St. Ambrose Football | Head Coach Todd Sturdy | St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa

St. Ambrose Football

Head coach Todd Sturdy enters his 12th season as head coach of the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees football team. Over the past twelve seasons, Sturdy has guided the Fighting Bees to an overall record of 75-39, including five playoff appearances and four consecutive conference championships from 2000-2003. Sturdy ranks fifth all-time in winning percentage (.658) and is the all- time leader wins (75).

During the last five seasons, Sturdy has led the Fighting Bees to a 48-19 record, including an 8-3 performance during the 2005 season. His squad has gone 34-8 in conference play in the last six seasons.

Sturdy began his coaching career after his freshman year of college, as he took over the Tipton High School sophomore baseball team in the summer of 1987.

He continued to coach Tipton baseball for the next four seasons as the head sophomore coach and assistant varsity coach.

Sturdy began coaching football in the fall of 1990 as a graduate assistant for St. Ambrose University while student teaching at Assumption High School. Sturdy coached under Ray Jauch as the defensive backs coach, along with being the assistant baseball coach. In the spring of 1991, Sturdy was named the director of facilities at St. Ambrose University. He then coached the secondary and special teams under Mike Woodley in 1992 and 1993. Sturdy was then named defensive coordinator in 1994, where he turned the defense into the tenth ranked unit in the nation.

While serving as the defensive coordinator in 1995 under Chuck Schrader, Sturdy was asked to fill in as head coach for the remaining seven games of the season. In December 1995, Sturdy was named head coach of the St. Ambrose University football team.

Sturdy has accomplished some tremendous achievements in the coaching ranks while at St. Ambrose. Sturdy will begin his sixth season as an AFCA National Rater for NAIA football. In 1996, his first full season as head coach, Sturdy led the Fighting Bees to a 9-1 season, with their only loss coming from the eventual National Champion, Findlay University, in a close 41-31 game.

As a head coach, Sturdy has had the opportunity to coach 56 first team All-Conference players and 28 All-Americans. His players have broken virtually every offensive school record. "The most exciting thing for me is to see a young man mature during his time here at St. Ambrose from a freshman into a senior who is ready to face the world," said Sturdy.

Sturdy’s most memorable coaching experience came during the 1993 season, as the Fighting Bees knocked off Western Illinois University in a thrilling 27-25 victory. Sturdy called the victory, "maybe the biggest win in school history, a huge win for St. Ambrose."

As a player, Sturdy was a quarterback for St. Ambrose University from 1987-1990, while he earned a bachelor’s degree in history education. His most memorable moment during that time was in 1987, when he scored a touchdown in a 14-7 national playoff victory, the first playoff victory in school history. Sturdy received the 1988 L.G. Friedrichs Outstanding Player Award after being named the team’s MVP. In 1989, as a team captain, Sturdy received the Moon Mullins Coach’s Appreciation Award.

Sturdy came to St. Ambrose via Tipton High School, where he played four sports and accumulated 14 varsity letters. Sturdy earned three in football, two in basketball, four in track, and five in baseball. Sturdy’s greatest accomplishment as an athlete spanned three years, as his Tipton High School track team won three consecutive State Championships. As a high school senior, Sturdy led the football team to its first ever playoff appearance. He was also named All-State as a quarterback and started at quarterback for the South team in the 1986 Shrine Bowl.

In 2005, Sturdy was inducted into the St. Ambrose University Athletic Hall of Fame for his work as an athlete and later as a coach.

Coach Sturdy and his wife Gina reside in Davenport with their 6-year-old son, Keegan and 3-year-old son, Carson.


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