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Football
Chuck Driesbach, who joined the staff of David Cutcliffe in February of 2002, is in his third year as defensive coordinator of the Rebels. After coaching the secondary in 2003, Driesbach has returned to coach the linebackers, the same position he coached during the 2002 campaign.
Driesbach's 2003 defensive unit ranked fourth in the SEC and 14th nationally against the run. The Rebels also ranked top five in the conference in pass interceptions (15) and turnovers forced (25). Driesbach's defense, which recorded 106 tackles-for-loss, featured first team All-SEC nose tackle Jesse Mitchell, who signed a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
While coaching the linebackers in 2002, Driesbach produced All-SEC performer Eddie Strong. Following his switch to working with the secondary in 2003, he helped develop cornerback Von Hutchins into a player who was selected in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
The Rebel defense saw marked improvement during Driesbach's first season as defensive coordinator in 2002. Ole Miss allowed 63 fewer rushing yards per game than in 2001. The Rebels' 28 sacks were 12 more than the previous season, and the interception total of 16 was also four up from 2001.
Driesbach, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., returned to Ole Miss in 2002, after having served one year as secondary coach in 1989 when the Rebels finished 8-4 and defeated Air Force 42-29 in the Liberty Bowl. One of the players he coached during that first stint with the Rebels was the late Chucky Mullins, who was a nickel back on that 1989 team.
Driesbach's has over 25 years of college coaching experience, including the last 14 as a defensive coordinator. That experience also includes him having coached on both sides of the ball.
Following his graduation from Villanova University, Driesbach's coaching career started in 1976 at Kansas State University, where he spent the first three seasons as a graduate assistant. He became a fulltime assistant at Kansas State prior to the 1979 season and served in that capacity for five years. During those eight years at Kansas State, he gained valuable experience by having the opportunity to coach several different positions, including tight ends, tackles, and receivers for Ellis Rainsberger, plus the secondary under Jim Dickey. One of the players he coached at Kansas State was current TCU head coach Gary Patterson.
He next coached three seasons at Wake Forest (1984-86), working with the defensive line in 1984 and 1985 and then receivers and tight ends in 1986. Following those three years at Wake Forest, he was the running backs coach and admissions and academic coordinator for two years at East Carolina University (1987-88) before coming to Ole Miss in 1989. Driesbach joined the Ole Miss staff as running backs coach, but then switched to the secondary when Ron Case accepted a position at Vanderbilt.
Driesbach left Ole Miss after the 1989 season in order to become defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Cornell University, a position he held three years (1990-92) before serving as defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh the next four years (1993-96).
He then served four years (1997-2000) as defensive coordinator at Western Michigan University, while working with the outside linebackers the first three years and the safeties his last season. During his final year at Western Michigan, the Broncos finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense (11.5 points) and ninth in the nation in total defense (283.2). WMU held opponents to less than 100 yards rushing seven times and to less than 100 yards passing on four occasions.
Following the 2000 season, Driesbach became defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at TCU. The Horned Frogs ranked 10th nationally against the run and 24th in overall defense in 2001.
Chuck and his wife, the former Kim Widmer of Coffeyville, Kan., have two daughters -- Lindsay and Kate.
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