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Bowling Green hires Dino Babers as new head coach

Sam Cooper
College football writer

Bowling Green State University announced Wednesday that its new head football coach will be Dino Babers, who spent two years as the head coach of Eastern Illinois.

Babers was the runner-up for the Eddie Robinson Award for the FCS Coach of the Year this season after leading Eastern Illinois to a 12-2 record, a No. 2 ranking an appearance in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

“We are so proud to have Dino and his family join Bowling Green State University,” athletic director D. Christopher Kingston said. “Dino brings with him an incredible resume of successful experiences that absolutely fit the Falcon football program. He is a proven winner who is in the business of developing young men who desire success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. His ability to maximize talent through skill development is unmatched.”

Babers posted a 19-7 record in two years at Eastern Illinois, taking over a last place team in 2011 and leading the Panthers to a first-place finish in 2012. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year the last two years.

"I am honored and excited to join the Falcon family," Babers said. "BGSU has great facilities and the fans are proving, most recently through ticket sales for this year's bowl game, that their support of BGSU football is among the best in the MAC. I want to thank President Mazey, Chris Kingston, and Lesley Irvine for the opportunity to take over the Bowling Green program. My family and I can't wait to get to Bowling Green and become Falcons."

Prior to becoming the head coach at EIU, Babers spent four seasons on Art Briles’ staff at Baylor as the special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator and the outside receivers coach. He also had stints at UCLA, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Arizona, San Diego State, Purdue, Northern Arizona, Nevada, Arizona State, and Hawaii.

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