Mark Speckman

Head Coach (10th year, 13th year on WU Staff)
Office Phone: 503.375.5350
E-mail: mspeckma@willamette.edu

Head Coach Mark Speckman is in his 10th year as the leader of the Willamette University football team and is in his 13th season on the coaching staff. Speckman has led the Bearcats to a combined record of 48-41 (.539) over the past nine seasons. He guided the 1999 and 2004 teams to 7-4 overall records and berths in the NCAA Division III Playoffs. His efforts earned him the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year Award in 1999.

During his 13 years at Willamette, he has been involved in nine winning seasons with the Bearcats. He has helped Willamette earn seven or more wins six times and has contributed to the Bearcats’ overall record of 76-46-1 (.622) since 1995.

Speckman is regarded in the coaching ranks as one of the foremost authorities regarding “The Fly” offense. “The Fly” brings the flanker in motion through the formation before nearly every snap. The flanker will take a handoff, block for a running play or become a receiver. It is an offense built on deception and quality blocking, where the ball may go in a number of different directions on any given snap.

As a result, the Bearcats have provided their fans with an exciting, fast-paced offense. The team has established many offensive records under Speckman’s guidance.

Prior to joining the Willamette coaching staff, Speckman was a head coach at the high school level for 14 seasons in California. His high school teams earned a combined record of 113-48-3 (.698).

Speckman coached Merced High School’s football team to national prominence during his eight-year tenure (1986-93). His Merced teams recorded back-to-back 14-0 seasons in 1989 and 1990, after going 13-1 in 1988. The 1990 team, voted #1 in California, was ranked #5 in the nation by ESPN and #10 in the country by USA Today. In addition to his coaching duties, Speckman also taught at the high school level.

He grew up in Belmont, Calif., just south of the San Francisco area. He was the second-oldest of four children.

After graduating from high school, he attended Menlo College in Atherton, Calif. He played football for two seasons at Menlo,which was a junior college at the time. He then transferred to Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif., to complete his degree. As a player at Azusa Pacific, he was named NAIA Honorable Mention All-America at linebacker.

Speckman is not only motivational on the football field, but also is a popular speaker with educational and business organizations. He has delivered numerous speeches to school boards, teachers and business groups regarding personal motivation and achieving one’s potential. He was inducted into the San Mateo County (Calif.) Sports Hall of Fame in June of 2007.

He is serious about football, but has a great sense of humor that keeps his friends, fellow coaches and even his players laughing. He stays up-to-date on all aspects of the Bearcat football team, but provides his assistant coaches with the freedom to handle their position assignments.

Speckman and his wife, Sue, live in Salem and are the parents of three children: Lisa, Tim and Julie. Tim works as an assistant coach on the Willamette football staff.

THE SPECKMAN YEARS AT WILLAMETTE

* NWC champion ** NWC co-champion
# National playoff berth

Glenn Fowles '96

Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line (10th year, 12th year on WU Staff)
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Office Phone: 503.370.6424
E-mail: gfowles@willamette.edu

Glen Fowles is in his tenth year as offensive coordinator for the Bearcats and is in his 12th season as a Willamette football coach. He is the assistant head coach and is the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator. Fowles was the offensive line coach for the Bearcats in 1996 and 1997, before adding offensive coordinator duties in 1998. He has coached a total of 10 offensive linemen who have earned First Team All-NWC honors. Fowles came to Willamette as a transfer student in 1994 and started two years at offensive tackle. As a junior, he was named Second Team All-Conference and was drafted by Ottawa of the CFL. He chose to return to Willamette and was named Honorable Mention All-NWC as a senior, despite missing half the year with an injury. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at WU in 1996. Fowles and his wife, Rochelle, live in West Salem. They are expecting the birth of their first child in September.

