Head Football Coach - Todd Glaser
Todd Glaser has had many roles at
the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire but he especially
relishes his current position as second-year Blugold head
football coach.
Glaser returned to the university
in March, 2006 to become the Blugolds’ 15th head
coach, replacing Todd Hoffner who stepped down after seven
years as head coach.
Glaser had been the head coach
at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio for three seasons
prior to being named the Blugold head coach but had also
served as Hoffner’s defensive coordinator the four
seasons prior to that.
Glaser is a Blugold alum who played
for current Seattle Seahawks’ coach Jim Lind during
the 1987, 88, 89 and 90 seasons. He was the first of three
brothers to don a blue and gold jersey for their collegiate
careers with Tyler and Chad following in his footsteps.
Once his collegiate eligibility
was completed, Glaser served as a student assistant for
Lind for one season and then assisted Greg Polnasek for
three seasons before leaving to become the head coach
at Neillsville High School during the 1995 and 1996 campaigns.
He returned to UWEC during Bob Nielson’s final two
years as head coach to serve as linebacker coach and strength
and conditioning coordinator. He was a staff member when
the Blugolds advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals
during the 1998 season.
During his final two years as the
defensive coordinator in 2001 and 2002, the Blugolds produced
8-2 season records, shared the Wisconsin Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference championship in 2001 and had the second-ranked
defense in yardage allowed both years.
In the 10-team Ohio Athletic Conference,
which includes perennial Division III national champion
Mount Union College, Glaser guided Marietta to its first
back-to-back non-losing seasons in 10 years. He was the
OAC Coach of the Year in 2004 when Marietta finished with
a 6-4 mark. He increased the Pioneers’ squad size
from 48 to 125 players during his three seasons there.
He was also involved in a drive that raised $2 million
for a new football field, new football locker room, new
softball field and new soccer field. He was also the assistant
director of the M-Team, which is the athletics’
fund-raising arm of the college.
Several Blugold coaches followed
Glaser to Marietta with Curt Wiese serving as his offensive
coordinator and Tony Jennison as his defensive coordinator.
Wiese was named the head coach when Glaser departed. In
addition, during his three years, former Blugold players
and coaches Steve Murray, Dan Larson and Nick Goeser helped
coached the Pioneers.
In his first season as head coach,
the Blugolds finished 3-7 but were only out of two games.
Four losses were incurred by four or fewer points and
another by eight. Two losses were suffered in overtime.
Only playoff teams Whitewater and La Crosse had their
way with the Blugolds.
While a Blugold player, Glaser
served as a team co-captain during the 1990 season and
accumulated 199 career tackles as a defensive lineman.
Glaser described becoming the Blugold
head coach as his ultimate career objective and said he
was “honored to be back,” citing the outstanding
reputation of the university and the community.
During both of his forays away
from UWEC, Glaser said he learned all aspects of the game
and directing a football program.
He said his leadership style focuses
around “hard work, mutual respect and fairness,
appropriate delegation and a positive attitude.”
Glaser and his wife Michelle, who
is also a UWEC alum, have three children: Sam (2/7/96),
Ella (3/28/97) and Greta (8/27/00).
Updated 8/22/07
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