Scott Power to Guide SFA Football’s Defense
12/19/2018 9:31:00 AM | Football
Power enters his seventh-straight year as defensive coordinator after leading Texas A&M-Commerce’s defense in 2018
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – SFA head football coach Colby Carthel has named Scott Power as the Lumberjacks' defensive coordinator. Power, who claimed both national and conference coordinator of the year honors in 2015, has served as a defensive coordinator for six consecutive seasons.
Power arrives in Texas' oldest town after most recently guiding 2017 NCAA Division II national champion Texas A&M-Commerce's defense in 2018.
"Over the past several years Scott Power has consistently fielded defenses that led the nation in multiple categories," coach Carthel said. "He also has a national championship under his belt as a defensive coordinator, as well as being named, 'National Defensive Coordinator of the Year' by his peers."
"Coach Power will bring an aggressive, attacking style of defense to Nacogdoches that will be fun to play in and watch," added Carthel. "The Lumberjack defense will be built to stop the run and attack opposing quarterbacks. When it's third down, things are usually pretty exciting with Power on the sideline."
In his lone season in Commerce, Power oversaw a powerful Lion defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in several statistical categories as A&M-Commerce reached the Division II Super Region Four semifinals. Power's defense averaged a blistering 9.3 tackles for loss per game to rank sixth in the nation and lead the Lone Star Conference, while the unit's pass defense efficiency (98.78) was eighth-best nationally and ranked second in the league. Allowing opponents to convert on third down just 26.7 percent of the time, the Lions' third-down conversion defense ranked seventh in the country and second in the conference. A&M-Commerce's 3.08 sacks per game led the Lone Star Conference and was the 20th-highest average in the nation as the Lions' scoring defense (20.2 PPG) ranked among the country's top 35 and was second-best in the league.
Power mentored three D2CCA All-Super Region Four performers during his time in Commerce, including defensive lineman Michael Onuoha, linebacker Brucks Saathoff and safety Dominique Ramsey. His unit also saw a total of nine players pick up All-Lone Star Conference honors, including three being named to the first team and senior linebacker Garrett Blubaugh earning a spot on the all-academic team. Blubaugh would go on to claim College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Google Cloud Academic All-District® accolades and land a spot on the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-America Second Team.
Prior to being hired as defensive coordinator at A&M-Commerce in April of 2018, Power had two very successful seasons as the defensive coordinator at Central Washington University. While in Ellensburg, Washington, Power turned the Wildcats' defense completely around. After ranking near the bottom of the NCAA in scoring defense prior to his arrival, Central Washington was 19th nationally in that category in 2017. Under Power's guidance, the Wildcats led the nation in both rushing defense and sacks, while ranking among the country's top 10 in total defense (third), third down defense (third), tackles for loss (fourth), and red zone defense (eighth). That season, Central Washington led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, takeaways, third down defense, red zone defense, tackles for loss, and sacks.
Under Power's tutelage, the 2017 Wildcat defense featured the D2CCA Super Region Four Defensive Player of the Year and claimed six All-American and nine all-region honors. Central Washington went undefeated throughout the regular season and earned the top seed in Super Region Four before ultimately falling to A&M-Commerce.
In Power's first season in Washington, he turned the Wildcat defense into one of the nation's best. The Central Washington defense ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense, rush defense, red zone defense and sacks. That year, the Wildcats led the entire NCAA, including all Division I programs, in tackles for loss per game with 10.7 and finished fifth in the NCAA in rush defense. Central Washington's defense in 2016 held its opponents to under 100 yards rushing in eight of its 10 games, including six games where opponents were detained to 50 yards or less on the ground.
Before his time at Central Washington, Power helped lead Marian University (Ind.) to back-to-back trips to the NAIA national championship game, with the Knights earning a win for the national title in 2015. In four 2015 playoff games with Power's defense, Marian allowed a total of just 38 points, holding its opposition to only 256.3 yards per game and less than four yards a snap. That season, the Knights ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, third in total defense and fourth in pass efficiency defense, while leading the country in run defense and sacks. The 2015 Marian defense held nine out of its 14 opponents to 14 points or less, including four teams ranked in the nation's top 10.
Following the Knights' 2015 NAIA National Championship victory, FootballScoop.com named Power 2015 NAIA Coordinator of the Year. The defensive guru was also named the 2015 Mid-States Football Association Assistant Coach of the Year after being a finalist for the Footballscoop.com NAIA Coordinator of the Year at the conclusion Marian's 2014 season.
During the 2014 season, Power led the Knights to another outstanding season defensively as Marian was ranked in the top 16 in the country in six different categories and the top five in two. The Knights ranked second in rushing defense (77.1 YPG) and was fourth in sacks, while setting single-season school records for interceptions (29), tackles for loss (103), sacks (39) and blocked kicks (10).
In his first season at Marian in 2013, Power's defense finished the year ranked 10th in the NAIA in total defense, 13th in sacks, 18th in pass defense and 20th in rushing defense. During his three seasons in Indianapolis, Indiana, Power guided 19 Knights to All-Mid-States Football Association Mideast League honors and coached two American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-Americans.
Prior to Marian, Power served as an assistant coach at NCAA Division III Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, for four seasons. He was a defensive line coach for the Knights in 2009 and 2010, before overseeing linebackers in 2011 and 2012. During Power's time at Wartburg, he coached four All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) First Team selections, two Division III All-Americans and two Division III All-West Region players.
With Power on staff, the Knights set a single-season program record for fewest rushing yards allowed in 2012. He coached the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's top-ranked total defense and rushing defense that year as the Knights also led the league in tackles for loss, sacks and fewest opponent first downs. In 2011, Power helped Wartburg lead the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring defense and own the second-best total defense.
In 2010, Power assisted the Knights to an Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and a Division III playoff appearance after a perfect 10-0 regular season. Wartburg was ranked 11th in the final AFCA poll and had three wins over top-20 opponents. During Power's time at Wartburg, the Knights went a combined 30-11 with an Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and a postseason appearance.
Power began his coaching career in 2007 at Benton Central High School in Oxford, Indiana, where he served as defensive coordinator for two seasons.
A native of Fowler, Indiana, Power was a two-year starter at linebacker at Division III University of Wisconsin-Platteville before transferring to Hanover College. While playing for the Panthers, Power was part of two Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and claimed back-to-back all-conference first-team accolades as an All-American nominee. After his collegiate career, Power spent one season with the European Football League and three seasons in the Arena Football League, where his teams earned three-straight playoff appearances.
He is a graduate of Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) where he earned a bachelor's degree in management and economics. Power and his wife, Megan, have a pair of sons, Troy and Thad, in addition to two daughters, Tatum and Teryn.
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