Coaching Staff for 2004 Aztec Bowl Squad Announced

WACO, TEX. — Former Division III head coaches Jim Christopherson (Concordia-Moorhead), Bill Manlove (Widener, Delaware Valley), Bob Packard (Baldwin-Wallace), J.R. Bishop (Wheaton) and Wally Hood (Ohio Northern, Otterbein) have been named by U.S. Head Coach Ron Schipper as assistant coaches for the 2004 Aztec Bowl in Cancun, Mexico.
 
Schipper returns as the U.S. head coach in 2004 for the eighth year. In 36 years at Central College (1961-1996) Schipper amassed 287 career victories, which ranked second among NCAA Division III coaches at his retirement. In recognition of his stellar coaching career, Schipper was among the 2000 class of inductees for the College Football Hall of Fame. Recently he was named the 2003 recipient of the AFCA’s Amos Alonzo Stagg Award.
 
Christopherson is making his fifth coaching appearance in the Aztec Bowl. He compiled a 218-101-7 record in 32 seasons and is the school’s all-time victory leader. Christopherson led the Cobbers to 11 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and a pair of national championships during his tenure, which began in 1969 and ended in 2000.
 
Manlove is making his third coaching appearance in the Aztec Bowl. In 32 years at Widener, Delaware Valley and LaSalle, Manlove compiled a 212-110-1 record, including an impressive 182-53-1 record at Widener. While at Widener he led the Pioneers to two NCAA Division III championships, seven playoff berths and 10 Middle Atlantic Conference titles.
 
Packard is making his third coaching appearance in the Aztec Bowl. In 21 seasons at Baldwin-Wallace, Packard posted a record of 156-54-2 and won six Ohio Athletic Conference championships with the Yellow Jackets. His 156 wins ranked him among the best active coaches in Division III at the time of his retirement.
 
Bishop is making his second coaching appearance in the Aztec Bowl. He served as an assistant coach on the first U.S. team in 1997 in Toluca. He completed his 23rd year at Wheaton in 2004, his ninth as associate head coach and offensive coordinator. As Wheaton’s head coach from 1982-95, Bishop guided the program to a record of 84-43-1. Wheaton had won just five games in the three years before his arrival.
 
Hood is making his first coaching appearance in the Aztec Bowl. In 24 seasons at Ohio Northern, Otterbein and Fairmont State, Hood compiled a 112-112-8 record. He earned Ohio Athletic Conference co-Coach of the Year honors in 1982 at Ohio Northern when he led the Polar Bears to a divisional championship.
 
Webcasts: Chitwood Sports Media of Jefferson, Texas will again provide a live audio webcast of the Aztec Bowl in 2004. Along with the game webcast, which will begin with a 60-minute pregame show on December 11, announcers Charlie Chitwood and Ned Fratangelo will provide 90 minute preview shows on December 8, 9 and 10. The preview shows will originate from the Team USA hotel and will begin each night at 6:30 p.m. CST.
 
The preview shows and game webcast can all be accessed via the AFCA’s website at www.afca.com, via the Texas Sports Radio Network at www.tsrnsports.com or at www.aztecbowl.com. Postgame results will also be available at www.afca.com.
 
The Aztec Bowl is the traditional season-ending game for Mexico’s college football season. The game has been played 33 times since 1947 with the last seven contests featuring the United States-Mexico match-up. The United States is 6-1 in the series. Mexico’s lone victory came in last year’s game, which was also played in Cancun.
 
This year’s game will kick off at 4 p.m. CST on December 11 and will be played at Estadio Cancun 86. No U.S. television is planned. Results will be available on the AFCA’s website at www.afca.com.
 
For more information, log on to the AFCA’s website at www.afca.com.