NEWBERG, Ore. -- Chris Casey is retiring after 43 seasons as a football coach, including 11 as George Fox head coach.
Two seasons after winning an Oregon Class 6A state football title with Aloha High School, Casey came to George Fox in 2013 to revive a football program that had been dormant since 1968. The move to George Fox marked a homecoming for the Newberg native, who grew up only a block from the George Fox campus. As a boy, Casey and his brother Pat - the future George Fox and Oregon State baseball coach - served as unofficial George Fox ball boys in the school's last season of football.
Before the Bruins played a game, George Fox's program was featured in a Sports Illustrated article on colleges starting football programs. In the Bruins' first game back, 3,659 fans cheered the new team against Arizona Christian.
After a 1-8 inaugural season in 2014, the Bruins compiled a 50-40 record with a 37-28 conference mark — including a season-high eight wins in 2022 and a record-high national ranking of 19th in 2017. Three times the Bruins finished second in the Northwest Conference. In his 11 seasons coaching the Bruins, Casey coached his players to eight All-American awards, 12 D3football.com All-Region athletes, 129 All-Northwest Conference athletes, and 38 NWC Student-Athlete of the Week honors.
Along with athletic successes, the Bruins recorded 23 Academic All-District athletes — including 21 in the past three seasons. In 2017, Levi Dalzell became the first Bruin to be named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team.
One of Casey's athletes, former All-American wide receiver Leon Johnson III, became the fourth George Fox athlete to sign with an NFL team when he signed an undrafted free agency deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. Johnson III was one of four major NWC award winners in Casey's time, winning the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022; other winners were Charles Riga (2017 Defensive Player of the Year), Daniel Campos (2019 Defensive Player of the Year), and Jacob Erickson (2022 Rookie of the Year).
Previously, Casey served as an assistant football coach, recruiting coordinator and baseball coach at his alma mater, Linfield (1985-94), and as an assistant football coach and strength/conditioning coach at Whitworth. (1994-2004). He was also an assistant football, wrestling and baseball coach at The Dalles High School (1982-85).
In his years coaching, one thing stood out to Casey: development. Ranging from the team's faith growth to TAPE — his program's mantra of Togetherness, Attitude, Perseverance and Effort.
"We've always been about developing young men for life, building championship people and building a championship program," Casey said, "Faith in the Lord [and TAPE]... it's a great way to live life. It's pretty simplistic but you can't beat those two things."
Retirement had been something the longtime coach had struggled with and pondered over the past three offseasons; and finally, in 2024, the time had come.
"I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to help lead the George Fox football program," he said. "We became a very good program in a very short period of time. We had an unusual amount of injuries this year, but the program has a great foundation."
Casey expressed appreciation to his parents, his current coaching staff and the coaches he has worked with, specifically highlighting the influence of his coaching mentors Ad Rutchman (Linfield) and John Tully (Whitworth), as well as his players.
"They have been the reason for the excellence within the program relative to citizenship, academics, and on-the-field performance." The longtime Bruin coach said of his athletes.
Both George Fox president Robin Baker and athletic director Adam Puckett had much to say about the coach who served 11 seasons on the sidelines for the blue and gold.
"Coach Casey was the right coach to help us bring back football," said Baker, who initiated the reinstatement of the sport at George Fox. "He knew how to build a winning program, but he also sought to build men of character. I can think of few leaders whom I admire more. We will miss him and will be hard-pressed to find someone who will lead as well."
"Casey's commitment to instilling a blue-collar work ethic, unwavering loyalty, and a sense of purpose beyond the football field has had a lasting impact on our program and the community," said Puckett. "Coach Casey never measured success by wins alone, but by the kind of men he helped build—men of character, integrity, and responsibility."
As he steps away from the program, Casey anticipates spending more time with Kathleen, his wife of 39 years and a cancer survivor, as well as his four adult children and five grandchildren. He says he could imagine staying involved in the game of football in a limited role sometime in the future.
Members of the team were informed Monday night by Casey. Puckett announced that assistant head coach John Bates has been offered the spot as interim head coach. The university will open the search for a new head coach this week.