Nathan Naggi

Deffensive Coordinator/Linebackers (3rd year/4th year on WU Staff)
Office Phone: (503) 375-5351
E-mail: nnaggi@willamette.edu

Nathan Naggi is in his third year as the Bearcats’ defensive coordinator and in his fourth year on the Willamette football coaching staff. Naggi came to Willamette after serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Quincy University (Ill.) for two seasons. While at Quincy, he coached linebacker Tim Bliefnick, who was a Second Team NAIA All-American in 2004. Previously, Naggi worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon from 2001 through 2002 and helped coach linebackers at Willamette in 2000. Naggi graduated from the University of Oregon in 1999 after receiving a bachelor’s degree in English. At Oregon, he was a linebacker on the football team and helped the Ducks reach six bowl games in his six seasons as a player and a coach. Oregon was ranked #2 in the nation in 2001, after winning the Pac-10 Championship and achieving a victory in the Fiesta Bowl.

Tony Cassinerio '00 (5th year)

Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Office Phone: 503.949.9827
E-mail: tcassine@willamette.edu

Tony Cassinerio, who previously coached at WU from 2001 through 2003, is in his second year since returning to the Bearcat coaching staff in 2006. He is Willamette’ recruiting coordinator and also coaches the team’s safeties and rovers. In 2004 and 2005, he was a graduate assistant coach at Boise State University. Cassinerio was a cornerback at Modesto Junior College in California in 1996 and 1997, then transferred to Willamette for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. As a senior for the Bearcats, he was named Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference at cornerback. Cassinerio completed work on a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics at Willamette in 2000. He also has earned a master’s degree in Athletic Administration, which he received from Boise State in 2005.

Mark Hauze (1st year)

Defensive Backs

Mark Hauze is a new coach for the Bearcats. He will be helping coach Willamette’s defensive backs this season. Hauze, who is originally from Allentown, Pa., graduated from the University of Miami (Fla.) in 1979. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Business. While attending Miami, Hauze also played on the baseball team for the Hurricanes. Prior to arriving at Willamette as a member of the football coaching staff, Hauze coached the defensive secondary at the St. Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii, during the 2006 season. He previously coached defensive backs for a total of three seasons in Southern California at Santa Fe Christian High School in San Diego. Hauze and his wife, Lani, live in Salem and are the parents of a daughter, Kona, who is 10 years old.

John Horner ‘94 (12th year)

Linebackers

John Horner is in his 12th season as an assistant coach with Willamette University’s football team. As a student, he had an outstanding playing career at quarterback for the Bearcats. In three seasons as a starter, Horner set several Willamette passing records. He was an assistant on the WU staff in 1994 and graduated that same year with a degree in Exercise Science. In 1995 and 1996, he was the video graduate assistant at Oregon State University. He returned to Willamette in 1997 and has been coaching linebackers for the Bearcats ever since. He currently is a physical education teacher at Lamb Elementary School in Salem. Horner, his wife Kristi, are the parents of three young children, Lilly, age 3, Melia, age 1, and Nolan, their newborn son.

Corey Matthaei ‘07 (1st year)

Assistant Offensive Line

Corey Matthaei is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Bearcats. He will help with coaching the Willamette offensive line. As a player, Matthaei was an offensive lineman for the Bearcats. He saw action at center and at offensive guard. Matthaei was a member of Willamette’s 2004 team that qualified for the NCAA Playoffs. He graduated from WU this summer with a B.A. degree in Exercise Science. He is engaged to Cari Schruth, who played softball at Willamette and is now working on a Master of Arts in Teaching. They will be married in July of 2008. In high school, Matthaei was an All-League center twice while attending Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Wash. More recently, he was a football operations intern at the last two training camps for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nate Oltmans ‘03 (4th year)

Offensive Assistant/Tight Ends/Offensive Line
E-mail: noltmans@willamette.edu

Nate Oltmans is in his fourth year as an assistant offensive coach for the Bearcats. He works with the Willamette tight ends and offensive linemen. Oltmans also played football at WU. After redshirting in 1999, he was a four-year starter at the strong side offensive guard position from 2000 through 2003. He was an All-Northwest Conference player during each of his final three years, including a First Team selection in 2003. He was named Second Team All-NWC in 2002 and earned Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition in 2001. Oltmans was a team captain at Willamette and was named Offensive MVP as a senior, when the Bearcats rushed for a school record 345.3 yards per game. He graduated from Willamette in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in History.

