Some info on him when he was fired at Houston:
Vernon Hargreaves Named Houston Linebackers Coach
Veteran of 28 years spent the last three seasons at University of South Florida.
HOUSTON - Houston head football coach Vernon Hargreaves
(pronounced Har-graves) as the program's linebackers coach. The 28-year
coaching veteran spent the last three seasons at the University of
South Florida where he coached defensive ends and oversaw the program's
special teams units.
"We are excited to add a coach of Vernon Hargreaves' caliber," said
Levine. "When you look at his resume, his track record speaks for
itself. He's a veteran of the game and he's been known to develop
linebackers that excel on the college and professional level as evident
with seven NFL Pro Bowl honors shared by players he coached. Just last
night I watched Tavares Gooden, who he coached in college, playing in
the Super Bowl for the 49ers."
Coaching staffs that included Hargreaves have advanced to bowl games
in 12 of the last 15 seasons including back-to-back BCS National
Championship appearances while at Miami in 2001 and 2002. Hargreaves'
2001 linebackers helped to lead a Miami defense that allowed just 9.4
points per game en route to a national title.
"I'm excited to join the Houston family and am really looking forward
to getting to work with Tony and the rest of the staff," said
Hargreaves. "I'm familiar with the program having coached against it in
the past, so I know there is great potential in a great environment. The
future for this program is definitely an exciting one."
In his last three seasons at USF, Hargreaves helped to lead a defense
that finished among the Big East leaders. In 2011, Hargreaves'
defensive ends helped USF finish second nationally in tackles for loss
and fourth nationally in sacks while only allowing 107.3 rushing yards
per game, good for 15th in the NCAA ranks. The unit helped South Florida
win its fourth bowl game in school history with a 31-26 win over
Clemson in the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Hargreaves' first year at the USF saw the Bulls' defense rank 17th
nationally in total defense, 317.9 yards per game, 22nd in scoring
defense, 20.0 points per game, and 22nd in rushing defense with 125.6
yards per game. The Bulls led the Big East in tackles for loss while
finishing fourth in the conference in sacks.
Prior to his time in Tampa, Hargreaves spent three seasons in charge
of East Carolina's defensive ends and special teams. In addition to
being a part of a coaching staff that appeared in a bowl in all three of
his seasons in Greenville, N.C., Hargreaves was instrumental in the
development of a pair of All-Conference USA performers, five
game-winning field goals and college football's all-time leading career
kickoff return specialist at the time.
Under Hargreaves' leadership, defensive end C.J. Wilson was named the
Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 after leading the
Pirates with 10.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. Fellow end Zack Slate
was not far behind with five sacks on the season.
ECU special teams under Hargreaves flourished as well. His 2007
kickoff return unit ranked 13th nationally with an average return of
24.3 yards per return while the punting unit led Conference USA in net
punting in both 2008, when it finished ninth nationally with a net
average of 37.9 yards per punt, and in 2009, when it finished seventh
nationally with a net average of 39.1 yards per punt.
Hargreaves also helped East Carolina star Chris Johnson earn
All-America honors his senior season as he completed the 2007 season as
one of the country's top return specialists. In the kicking game,
Hargreaves' field goal unit accumulated five game-winning field goals in
his three years while kicker Ben Hartman ranked 10th nationally with
1.91 field goals per game in 2008.
Prior to spending the 2006 season at Florida International, where he
coached Lombardi Award nominee Keyonvis Bouie, Hargreaves enjoyed a
successful eight years at Miami in which the Hurricanes advanced to a
bowl each season including back-to-back BCS National Championship
appearances and the 2001 BCS Championship.
Credited with molding some of the nation's top linebackers while in
Coral Gables, Hargreaves saw Dan Morgan win the Butkus Award, Nagurski
Trophy and the Bednarik Award in 2000 and Jonathan Vilma and D.J.
Williams finish as semifinalists for the Butkus Award in 2003. The three
would all later be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, three
of Hargreaves' seven linebackers to be drafted with the Miami program.
