Eastern Michigan University Men's Football

Creighton Head Coach Chris Creighton was named the 37th Head Football Coach at Eastern Michigan University, Dec. 11, 2013, by Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Heather Lyke. Creighton will start his third season as the head man at EMU in the 2016 season. During his 20-year head coaching career, the 47-year-old Creighton has accumulated eight conference titles and an all-time record of 142-67 (.679 winning percentage). He departed Drake with the highest winning percentage in school history (.667) after also posting 63 wins as the head coach at Wabash College and 32 at Ottawa University. It is with great pride that we introduce Chris Creighton as our new head football coach, Lyke said. In Chris, Eastern Michigan will find an extraordinary leader who will be a great ambassador for our University. During the search process, Chris focus on positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes and building a championship program was most impressive. As a proven winner and head coach, Chris experience with creating and sustaining success will inspire our student-athletes to elevate our football program to a championship level. I want to sincerely thank Heather Lyke, President Martin and the Board of Regents for entrusting me with the leadership of the Eastern Michigan University football program, said Creighton. It is both a huge opportunity and responsibility, and I am fired up about it. My vision is to make playing football at Eastern Michigan one of the most incredible experiences of our players lives. I cannot wait to meet the team and start a new journey with them. During the 2015 campaign, the Eagles finished the regular season ranked nationally in the top-60 in seven statistical categories to go along with 11 top-five rankings in the Mid-American Conference. EMU finished the year with 39 touchdowns, a mark that is tied for the fifth-most in a single-season during the squads 124-year history, while its 4,560 yards of total offense is also the fifth most. On the ground, EMU churned out the 14th-best single-season rushing total at 1,894 yards. Through the air, EMU  quarterbacks combined for 2,666 yards passing, ranking seventh in program single-season annals. EMUs passing attack spread the wealth with seven different receivers having 20-or-more receptions, Eastern Michigan was one of just three schools nationally to accomplish that feat. Individually, Darius Jackson turned in one of the finest seasons in Eastern Michigan history in 2015, setting the schools single-season record with 16 touchdowns. He also became the first EMU tailback since Bronson Hill in 2013 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season and is just the 13th player in program history to do so.     In his first year in Ypsilanti, Creightons Eagles finished the regular season ranked nationally in the top-60 in nine statistical categories to go along with six top-five rankings in the MAC standings. Nationally, EMU finished the year tied with Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Oklahoma State for most blocked kicks with six. The six rejections were the most since the 2009 season when the Green and White also blocked six kicks. The defense improved from a season prior, as the squad recorded more tackles-for-loss (63), pass breakups (36), fumbles forced (9), fumbles recovered (6), and kicks blocked (6) than it did in all of 2013. Meanwhile, EMUs offense racked up 1,654 yards on the ground and 1,821 yards though the air. In his six seasons at the helm of the Bulldogs, Creighton racked up a 35-13 (.729) record in Pioneer Football League action and a 31-9 (.775) record the last five seasons. Just the seventh DU coach to win 40-or-more games and the fastest to do so, Creighton needed just 60 games to accomplish the feat. In his time at Drake, Creighton boasted a 30-5 home record and a 21-2 home conference record, going undefeated against five conference opponents. Drake had an 11-game home win streak during Creightons tenure as well as winning 16-straight home conference games with him at the helm. In 2013, the Bulldogs finished with a 6-5 record for their 10th consecutive winning season. Four players earned conference first team honors, five were named to the second team and two garnered a spot on the honorable mention team. Drake led the Pioneer Football League with 10 student-athletes earning spots on the Academic All-PFL teams. In 2012, he led the Bulldogs to their second straight Pioneer Football League title and the sixth PFL championship in program history with an 8-3 record and a 7-1 mark in league play.  