Chuck Pinkerton ‘98 (10th year)

Quarterbacks

Chuck Pinkerton enters his 10th season as an assistant coach with the Bearcats. He coached running backs from 1998 through 2004, then began coaching WU’s quarterbacks during the 2005 season. Pinkerton was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Bearcats and helped lead the team to the 1997 NAIA National Championship game. Overall, Pinkerton quarterbacked the Bearcats to three conference titles (1995-97) and was chosen First Team All-NCIC in 1996 and 1997. He also was the recipient of two NAIA Honorable Mention All-America awards (1996-97). He graduated from Willamette in 1998 with a degree in Economics and is now an accountant. Pinkerton and his wife, Melanie, live in West Salem with their three children, Meredith, 6, Jeremiah, 3, and Elizabeth, 8 months.

Josh Scott ‘99 (8th year)

Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coordinator

Josh Scott enters his eighth year as an assistant coach at Willamette, including the last five seasons as the Bearcats’ wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator. Scott played for Willamette from 1996 until 1998 as a quarterback and a wide receiver. In addition to his current duties at WU, he is employed
as a math teacher at McNary High School in Keizer. Scott also runs the Bearcats’ highly-successful youth summer football camp held for four days in mid-July. He graduated from Willamette in 1999 with a degree in History. In 2001, Scott earned a Master’s in Education degree from Western Oregon University. Scott, and his wife, Marie, live in Salem and have a daughter, MacKenzie, age 3.

Darryl Smith (2nd year)

Defensive Assistant/Defensive Ends

Darryl Smith is in his 2nd year with the Willamette University Bearcats. His current coaching assignment is to teach and develop Willamette’s defensive ends. He joined the Bearcats after coaching 30 seasons at Sentinel High School in Missoula, Mont. While at Sentinel, he coached former Willamette coach Chris Prange and current WU coach Tanner Smith, his son. As a college student, Darryl Smith played baseball for two years at Northern Montana College and for two seasons at Eastern Montana College. In 1975, he graduated from Eastern Montana (currently MSU-Billings) with a bachelor’s degree in Special Education. Smith is starting his second year as a special education techer in Salem. He has three adult children: Tanner, 27, Cory, 25, and Allyson, 22.

Tanner Smith (4th year)

Defensive Line
E-mail: smitht@willamette.edu

Tanner Smith enters his 4th season working with the Bearcats’ defensive tackles and kickers. He played four seasons of football at Montana State University-Northern as a center and a kicker. He set five school kicking records during his career. As a freshman, he kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime to give MSU-Northern its first conference win in 27 years. Prior to joining the Bearcat football coaching staff in 2004, he coached football for one year at Sentinel High School, his alma mater, in Missoula, Mont. He graduated from Montana State-Northern in 2003, after completing work on a degree in Physical Education. In addition to coaching at WU, he is a physical education teacher at Scott Elementary School in Salem.

Tim Speckman (2nd year)

Running Backs

Tim Speckman returns as an assistant coach for the Bearcats this season. He previously coached at WU in 2005, when he worked with the flankers. This year, he will coach Willamette’s running backs. Speckman was named Honorable Mention All-Valley League as a wide receiver at South Salem High School during his senior year. He redshirted at Willamette in 1999, then played one season at San Bernardino Valley College in 2001, before returning to Willamette for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In 2003, he averaged 19.2 yards per catch. He is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree at Western Oregon University. Speckman is the father of one daughter, Hannah, who is four years old. He also is the son of WU Head Coach Mark Speckman.