Lopez Named Head Football Coach

FAIRMONT, W.Va. Fairmont State University President Dan Bradley, in conjunction with Director of Athletics Rusty Elliott, today announced Mike Lopez has been named head coach of the Falcon football team. Lopez was named interim head coach in August when Elliott resigned to become the athletic director.

"I am excited to name Mike Lopez as Fairmont State University's head football coach," Bradley said. "He's a dynamic leader, and Saturday's win cemented in my mind that he has the leadership and the creativity to give us a winning team in the future."

"There is no question that Mike is the right person to lead the football program," Elliott said. "He is one of the brightest, young football coaches in the country, and we are fortunate to have him here. Mike is a tireless worker who loves this university and will do everything he can to help us be successful."

Fairmont State is 3-5 this season after a 21-14 win over Clarion over the weekend. The Falcons have earned WVIAC Player of the Week honors three times and are nationally ranked in several defensive categories so far this season.

"It's my honor and privilege to continue to lead the football program at my alma mater," Lopez said. "I am thankful that Dr. Bradley has confidence in me that I can do the job, and I will continue to work as hard as I can to make the university and community proud."

Lopez spent the previous five seasons as defensive coordinator for the Falcons, and last season was promoted to assistant head coach. Under his guidance, Lopez has coached four All-Americans: Josh Ison (2002), Ed Smith (2003), Matt Vance (2005) and Andre Pope (2006), and one Academic All-American: Jason Dauch (2004). The Falcons defense has had players earn first team all-conference recognition 16 times, WVIAC Defensive Player of the Week 12 times and All-Northeast Region 10 times. In total, Lopez has coached athletes to 43 all-conference honors in his five seasons, and 13 have played in the East Coast Division II All-Star game.

Lopez was a standout defensive end for the Falcons and was a team captain during the 1996-97 seasons. The 1996 Falcons won the West Virginia Conference championship.

He is a 1993 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Clarksburg and played his first two years of college football at Potomac State College in Keyser, W.Va. He was a team captain for the Catamounts. He transferred to Fairmont in the spring semester of 1996 and finished his career with the Falcons, graduating in 1998. He then enrolled in graduate school at West Virginia University, where he was named the Graduate Student of the Year in the School of Physical Education in 2001. At the same time, Lopez remained a student-assistant coach at Fairmont State. The 2000 football team also won the West Virginia Conference championship. While in graduate school, he served as a graduate assistant instructor in the School of Physical Education. While working on his second master's degree, he served as a graduate assistant on Rich Rodriguez's first WVU football staff during the 2001 season. He assisted Coach Jeff Casteel with the inside linebackers.

Coach Lopez, wife Jaclyn and daughter Liliana reside in Clarksburg.