fall is Loras. The game will be Sept. 11 in Dubuque, Iowa.
Magistrelli, a graduate assistant coach at St. Ambrose from 1997-99, is back
on the Davenport campus as a full-time assistant and recruiting coordinator
for the Bees.
He replaces Rich Wright, who left to become the defensive line and strength
and conditioning coach at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State
University.
Since 1999, the 30-year-old Magistrelli has been at Coe College in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. For two years, he was the school’s quarterbacks coach and
recruiting coordinator. In 2001, he was promoted to defensive
coordinator and defensive backs coach.
“I’m looking at the
St. Ambrose job as a new challenge,’’ Magistrelli said
Monday, his first day in his new job. “Todd (Sturdy,
St. Ambrose’s coach) has had a lot of success, and it’s my job to tweak a
few things and
continue that success.
“When I was here as a
graduate assistant, I learned a great deal from Todd and Jody Sears (the
defensive coordinator at the time). I took what I learned to my position at
Coe, and now I’ll be bringing back to St. Ambrose some of the things I
learned at Coe.”
In high school at Marshfield, Wis., and then at Coe,
Magistrelli was a quarterback. But when he reported for work at St. Ambrose
after graduating with a degree in elementary education
from Coe, Sturdy put him to work as a defensive backs/linebackers coach.
“Back then, Mike made a lasting impression on me,’’ Sturdy said. “I
think we’re
getting a great person, in addition to a great coach and great recruiter. He
has a lot of experience at the small college level and is familiar with the
small college setting.
“System-wise, he’ll come in here and learn our system, plus implement some
new things. We want him to put his stamp on our defensive team and make us
better.’’
Last season, the Bees were the NAIA national leader in defense against the
pass (112.6
yards per game) and ninth in total defense
(278.7 yards per game). In 2000, the Bees set a record with
32 interceptions and have been the leader or second
defensively in the Mid-States Football Association for the past four seasons.
After a 5-5 mark last year, Coe was 10-2 two years ago, advancing to the
second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Magistrelli’s defense
yielded 107 points (eighth in the nation) during 10 regular-season games.
Magistrelli will have a number of key defensive players returning from last
year’s St. Ambrose team that went 8-4. Included was a NAIA first-round
playoff win over Mid-America Nazarene (Kan.) and a second-round loss to St.
Francis (Ind.).
“He’s got six of our top eight players from the defensive line, a couple
of linebackers and two starters from our defensive backfield returning, so the
pressure is on the defense and not the offense,’’ joked Sturdy, who
handles the offensive coordinator’s position.
Sturdy does, however, have some offensive weapons back, including his entire
backfield and wide receiving corps.
Magistrelli’s wife is Lisa Hlubek, a DeWitt, Iowa, native. The couple has an
18-month-old girl, Paige.