Photo by: SFA Athletics
SFA Announces Colby Carthel as Head Football Coach
12/4/2018 6:28:00 PM | Football
2017 national champion coach arrives in Nacogdoches after posting 35-6 record over last three seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Director of athletics Ryan Ivey and acting university president Dr. Steve Westbrook announced the hiring of Colby Carthel as SFA's 20th head football coach Tuesday afternoon inside the Baker Pattillo Student Center Movie Theater with an introductory press conference. Carthel, a proven winner and national champion with deep Texas ties, arrives in Nacogdoches after leading Texas A&M-Commerce to the pinnacle of NCAA Division II football.
"Today is a day in new beginnings," commented AD Ivey before introducing coach Carthel. "It brings hope, excitement and celebration. It's a beginning to our football programs' climb to success. It's not every day that you get the opportunity to introduce a national champion and we are certainly excited to do that today."
"When we set out looking for our coach we were searching for the following characteristics: a proven winner, success with previous programs, ability to recruit and have Texas ties, ability to bring and implement strategic and schematic plans, a motivator, a leader, holistic football knowledge, ability to communicate and build relationships with those inside and outside of SFA football and someone who has the desire and determination to teach our young men to be successful on the field, in the classroom and in life," Ivey added. "By going through this process the words national champion, winner, relational, charismatic, energetic, enthusiastic, intelligent, although I argued with that person about that characteristic when they said that, high football IQ, recruiter, player development, passion, leader and national champion, all came up time and time again. I am proud to say we found all of the things that we were looking for in our head football coach."
Hired as the 19th head coach in A&M-Commerce history on January 22, 2013, Carthel has spent the previous six seasons guiding the Lions, where he captured the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship in his fifth year at the helm. Owning an eye-popping .766 winning percentage as a head coach, Carthel posted an 59-18 overall record at A&M-Commerce with an impressive 36-8 (.818) conference record. In addition to three Lone Star Conference championships, Carthel led the Lions to six consecutive postseason appearances and four-straight NCAA playoff appearances.
"I'm excited. I'm jacked up - literally," coach Carthel said to open up his remarks from the podium. "It's a great day for SFA football, it's a great day for SFA, it's a great day for the town of Nacogdoches. This day is important to me, it's important to you and we're fixing to start something real special."
"I'm not just the head football coach at SFA, I'm your head football coach," continued Carthel later in the press conference. "We're now in this thing together, each and every one of us. Faculty and staff, students, alumni, people of Nacogdoches, people of east Texas region, we're in this thing together."
Owning four coach of the year awards, Carthel's 35 total wins over the last three seasons is nearly unprecedented in college football. Of the 27 scholarship programs in Texas, only Carthel-led A&M-Commerce and three other programs - Baylor, TCU and Sam Houston State - have had three-straight 10-win seasons in the last 10 years.
Under Carthel's tutelage as a head coach, his players have captured four national player of the year awards, two regional player of the year awards and nine conference player of the year awards. While at A&M-Commerce, Carthel witnessed his student-athletes garner 53 All-American honors, including 19 All-American First Team selections, not to mention 20 all-region accolades and 141 all-conference plaudits.
Mentoring young men not only on the field, but in the classroom as well, Carthel has had his players collect numerous all-academic honors. Coaching one academic player of the year, Carthel's Lion student-athletes earned two College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District® Team spots and 11 academic all-conference selections.
A native of Friona, Texas, and a four-year letter winner at both Friona High School and Angelo State, Carthel's footprint has been in the Lone Star State for quite some time. Recruiting heavily within the state, all but one of Carthel's 285 high school signees across six signing classes as a head coach have hailed from Texas. With a major concentration in east Texas, Carthel has made it a point to recruit locally. In his initial signing class at A&M-Commerce in 2013, Carthel signed 24 of his 37 incoming freshmen (65 percent) from within 150 miles of campus, which included a good portion of east Texas.
Carthel arrived in Commerce with strong ties to the Lone Star Conference, spending the previous seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at West Texas A&M (2006-12) and playing a key role in establishing the Buffs as one of the top teams in the region. During his seven years at West Texas A&M, the Buffs captured four Lone Star Conference titles while making an appearance in the postseason each year, including a trip to the NCAA semifinals.
Prior to his time at West Texas A&M, Carthel spent six seasons at fellow Southland Conference member Abilene Christian (2000-05). While in Abilene, Carthel served as the Wildcats' defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
All told, Carthel has made 12 consecutive trips to the postseason as a Division II coach, both as an assistant and head coach.
"This will not be an easy task, but we will not fail. We will not fail," coach Carthel stated before stepping off stage. "Believe in the vision of what SFA football can do. We're gonna build a championship program that everyone can be proud of. We're gonna build a championship program for east Texas. We're going to build a championship program that's the pride of Texas. We're going to build a national power here in Nacogdoches. We're gonna do it together - every single one of us."
Carthel was a standout player at Angelo State, where he started at middle linebacker and helped lead the Rams to the Lone Star Conference South Championship by recording 59 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery as a senior in 1999. Also a four-year letter winner on the Angelo State track and field team, Carthel competed in the discus throw. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from Angelo State in 2000 and later his master's degree from West Texas A&M in 2000.
Colby is married to former West Texas A&M All-American volleyball player and A&M-Commerce associate head volleyball coach Sarah Carthel. The two have a pair of sons, Major and Bear.
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