By Richard Pryor III
Executive Staff
On March 10, Sewanee Athletic Director Mark Webb announced the hiring of Travis Rundle as the 31st head coach of the Sewanee football team. Rundle, a graduate of Albion College in Michigan, played as a quarterback and made Michigan’s All-Conference team twice, setting single-season records for Albion, including pass completions and pass attempts.
Rundle currently works as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) football team, and he also serves as football recruiting coordinator. He has been at IWU since 2011. Prior to his time at IWU, he worked at Penn State University for seven years, serving as defensive quality control coach, assisting linebackers and secondary coach, and as assistant recruiting coordinator. He also spent time working at Albion College and at St. Mary’s College, where he gained experience as an offensive coach.
In the 2016 season, Rundle’s defense was 24th in all of NCAA Division III teams, giving up only 290 yards per game. For comparison, Sewanee ranked 218th in Division III, giving up 467.8 yards per game. IWU also gave up an average of 17.6 points per game, 31st in Division III, compared to Sewanee’s 36.7 points per game, which ranked 203rd in Division III.
Sewanee is optimistic about Rundle’s future with the Tigers. Webb said that Rundle “distinguished himself with his clear vision for our program and his abiding commitment to Division III athletics,” and that “we look forward to the great things he will accomplish leading the Tigers.” Rundle will visit the campus during the week of March 13, 2017, and he will start full-time soon after.