During Miami's 12-0 national championship season in 2001, which was
capped by a 37-14 win over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl, Hargreaves helped
guide a Hurricane defense that allowed just 9.4 points per game, only
138.2 passing yards a contest while netting a +2.36 edge in turnover
margin. A year later, UM's defense surrendered a paltry 119.7 passing
yards per game on the way to a 12-1 campaign that concluded with a title
game appearance against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
During his time at Miami, Hargreaves enjoyed a run of eight
consecutive bowl appearances beginning in 1998 which resulted in
victories against N.C. State (Micron PC), Georgia Tech (Gator), Florida
(Sugar, Peach), Nebraska (Rose) and Florida State (Orange).
Hargreaves accepted his position at Miami after 13 seasons on the
University of Connecticut staff, where he was outside linebackers coach
from 1985-89 and inside linebackers coach from 1989-97. While at his
alma mater, he played a pivotal role in the development of Paul
Duckworth, who was a sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1994.
A native of New Haven, Conn., Hargreaves earned a bachelor's of
science degree in sociology from Connecticut in 1986. Prior to
graduation, he was a four-year football letterman for the Huskies, who
earned All-America honors as a junior and senior linebacker.
He still ranks fifth on the UConn career tackles list with 393, holds
two of the top-10 single-season tackle marks and stands as one of only
eight Huskies to register 20 tackles in a single game (vs. Holy Cross in
1983). At the end of his collegiate career, Hargreaves signed a free
agent contract with the Cleveland Browns and played professional
football in Italy.
In 1998, Hargreaves was named a member of UConn's 100th Anniversary
Team commemorating the greatest players in the football program's first
century. On March 24, 2007, he was inducted into the inaugural class of
New Haven's James Hillhouse High School Athletic Hall-of-Fame after
earning all-state honors as a prep standout in the late 1970s.
Hargreaves is married to the former Jackie Bond and the two have three children; Carina, Vernon III and Chanelle.
Hargreaves is the fourth new staff member of Levine this offseason, joining offensive coordinator Glen Elarbee.
Vernon Hargreaves Named Houston Linebackers Coach
Veteran of 28 years spent the last three seasons at University of South Florida.
HOUSTON - Houston head football coach Vernon Hargreaves
(pronounced Har-graves) as the program's linebackers coach. The 28-year
coaching veteran spent the last three seasons at the University of
South Florida where he coached defensive ends and oversaw the program's
special teams units.
"We are excited to add a coach of Vernon Hargreaves' caliber," said
Levine. "When you look at his resume, his track record speaks for
itself. He's a veteran of the game and he's been known to develop
linebackers that excel on the college and professional level as evident
with seven NFL Pro Bowl honors shared by players he coached. Just last
night I watched Tavares Gooden, who he coached in college, playing in
the Super Bowl for the 49ers."
Coaching staffs that included Hargreaves have advanced to bowl games
in 12 of the last 15 seasons including back-to-back BCS National
Championship appearances while at Miami in 2001 and 2002. Hargreaves'
2001 linebackers helped to lead a Miami defense that allowed just 9.4
points per game en route to a national title.
"I'm excited to join the Houston family and am really looking forward
to getting to work with Tony and the rest of the staff," said
Hargreaves. "I'm familiar with the program having coached against it in
the past, so I know there is great potential in a great environment. The
future for this program is definitely an exciting one."
In his last three seasons at USF, Hargreaves helped to lead a defense
that finished among the Big East leaders. In 2011, Hargreaves'
defensive ends helped USF finish second nationally in tackles for loss
and fourth nationally in sacks while only allowing 107.3 rushing yards
per game, good for 15th in the NCAA ranks. The unit helped South Florida
win its fourth bowl game in school history with a 31-26 win over
Clemson in the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Hargreaves' first year at the USF saw the Bulls' defense rank 17th
nationally in total defense, 317.9 yards per game, 22nd in scoring
defense, 20.0 points per game, and 22nd in rushing defense with 125.6
yards per game. The Bulls led the Big East in tackles for loss while
finishing fourth in the conference in sacks.
