GREENVILLE, Pa. – Director of Athletics Amy Schafer announced Friday the hiring of Mike Winslow as head football coach at Thiel College. A native of Hermitage, Pa., Winslow is an alumnus of Thiel College and Reynolds High School.
 
"Mike emerged from a very competitive pool of applicants, and I could not be happier to welcome him back to his alma mater," Schafer said. "Coach Winslow has a reputation as a relentless recruiter. Steeped in Thiel College tradition, he has been instrumental in building programs that have been successful on the field and in the classroom. I am confident he is the right person to lead our football program."
 
Winslow returns to Thiel after spending the last 11 seasons as the offensive coordinator at Albright College in Reading, Pa. A member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and NCAA Division III, the Lions compiled a record of 78-44 over the last 11 seasons, made nine postseason appearances, won two conference championships (2008, 2015) and twice qualified for the NCAA playoffs (2009, 2015).
 
"I want to thank President Susan Traverso, Ph.D., and Athletic Director Amy Schafer for believing in me to lead the football program at Thiel College," Winslow said. "I would also like to extend my appreciation to the members of the football search committee, who sacrificed an incredible amount of time to make this possible."
 
Prior to the 2012 season, Winslow was promoted to associate head coach at Albright while also serving as the program's academic coordinator. Over the last 11 seasons, he coached 45 All-MAC players and four All-American picks. He also mentored 16 offensive linemen who earned all-conference accolades.
 
Winslow began his coaching career at Thiel College as an assistant under head coach Jack Leipheimer '74. He coached Thiel's wide receivers, served as the team's video coordinator and was the program's junior varsity head coach for four seasons, including in 2005 when the Tomcats won the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title for the first time since 1972 with a perfect 10-0 regular season record and went on to host two NCAA Division III playoff games at Alumni Stadium.
 
The 2005 football team was the first in Thiel history to earn a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs and the first to win a playoff game. The team set 24 school records in 2005 and earned multiple top-20 rankings by various media outlets.
 
As wide receivers coach at Thiel, Winslow was instrumental in the development of Brandon Chambers, a Farrell, Pa., native who in 2005 earned a pair of All-American selections, two regional first-team nods and was D3football.com's South Region Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Chambers still holds Thiel career records for receptions (203), receiving yards (3,111) and touchdown receptions (34).
 
"I was fortunate to coach on Thiel's 2005 PAC Championship team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs," said Winslow. "As a proud native of Mercer County and Thiel College graduate, I am excited to return home and lead the program into a new era. We will implement an aggressive strategy to recruit and develop student-athletes who will reach their full potential as people, students, athletes, and go on to be productive members of society."
 
After beginning his coaching career at Thiel, Winslow spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Maine, which competes at the Division I (FCS) level and is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Serving as a defensive backs coach in 2006, Winslow helped the Black Bears finish the regular season ranked No. 24 in the country, according to The Sports Network. Maine's defense ranked No. 1 in the country in rush defense in 2006 and ranked second in the conference in pass defense.
 
Winslow earned a bachelor's degree in English from Thiel College in 2004. He is the 27^th head coach in program history.