The 2012 team was led by one of his star pupils in record-setting quarterback Mike Piatkowski. The signal caller set nearly every Bulldog single-season and career passing mark under Creightons tutelage. Seventeen Bulldogs earned All-PFL honors following the 2012 championship and six were named to the PFL All-Academic Team, including three student-athletes that also garnered CapitalOne/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. A school-record 63 Bulldogs were also named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll. In 2011, Creightons fourth Bulldogs team won nine games and tied for the Pioneer Football League title with a 7-1 conference record. It was Drakes fifth PFL crown and first since 2004. The Bulldogs head coach was recognized for the job he did by being named one of 20 finalists for the 2011 Eddie Robinson Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coach of the Year Award. A league-leading 18 Bulldogs received All-PFL honors and a PFL-best nine Drake student-athletes were named Academic All-PFL. In addition, a then-school record 61 Bulldogs were named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll for achieving a grade-point average of 3.0 or above. The energetic but veteran coach was named a winner of the Giant Steps Award presented by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as part of National Student-Athlete Day on April 6, 2011. Creighton, awarded in the Coaching category, was one of just five 2011 winners of the Giant Steps Award, given annually to individuals who use sport to positively affect social change, actualizing the mission of the NCAS. The awards honor student-athletes, athletic administrators, civic leaders, coaches, parents, organizations, and other individuals who demonstrate an outstanding ability to manage life on and off the field, and who demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of society. During his distinguished career, Creighton has taken great pride in the student-athlete experience that transcends to the football field and the classroom. In his career, Creighton has taken his teams on three overseas trips, including a 2011 trip to Tanzania, to go along with ventures to Austria and Panama while head coach at Division III Wabash. Drakes two-week experience in Africa in 2011 for the inaugural Global Kilimanjaro Bowl included significant service projects in orphanages and schools, the ascension of 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro and a victory over a Mexican collegiate all-star team in the Kili Bowl-the first game of American football played on African soil. With that trip setting the foundation for the Bulldogs 2011 season, the team adopted the theme Tupande Kileleni, a Swahili term that translates to Lets climb to the summit. The summit, for Drake, became the quest to perform to its full potential and symbolized the climb to the top of the Pioneer Football League standings, which it achieved. The 2010 Bulldogs featured a defense that ranked sixth in the nation among FCS schools (2nd PFL) in rush defense (94.2), eighth (3rd PFL) in sacks (3.0) and 18th (2nd PFL) in tackles for loss (7.4). In addition, the special teams excelled in punt coverage (5th NCAA FCS/1st PFL, 3.4), kickoff coverage (5th NCAA/1st PFL, 16.1) and punt return average (15th NCAA/1st PFL; 13.53). Creightons Bulldogs also featured eight players named to the Academic All-PFL team (three 1st team, five 2nd team) and a then-school-record 55 earning a place on the PFLs Academic Honor Roll. In 2009, picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll, Creighton guided Drake to an 8-3 record, including a 6-2 third-place finish in the Pioneer Football League. Drake matched its best nine-game start in history (8-1) that year, while riding a six-game mid-season winning streak. Creightons first Drake club in 2008 went 6-5 and finished in a tie for fourth in the PFL. Ranked fourth among all active NCAA Division III football coaches in career winning percentage upon his hire at Drake, Creighton served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. from 2001-07 where he constructed a 63-15 record (.808) with his teams winning four North Coast Athletic Conference championships, while competing in three NCAA Division III playoffs. During his final three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record (.857) including three-straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs. Wabash posted an 11-2 record in 2007, competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs while being ranked No. 8 in the final NCAA Division III coaches poll. Wabash went 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, capping both seasons with appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs. As offensive coordinator at Wabash, Creightons teams averaged 35 points per game with the multiple offense producing the schools all-time leading rusher and passer. Three starting quarterbacks received All-America honors. Under Creighton, Wabash won conference championships in 2002, 05, 06 and 07. He coached 83 all-conference players, including seven who earned conference player of the year honors, along with 13 All-Americans. Creighton was named North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, 05 and 07, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1997. Creighton was head coach at Ottawa (Kan.) University from 1997-2000, compiling a record of 32-9 (.780). The San Francisco, Calif. native