David Cutcliffe
Encyclopedia
David Cutcliffe is the head football coach of the Duke University
Blue Devils
. He is best known for coaching Super Bowl MVP
Peyton Manning
at the University of Tennessee
, and Manning's younger brother and fellow Super Bowl Champion Eli
at the University of Mississippi
. Almost all offensive records at both schools were set during Cutcliffe's time as coach.
, which played a formative role in his development as a football coach. He has two brothers (Charles "Paige" Cutcliffe, and Raymond Eugene "JR." Cutcliffe) and three sisters (Mary Marlyn Cutcliffe Sullivan, Margart Lynn Cutcliffe, and Elizabeth "Buff" Cutcliffe Easterly.) Cutcliffe attended Banks High School
in Birmingham where he played football. He attended the University of Alabama where he worked as a student assistant on Bear Bryant's
Alabama staff.
at the University of Alabama
. In 1976 he took a job at Banks High School where he served as an assistant and later as the head coach. In 1982, he was hired as a part time coach at the University of Tennessee. A year later, he was promoted to full time status as the tight ends and assistant offensive line coach. By 1990, Cutcliffe was coaching the position he is now well known for, quarterbacks. Cutcliffe was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1993. As coordinator, Cutcliffe helped lead the Vols to two Southeastern Conference
championships and a national championship.
, son of Ole Miss player Archie Manning
, to play quarterback. In 2003, Cutcliffe tied LSU for the West Division title and a win in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone
in December 2004 after his only losing season at Ole Miss. Boone had asked Cutcliffe to provide a detailed plan for improving the program, specifically the defense and recruiting, as well as fire some assistant coaches, but Cutcliffe refused to fire any staff members, and was subsequently fired along with his assistants.
, but health problems forced him to resign before his first season there. In 2005, he underwent successful triple-bypass surgery to correct a 99-percent blocked artery. After taking a year off he returned to Knoxville to coach Tennessee again and join his sons, Chris Cutcliffe and Marcus Hilliard, then Tennessee students, on campus (his daughter, Katie Cutcliffe, is a current Tennessee student). After Cutcliffe's successor as offensive coordinator at Tennessee, Randy Sanders
, resigned, Phillip Fulmer
rehired Cutcliffe to replace him.
Cutcliffe led a major turnaround of the Tennessee offense during the 2006 season
. Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge
ranked among the nation's top 25 passers by yardage, and Robert Meachem
had the third-most receiving yards of any player.
on December 14, 2007, replacing Ted Roof
, who had amassed a 6–45 win-loss record (3–33 in the ACC
) over four-plus years at the school. Duke has had only three winning seasons in the last 25 years and, before the 2008 season, had not beaten an ACC opponent in over three seasons.
Cutcliffe immediately began a strength and conditioning program, challenging the team to collectively lose 1,000 pounds
after finding the team in less than ideal physical shape.
On Saturday, August 30, 2008, David Cutcliffe won his first game as Duke's head coach, defeating the James Madison
Dukes
31–7, before a crowd of 32,571, the largest in Wallace Wade Stadium since 1994. The game marked the introduction of a number of rituals that Cutcliffe hopes to turn into Duke traditions, including the Blue Devil Walk, which parades the players and coaching staff from Duke Chapel
, through West Campus and past Cameron Indoor Stadium
to Wallace Wade Stadium
, and the "Blue Devil Rock", located in the stadium tunnel and mined from the same quarry used in the construction of Duke's West Campus.
In Cutcliffe's second game, Duke lost to Northwestern
in a mirror image game of the previous season's matchup, twice falling short of a touchdown deep in Northwestern territory. After the home loss against Northwestern, Duke hosted Navy
, prevailing 41–31. Cutcliffe next led Duke to its first ACC victory since 2004, with a 31–3 rout of Virginia
. This was a complete turnaround from the team's 2006 game against UVA, in which the Blue Devils were shut out 37–0 in Wallace Wade. Duke proceeded to lose to Georgia Tech
and Miami
before notching its first road win of the season, a 10–7 victory over SEC opponent Vanderbilt
. Next, on the road at Wake Forest
, Duke lost a heartbreaker in overtime, 33–30, missing what would have been a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. This was another in a string of such painful kicking miscues for the Blue Devils, including a miss at North Carolina
in the previous season. The next game, Duke went on to lose to Clemson
, 31–7, before fighting to a surprisingly close 14–3 loss to powerhouse Virginia Tech
and suffering a disappointing close loss to arch-rival North Carolina at season's end.
In January 2010, following Lane Kiffin's
abrupt departure after just one season at the helm of the Tennessee football team, Cutcliffe quickly emerged as a leading candidate to replace Kiffin. Cutcliffe, however, ultimately rebuffed Tennessee's overtures, remaining at Duke and stating, “After much thought and consideration, Karen and I reached the decision that Duke is the place for our family. We have both family members and lifetime friends in the Knoxville community and share a deep respect for the University of Tennessee. Our ties to the school and the Eastern Tennessee area are obvious. But before Tennessee’s hiring process comes to a conclusion, I know that Duke University is where we want to coach.” Cutcliffe's decision was widely lauded as a rare example of commitment and integrity among prominent college football coaches.
, Peyton Manning
, Eli Manning
, Erik Ainge
, and Thaddeus Lewis
. Cutcliffe also coached Colorado Rockies
first baseman
Todd Helton
while Helton played quarterback at Tennessee.
. They have four children: Marcus, Chris, Katie, and Emily.
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
. He is best known for coaching Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
at the University of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, and Manning's younger brother and fellow Super Bowl Champion Eli
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
at the University of Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
. Almost all offensive records at both schools were set during Cutcliffe's time as coach.
Early life
Cutcliffe was born and raised in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, which played a formative role in his development as a football coach. He has two brothers (Charles "Paige" Cutcliffe, and Raymond Eugene "JR." Cutcliffe) and three sisters (Mary Marlyn Cutcliffe Sullivan, Margart Lynn Cutcliffe, and Elizabeth "Buff" Cutcliffe Easterly.) Cutcliffe attended Banks High School
L. Frazier Banks Middle School
L. Frazier Banks Middle School was a former high school and middle school in the Birmingham Public School System in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The school, which was named for former superintendent L...
in Birmingham where he played football. He attended the University of Alabama where he worked as a student assistant on Bear Bryant's
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
Alabama staff.
Early coaching history
Cutcliffe's coaching career began as a student assistant to Bear BryantBear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. In 1976 he took a job at Banks High School where he served as an assistant and later as the head coach. In 1982, he was hired as a part time coach at the University of Tennessee. A year later, he was promoted to full time status as the tight ends and assistant offensive line coach. By 1990, Cutcliffe was coaching the position he is now well known for, quarterbacks. Cutcliffe was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1993. As coordinator, Cutcliffe helped lead the Vols to two Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championships and a national championship.
Head coaching
On December 2, 1998, Cutcliffe was hired as the head football coach at Ole Miss. Cutcliffe had success at Ole Miss, where he recruited Eli ManningEli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
, son of Ole Miss player Archie Manning
Archie Manning
Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...
, to play quarterback. In 2003, Cutcliffe tied LSU for the West Division title and a win in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone
Pete Boone
Pete Boone is the athletics director for the University of Mississippi .-University of Mississippi:Boone is a 1972 graduate of the University of Mississippi and a native of Grenada, Mississippi...
in December 2004 after his only losing season at Ole Miss. Boone had asked Cutcliffe to provide a detailed plan for improving the program, specifically the defense and recruiting, as well as fire some assistant coaches, but Cutcliffe refused to fire any staff members, and was subsequently fired along with his assistants.
Post Mississippi
After his stint at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe was hired as the Assistant Head Coach and quarterbacks coach at Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, but health problems forced him to resign before his first season there. In 2005, he underwent successful triple-bypass surgery to correct a 99-percent blocked artery. After taking a year off he returned to Knoxville to coach Tennessee again and join his sons, Chris Cutcliffe and Marcus Hilliard, then Tennessee students, on campus (his daughter, Katie Cutcliffe, is a current Tennessee student). After Cutcliffe's successor as offensive coordinator at Tennessee, Randy Sanders
Randy Sanders
Randy Sanders is the American football offensive coordinator and assistant coach of quarterbacks for the University of Kentucky Wildcats...
, resigned, Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer is a TV college football analyst and the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, who compiled a 152–52 record from 1992–2008 as head coach, but was fired during a 5–7 season in 2008...
rehired Cutcliffe to replace him.
Cutcliffe led a major turnaround of the Tennessee offense during the 2006 season
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
. Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge
Erik Ainge
Erik Douglas Ainge is a retired American football quarterback formerly of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
ranked among the nation's top 25 passers by yardage, and Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
had the third-most receiving yards of any player.
