Tom Luginbill
Encyclopedia
Tom Luginbill is a college football
analyst for ESPN
. Luginbill grew up in Tempe, Arizona
and San Diego. He is the son of the professional and college coach Al Luginbill
.
quarterback
for three colleges over his four year career. He had varying degrees of success ranging from a national championship to a one win season. He played football for Palomar College
(Juco) from 1992–1993, where he amassed 21 wins. In 1993, he led Palomar to the National Junior College championship and a perfect 11–0 record, and was named a first-team All-American by the Junior College Athletic Bureau. Luginbill also set the all-time national junior college record for passing while playing for Palomar Junior College, becoming the most highly recruited junior college player in the nation. He still owns numerous team records at Palomar (as of January 26, 2010).
He then transferred to Georgia Tech
and won the starting quarterback position in 1994 from Donnie Davis
, who had started all eleven games the previous year. In 1994, despite Luginbill turning in performances that would earn him ACC Rookie of the Year honors, the Jackets, purportedly embroiled in controversy over the decision to demote Davis and start Luginbill, would manage to only defeat Division I-AA Western Carolina
going 1–10 on the season. With the departure of Bill Lewis and instatement of George O'Leary
as the head coach at Georgia Tech, a change in offensive scheme would prompt Luginbill to consider another transfer. Luginbill transferred and played his final year at Eastern Kentucky
in 1995.
Luginbill went into the Arena Football League and played for the Texas Terror
in 1996 and the Florida Bobcats
in 1997.
, NFL Europe
, the Arena Football League and af2
. Luginbill's first coaching job was as a player personnel/coaching assistant with his father for the Amsterdam Admirals
in 1996 and 1997. He then joined the AFL's New York CityHawks in 1998 as QB coach and offensive coordinator
. Luginbill's first head coach
ing job was for af2
's Tennessee Valley Vipers
in 2000 where he was a 25 year old head coach that lead his team to the ArenaCup
championship in their inaugural season.
When the XFL
was formed in 2001, Luginbill again went to work with his father as assistant for the league champion Los Angeles Xtreme
. He was the QB coach for league MVP Tommy Maddox
prior to Maddox moving back into the National Football League
. Luginbill then moved on to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys
and then the AFL's Dallas Desperados
as the offensive coordinator and player personnel director. He then got a new head coaching job with the Detroit Fury
in 2002 before the franchise folded in 2004. He would finish the season with the Fury before moving on to work for Scouts Inc. as an NFL personnel evaluator which has led to his current role as National Recruiting Director for ESPN's college football recruiting service Scouts Inc.
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...
analyst for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Luginbill grew up in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
and San Diego. He is the son of the professional and college coach Al Luginbill
Al Luginbill
Al Luginbill is a former American football coach.-College coaching career:Luginbill began his college coaching career at Pasadena City College, where he served as an assistant from 1968–71 and returned as the head coach from 1974-76. In his final year as head coach, Luginbill guided PCC to a Jr...
.
Playing career
Luginbill was the startingStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for three colleges over his four year career. He had varying degrees of success ranging from a national championship to a one win season. He played football for Palomar College
Palomar College
Palomar College is a community college with one campus and six education sites in San Diego County, California. The main campus is located in San Marcos, while the six education sites are located elsewhere throughout north San Diego County. The largest of these is the education center located in...
(Juco) from 1992–1993, where he amassed 21 wins. In 1993, he led Palomar to the National Junior College championship and a perfect 11–0 record, and was named a first-team All-American by the Junior College Athletic Bureau. Luginbill also set the all-time national junior college record for passing while playing for Palomar Junior College, becoming the most highly recruited junior college player in the nation. He still owns numerous team records at Palomar (as of January 26, 2010).
He then transferred to Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
and won the starting quarterback position in 1994 from Donnie Davis
Donnie Davis
Donnie Davis was the starting quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1993 and 1995...
, who had started all eleven games the previous year. In 1994, despite Luginbill turning in performances that would earn him ACC Rookie of the Year honors, the Jackets, purportedly embroiled in controversy over the decision to demote Davis and start Luginbill, would manage to only defeat Division I-AA Western Carolina
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
going 1–10 on the season. With the departure of Bill Lewis and instatement of George O'Leary
George O'Leary
George Joseph O'Leary is the head football coach of the UCF Knights football team that represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida; he previously coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1994 to 2001, and served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota...
as the head coach at Georgia Tech, a change in offensive scheme would prompt Luginbill to consider another transfer. Luginbill transferred and played his final year at Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
in 1995.
Luginbill went into the Arena Football League and played for the Texas Terror
Houston Thunderbears
The Houston ThunderBears were a team in the Arena Football League that operated from 1996-2001. The team was based in Houston, Texas. Home games were played at the Compaq Center. The team was known as the Texas Terror their first two years in existence before changing the name to the Thunderbears...
in 1996 and the Florida Bobcats
Florida Bobcats
The Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.-Sacramento Attack :...
in 1997.
Coaching career
Luginbill's short playing career lead him into coaching in four professional football leagues—the XFLXFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
, NFL Europe
NFL 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...
, the Arena Football League and af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
. Luginbill's first coaching job was as a player personnel/coaching assistant with his father for the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
in 1996 and 1997. He then joined the AFL's New York CityHawks in 1998 as QB coach and offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. Luginbill's first 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...
ing job was for af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
's Tennessee Valley Vipers
Tennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
in 2000 where he was a 25 year old head coach that lead his team to the ArenaCup
ArenaCup
The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San...
championship in their inaugural season.
When the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
was formed in 2001, Luginbill again went to work with his father as assistant for the league champion Los Angeles Xtreme
Los Angeles Xtreme
The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
. He was the QB coach for league MVP Tommy Maddox
Tommy Maddox
Thomas "Tommy" Alfred Maddox is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, the XFL and the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:At L. D...
prior to Maddox moving back into 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...
. Luginbill then moved on to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and then the AFL's Dallas Desperados
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional Arena Football team. The Desperados played in the Southern Division of the now-defunct Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008....
as the offensive coordinator and player personnel director. He then got a new head coaching job with the Detroit Fury
Detroit Fury
The Detroit Fury were an Arena Football League team. The team began play in 2001 and was based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, at The Palace of Auburn Hills, also the home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons. The team was co-owned by William Davidson, who owned the Pistons, along with...
in 2002 before the franchise folded in 2004. He would finish the season with the Fury before moving on to work for Scouts Inc. as an NFL personnel evaluator which has led to his current role as National Recruiting Director for ESPN's college football recruiting service Scouts Inc.