Dick Farley
Encyclopedia
Richard Joseph Farley is a former American football
player and coach and active track and field
coach. He served as the head football coach at Williams College
from 1987 to 2003, compiling a record of 114–19–3. Farley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 2006.
defensive back
for Boston University
, where he was captain of the football and track and field teams and graduated in 1968. He spent two years playing for the San Diego Chargers
of the American Football League
before moving on to coaching.
since 1972. From 1972 to 1987, he was head coach of the track and field team. In 1987, he gave up these duties to become head coach of the football team, a post he held for 17 years before moving back to coaching track and field full time. During that span, he recorded a career record of 114–19–3 (.849) that ranks as the sixth best in college football history. His teams regularly dominated the NESCAC
and recorded five perfect seasons, including a 23-game winning streak that until 2005 was the longest in Division III history.
Farley is currently an assistant coach for the men's and women's track and field teams at Williams.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach and active track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach. He served as the head football coach at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
from 1987 to 2003, compiling a record of 114–19–3. Farley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 2006.
Playing career
Farley was an All-AmericaCollege Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, where he was captain of the football and track and field teams and graduated in 1968. He spent two years playing for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
before moving on to coaching.
Coaching career
Farley has coached at Williams CollegeWilliams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
since 1972. From 1972 to 1987, he was head coach of the track and field team. In 1987, he gave up these duties to become head coach of the football team, a post he held for 17 years before moving back to coaching track and field full time. During that span, he recorded a career record of 114–19–3 (.849) that ranks as the sixth best in college football history. His teams regularly dominated the NESCAC
New England Small College Athletic Conference
The New England Small College Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference, consisting of eleven highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities located in New England and New York...
and recorded five perfect seasons, including a 23-game winning streak that until 2005 was the longest in Division III history.
Farley is currently an assistant coach for the men's and women's track and field teams at Williams.
See also
- Other American Football League players Although, he was bested in a backpedaling race by freshman Brian "BEAR" Benedict, Williams class of 1981.