Chris Villarrial (born June 9, 1973) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. He played professionally as an offensive guard with the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Saint Francis (PA) |
| Conference | NEC |
| Record | 56–79 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | June 9, 1973 Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1992–1995 | IUP |
| 1996–2003 | Chicago Bears |
| 2004–2006 | Buffalo Bills |
| Position(s) | Offensive guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2007–2008 | Central Cambria HS (OC) |
| 2009 | Saint Francis (PA) (OC) |
| 2010–present | Saint Francis (PA) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 56–79 |
| Tournaments | 0–2 (NCAA D-I playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 NEC (2016, 2022) | |
College career
editAfter redshirting his first year at IUP, Villarrial began his college career as a reserve nose guard until moving to offensive right tackle midway through his freshman season. While playing for IUP, Villarrial was a three-year All-American and three-year all-conference player. He played in the 1993 Division II national championship game, and received the Jim Langer Award for Best Lineman in Division II in 1996. Villarrial had his college jersey No. 75 retired by IUP.[1]
Professional career
editVillarrial was drafted in the fifth round (152nd overall) by Dave Wannstedt in April 1996.[2] Prior to the draft, Villarrial broke the NFL Combine Bench Press Record. As a member of the Chicago Bears from to 1996 to 2003, Villarrial played six seasons under head coach Dick Jauron and was a two-year All-Pro player in addition to being named to the All-Joe Team. He paved the way for a 1,000-yard rusher every season, blocked for Anthony Thomas, who was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2001, and was a member of an offensive line that gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL in 2001, when the Bears advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoff Game. He also received the Golden Bear Award, which was given to the rookie who has perfect attendance in the weight room.
After poor performances in the 2002 and 2003 seasons and a history of lewd and bullying behavior in the locker room, the Chicago Bears decided not to renew Villarrial’s contract and he was signed by the Buffalo Bills with head coach Mike Mularkey. Despite not starting, he was a member of an offensive line that gave up the fewest sacks in franchise history. Villarrial, who also played two seasons in Buffalo under coach Jauron, finished his NFL career with 148 starts.
Coaching career
editFollowing his professional career, Villarrial returned to Ebensburg, PA, where he served two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Central Cambria High School football team. He led the team to two district title games, and personally helped 13 players continue their playing careers at the collegiate level, while developing and implementing a successful strength and conditioning program.[3]
In late 2009, Villarrial became head coach of the Saint Francis Red Flash football team. The Red Flash compete in the Northeast Conference of NCAA Division I FCS. He had previously served as the offensive coordinator for one season.[4]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Francis Red Flash (Northeast Conference) (2010–present) | |||||||||
| 2010 | Saint Francis | 1–10 | 1–7 | 9th | |||||
| 2011 | Saint Francis | 2–9 | 1–7 | 9th | |||||
| 2012 | Saint Francis | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 2013 | Saint Francis | 5–6 | 3–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2014 | Saint Francis | 5–6 | 3–3 | 4th | |||||
| 2015 | Saint Francis | 6–4 | 4–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 2016 | Saint Francis | 7–5 | 5–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2017 | Saint Francis | 5–6 | 3–3 | 4th | |||||
| 2018 | Saint Francis | 4–7 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 2019 | Saint Francis | 6–6 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 2020–21 | No team—COVID-19 | ||||||||
| 2021 | Saint Francis | 5–6 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 2022 | Saint Francis | 9–3 | 7–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2023 | Saint Francis | 4–6 | 4–3 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2024 | Saint Francis | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Saint Francis: | 56–79 | 38–44 | |||||||
| Total: | 56–79 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Scout.com – College Sports, Football Recruiting, NFL, Fantasy Advice & More Front Page".
- ^ "1996 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Saint Francis University Red Flash Athletics – 2012 Football Coaching Staff".
- ^ "Hershey's Chris Villarrial passes on lessons of his coaches at St. Francis University". PennLive.com. October 17, 2010.
External links
edit- Saint Francis profile
- Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference