Bob Valesente
Encyclopedia
Bob Valesente is a former American football
player and coach. He played college football
at Ithaca College
and spent more than 35 years as a football coach. He was the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks football
team from 1986 to 1987 and has also served as an assistant football coach in the National Football League
with the Baltimore Colts
(secondary and special teams, 1982–1983), Pittsburgh Steelers
(linebackers coach, 1990–1991), Green Bay Packers
(linebackers coach, 1992–1994; defensive backs, 1995–1998), and Carolina Panthers
(defensive backs, 1999).
, New York
, Valesente attended Ithaca College
in the early 1960s where he played football as a halfback
and defensive back
. He was also an All-American baseball
player at Ithaca.
minor league
organization. He played for the Pocatello Chiefs
in the Pioneer League in 1963 and the St. Cloud Rox
in 1964.
. He spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Cornell and was the defensive secondary coach from 1969 to 1974.
under had coach Tony Mason
. Valesente held that position for the 1975 and 1976 seasons. When Mason was hired as the head football coach at the University of Arizona
in 1977, Valesente followed and assumed responsibility for the Arizona secondary. Valesente and Mason remained at Arizona from 1977 to 1979. In April 1980, Mason resigned after reportedly having been given a "quit-or-be-fired" option by the school. Three months later, Mason, Valesente and two others were indicted in Pima County Superior Court on charges that they had "bilked" the university out of $13,000 in travel funds. The Arizona coaches were alleged to have engaged in a conspiracy with an American Airlines
employee in which the airline employee allegedly gave Mason and his coaching staff ticket receipts for trips they never took, which the coaches then submitted for reimbursement to the university. Valesente entered a not guilty plea to the charges. A jury found Mason not guilty following a trial in 1981, and Arizona Attorney General Bob Corbin announced in September 1981 that all remaining criminal charges had been dismissed against Valesente and the other defendants. Corbin also noted that a demand letter had been sent to Valesente requesting his return of $1,185 and that a civil action may be filed if the demand letter was not satisfied.
He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Mississippi State University
from 1980 to 1981. While at Mississippi State, he helped direct the team to a win over the University of Kansas
in the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1981.
as the secondary and special teams coach under new head coach Frank Kush
. Valesente remained with the Colts for the 1982 and 1983 NFL seasons.
. Shortly after being hired at Kansas, he was admitted to the Kansas University Medical Center after suffering chest pains and underwent emergency heart bypass surgery. Valesente remained as an assistant coach at Kansas for the 1984 and 1985 seasons. He took over as the head coach
for the Kansas Jayhawks football
team in 1986 and 1987. During Valesente's two seasons as head coach, the Jayhawks compiled a record of 4–17–1 and went 0–14 against Big Eight opponents. The Jayhawks went 1–9–1 in 1987 with their only win being a 16–15 game against Southern Illinois. Valesente was fired at the end of the 1987 football season. At the time of his firing, Valesente was in the second year of a four year contract, which athletic director Bob Frederick said would be honored. Valesente told reporters, "I don't believe two years is enough to build a program. I just don't feel we've been given enough time." Valesente had undertaken efforts to improve the team's academic standing and noted, "I feel proud of the fact that we have begun
to overcome some of the immense academic problems that have plagued us. We needed to first stop the academic attrition." Anthony Redwood, the chairman of the Kansas Athletic Corporation board and a business professor, resigned from the board in protest of the firing. Redwood noted, "Apparently we lack the courage at this institution to plan a course of action and stick with it. Certainly to the outside world this decision must call into question our commitment to the academic dimension of intercollegiate athletics."
team. Valesente resigned after one year with Maryland.
In 1989, he served as the defensive coordinator for the Pitt Panthers football team and was fired after one season in the position.
as the linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
. After two years with the Steelers, Velsente was hired by the Green Bay Packers
in January 1992 to serve as their linebackers coach. From 1995 to 1998, he was the defensive backs coach for the Green Bay Packers
. In January 1999, George Seifert
hired Valesente as defensive backs coach with the Carolina Panthers
. After one year in Carolina, Valesente announced his retirement in March 2000. At the time, Valesente said, "After 37 years of coaching, I decided I needed to spend more time with my family to enjoy all life has to offer. Coaching is a very demanding career that doesn't allow much free time."
as a defensive coordinator for the Frankfurt Galaxy
.
in the German Football League
. He won with them the German Bowl in 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
and spent more than 35 years as a football coach. He was the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks football
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
team from 1986 to 1987 and has also served as an assistant football coach in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
(secondary and special teams, 1982–1983), Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(linebackers coach, 1990–1991), Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(linebackers coach, 1992–1994; defensive backs, 1995–1998), and Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
(defensive backs, 1999).
Early years
A native of Seneca FallsSeneca Falls (village), New York
Seneca Falls is a village in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 6,861 at the 2000 census. The village is in the Town of Seneca Falls, east of Geneva, New York. On March 16, 2010, village residents voted to dissolve the village, a move that would take effect at the end of 2011...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Valesente attended Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
in the early 1960s where he played football as a halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. He was also an All-American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player at Ithaca.
Career
After leaving Ithaca, he played baseball in the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
organization. He played for the Pocatello Chiefs
Pocatello Chiefs
The Pocatello Chiefs were a minor league baseball team located in Pocatello, Idaho. The team began as the Pocatello Bannocks in 1952. They played in the Pioneer League originally as an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns and then the Kansas City Athletics in 1956...
in the Pioneer League in 1963 and the St. Cloud Rox
St. Cloud Rox
The St. Cloud Rox were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1946 to 1971. Located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the team played in the Northern League and was affiliated with the New York Giants from 1946 to 1957, the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1959, the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1964...
in 1964.
Cornell University
Valesente began his coaching career in 1964 as the coach of the freshman football team at Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Cornell and was the defensive secondary coach from 1969 to 1974.
University of Cincinnati, University of Arizona and Mississippi State University
In 1975, Valesente was hired as the secondary coach at the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
under had coach Tony Mason
Tony Mason (football coach)
-External links:...
. Valesente held that position for the 1975 and 1976 seasons. When Mason was hired as the head football coach at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in 1977, Valesente followed and assumed responsibility for the Arizona secondary. Valesente and Mason remained at Arizona from 1977 to 1979. In April 1980, Mason resigned after reportedly having been given a "quit-or-be-fired" option by the school. Three months later, Mason, Valesente and two others were indicted in Pima County Superior Court on charges that they had "bilked" the university out of $13,000 in travel funds. The Arizona coaches were alleged to have engaged in a conspiracy with an American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
employee in which the airline employee allegedly gave Mason and his coaching staff ticket receipts for trips they never took, which the coaches then submitted for reimbursement to the university. Valesente entered a not guilty plea to the charges. A jury found Mason not guilty following a trial in 1981, and Arizona Attorney General Bob Corbin announced in September 1981 that all remaining criminal charges had been dismissed against Valesente and the other defendants. Corbin also noted that a demand letter had been sent to Valesente requesting his return of $1,185 and that a civil action may be filed if the demand letter was not satisfied.
He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
from 1980 to 1981. While at Mississippi State, he helped direct the team to a win over the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1981.
NFL: Baltimore Colts
In February 1982, Valesente was hired by the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
as the secondary and special teams coach under new head coach Frank Kush
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1...
. Valesente remained with the Colts for the 1982 and 1983 NFL seasons.
University of Kansas
In April 1984, Valesente was hired as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of KansasUniversity of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. Shortly after being hired at Kansas, he was admitted to the Kansas University Medical Center after suffering chest pains and underwent emergency heart bypass surgery. Valesente remained as an assistant coach at Kansas for the 1984 and 1985 seasons. He took over as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for the Kansas Jayhawks football
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
team in 1986 and 1987. During Valesente's two seasons as head coach, the Jayhawks compiled a record of 4–17–1 and went 0–14 against Big Eight opponents. The Jayhawks went 1–9–1 in 1987 with their only win being a 16–15 game against Southern Illinois. Valesente was fired at the end of the 1987 football season. At the time of his firing, Valesente was in the second year of a four year contract, which athletic director Bob Frederick said would be honored. Valesente told reporters, "I don't believe two years is enough to build a program. I just don't feel we've been given enough time." Valesente had undertaken efforts to improve the team's academic standing and noted, "I feel proud of the fact that we have begun
to overcome some of the immense academic problems that have plagued us. We needed to first stop the academic attrition." Anthony Redwood, the chairman of the Kansas Athletic Corporation board and a business professor, resigned from the board in protest of the firing. Redwood noted, "Apparently we lack the courage at this institution to plan a course of action and stick with it. Certainly to the outside world this decision must call into question our commitment to the academic dimension of intercollegiate athletics."
University of Maryland and University of Pittsburgh
He spent the 1988 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Maryland Terrapins footballMaryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
team. Valesente resigned after one year with Maryland.
In 1989, he served as the defensive coordinator for the Pitt Panthers football team and was fired after one season in the position.
NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers
In March 1990, he was hired by Chuck NollChuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
as the linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. After two years with the Steelers, Velsente was hired by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in January 1992 to serve as their linebackers coach. From 1995 to 1998, he was the defensive backs coach for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. In January 1999, George Seifert
George Seifert
George Seifert is a former NFL head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. Seifert joined the 49ers' coaching staff under Bill Walsh in 1980 as defensive backs coach and served as the team's defensive coordinator from 1983–1988.As a 49er assistant, his defenses finished...
hired Valesente as defensive backs coach with the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. After one year in Carolina, Valesente announced his retirement in March 2000. At the time, Valesente said, "After 37 years of coaching, I decided I needed to spend more time with my family to enjoy all life has to offer. Coaching is a very demanding career that doesn't allow much free time."
NFL Europe
Valesente later worked in the NFL EuropeNFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
as a defensive coordinator for the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
.
GFL
In 2010, he is coaching with the Kiel Baltic HurricanesKiel Baltic Hurricanes
The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes are an American football team based in Kiel, Germany.The club has been, of recent, a strong force in the sport in Germany, playing in four consecutive German Bowls from 2008 to 2011, losing the first two, winning the third and losing the fourth.The club is part of the...
in the German Football League
German Football League
The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
. He won with them the German Bowl in 2010.