Dickinson brings Fordyce back to Centennial

More news about: Dickinson
Brad Fordyce has spent more than ten years as an assistant coach in the Centennial Conference.
Dickinson athletics photo 

Following a national search, Dickinson athletic director Joe Giunta has announced that Brad Fordyce has been hired as the head coach of the Red Devil football program. Fordyce brings a wealth of experience and a strong background of coaching and recruiting in Pennsylvania, coming to Carlisle most recently from D-I FCS Bucknell.

Fordyce replaces Darwin Breaux, whose 24th and final season resulted in the Red Devils going 1-9. Breaux was 131-113-1 at the helm of the Dickinson football program.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to become the head football coach at Dickinson," says Fordyce. "I'm excited to return to the Centennial Conference at a school with prestigious academics and steeped in rich football traditions, and I look forward to putting my stamp on the program and creating a culture of success on and off the field."

Fordyce joined the Bucknell staff in the winter of 2014 and worked closely with the Bison linebackers, producing six All-Patriot League linebackers while serving as the program's recruiting coordinator. He spent the previous seven years as the defensive coordinator at Susquehanna, where he helped lead the Crusaders to a Liberty League title and an NCAA playoff appearance in 2009. He also assisted with the punting, punt return and kickoff teams, all coming on the heels of nine seasons with McDaniel.

"I would like to thank Joe Giunta and the athletic department for giving me the chance to be the leader of Red Devil football," Fordyce says. "I'm energized to work with the student-athletes and to build our program into a playoff contender."

A 1997 graduate of Springfield College with a bachelor's degree in exercise science, Fordyce earned his master's degree in education from McDaniel College in 2001. Following graduation, Fordyce served as a strength and conditioning intern at Navy and coached the wide receivers and defensive backs at C. Milton Wright High School. He then joined the staff at McDaniel, where he filled a number of roles over the next nine years. He began his tenure as the head strength and conditioning coach while also mentoring the linebackers on a team that won five consecutive Centennial Conference championships and produced two All-America selections in that position group.

After five years, Fordyce took over as defensive coordinator and had the Green Terror ranked 26th in scoring defense in his first year in the new role. In 2004, McDaniel moved into the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and was 13th in total defense while allowing only two passing touchdowns all season.

"Brad brings a great passion and knowledge for mentoring young men and a unique background from both his time in the Centennial and at his other positions that will allow him to hit the ground running," says Giunta. "He also has reputation of being a tremendous scheme coach and possesses the skills and acumen to create the type of culture for our student-athletes to succeed academically, athletically and emotionally — and to flourish off the football field and in life."

Fordyce and his wife, Allison, have two sons, Tate and Nash, and a daughter, Grayce.