A Legacy of Gridiron Glory: The History of Denison University Football
Denison University, a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, boasts a rich and storied football tradition that spans over a century. From its early beginnings to its modern-day successes, the Denison Big Red football program has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, sportsmanship, and academic achievement.
Early Years and the Foundation of a Tradition
Founded in 1831, Denison University initially operated as the Granville Literary and Theological Institution before evolving into Granville College and finally adopting the name Denison University in honor of William S. Denison, a significant benefactor. The football program emerged as a vital part of the university's athletic identity.
Deeds Field: A Testament to Enduring Support
The legacy of Denison University football is intertwined with the iconic Deeds Field. Opened during Homecoming Weekend in 1921, Deeds Field was a gift from Colonel Edward A. Deeds, a member of the class of 1897 and a trustee from 1912 to 1960. It is dedicated to his memory and to that of his son, Charles W. Deeds, class of 1923, who also served as a trustee from 1947 until his death in 1987. The field was rededicated in 1999 to recognize the Deeds family contributions.
Over the years, Deeds Field has undergone several renovations to maintain its status as a premier athletic facility. Refurbished in 1981 and again in 2007, the most recent upgrades installed Field Turf, a new playing surface, and a new eight-lane synthetic track. Other improvements included a new concession plaza, visiting bleachers, a brick retaining wall, storage building, and four 75-foot light towers that allowed night football to be played at Denison for the first time since the early 1940s.
The Woody Hayes Era: A Glimpse of Greatness
The Denison football program experienced a period of significant success under the leadership of Woody Hayes, who served as the head coach from 1946 to 1948. Hayes, a Denison alumnus from the Class of '35, instilled a culture of discipline, hard work, and determination that laid the foundation for future achievements.
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In 1947, Hayes led the Big Red to an undefeated 9-0 record, capturing the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship. This remarkable season marked the first perfect record in Denison football history, with the team outscoring its opponents by a combined score of 268 to 60. The 1947 team was the only one in Ohio to achieve a perfect record. Tackle Walter Cheslock was the team captain. Four Denison players were selected as first-team players on the 1947 All-Ohio Conference football team: Cheslock; halfback Ed Rupp; end Bill Hart; and center Bill Wehr.
Keith Piper: A Coaching Legend and Innovator
Following Hayes' departure, Keith Piper took over as the head football coach in 1954, embarking on a remarkable 39-year tenure that would cement his place as a coaching legend. Piper's innovative strategies and unwavering commitment to his players transformed the Denison football program into a perennial contender.
Piper's coaching career at Denison spanned from 1951 through 1992, during which he accumulated an impressive 200 wins. He is one of only 18 coaches in the history of college football to achieve this milestone at the same institution, and he stands as the second-winningest college football coach in Ohio history.
Piper's teams earned him 200 wins, one of only 18 coaches in the history of college football to win 200 games at the same institution, and the second-winningest college football coach in Ohio history. In 1985 and 1986 Piper guided his teams to 10-0 and 9-1 seasons, earning back-to-back NCAC championship titles and NCAC Coach of the Year honors. In the 1985, Denison and Mount Union matched up in each program's first NCAA Division III playoff appearance. The Purple Raiders won that game 35-3 and since became one of the winningest programs in college football history.
Piper Stadium is named in honor of legendary single-wing coach Keith Piper. Piper gained national fame for perpetuating the single-wing football formation decades after it had been discarded by other programs. Piper played football at Niles McKinley High School where he was the starting center in 1938 and 1939. Niles McKinley's rival was Massillon Washington High School where coach Paul Brown ran a single-wing offense. The precision of Brown's single-wing left an imprint on him. Piper began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at Baldwin-Wallace from 1948 to 1950. In 1951, he became an assistant coach at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, becoming Denison's head coach in 1954 until his retirement after the 1992 season. Piper instituted the single-wing at Denison in 1962. He was a student of football history who traced the formation's roots to Glenn Scobey Warner and Amos Alonzo Stagg and worked for years on a book on the history of the formation. In Piper's single-wing, the tailback was the most common recipient of the snap from center, and the quarterback was principally a blocker. Piper stopped using the single-wing in 1966, but brought it back after Denison finished 0-8-1 in 1977. He believed that by being different, he would have a better chance against opponents with superior talent. With the single-wing offense back in use, Denison went 7-2 in 1979 and won consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference championships in 1985 and 1986. The success of the single-wing formation attracted reporters from around the country to the Denison campus, including Sports Illustrated which ran a feature story on Piper in 1982. In 39 years as Denison's head coach, Piper had seven one-loss seasons (1957, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1985 and 1986), compiled a record of 201-141-18, with his teams outscoring opponents 7,404-5,804. Piper won his 200th game on October 10, 1992-his 71st birthday, one of only 18 coaches to win 200 games as a head football coach at one college.
