Sewanee has turned to a man with NCAA Division III roots and experience at the top level of Division I to be its 31st head football coach. He also was a star quarterback who has made his coaching mark on defense.
Athletic director Mark Webb announced Friday that Travis Rundle has been hired to direct the Division III Tigers.
Rundle was an all-conference and championship quarterback in Division III, at Albion College in Michigan, and has spent the last six years as defensive coordinator at another D-III school, Illinois Wesleyan. Before that he was on staff at Penn State for seven years, the last four assisting with linebackers and the secondary.
Illinois Wesleyan ranked first nationally in total defense and fourth-down defense last season and was among the leaders in six other defensive categories, according to Sewanee’s announcement release. The Titans went 7-2, 6-2 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin, and four of Rundle’s defensive players were all-conference.
“Travis was selected from a truly outstanding pool of finalists,” Webb said in the release. “In addition to his highly successful coaching experience at Illinois Wesleyan, he distinguished himself with his clear vision for our program and his abiding commitment to Division III athletics.”