produced one of the greatest single season turnarounds in NAIA history during his first year at Ottawa in 1997. Inheriting a team that posted a record of 1-8 the previous season, Creighton guided his club to a 9-2 finish en route to capturing its first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title since 1972. He also led Ottawa to a conference championship in 2000 along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in 97 and 2000. Creighton served as offensive coordinator at Concordia (Ill.) from 1991-92 and Manchester (Ind.) from 1993-96 before becoming head coach at Ottawa. In 1993, Creighton was the head coach and quarterback of the Limhamn Griffins in Malmo, Sweden, as he helped guide the franchise to its first national championship. As an All-America quarterback, Creighton led Kenyon (Ohio) College to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989 and was named conference player of the year after setting single-season conference records for passing yardage (2,843) and touchdowns (29). He was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1991 and a masters degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993. Creighton is the first active head coach to be hired at Eastern Michigan since Jim Harkema in 1983. Harkema was the head coach at Grand Valley State University (1973-82) before taking over the EMU program and leading it to its only Mid-American Conference Championship in 1987 and last bowl appearance. Chris and his wife, Heather, have two daughters, Hallie and Kate, and a son, Luke. THE CHRIS CREIGHTON FILE Name: Chris Creighton College: Kenyon College (Graduated in 1991 - bachelor's degree) Concordia (Ill.) University (Graduated in 1993 - master's degree) Family: Wife: Heather Children: Hallie, Kate, Luke COACHING EXPERIENCE Chris Creighton was named the 37th Head Football Coach at Eastern Michigan University, Dec. 11, 2013, by Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Heather Lyke . Creighton will start his third season as the head man at EMU in the 2016 season. During his 20-year head coaching career, the 47-year-old Creighton has accumulated eight conference titles and an all-time record of 142-67 (.679 winning percentage). He departed Drake with the highest winning percentage in school history (.667) after also posting 63 wins as the head coach at Wabash College and 32 at Ottawa University. It is with great pride that we introduce Chris Creighton as our new head football coach, Lyke said. In Chris, Eastern Michigan will find an extraordinary leader who will be a great ambassador for our University. During the search process, Chris focus on positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes and building a championship program was most impressive. As a proven winner and head coach, Chris experience with creating and sustaining success will inspire our student-athletes to elevate our football program to a championship level. I want to sincerely thank Heather Lyke, President Martin and the Board of Regents for entrusting me with the leadership of the Eastern Michigan University football program, said Creighton. It is both a huge opportunity and responsibility, and I am fired up about it. My vision is to make playing football at Eastern Michigan one of the most incredible experiences of our players lives. I cannot wait to meet the team and start a new journey with them. During the 2015 campaign, the Eagles finished the regular season ranked nationally in the top-60 in seven statistical categories to go along with 11 top-five rankings in the Mid-American Conference. EMU finished the year with 39 touchdowns, a mark that is tied for the fifth-most in a single-season during the squads 124-year history, while its 4,560 yards of total offense is also the fifth most. On the ground, EMU churned out the 14th-best single-season rushing total at 1,894 yards. Through the air, EMU  quarterbacks combined for 2,666 yards passing, ranking seventh in program single-season annals. EMUs passing attack spread the wealth with seven different receivers having 20-or-more receptions, Eastern Michigan was one of just three schools nationally to accomplish that feat. Individually, Darius Jackson turned in one of the finest seasons in Eastern Michigan history in 2015, setting the schools single-season record with 16 touchdowns. He also became the first EMU tailback since Bronson Hill in 2013 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season and is just the 13th player in program history to do so.     