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NCAC Success and NCAA Playoff Appearances
Denison University is a member of the NCAA Division III and the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) since the conference's formation in 1984. As a part of the 10-member conference Denison boasts a league-record 11 Dennis M. Collins Awards which is given to the NCAC school that performs best across the conference's 23 sponsored sports: 11 for men and 12 for women.
The Big Red finally make their return appearance Saturday when they again visit Mount Union. The Big Red play the Purple Raiders at noon Saturday in the first round.
Denison had a historic day Saturday, beating Kenyon 61-7 to win a share of its first North Coast Athletic Conference title since 1986 and also earn the program’s second Division III playoff berth and first since 1985.
Canaan Gebele totaled four touchdowns, throwing for 136 yards and three scores and running for 88 yards and one score and became the third player in NCAC history to total 10,000 yards in his career. Alex Minton added 127 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the Big Red (8-2, 8-1).
Johnstown graduate Cody Farley had 40 yards on eight carries, and Utica graduate Mitch Marston caught two passes for 26 yards.
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In 2018 the Big Red enjoyed a breakthrough campaign that saw them go 8-2 in the regular season and win the program's first NCAC championship since 1986. The Big Red received the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III championship, marking Denison's first football playoff berth in 33 years. The 2018 season was highlighted by a 34-10 victory over No. 22 Wabash and six-straight wins to close out the season. Senior quarterback Canaan Gebele was named the NCAC's Offensive Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy which is presented annually to the top player in Division III football. The Denison offense set new program marks for points (437), points per game (39.7), touchdowns (60), first downs (262), total offense (5,000), all-purpose yards (5,974) and total plays (805).
Recent Successes and Continued Growth
The promotion of Hatem to head coach prior to the 2010 season ushered in a new era of success for Denison football. In 2019, The Big Red finished with an overall record of 8-2, marking the program's third, eight-win season since 2016. The Big Red also captured a share of the conference championship for the second year in a row. Denison added 16 All-NCAC selections in 2019, including 2019 NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, All-American, and Gagliardi Trophy Semifinalist, Alex Minton. In 2019, Miinton broke the single-season rushing record with 1,550 yards. The previous record of 1,517 yards was set by Clay Sampson in 1979. He also ended the regular season ranked fourth in the nation in rushing yards, seventh in rushing touchdowns (18) and third in total touchdowns (21).
Denison finished its 2022 season 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, which was good for a tie for second place and marked the third time in the last four full seasons under the direction of Coach Hatem and the fourth time since 2016 that the Big Red have reached the eight-win plateau in a season. It was also the ninth straight winning season and ninth season in a row finishing in the top-four of the conference standings for the Big Red. In the end, Denison had 13 players named to the 2022 All-North Coast Athletic Conference postseason teams, including five Big Red players on the first-team: Trey Fabrocini (junior running back), Kevin Stone (senior offensive lineman), Clay Denstorff (senior defensive end), Roshaune Downie (junior cornerback) and Jaylin Epps (sophomore return specialist). Denison then set a program-record with five players named to the 2022 D3football.com All-Region 4 Team: Fabrocini (Second-Team), Stone (Second-Team), Epps (Second-Team), Denstoff (Second-Team) and Downie (Third-Team). In addition, Fabrocini set a new Denison single-season record with 20 rushing touchdowns and finished with the fifth most rushing yards in a season in program history with 1,303 yards.
In 2021, Denison finished 6-4 overall and 6-3 in the NCAC, which was tied for fourth place. The Big Red had 14 all-conference players, led by first-teamers Trey Fabrocini (sophomore running back), Trey Dawkins (senior offensive lineman), Kevin Stone (junior offensive line), Jeff Moore (sophomore linebacker), Ryan Hallinan (senior safety), and Cory Swartzmiller (fifth-year cornerback).
