Don Faulstick

Billy McBride

Rob Schur '98

Alex Niefer '99

Matt Ballard

Stan Dakosty

Pat Foley

Luke Bussard

Amherst Football Assistant Coaches

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Don Faulstick came to Amherst in 1997 after a pair of stints at Division III power Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and a successful tenure at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). In four seasons at RPI, Faulstick's Engineers cruised to a 31-8 record and a trio of ECAC Championships. While at WPI, Faulstick developed a high-powered attack that helped spearhead an impressive 15-3-1 mark and an ECAC Northeast Championship in 1991. Faulstick graduated in 1986 from Mansfield University and has since coached at a variety of high-profile programs, including Shippensburg University, Union College and Princeton University. Since arriving at Amherst, Faulstick has helped lead the Jeffs to an impressive 41-15 record in seven seasons, and his offense has continually been among the conference and national leaders in a variety of statistical categories. In 1997, Faulstick's charges led the NESCAC in total offense and points scored and ranked nationally in both categories. His offense then topped the conference in rushing in both 2001 (204.4 ypg) and 2002 (192.9 ypg), finished second in the NESCAC in scoring offense (22.8 ppg), rushing offense (214.6 ypg) and total offense (382.4 ypg) in 2003 and ranked second in the conference in scoring offense (24.0), rushing offense (241.2 ypg) and total offense (355.9 ypg) in 2004.

Billy McBride enters his 15th season mentoring Amherst's wide receivers. Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers after a standout playing career at Tennessee State University, McBride played six years in the Canadian Football League and saw time in several NFL training camps as a wide receiver, defensive back, kick and punt returner and holder for extra points and field goals. He also serves as head coach of the Amherst women's basketball team, earning NESCAC and Russell Athletic/WBCA District 1 Coach of the Year honors in 2000-01 after leading the Jeffs to a school-record 23 wins.

Amherst graduate Rob Schur '98 returns for his eighth year as an assistant coach, tutoring a strong offensive line. As an undergrad, Schur started at right tackle for two seasons (1996-97) and helped lead the Jeffs to consecutive 7-1 records. He also captained the Amherst indoor and outdoor track teams and served as an assistant coach for both programs from 1998 through the spring of 2002. Under his tutelage, the offensive line has paved the way for more than 9,230 rushing yards over the last six seasons, highlighted by a 241.2-yard per game output in 2004. Schur also serves as Amherst's director of football operations and strength and conditioning coach.

Alex Niefer '99 returned to the Amherst coaching staff in 2003 after a two-season stint as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at NESCAC rival Hamilton College. A standout outside linebacker for the Lord Jeffs, Niefer remained with the team in 2000 as a volunteer assistant, working with the offensive line. As an undergrad, Niefer was voted Amherst's Special Teams Player of the Year in 1997, won the Cadigan Award as the team's outstanding defensive lineman in 1998 and set a single-season school record with 9.5 sacks as a junior, a mark he now shares with former All-America defensive tackle Pat McGee '02. Niefer is currently working toward a master's degree in sport management at UMass Amherst and serves as the Jeffs' tight ends coach.

Matt Ballard enters his second year on the Amherst staff, serving as the recruiting coordinator, defensive line coach and special teams coordinator this fall. He took over as defensive line coach last fall after five seasons as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at WPI, three seasons as the head coach at Cathedral High School in nearby Springfield, Mass., another three-season stint as the offensive line coach at WPI and two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Albany, where he worked on the same staff as Amherst head coach E.J. Mills, while earning a master's degree in education. Ballard graduated from Albany in 1990 and was a two-year starter at offensive tackle, earning CoSIDA Academic All-District honors as a senior.

Stan Dakosty enters his first season at Amherst after graduating from Colgate University in 2005 with bachelor's degrees in history and educational studies. A native of Tamaqua, Penn., Dakosty played two years of varsity football for the Raiders, helping them to the 2002 Patriot League Championship and a 9-3 record. After a series of career-ending injuries, he served as a student assistant coaching tight ends at Colgate in 2003 and 2004, earning a second straight Patriot League Championship and finishing as the Division I-AA National Runners Up at 15-1 in 2003. Dakosty will serve as the running backs coach for the Jeffs and is currently working towards his master's in education at UMass Amherst.

Pat Foley joins the Amherst staff as the inside linebackers coach after serving in a similar role at Allegheny College last fall. A 2004 graduate of NESCAC rival Bates College, Foley was a four-year defensive starter, earning NESCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 and all-conference plaudits as a senior in 2003. He will begin working towards his master's degree in educational administration at UMass Amherst in the spring.

Luke Bussard enters his fourth year of collegiate coaching, but first season at Amherst, and will serve as the outside linebackers coach for the Jeffs this fall. Bussard has coached for the last three seasons at Norwich University, where he guided the football team to a pair of ECAC bowl games and also served as an assistant baseball coach, taking on the associate head baseball coaching role in his final season. Before Norwich, he was the director of student activities at the Tilton School in Tilton, N.H., where he coached football and baseball as well. A native of Wilmington, Del., Bussard is married to Natalie Blais, and he will earn his MBA from Norwich in June 2006.