In his first year in Ypsilanti, Creightons Eagles finished the regular season ranked nationally in the top-60 in nine statistical categories to go along with six top-five rankings in the MAC standings. Nationally, EMU finished the year tied with Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Oklahoma State for most blocked kicks with six. The six rejections were the most since the 2009 season when the Green and White also blocked six kicks. The defense improved from a season prior, as the squad recorded more tackles-for-loss (63), pass breakups (36), fumbles forced (9), fumbles recovered (6), and kicks blocked (6) than it did in all of 2013. Meanwhile, EMUs offense racked up 1,654 yards on the ground and 1,821 yards though the air. In his six seasons at the helm of the Bulldogs, Creighton racked up a 35-13 (.729) record in Pioneer Football League action and a 31-9 (.775) record the last five seasons. Just the seventh DU coach to win 40-or-more games and the fastest to do so, Creighton needed just 60 games to accomplish the feat. In his time at Drake, Creighton boasted a 30-5 home record and a 21-2 home conference record, going undefeated against five conference opponents. Drake had an 11-game home win streak during Creightons tenure as well as winning 16-straight home conference games with him at the helm. In 2013, the Bulldogs finished with a 6-5 record for their 10th consecutive winning season. Four players earned conference first team honors, five were named to the second team and two garnered a spot on the honorable mention team. Drake led the Pioneer Football League with 10 student-athletes earning spots on the Academic All-PFL teams. In 2012, he led the Bulldogs to their second straight Pioneer Football League title and the sixth PFL championship in program history with an 8-3 record and a 7-1 mark in league play.  The 2012 team was led by one of his star pupils in record-setting quarterback Mike Piatkowski. The signal caller set nearly every Bulldog single-season and career passing mark under Creightons tutelage. Seventeen Bulldogs earned All-PFL honors following the 2012 championship and six were named to the PFL All-Academic Team, including three student-athletes that also garnered CapitalOne/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. A school-record 63 Bulldogs were also named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll. In 2011, Creightons fourth Bulldogs team won nine games and tied for the Pioneer Football League title with a 7-1 conference record. It was Drakes fifth PFL crown and first since 2004. The Bulldogs head coach was recognized for the job he did by being named one of 20 finalists for the 2011 Eddie Robinson Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coach of the Year Award. A league-leading 18 Bulldogs received All-PFL honors and a PFL-best nine Drake student-athletes were named Academic All-PFL. In addition, a then-school record 61 Bulldogs were named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll for achieving a grade-point average of 3.0 or above. The energetic but veteran coach was named a winner of the Giant Steps Award presented by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as part of National Student-Athlete Day on April 6, 2011. Creighton, awarded in the Coaching category, was one of just five 2011 winners of the Giant Steps Award, given annually to individuals who use sport to positively affect social change, actualizing the mission of the NCAS. The awards honor student-athletes, athletic administrators, civic leaders, coaches, parents, organizations, and other individuals who demonstrate an outstanding ability to manage life on and off the field, and who demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of society. During his distinguished career, Creighton has taken great pride in the student-athlete experience that transcends to the football field and the classroom. In his career, Creighton has taken his teams on three overseas trips, including a 2011 trip to Tanzania, to go along with ventures to Austria and Panama while head coach at Division III Wabash. Drakes two-week experience in Africa in 2011 for the inaugural Global Kilimanjaro Bowl included significant service projects in orphanages and schools, the ascension of 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro and a victory over a Mexican collegiate all-star team in the Kili Bowl-the first game of American football played on African soil. With that trip setting the foundation for the Bulldogs 2011 season, the team adopted the theme Tupande Kileleni, a Swahili term that translates to Lets climb to the summit. The summit, for Drake, became the quest to perform to its full potential and symbolized the climb to the top of the Pioneer Football League standings, which it achieved. The 2010 Bulldogs featured a defense that ranked sixth in the nation among FCS schools (2nd PFL) in rush defense (94.2), eighth (3rd PFL) in sacks (3.0) and 18th (2nd PFL) in tackles for loss (7.4). In addition, the special teams excelled in punt coverage (5th NCAA FCS/1st PFL, 3.4), kickoff coverage (5th NCAA/1st PFL, 16.1) and punt return average (15th NCAA/1st PFL; 13.53). Creightons Bulldogs also featured eight players named to the Academic All-PFL team (three 1st team, five 2nd team) and a then-school-record 55 earning a place on the PFLs Academic Honor Roll. In 2009, picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll, Creighton guided Drake to an 8-3 record, including a 6-2 third-place finish in the Pioneer Football League. Drake matched its best nine-game start in history (8-1) that year, while riding a six-game mid-season winning streak. Creightons first Drake club in 2008 went 6-5 and finished in a tie for fourth in the PFL. Ranked fourth among all active NCAA Division III football coaches in career winning percentage upon his hire at Drake, Creighton served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. from 2001-07 where he constructed a 63-15 record (.808) with his teams winning four North Coast Athletic Conference championships, while competing in three NCAA Division III playoffs. During his final three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record (.857) including three-straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs. Wabash posted an 11-2 record in 2007, competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs while being ranked No. 8 in the final NCAA Division III coaches poll. Wabash went 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, capping both seasons with appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs. As offensive coordinator at Wabash, Creightons teams averaged 35 points per game with the multiple offense producing the schools all-time leading rusher and passer. Three starting quarterbacks received All-America honors. Under Creighton, Wabash won conference championships in 2002, 05, 06 and 07. He coached 83 all-conference players, including seven who earned conference player of the year honors, along with 13 All-Americans. Creighton was named North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, 05 and 07, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1997. Creighton was head coach at Ottawa (Kan.) University from 1997-2000, compiling a record of 32-9 (.780). The San Francisco, Calif. native produced one of the greatest single season turnarounds in NAIA history during his first year at Ottawa in 1997. Inheriting a team that posted a record of 1-8 the previous season, Creighton guided his club to a 9-2 finish en route to capturing its first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title since 1972. He also led Ottawa to a conference championship in 2000 along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in 97 and 2000. Creighton served as offensive coordinator at Concordia (Ill.) from 1991-92 and Manchester (Ind.) from 1993-96 before becoming head coach at Ottawa. In 1993, Creighton was the head coach and quarterback of the Limhamn Griffins in Malmo, Sweden, as he helped guide the franchise to its first national championship. As an All-America quarterback, Creighton led Kenyon (Ohio) College to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989 and was named conference player of the year after setting single-season conference records for passing yardage (2,843) and touchdowns (29). He was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1991 and a masters degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993. Creighton is the first active head coach to be hired at Eastern Michigan since Jim Harkema in 1983. Harkema was the head coach at Grand Valley State University (1973-82) before taking over the EMU program and leading it to its only Mid-American Conference Championship in 1987 and last bowl appearance. Chris and his wife, Heather, have two daughters, Hallie and Kate, and a son, Luke. Chris Creighton Head Coach Chris Creighton was named the 37th Head Football Coach at Eastern Michigan University, Dec. 11, 2013, by Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Heather Lyke. Creighton will start his third season as the head man at EMU in the 2016 season. During his 20-year head coaching career, the 47-year-old Creighton has accumulated eight conference titles and an all-time record of 142-67 (.679 winning percentage). He departed Drake with the highest winning percentage in school history (.667) after also posting 63 wins as the head coach at Wabash College and 32 at Ottawa University. It is with great pride that we introduce Chris Creighton as our new head football coach, Lyke said. In Chris, Eastern Michigan will find an extraordinary leader who will be a great ambassador for our University. During the search process, Chris focus on positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes and building a championship program was most impressive. As a proven winner and head coach, Chris experience with creating and sustaining success will inspire our student-athletes to elevate our football program to a championship level. I want to sincerely thank Heather Lyke, President Martin and the Board of Regents for entrusting me with the leadership of the Eastern Michigan University football program, said Creighton. It is both a huge opportunity and responsibility, and I am fired up about it. My vision is to make playing football at Eastern Michigan one of the most incredible experiences of our players lives. I cannot wait to meet the team and start a new journey with them. During the 2015 campaign, the Eagles finished the regular season ranked nationally in the top-60 in seven statistical categories to go along with 11 top-five rankings