In 2016, the Big Red raised plenty of eyebrows, going 8-2, highlighted by the program's first win over Wittenberg since 1989. Hatem became Denison's 20th head coach in the 120+ year history of Big Red football in March of 2010. He had spent the previous five seasons at Denison as an assistant coach, serving as defensive coordinator for the final three seasons of that stint. In 2012, Hatem and his staff were asked to coach the South team at the third annual Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to coming to Denison, Hatem spent 13 years as a high school football head coach. He also served three seasons as the head baseball coach at his alma mater, The University of Rio Grande. Hatem graduated from Rio Grande in 1982, earning his bachelor's degree in health and physical education. A two-time Ohio High School Football Coach of the Year, Hatem brought 25 years of coaching experience and 13 years as a head coach at the high school level to the Denison program. He joined the Denison staff in 2005 and spent two years coaching defensive backs. In 2007 he was promoted to defensive coordinator and from 2007 through 2009 his defense forced 64 turnovers, which was the third most in the NCAC during that span. In 2008 the Big Red posted a 6-4 record, winning five of their final six games of the season. A native of Lancaster, Ohio, and a graduate of Fisher Catholic High School, Hatem was named head football coach at Fisher in 1992. Over the course of three seasons, he led the Fighting Irish to a 22-9 record, including the program's third undefeated season in school history in 1993. From 1995 to 1997, Hatem served as head football coach at Highland High School in Sparta, Ohio, and in 1998, he took over a struggling New Albany High School football program, quickly turning it into one of the top programs in central Ohio. In addition to his accomplishments on the football field, Hatem also has had considerable success on the baseball diamond. A former baseball standout at Fisher Catholic, Hatem served as head baseball coach at Rio Grande for three seasons, shortly after his graduation from the college. While he was an assistant football coach at Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, Hatem also served as head baseball coach there. Hatem currently resides in the nearby Buckeye Lake region. He has two grown sons, A.J.
The 2020 Fall season was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Big Red were able to play two football games in the Spring. They defeated rivals Ohio Wesleyan 38-37, Senior Pat Kramer kicked a game-winning field goal with seconds left on the clock to leave Delaware with a victory.
Denison University: A Legacy Beyond Football
Denison University's commitment to excellence extends beyond the football field. The university's academic programs are highly regarded, attracting a diverse and talented student body. Denison was cited by The New York Times as one of America's "Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges." In that list, Denison is ranked at No. In the admission season for fall 2023 entry, there were more than 14,500 applicants, with an admission rate of 17%. Recent trends show an expanding interest from international student populations, with application submissions increasing from 2,447 in 2019 to 3,255 in 2021. Enrollment among international students has also increased during this period, from 97 newly enrolled international students to 131 over the three-year span. Among freshman students who committed to enrolling in Fall 2021, composite SAT scores for the middle 50% ranged from 1330 to 1550, while composite ACT scores for the middle 50% ranged from 30 to 35. Denison practices test-optional admissions. Consequently, the SAT and ACT information reported is not based on the entire student body and instead reflects the middle 50% of only those students who opted to provide their test scores. In Fall 2021, 76% of enrolled freshmen were in the top 10% of their high school classes. News & World Report categorizes Denison as "most selective". Roughly 15 percent of the incoming class are admitted through athlete recruits. Denison University implements the holistic review admissions process. In addition to the standard results, extracurricular activities, awards, honors, character, community contributions, enthusiasm, specialties, etc.
The campus landscape was designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm. "Greater Denison" was designed based on a layout of quadrangles throughout upper campus, designed to mirror the building functions. Thirteen percent of students are first-generation college students, and 37% are multicultural students.
Students can major or minor in theatre, music, visual art, studio art, art history, dance, or cinema. Michael D. The Beck Series is associated with the creative writing program at Denison, and it brings a variety of authors to campus to read their work and interact with students. Former visitors include Pulitzer Prize winner Eudora Welty, National Book Award winner Alice Walker, Playwright and Oscar-winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard, Orange is the New Black author, Piper Kerman, and W. S.
Denison alumni include scholars (such as the former president of Princeton University William G. Anthony J. Notable alumni include actors Steve Carell, Hal Holbrook, and Jennifer Garner; SNL comedian Alex Moffat; entertainer John Davidson; Hall of Fame college football coach Woody Hayes; ESPN president George Bodenheimer; Turner Broadcasting System Senior Vice President James Anderson; drag queen and LGBT activist Nina West, former member of Turkish Parliament and current consultant to The Coca-Cola Company Mehmet Cem Kozluformer; United States Senator Richard Lugar; Indy car racer Bobby Rahal; playwright Jeffrey Hatcher; artist Ned Bittinger; author Pam Houston, James Frey; former Disney Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner; American criminologist and father of "evidence-based policing" Lawrence Sherman; former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro; former Princeton University President William Bowen; folklorist, oral historian, author, and podcast host Douglas A. Boyd; professor of religion at Goucher College and theologian at the Washington National Cathedral Kelly Brown Douglas; Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of the Washington National Cathedral; and George Stibitz, one of the fathers of modern digital computing.
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