David Nelson Cutcliffe (born September 16, 1954) is a former American college football coach who most recently served as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils. Under Cutcliffe, in 2012 the Blue Devils ended an 18-year bowl drought and also brought the Victory Bell back to Duke after beating arch-rival University of North Carolina. The following season, Cutcliffe led the team to a second straight bowl appearance, another win over North Carolina, an Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship and the first 10-win season in school history.[1] He also earned multiple college football coach of the year awards from the Walter Camp Football Foundation,[2] the Maxwell Football Club, and the Bobby Dodd Foundation.[3]
Cutcliffe was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, which played a formative role in his development as a football coach.[4] He has two brothers (Charles "Paige" Cutcliffe, and Raymond Eugene "JR." Cutcliffe) and three sisters (Mary Marlyn Cutcliffe Sullivan, Margart Lynn Cutcliffe, and Elizabeth "Buff" Cutcliffe Easterly). Cutcliffe attended Banks High School in Birmingham where he played football. He attended the University of Alabama, where he worked as an assistant director of the athletic dormitory.
Coaching career
Early coaching career
In 1976, Cutcliffe took a job at Banks High School where he served as an assistant and later as the head coach. In 1982, he was hired as a part-time coach at the University of Tennessee. A year later, he was promoted to full-time status as the tight ends and assistant offensive line coach. By 1990, Cutcliffe was promoted to quarterbacks coach. He became offensive coordinator as well in 1993. As coordinator, Cutcliffe helped lead the Vols to two Southeastern Conference championships and a national championship. He also helped groom Heath Shuler and future Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of FamerPeyton Manning, serving as their position coach.
Ole Miss
On December 2, 1998, Cutcliffe was hired as the head football coach at Ole Miss after Tommy Tuberville left for Auburn. Cutcliffe had success at Ole Miss, where he recruited Eli Manning, son of Ole Miss player Archie Manning, to play quarterback. In 2003, Cutcliffe's Rebels tied LSU for the Southeastern Conference West Division title, and they won the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Rebels' most prestigious bowl game since the Johnny Vaught era. The bowl victory capped off the Rebels' first 10-win season in 32 years, and only their second since Vaught's tenure.
Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss Athletic Director Pete Boone in December 2004 after his only losing season at Ole Miss. Boone had asked Cutcliffe to fire some assistant coaches and provide a detailed plan for improving the program, specifically the defense and recruiting. Cutcliffe refused to fire any staff members, and was subsequently fired along with his assistants.[5]
Post-Ole Miss
After his stint at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe was hired by head coach Charlie Weis as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame,[6] but health problems forced him to resign before his first season there.[7] In 2005, he underwent successful triple-bypass surgery to correct a 99-percent blocked artery.[8] After taking a year off he returned to Knoxville to coach Tennessee again and join his sons, Chris Cutcliffe and Marcus Hilliard, then Tennessee students, on campus (his oldest daughter, Katie Cutcliffe Kolls, would also attend Tennessee). After Cutcliffe's successor as offensive coordinator at Tennessee, Randy Sanders, resigned, Phillip Fulmer rehired Cutcliffe to replace him.
Cutcliffe led a major turnaround of the Tennessee offense during the 2006 season. Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge ranked among the nation's top 25 passers by yardage, and wide receiver Robert Meachem had the third-most receiving yards of any player.[9]
Duke University
Cutcliffe meeting with players, 2012
Cutcliffe was hired as the head football coach at Duke University on December 14, 2007,[10] replacing Ted Roof, who had amassed a 4–42 win–loss record (1–31 in the ACC) over four years at the school. Cutcliffe inherited a program that had tallied only three winning seasons in the last 25 years and, before the 2008 season, had not beaten an ACC opponent in over three seasons.[11]
Cutcliffe immediately began a strength and conditioning program, challenging the team to collectively lose 1,000 pounds after finding the team in less than ideal physical shape.[12]
On Saturday, August 30, 2008, Cutcliffe won his first game as Duke's head coach, defeating the James MadisonDukes 31–7, before a crowd of 32,571, the largest in Wallace Wade Stadium since 1994.[13][14] The game marked the introduction of a number of rituals that Cutcliffe hopes to turn into Duke traditions, including the Blue Devil Walk, which parades the players and coaching staff from Duke Chapel, through West Campus and past Cameron Indoor Stadium to Wallace Wade Stadium,[15] and the "Blue Devil Rock", located in the stadium tunnel and mined from the same quarry used in the construction of Duke's West Campus.[16]
In Cutcliffe's second game, Duke lost to Northwestern in a mirror image game of the previous season's matchup, twice falling short of a touchdown deep in Northwestern territory. After the home loss against Northwestern, Duke hosted Navy, prevailing 41–31. Cutcliffe next led Duke to its first ACC victory since 2004, with a 31–3 rout of Virginia.[17] This was a complete turnaround from the team's 2006 game against UVA, in which the Blue Devils were shut out 37–0 in Wallace Wade. Duke proceeded to lose to Georgia Tech and Miami before notching its first road win of the season, a 10–7 victory over SEC opponent Vanderbilt. Next, on the road at Wake Forest, Duke lost in overtime, 33–30, missing what would have been a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. This was another in a string of such painful kicking miscues for the Blue Devils, including a miss at North Carolina in the previous season. The next game, Duke went on to lose to Clemson, 31–7, before fighting to a surprisingly close 14–3 loss to powerhouse Virginia Tech and suffering a disappointing close loss to arch-rival North Carolina at season's end.