in the Mid-American Conference. EMU finished the year with 39 touchdowns, a mark that is tied for the fifth-most in a single-season during the squads 124-year history, while its 4,560 yards of total offense is also the fifth most. On the ground, EMU churned out the 14th-best single-season rushing total at 1,894 yards. Through the air, EMU  quarterbacks combined for 2,666 yards passing, ranking seventh in program single-season annals. EMUs passing attack spread the wealth with seven different receivers having 20-or-more receptions, Eastern Michigan was one of just three schools nationally to accomplish that feat. Individually, Darius Jackson turned in one of the finest seasons in Eastern Michigan history in 2015, setting the schools single-season record with 16 touchdowns. He also became the first EMU tailback since Bronson Hill in 2013 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season and is just the 13th player in program history to do so.     In his first year in Ypsilanti, Creightons Eagles finished the regular season ranked nationally in the top-60 in nine statistical categories to go along with six top-five rankings in the MAC standings. Nationally, EMU finished the year tied with Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Oklahoma State for most blocked kicks with six. The six rejections were the most since the 2009 season when the Green and White also blocked six kicks. The defense improved from a season prior, as the squad recorded more tackles-for-loss (63), pass breakups (36), fumbles forced (9), fumbles recovered (6), and kicks blocked (6) than it did in all of 2013. Meanwhile, EMUs offense racked up 1,654 yards on the ground and 1,821 yards though the air. In his six seasons at the helm of the Bulldogs, Creighton racked up a 35-13 (.729) record in Pioneer Football League action and a 31-9 (.775) record the last five seasons. Just the seventh DU coach to win 40-or-more games and the fastest to do so, Creighton needed just 60 games to accomplish the feat. In his time at Drake, Creighton boasted a 30-5 home record and a 21-2 home conference record, going undefeated against five conference opponents. Drake had an 11-game home win streak during Creightons tenure as well as winning 16-straight home conference games with him at the helm. In 2013, the Bulldogs finished with a 6-5 record for their 10th consecutive winning season. Four players earned conference first team honors, five were named to the second team and two garnered a spot on the honorable mention team. Drake led the Pioneer Football League with 10 student-athletes earning spots on the Academic All-PFL teams. In 2012, he led the Bulldogs to their second straight Pioneer Football League title and the sixth PFL championship in program history with an 8-3 record and a 7-1 mark in league play.  The 2012 team was led by one of his star pupils in record-setting quarterback Mike Piatkowski. The signal caller set nearly every Bulldog single-season and career passing mark under Creightons tutelage. Seventeen Bulldogs earned All-PFL honors following the 2012 championship and six were named to the PFL All-Academic Team, including three student-athletes that also garnered CapitalOne/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. A school-record 63 Bulldogs were also named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll. In 2011, Creightons fourth Bulldogs team won nine games and tied for the Pioneer Football League title with a 7-1 conference record. It was Drakes fifth PFL crown and first since 2004. The Bulldogs head coach was recognized for the job he did by being named one of 20 finalists for the 2011 Eddie Robinson Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coach of the Year Award. A league-leading 18 Bulldogs received All-PFL honors and a PFL-best nine Drake student-athletes were named Academic All-PFL. In addition, a then-school record 61 Bulldogs were named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll for achieving a grade-point average of 3.0 or above. The energetic but veteran coach was named a winner of the Giant Steps Award presented by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as part of National Student-Athlete Day on April 6, 2011. Creighton, awarded in the Coaching category, was one of just five 2011 winners of the Giant Steps Award, given annually to individuals who use sport to positively affect social change, actualizing the mission of the NCAS. The awards honor student-athletes, athletic administrators, civic leaders, coaches, parents, organizations, and other individuals who demonstrate an outstanding ability to manage life on and off the field, and who demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of society. During his distinguished career, Creighton has taken great pride in the student-athlete experience that transcends to the football field and the classroom. In his career, Creighton has taken his teams on three overseas trips, including a 2011 trip to Tanzania, to go along with ventures to Austria and Panama while head coach at