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"I am excited for the challenge of developing our linebackers to be an integral part of an improved defense. We will continue to work towards becoming the best linebacker corps and overall defense for a championship team."
- Coach Hetherman
Corey Hetherman finished his third season with the Football Monarchs in the Fall of 2012. After two seasons of coaching the rovers, Hetherman was elevated to Defensive Run Game Coordinator following the Monarchs' successful 2011 campaign and will continue to coach the linebackers.
Hetherman led a solid group of linebackers including All-CAA honoree Craig Wilkins, junior John Darr and redshirt freshman Caleb Taylor. Darr had a breakout year for the Monarchs to start every game while Taylor broke into the lineup three games in and finished second on the team in tackles. Wilkins earned second team All-CAA while leading the Monarchs with 90 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 13.0 tackles for loss and three interceptions.
Old Dominion played their way to a 10-3 overall mark in Hetherman's second year on staff, which included a second place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) at 6-2, a top-10 ranking in the national polls, and a second round appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championships.
Under the guidance of Hetherman, linebacker Craig Wilkins was a First Team All-CAA honoree in the Monarchs' first season of competition in the league. Wilkins became the first Monarch to crack the century mark in tackles in a season and ranked 12th among the league's defenders.
In his first year on the Monarch staff, Old Dominion captured an 8-3 overall mark playing their final season of independent football before making the move to the CAA, the nation's toughest FCS conference. Under Hetherman's watch, linebacker Wilkins led the defense with 74 tackles (35 solo, 39 assisted) along with a team-leading five fumble recoveries.
Hetherman came to Old Dominion from Western New England College where he served as the Offensive and Recruiting Coordinator, having joined the staff after Northeastern disbanded its football program. At Northeastern, he coached the outside linebackers, including two-time CAA Freshman of the Week Kyle Hunte and Jason Vega, who signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Hetherman was also a graduate assistant at Springfield College and interned with the King's College football program.
Hetherman was the starting quarterback for Fitchburg State College from 2003-2005 guiding the Falcons to an overall record of 21-11. During his career, Fitchburg State were two-time MASCAC Champions, two-time NEFC Bogan Division Champions, and made two ECAC Bowl appearances. He captained the Falcons during his senior year and was a three-time MASCAC and NEFC All-Scholastic Team honoree. He graduated in 2006 with a degree in secondary education.
Following graduation, Hetherman was the starting quarterback for the Austrian Football League's Carinthian Black Lions and the German Football League's Wuerzburg Panthers. Hetherman also spent 2007 as the Offensive Coordinator with the Panthers.
The Hetherman File
Hometown: Oxford, Massachusetts
High School: Oxford High School
College: Fitchburg State '06
Recruiting Areas:
Primary: Pennsylvania, North Jersey (Middlesex County North)
Auxiliary:Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
JUCO/Prep: Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts
Coaching History:
2012: Old Dominion University - Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Linebackers
2010 - 2011: Old Dominion University - Rovers
2010: Western New England College - Offensive/Recruiting Coordinator
2009 - 2010: Northeastern University - Outside Linebackers
2007 - 2009 : Springfield College - Graduate Assistant
2007: Wuerzburg Panthers - Offensive Coordinator
2006 - 2007: King's College - Intern
2006: Carinthian Black Lions - Offensive Coordinator
2006: Fitchburg State College - Quarterbacks
Playing Experience:
2007: Wuerzburg Panthers (German Football League)
2006: Carinthian Black Lions (Austrian Football League)
All-Conference Monarchs Under Coach Hetherman
2011: Craig Wilkins - First Team All-CAA
2012: Craig Wilkins - Second Team All-CAA