In January 2010, following Lane Kiffin's abrupt departure after just one season at the helm of the Tennessee football team, Cutcliffe quickly emerged as a leading candidate to replace Kiffin.[18] Cutcliffe, however, ultimately rebuffed Tennessee's overtures, remaining at Duke and stating, “After much thought and consideration, Karen and I reached the decision that Duke is the place for our family. We have both family members and lifetime friends in the Knoxville community and share a deep respect for the University of Tennessee. Our ties to the school and the Eastern Tennessee area are obvious. But before Tennessee’s hiring process comes to a conclusion, I know that Duke University is where we want to coach.”[19] Cutcliffe's decision was widely lauded as a rare example of commitment and integrity among prominent college football coaches.[20][21]
On October 20, 2012, Coach Cutcliffe led the Devils to their first win over North Carolina since 2003. In doing so, Duke became bowl eligible for the first time since 1994 to the Belk Bowl. The Blue Devils appeared poised to win their first bowl game in 51 years after building a 16-0 lead against the Big East Conference co-champion Cincinnati Bearcats. But the Bearcats stormed back, finishing the game on a 48 to 18 run denying the Devils the victory.[22] Still, the successful season earned Cutcliffe the ACC Coach of the Year on November 27, 2012.[23]
On October 26, 2013, Cutcliffe led the Blue Devils to an upset of #14 Virginia Tech, 13–10. This was Duke's first win over a ranked opponent since beating #14 Virginia in 1994. With this win, the Blue Devils became bowl eligible for a second consecutive season for the first time since the 1988 and 1989 seasons.[24] A win over NC State the following week guaranteed the Blue Devils their first winning season in 20 years, and only their ninth in 50 years. On November 29, with a close 27–25 win over North Carolina, the Blue Devils clinched their first-ever Coastal Division title, as well as the first 10-win season in their over 100-year football history. They also garnered a berth in the 2013 ACC Championship Game falling to the eventual National Champion Florida State Seminoles and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston 45-7. Duke's historic 2013 season concluded on New Year's Eve in Atlanta, GA, at the Chick-fil-A Bowl against the Texas A&M Aggies, led by 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. In a high-scoring affair totaling 100 points, Duke took a 38–17 halftime lead before ultimately succumbing to a Manziel-led rally, 52–48.
The 2014 season under Cutcliffe started off with four double-digit victories over Elon at home, Troy on the road, Kansas at home and Tulane at home. In week 5, they lost for the first time that season on the road against Miami, 10-22. In week 7, Duke upset #22 ranked opponent Georgia Tech in Bobby Dodd Stadium, 31-25, and beat Virginia the following week at home. By week 9, they had entered the AP Top 25 for the first time that season, coming in at #24. Duke won a double-overtime thriller on the road at Pittsburgh, 51-48, where wide receiver Jamison Crowder caught 9 passes for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. Following a 27-10 victory over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, Duke entered their week 11 matchup against Virginia Tech at home ranked #19 in the nation. After starting out with a 10-0 lead and eventually coming to a 16-7 lead late in the third quarter, Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye made a 35 yard field goal in the final seconds of the third quarter to cut the lead down to 6 points. Virginia Tech would score a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and upset #19 Duke 17-16 on the road. North Carolina dominated the Blue Devils 45-20 the following week, and Duke fell out of the top 25. Duke lost the Sun Bowl against #15 Arizona State, and finished the season 9-4.[25]
In 2015, Cutcliffe's team started out 2-0 with blowout victories over Tulane and North Carolina Central. On September 26, 2015, Duke upset #20 Georgia Tech, 34-20. Duke began the 2015 season with a record of 6-1, and reached as high as #22 in the AP Top 25. Following these accomplishments, the Blue Devils lost four straight games, including a 35-point loss to North Carolina on the road. Cutcliffe's squad would finish 8-5 on the season, and defeat Indiana in the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl 44-41. This bowl marked Duke's first bowl victory in 54 years. Also, it was and it remains the highest scoring Pinstripe Bowl in the game's history.
Cutcliffe is third on Duke's all-time wins list, behind only Hall of Famers Wallace Wade and Bill Murray.
On November 28, 2021, it was announced that Cutcliffe and Duke University had agreed to mutually part ways following three straight losing seasons.[26] Cutcliffe released the following statement: "After some detailed and amiable discussions with Nina King, we've mutually decided that it is the right time for change in the leadership of Duke Football. Karen and I have loved our time in Durham. Duke University will always hold a special place in our hearts. To our current and former players please know how much joy you've brought to our lives. To all of our coaches and staff, many who have been with us for 14 years, you will always have our love and respect. I want to thank Dick Brodhead for the opportunity to come here. I'm very thankful for Kevin White and Nina and their leadership. I can't say enough about all the faithful alumni and friends that gave us an opportunity to build and win here. I'm not sure just yet what the future will look like, but I am looking forward to some family time to reflect a bit on the past and see what the future holds."[27]
Cutcliffe also coached former Colorado Rockiesfirst basemanTodd Helton while Helton played quarterback at Tennessee. Eli Manning's former backup, Seth Smith, is a retired professional baseball player.
