Bob Surace
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamPrinceton
ConferenceIvy League
Record78–52
Biographical details
Born (1968-04-25) April 25, 1968
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1987–1989Princeton
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–1992Springfield (RB)
1993Maine Maritime Academy (OL)
1994–1995Shreveport Pirates (assistant)
1995–1996RPI (OL)
1996–1999Western Connecticut State (OC)
2000–2001Western Connecticut State
2002–2003Cincinnati Bengals (off. asst.)
2004–2009Cincinnati Bengals (asst. OL)
2010–presentPrinceton
Head coaching record
Overall96–55
Bowls1–0
Tournaments1–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 FFC (2001)
4 Ivy (2013, 2016, 2018, 2021)

Robert J. Surace (pronounced /səˈreɪs/;[1] born April 25, 1968) is an American college football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Princeton University, a position he had held since the 2010 season. Surace was the head football coach at Western Connecticut State University from 2000 to 2001. He had worked as an assistant coach in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL).

Early life

Surace was born on April 25, 1968, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, grew up in Millville, New Jersey and attended Millville Senior High School, where his father, Tony Surace, was a longtime football and baseball coach.[2][3][4] He attended Princeton University, where he played on the football team from 1987 to 1989 as a center. In 1989, the Ivy League named Surace to the All-Ivy team. He graduated in 1990.[5] Surace's wife Lisa was a former soccer player at Princeton, and practiced psychology in Cincinnati. The couple have a son, A.J., and a daughter, Allison.[2] His brother Brian was the offensive coordinator at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[3]

Coaching career

Surace began coaching in 1990 as the running backs coach at Springfield College. While there, he earned a Master of Arts degree in sports management.[2] In 1993, he was the offensive line coach at the Maine Maritime Academy.[6] In 1994, he was an assistant coach under Forrest Gregg for the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League.[2] In 1995, he was the offensive line coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1999, he became the offensive coordinator at Western Connecticut State University.[7] In 2000, Surace was promoted to head coach. In his second season, he led the Colonials to the Freedom Football Conference championship and the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship playoffs.[2] His record at Western Connecticut State was 18–3.[8] Surace then joined the staff of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League. From 2002 to 2003, he was an offensive staff assistant, and from 2004 to 2009, an assistant offensive line coach.[2]

Princeton hired Surace in December 2009, which made him the first alumnus as coach since Bob Casciola in 1977.[9] In his first season, Princeton finished with a 1–9 record.[10]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs STATS# Coaches°
Western Connecticut Colonials (Freedom Football Conference) (2000–2001)
2000 Western Connecticut 10–15–12ndW ECAC Northeast Bowl
2001 Western Connecticut 8–25–1T–1stL NCAA Division III Second Round
Western Connecticut: 18–310–2
Princeton Tigers (Ivy League) (2010–present)
2010 Princeton 1–90–78th
2011 Princeton 1–91–6T–7th
2012 Princeton 5–54–3T–3rd
2013 Princeton 8–26–1T–1st
2014 Princeton 5–54–34th
2015 Princeton 5–52–56th
2016 Princeton 8–26–1T–1st
2017 Princeton 5–52–57th
2018 Princeton 10–07–01st119
2019 Princeton 8–25–23rd
2020 No team[lower-alpha 1]
2021 Princeton 9–16–1T–1st2421
2022 Princeton 8–25–2T–2nd
2023 Princeton 5–54–34th
Princeton: 78–5252–39
Total:96–55
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
  1. ↑ Princeton did not play in the 2020–21 school year due to COVID-19 concerns.

References

  1. ↑ Football Friday with Bob Surace: Week 3 vs. Columbia. YouTube. October 4, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bob Surace Bio Archived March 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Princeton University, retrieved January 1, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Millville native Bob Surace finds dream coaching job at Princeton, The Press of Atlantic City, October 13, 2010.
  4. ↑ Gargan, Guy. "Millville graduate Bob Surace named Princeton football coach", The Press of Atlantic City, December 24, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2018. "Millville High School graduate Bob Surace has been hired as the football coach at his alma mater, Princeton University, the school announced Wednesday."
  5. ↑ 2008 Princeton Football Media Guide, p. 138, Princeton University, 2008.
  6. ↑ Marchitello fills big void for MMA Sophomore back tough to stop, The Bangor Daily News, November 10, 1993.
  7. ↑ Bob Surace, Assistant Offensive Line Coach, Cincinnati Bengals, Spoke.com, retrieved January 1, 2011.
  8. ↑ Princeton Hires Bengals Assistant Surace as Head Football Coach, Bloomberg, December 23, 2009.
  9. ↑ Surace replaces Hughes at Princeton, ESPN, December 23, 2009.
  10. ↑ Blaze's Patton picks Princeton Archived December 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, The Daily News Journal, December 23, 2010.
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