Division III Wabash. Drakes two-week experience in Africa in 2011 for the inaugural Global Kilimanjaro Bowl included significant service projects in orphanages and schools, the ascension of 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro and a victory over a Mexican collegiate all-star team in the Kili Bowl-the first game of American football played on African soil. With that trip setting the foundation for the Bulldogs 2011 season, the team adopted the theme Tupande Kileleni, a Swahili term that translates to Lets climb to the summit. The summit, for Drake, became the quest to perform to its full potential and symbolized the climb to the top of the Pioneer Football League standings, which it achieved. The 2010 Bulldogs featured a defense that ranked sixth in the nation among FCS schools (2nd PFL) in rush defense (94.2), eighth (3rd PFL) in sacks (3.0) and 18th (2nd PFL) in tackles for loss (7.4). In addition, the special teams excelled in punt coverage (5th NCAA FCS/1st PFL, 3.4), kickoff coverage (5th NCAA/1st PFL, 16.1) and punt return average (15th NCAA/1st PFL; 13.53). Creightons Bulldogs also featured eight players named to the Academic All-PFL team (three 1st team, five 2nd team) and a then-school-record 55 earning a place on the PFLs Academic Honor Roll. In 2009, picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll, Creighton guided Drake to an 8-3 record, including a 6-2 third-place finish in the Pioneer Football League. Drake matched its best nine-game start in history (8-1) that year, while riding a six-game mid-season winning streak. Creightons first Drake club in 2008 went 6-5 and finished in a tie for fourth in the PFL. Ranked fourth among all active NCAA Division III football coaches in career winning percentage upon his hire at Drake, Creighton served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. from 2001-07 where he constructed a 63-15 record (.808) with his teams winning four North Coast Athletic Conference championships, while competing in three NCAA Division III playoffs. During his final three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record (.857) including three-straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs. Wabash posted an 11-2 record in 2007, competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs while being ranked No. 8 in the final NCAA Division III coaches poll. Wabash went 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, capping both seasons with appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs. As offensive coordinator at Wabash, Creightons teams averaged 35 points per game with the multiple offense producing the schools all-time leading rusher and passer. Three starting quarterbacks received All-America honors. Under Creighton, Wabash won conference championships in 2002, 05, 06 and 07. He coached 83 all-conference players, including seven who earned conference player of the year honors, along with 13 All-Americans. Creighton was named North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, 05 and 07, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1997. Creighton was head coach at Ottawa (Kan.) University from 1997-2000, compiling a record of 32-9 (.780). The San Francisco, Calif. native produced one of the greatest single season turnarounds in NAIA history during his first year at Ottawa in 1997. Inheriting a team that posted a record of 1-8 the previous season, Creighton guided his club to a 9-2 finish en route to capturing its first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title since 1972. He also led Ottawa to a conference championship in 2000 along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in 97 and 2000. Creighton served as offensive coordinator at Concordia (Ill.) from 1991-92 and Manchester (Ind.) from 1993-96 before becoming head coach at Ottawa. In 1993, Creighton was the head coach and quarterback of the Limhamn Griffins in Malmo, Sweden, as he helped guide the franchise to its first national championship. As an All-America quarterback, Creighton led Kenyon (Ohio) College to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989 and was named conference player of the year after setting single-season conference records for passing yardage (2,843) and touchdowns (29). He was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1991 and a masters degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993. Creighton is the first active head coach to be hired at Eastern Michigan since Jim Harkema in 1983. Harkema was the head coach at Grand Valley State University (1973-82) before taking over the EMU program and leading it to its only Mid-American Conference Championship in 1987 and last bowl appearance. Chris and his wife, Heather, have two daughters, Hallie and Kate, and a son, Luke. THE CHRIS CREIGHTON FILE Name: Chris Creighton College: Kenyon College (Graduated in 1991 - bachelor's degree) Concordia (Ill.) University (Graduated in 1993 - master's degree) Family: Wife: Heather Children: Hallie, Kate, Luke COACHING EXPERIENCE THE CHRIS CREIGHTON FILE