Mike Rader, assistant football coach at Huntingdon, has been named head football coach at Maryville. The Johnson City, Tenn., native will be the 28th head coach in Maryville's 118-year history.

Rader, who accepted the College's offer today, has coordinated the recruiting efforts and assisted offense for the past eight seasons at the Division III, church-related, liberal arts school.

He replaces alumnus Tony Ierulli, who was left go by the college in November after nine seasons as head coach.

In 2004, Rader was selected by Huntingdon coach Mike Turk to improve results and bring stability to a second-year start up NCAA Division III program. Rader helped the Hawks earn a 52-20 record while receiving Top 25 votes in five different seasons.

"I want to thank members of the Maryville College family for welcoming me into their pursuit of excellence," Rader said. "Their hunger for excellence on and off the field is real, and I felt this passion in each leader I met on campus during my interview."

Rader received his bachelor of arts degree from East Tennessee State in 2002. A three-year starter on the Buccaneer football squad as a student, he earned a football scholarship after an All-State career as a quarterback and receiver at Science Hill High School in Johnson City.

Following graduation, he attained his master of arts degree in sports management from ETSU while serving as a graduate assistant for his alma mater. Following a season at Troy University in Troy, Ala., under head coach Larry Blakeney, he was chosen by Huntingdon to help build the school's program from the ground up.

Rader has shown significant experience in building a successful NCAA Division III program. While at Huntingdon, his Hawks developed one of the most prolific offenses in college football. In 2010, Huntingdon was the only offense in the nation (Divisions I, II, or III) to average more than 300 yards of passing and 200 yards of rushing per game. As the Hawks' recruiting coordinator for the past two seasons, Rader's staff has brought in more than 170 student-athletes to campus after developing strategies for student-athlete searches, visits and on-campus presentations.

During his Jan. 17 on-campus visit, Rader resonated with faculty, staff and alumni who attended "meet and greet" sessions, said Kandis Schram, Maryville athletics director.

Members of the football program were particularly enthusiastic about Rader, she added. "I commend the search committee for having the student-athlete in mind when bringing four outstanding candidates on campus this week," Schram said. "I believe that Mike's high energy and strong communication skills, combined with his successful coaching and recruiting, will serve as a foundation needed for our student-athletes to excel in the near future."

"Our current players are excited about this announcement and are ready to get started this spring."

Rader said he has a strong retention plan and an emphasis in player development that includes a demanding offseason conditioning program.

"I look forward to developing a culture that pushes young men to give their best on a daily basis," he said. "I want each student-athlete to have the goal to be a campus- and community-changer while they are at MC."