Prior to his time in Tampa, Hargreaves spent three seasons in charge
of East Carolina's defensive ends and special teams. In addition to
being a part of a coaching staff that appeared in a bowl in all three of
his seasons in Greenville, N.C., Hargreaves was instrumental in the
development of a pair of All-Conference USA performers, five
game-winning field goals and college football's all-time leading career
kickoff return specialist at the time.
Under Hargreaves' leadership, defensive end C.J. Wilson was named the
Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 after leading the
Pirates with 10.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. Fellow end Zack Slate
was not far behind with five sacks on the season.
ECU special teams under Hargreaves flourished as well. His 2007
kickoff return unit ranked 13th nationally with an average return of
24.3 yards per return while the punting unit led Conference USA in net
punting in both 2008, when it finished ninth nationally with a net
average of 37.9 yards per punt, and in 2009, when it finished seventh
nationally with a net average of 39.1 yards per punt.
Hargreaves also helped East Carolina star Chris Johnson earn
All-America honors his senior season as he completed the 2007 season as
one of the country's top return specialists. In the kicking game,
Hargreaves' field goal unit accumulated five game-winning field goals in
his three years while kicker Ben Hartman ranked 10th nationally with
1.91 field goals per game in 2008.
Prior to spending the 2006 season at Florida International, where he
coached Lombardi Award nominee Keyonvis Bouie, Hargreaves enjoyed a
successful eight years at Miami in which the Hurricanes advanced to a
bowl each season including back-to-back BCS National Championship
appearances and the 2001 BCS Championship.
Credited with molding some of the nation's top linebackers while in
Coral Gables, Hargreaves saw Dan Morgan win the Butkus Award, Nagurski
Trophy and the Bednarik Award in 2000 and Jonathan Vilma and D.J.
Williams finish as semifinalists for the Butkus Award in 2003. The three
would all later be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, three
of Hargreaves' seven linebackers to be drafted with the Miami program.
During Miami's 12-0 national championship season in 2001, which was
capped by a 37-14 win over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl, Hargreaves helped
guide a Hurricane defense that allowed just 9.4 points per game, only
138.2 passing yards a contest while netting a +2.36 edge in turnover
margin. A year later, UM's defense surrendered a paltry 119.7 passing
yards per game on the way to a 12-1 campaign that concluded with a title
game appearance against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
During his time at Miami, Hargreaves enjoyed a run of eight
consecutive bowl appearances beginning in 1998 which resulted in
victories against N.C. State (Micron PC), Georgia Tech (Gator), Florida
(Sugar, Peach), Nebraska (Rose) and Florida State (Orange).
Hargreaves accepted his position at Miami after 13 seasons on the
University of Connecticut staff, where he was outside linebackers coach
from 1985-89 and inside linebackers coach from 1989-97. While at his
alma mater, he played a pivotal role in the development of Paul
Duckworth, who was a sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1994.
A native of New Haven, Conn., Hargreaves earned a bachelor's of
science degree in sociology from Connecticut in 1986. Prior to
graduation, he was a four-year football letterman for the Huskies, who
earned All-America honors as a junior and senior linebacker.
He still ranks fifth on the UConn career tackles list with 393, holds
two of the top-10 single-season tackle marks and stands as one of only
eight Huskies to register 20 tackles in a single game (vs. Holy Cross in
1983). At the end of his collegiate career, Hargreaves signed a free
agent contract with the Cleveland Browns and played professional
football in Italy.
In 1998, Hargreaves was named a member of UConn's 100th Anniversary
Team commemorating the greatest players in the football program's first
century. On March 24, 2007, he was inducted into the inaugural class of
New Haven's James Hillhouse High School Athletic Hall-of-Fame after
earning all-state honors as a prep standout in the late 1970s.
Hargreaves is married to the former Jackie Bond and the two have three children; Carina, Vernon III and Chanelle.
Hargreaves is the fourth new staff member of Levine this offseason, joining offensive coordinator Glen Elarbee.
