He will replace Tim Weaver, who stepped down to become the defensive coordinator at Delaware. Weaver departs after seven seasons at the helm of the Bison and has served as athletic director the past five years.

Miller also announced that director of sports information Brian Rose will serve as the acting athletic director. Rose graduated from Bethany in 1998 and is in his 15th year in sports information, with over 13 of those serving at his alma mater.

"While we are sad to see Tim leave, we are deeply appreciative of the many contributions he has made to the overall athletic department during his time here," Miller said. "The program has grown to 22 intercollegiate sports and an equestrian club team and we have raised the competitive level of the overall program. Likewise, he has played an instrumental role in raising funds for extensive facility construction, upgrade and expansion."

That expansion includes construction of new locker rooms, weight and fitness facilities, artificial turf and all-weather track and stadium lighting. 

Garvey has served as the offensive coordinator of the Bison for the last seven years and is the architect of some of the most prolific offensive seasons in school history. During his tenure, 47 school records have been broken or tied, including 16 this past fall. One of Garvey's greatest strengths is his ability to adapt his system to the players in the program. In 2008, the Bison set a new single-season record for passing yards, but then shifted gears in 2010 and the team rushed for 2,024 yards, second-most in one year at the school.

"We are elated to have Bill Garvey with his track record of success as the next head football coach at Bethany College," said Miller. "Not only has the offense here flourished under his direction, as evidenced by the nearly 50 school records that have been set during his tenure, but he will also provide continuity with the current players and potential recruits. We were extremely pleased with the direction of the program under coach Weaver and believe Bill Garvey is the perfect fit to continue to build upon that foundation."

In addition to being the offensive coordinator, Garvey also oversees the quarterbacks. His work with rising senior quarterback Matt Grimard has seen a rewriting of the Bethany record books. Grimard was a freshman in 2010 and rushed for 882 yards and 11 touchdowns, both BC records for a quarterback. This past fall, Grimard's development continued under Garvey's tutelage, as he set Bethany single-season records for passing completions (226), yards (2,605), completion percentage (62.1) and touchdown passes (23), as well as setting a new total yards record (3,127) for the second consecutive season.

The team record book has also added some new chapters under Garvey's watch. Bethany scored 301 points in 2012 to break the single-season standard for scoring for the second time in the last five years. The team's 2,605 passing yards also broke a single-season record and the team rolled up 3,911 total yards last fall, which was second in the PAC for yards per game (391.1) and the third-highest total in a year at BC.

Not only has Garvey built one of the most dynamic offenses in the region, his work on the recruiting trails has helped the Bison consistently field rosters of more than 140 players over the last several years. The 2012 recruiting class brought in by the Bison coaching staff featured more than 90 players from a dozen states, including Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina, as well as the tri-state area.

Garvey came to Bethany after spending two seasons as an assistant at Stonehill (Mass.), a Division II program that plays in the Northeast-10 Conference. Prior to his time at Stonehill, Garvey was an assistant at Harvard from 2000-2004. He started his coaching career at Hofstra, working as a graduate assistant from 1997-99.

Garvey, who lives in Bethany with his wife Gina and their four children, attended Iona, where he was a three-year member of the football team and was on the 1993 squad that captured the MAAC championship. He went on to earn his bachelor of business administration in management information systems.

"I am honored to be appointed to this position," Garvey said. "I have enjoyed my time as an assistant here and welcome the challenge of continuing the growth and prosperity of this historic program. I want to thank Dr. Miller and the entire administration for the confidence they have shown in me and for the opportunity to lead this program at an exciting time in Bethany history.

"I also thank Coach Weaver for his leadership and building the program to where it is so I can hit the ground running," said Garvey. "Everything is in place to have continued success and I am truly looking forward to start working with our staff and players in preparation for next season."

The Bison program has risen from the bottom of the PAC and contended with the top teams in the conference over the last few years. While Garvey's main goal every year will be to finish the year in the playoffs, he wants to build a consistent winner year in and year out while continuing the type of recruiting that attracts top level student-athletes to Bethany College.

"Our ultimate goal every year is to win the conference championship and get to the NCAA playoffs," said Garvey. "But we also want to focus on contending in the conference every year and building a consistent winner. And we want to continue our current direction in recruiting. We want smart student-athletes that can perform in the classroom, on the field and in the community and will represent themselves, their families and Bethany College in the best possible way."