Luckhardt named Cal U football coach
CALIFORNIA, Pa. (AP) – John Luckhardt, one of the nation’s most successful small college football coaches while at nearby Washington and Jefferson, returned to coaching Tuesday as he was hired as California (Pa.) University’s coach. Luckhardt had a 137-37-2 record and his teams made 11 NCAA playoff appearances in 17 seasons at Washington and Jefferson, reaching the Division III championship game in 1992 and 1994.
Luckhardt resigned in 1998 for health reasons, but now says he has never felt better.
“I think I was burned out and it’s taken a couple years of getting back into real good health to get reinvigorated,” said Luckhardt, who also was Washington and Jefferson’s athletic director from 1986-2000.
The last two years, Luckhardt was the vice president of an athletic turf company.
Before Luckhardt arrived, Washington and Jefferson had lost 50 of its previous 80 games.
Luckhardt, a former Purdue player, steps into a similar role at California, which has not had a winning record in 15 years. Since 1987, the Vulcans are 46-100 overall and 18-66 in the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
Luckhardt replaces Mike Kolakowski, who resigned.