Sport(s) | Football |
---|---|
Current position | |
Title | Head coach |
Team | Carnegie Mellon |
Conference | PAC |
Record | 203–110–2 |
Biographical details | |
Born |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
July 28, 1956
Playing career | |
1975–1978 | Carnegie Mellon |
Position(s) | Linebacker |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1979–1985 | Carnegie Mellon (assistant) |
1986–present | Carnegie Mellon |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 203–110–2 |
Bowls | 3–2 |
Tournaments | 1–2 (NCAA D-III playoffs) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
1 PAC (1989) 8 UAA (1990–1991, 1993–1997, 2006) |
|
Awards | |
5x UAA Coach of the Year (1990–1991, 1993, 1997, 2006) Bob Prince Award (2003) All-South Region Coach of the Year (2006) |
Rich Lackner (born July 28, 1956) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Carnegie Mellon University, a position he has held since 1986.
A Pittsburgh native, Lackner graduated with honors from Mt. Lebanon High School, one of Pennsylvania's perennial high school football powers. As a senior, he led Mt. Lebanon to the WPIAL Class AAA title game with a 9–2 record.
Lackner had an exceptional athletic and academic career at Carnegie Mellon. A four-year starter at linebacker, he was a three-time All-Presidents' Athletic Conference pick as well as the PAC's 1976 Defensive Player-of-the-Year. In 1978, Lackner was named to the Pittsburgh Press All-District Team and received a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Dapper Dan Award. Also a model student, he was twice named an Academic All-American.
During his playing career, Carnegie Mellon had a four-year mark of 28–7–1 and won PAC titles in 1977 and 1978. The Tartans advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs in 1978, marking their first postseason appearance since the 1939 Sugar Bowl.
Following his 1979 graduation from Carnegie Mellon with a bachelor's degree in history, Lackner remained with head coach Chuck Klausing as an assistant coach. Seven years later, Lackner was named head coach when Klausing left to join Mike Gottfried's staff at the University of Pittsburgh.
Named head coach in 1986, Lackner has directed the Tartans to nine conference championships and two NCAA playoff berths. Lackner passed Walter Steffen, who guided Carnegie Tech to an 88–53–8 mark from 1914 to 1932, as the winningest coach in school history on September 19, 1998 when the Tartans defeated Bethany College, 38–7.