Samford University Men's Golf

DelGreco is in the midst of his first season as the head mens golf coach at Samford University. A natural leader and winner at every level of his famed career, DelGreco has instantly brought a competitive spirit and relentless drive to succeed to the Bulldogs young, talented squad.   Samford Director of Athletics Martin Newton officially announced the hiring of DelGreco on May 2, 2014, as the former NFL star, Golf Channel celebrity and current radio personality took over the reins of the Bulldogs program heading into the 2014-15 season.   "Im extremely excited about adding Al DelGreco to our athletics family, said Newton. Al brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and competitive spirit to our program. He is a proven winner and knows the passion and dedication that it takes to succeed at the highest level. Most importantly, he is a man of great character and integrity and will be a great role model and leader for our student-athletes. I'm looking forward to Al building a competitive golf program at Samford, one that competes for conference championships and excels on the course, in the classroom and the community."   DelGreco, a 1987 graduate of Auburn University, spent 17 seasons as a placekicker in the NFL and finished his illustrious professional career with a total of 1,592 points. As of his retirement in 2001, he was ranked No. 11 on the NFL's list of all-time leading scorers. Nicknamed Automatic Al, DelGreco was inducted in the Alabama Hall of Fame in 2003.   In 2011, DelGreco was awarded the Legend of Birmingham Award by the organizers of the Birmingham Bowl. Last year, he was featured in a Golf Channel reality show, Big Break, where he captained a team of former NFL players in a benefit golf tournament held in Puerto Rico.   Additionally, DelGreco has spent the previous eight years as a radio personality and co-host of The Opening Drive, a highly-rated morning show which airs live Monday-Friday on Birminghams WJOX 94.5 FM, a roll he will continue as head coach at Samford.   A four-year letterman at Auburn, DelGreco completed 110 out of 111 PATs in his college career. He also set the Southeastern Conference record for field goal attempts in a game and field goals made in a game when he made six out of his seven attempts against Kentucky in 1983.   An accomplished golfer, DelGreco boasts a +1 handicap and registered 10 career top-10 finishes at the American Century Championship, including eight straight top-10s from 1998-2005. He also earned the championship title at the 2000 American Century Championship by carding a 7-under par 65, which proved to be the lowest score ever posted in the Celebrity Championship.   DelGreco was a five-time winner in the NFL Division of the Champions Tour Cadillac NFL Classic and played in two Web.com Tour events (2001, 2003). He was recently featured on the Golf Channels 2013 edition of Big Break NFL Puerto Rico.   DelGreco recently spent over eight years as the head boys golf coach at Spain Park High School in Hoover where he led the Jaguars to three-consecutive 6A Alabama state championship titles, including a trio of individual state champions. DelGrecos son, Trey, was a member of the Spain Park golf team and earned a scholarship to play four seasons at Vanderbilt University.   Raised in Miami, Fla., DelGreco played a large variety of sports throughout the years. His grade school soccer team won a state title and he competed in both soccer and football at Coral Gables High School before earning a scholarship from Auburn University.   In his 17-year NFL career, DelGreco played for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Oilers (later the Tennessee Titans) from 1984 to 2000. He played in some of the most famous games in NFL lore during his career, including The Comeback, the Music City Miracle, and The Tackle.   DelGreco finished his 17 NFL seasons making 347 of 449 (77%) field goals and 551 of 554 (99%) extra points, giving him a total of 1,584 points, which currently ranks him 17th on the NFL's list of all-time leading scorers.