Stephen Charles Sloan was an American professional football player who became a college football coach and athletics administrator. He played in college as a quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1962 to 1965 and then spent two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Atlanta Falcons (1966–1967). Sloan then returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach (1968-1970), and then served one year each as an offensive coordinator at Florida State (1971) and Georgia Tech (1972). At Florida State he was on the staff with linebackers coach Bill Parcells. Sloan then got his first head coaching job at Vanderbilt University (1973–1974), where he brought Parcells with him, and at his next job at Texas Tech University (1975–1977), he made Parcells the defensive coordinator. Sloan then went on to the University of Mississippi (1978–1982), and Duke University (1983–1986), compiling a career record of 68–86–3. He returned to Vanderbilt to serve as offensive coordinator for one year (1990) before retiring from coaching. He also served as the athletic director at the University of Alabama (1987-1989), the University of North Texas (1991-1993), University of Central Florida (1993-2002), and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2002-2006), before his retirement in 2006. In 2000, Sloan was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. He died on April 14, 2024, at the age of 79.
Shawn Levique Moore is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers and was recognized as a first-team All-American. He later returned to Virginia as an assistant coach under Mike London. Moore was named Director of Community Relations for the College Football Playoff in March 2014.
The Duke Blue Devils football team represents Duke University in the sport of American football. The Blue Devils compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The program has 17 conference championships, 53 All-Americans, 10 ACC Players of the Year, and have had three Pro Football Hall of Famers come through the program. The team is coached by Manny Diaz and play their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
The Ole Miss Rebels football program represents the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss". The Rebels compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Rebels play their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium on the university's campus in Oxford, Mississippi.
The 2007–08 NCAA football bowl games concluded the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS regular season in college football.
The 2004 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented the Virginia Tech in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. Virginia Tech won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in its inaugural year in the conference, running off a streak of eight straight wins to end the regular season after a 2–2 start. Tech posted a 10-3 record and finished 10th in the final Associated Press after losing to undefeated Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer, who was named ACC Coach of the Year. Tech was led on the field by quarterback Bryan Randall, who was named ACC player of the year.
The 2008 Duke Blue Devils football team represented the Duke University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by head coach David Cutcliffe. They played their homes games at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
The 2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was Wake Forest's 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The 1968 Liberty Bowl was an American college football postseason bowl game between the Virginia Tech Gobblers and the Ole Miss Rebels. The 10th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it was played at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 14, 1968. The game was the final contest of the 1968 NCAA University Division football season for both teams, and ended in a 34–17 victory for Mississippi.
The 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference football season was the 56th season that the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) participated in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football. As a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference, the ACC's constituent members competed within the framework of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The 2009 Duke Blue Devils football team represented Duke University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was Duke's 57th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and fifth in its Coastal Division. The Blue Devils were led by second-year head coach David Cutcliffe. Duke finished the season 5–7 overall and 3–5 in ACC play, failing to qualify for a bowl game for the 15th straight season.
The 2011 Duke Blue Devils football team represented Duke University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the Coastal Division. The Blue Devils were led by fourth-year head coach David Cutcliffe and played their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke finished the season 3–9 overall and 1–7 in ACC play to place last in the Coastal Division.
Tevin Washington is an American former college football player. He played as a quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2009 to 2012. Washington came to the Georgia Institute of Technology after a successful prep career in Alabama. He became a starter for Georgia Tech as a redshirt sophomore after Joshua Nesbitt was injured during 2010 football season, and emerged as a dual-threat quarterback.
The 2013 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by sixth year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They were members of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in ACC play to finish in a three way tie for second place in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the Music City Bowl where they lost to Ole Miss.
The 2013 Duke Blue Devils football team represented Duke University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the Coastal Division.. The team was led by head coach David Cutcliffe, in his sixth year, and played its home games at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Kurt Roper is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the quarterbacks backs coach at North Carolina State University. Roper was the interim head football coach at University of Colorado Boulder for the final game of the 2018 season. He previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of South Carolina for two seasons. He also served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Florida in 2014 and Duke University for six seasons prior to that. A native of Ames, Iowa, he was starting quarterback for Ardmore (OK) High School, where he led the Tigers to a 1990 state championship. Roper earned three varsity letters as a quarterback and defensive back at Rice before graduating in 1995. He earned a master's degree from the University of Tennessee in 1998. His coaching career has been much associated with that of David Cutcliffe.
The 2016 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by ninth-year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They were a member of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Matthew Barham Luke is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive line coach at Clemson University.
The Ole Miss Rebels, the football team of the University of Mississippi, was founded in 1893. The state's first football team, the Rebels currently play in the FBS Subdivision of NCAA Division 1 Football and in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The history of Duke Blue Devils football began in 1888, when Duke University first fielded a football team.
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