3 record and earned a No. 4 national ranking.
COACHING HONORS AND AWARDS
Ayers was named the recipient of The Sports Network’s 2003 Eddie Robinson Award as Division I-AA’s National Coach of the Year. He was the runner-up in 2002.
He has been named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year four times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2007) in the last nine seasons.
Ayers has received the AFCA regional honor four times. He was also selected for the award in 1990 and 1991 when he guided the Terriers to the Division II playoffs in each of those campaigns. Ayers was named the 2002 National Coach of the Year by the College Sporting News (www.i-aa.org). He was also a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year in 2008.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Since the inception of the Southern Conference’s All-Academic team, Wofford has led the way in number of student-athletes selected. The Terriers have had at least 10 players selected in each of the last seven years, including a conference-high 17 in 2008, and had a total of 90 selections.
The football team was recognized by the NCAA in 2006, 2007 and 2008 for Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. Wofford was one of only 25 football teams recognized in 2007.
Under Ayers’ guidance, Wofford has consistently topped the SoCon and ranked among the national leaders for all Division I members in its graduation rate of football players.
PERSONAL
Ayers played prep football at Glen Este High School in Cincinnati, later earning a football scholarship to Georgetown College (Ky.), where he was a three-time All-District 24 selection at linebacker while also starting at offensive tackle. He earned all-district honors as a catcher on the baseball team in addition to competing in gymnastics and wrestling.
A black belt in karate and an accomplished fisherman and sketch artist, Ayers has a variety of off-field interests and has always been involved in charitable events. He recently reached the finals of a “Dancing with the Stars” competition sponsored by the Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. He is a much sought-after speaker for athletic groups and charitable events.
He completed his B.A. degree in 1974 and received his M.A. degree from Georgetown as well in 1976. He has been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at both Glen Este and Georgetown.
Michael Ayers was born May 26, 1948 in Georgetown, Kentucky. Ayers and his wife, Julie, were married on June 26, 1976. They have two daughters, Katie and Courtney, and a son, Travis who graduated from Sewanee and is a student at MUSC. Courtney and her husband, Piotr Kalinowski, have a son, Max Ayers Kalinowski, who was born May 7, 2007. Katie and her husband Micah Gauntner have a daughter, Amelia Rose, who was born on April 7, 2010.
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