Duke University
Cutcliffe was hired as the head football coach at Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
on December 14, 2007, replacing Ted Roof
Ted Roof
Terrence Edwin Roof, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Currently, he is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Auburn University. Roof served as the head coach at Duke University from 2003 to 2007, compiling a 6–45 record...
, who had amassed a 6–45 win-loss record (3–33 in the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
) over four-plus years at the school. Duke has had only three winning seasons in the last 25 years and, before the 2008 season, had not beaten an ACC opponent in over three seasons.
Cutcliffe immediately began a strength and conditioning program, challenging the team to collectively lose 1,000 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
after finding the team in less than ideal physical shape.
On Saturday, August 30, 2008, David Cutcliffe won his first game as Duke's head coach, defeating the James Madison
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
Dukes
James Madison Dukes
The James Madison University Dukes is the name given the athletics teams of James Madison University. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. JMU is a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level...
31–7, before a crowd of 32,571, the largest in Wallace Wade Stadium since 1994. The game marked the introduction of a number of rituals that Cutcliffe hopes to turn into Duke traditions, including the Blue Devil Walk, which parades the players and coaching staff from Duke Chapel
Duke Chapel
Duke University Chapel is a chapel located at the center of the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is an ecumenical Christian chapel and the center of religion at Duke, and has connections to the United Methodist Church...
, through West Campus and past Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is home to the Duke Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams, the women's volleyball team, and the men's wrestling team....
to Wallace Wade Stadium
Wallace Wade Stadium
Wallace Wade Stadium is a stadium on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Duke Blue Devils. It opened in 1929 with a game against Pitt, as the first facility in Duke's new west campus. The...
, and the "Blue Devil Rock", located in the stadium tunnel and mined from the same quarry used in the construction of Duke's West Campus.
In Cutcliffe's second game, Duke lost to Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
in a mirror image game of the previous season's matchup, twice falling short of a touchdown deep in Northwestern territory. After the home loss against Northwestern, Duke hosted Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
, prevailing 41–31. Cutcliffe next led Duke to its first ACC victory since 2004, with a 31–3 rout of Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. This was a complete turnaround from the team's 2006 game against UVA, in which the Blue Devils were shut out 37–0 in Wallace Wade. Duke proceeded to lose to Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
before notching its first road win of the season, a 10–7 victory over SEC opponent Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
. Next, on the road at Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
, Duke lost a heartbreaker in overtime, 33–30, missing what would have been a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. This was another in a string of such painful kicking miscues for the Blue Devils, including a miss at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
in the previous season. The next game, Duke went on to lose to Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, 31–7, before fighting to a surprisingly close 14–3 loss to powerhouse Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
and suffering a disappointing close loss to arch-rival North Carolina at season's end.
In January 2010, following Lane Kiffin's
Lane Kiffin
Lane Monte Kiffin is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans college football team. He was previously the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers college football team, the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, and the offensive coordinator for the Trojans...
abrupt departure after just one season at the helm of the Tennessee football team, Cutcliffe quickly emerged as a leading candidate to replace Kiffin. Cutcliffe, however, ultimately rebuffed Tennessee's overtures, remaining at Duke and stating, “After much thought and consideration, Karen and I reached the decision that Duke is the place for our family. We have both family members and lifetime friends in the Knoxville community and share a deep respect for the University of Tennessee. Our ties to the school and the Eastern Tennessee area are obvious. But before Tennessee’s hiring process comes to a conclusion, I know that Duke University is where we want to coach.” Cutcliffe's decision was widely lauded as a rare example of commitment and integrity among prominent college football coaches.
QB coaching
Six quarterbacks whom Cutcliffe coached in college have gone on to play in the NFL: Heath ShulerHeath Shuler
Joseph Heath Shuler is a businessman, a former NFL quarterback, and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
, Erik Ainge
Erik Ainge
Erik Douglas Ainge is a retired American football quarterback formerly of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, and Thaddeus Lewis
Thaddeus Lewis
Thaddeus Lewis is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Duke.-Early Years:...
. Cutcliffe also coached Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Todd Helton
Todd Helton
Todd Lynn Helton is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Colorado Rockies. He is a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, four-time National League Player of the Month, and three-time Gold Glove winner....
while Helton played quarterback at Tennessee.
Family
Cutcliffe is married to the former Karen Oran of Harriman, TennesseeHarriman, Tennessee
Harriman is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, primarily in Roane County, with a small extension into Morgan County. It is the principal city of and is included in the Harriman Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Roane County and is a component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La...
. They have four children: Marcus, Chris, Katie, and Emily.