Bob Surace

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1968)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Bob Surace

| image = Princeton_Tigers_football_head_coach_Bob_Surace.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Princeton

| current_conference = Ivy League

| current_record = 81–59

| contract =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|4|25}}

| birth_place = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1987–1989

| player_team1 = Princeton

| player_positions = Center

| coach_years1 = 1990–1992

| coach_team1 = Springfield (RB)

| coach_years2 = 1993

| coach_team2 = Maine Maritime Academy (OL)

| coach_years3 = 1994–1995

| coach_team3 = Shreveport Pirates (assistant)

| coach_years4 = 1995–1996

| coach_team4 = RPI (OL)

| coach_years5 = 1996–1999

| coach_team5 = Western Connecticut (OC)

| coach_years6 = 2000–2001

| coach_team6 = Western Connecticut

| coach_years7 = 2002–2003

| coach_team7 = Cincinnati Bengals (off. asst.)

| coach_years8 = 2004–2009

| coach_team8 = Cincinnati Bengals (asst. OL)

| coach_years9 = 2010–present

| coach_team9 = Princeton

| overall_record = 99–62

| bowl_record = 1–0

| tournament_record = 1–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs)

| championships = 1 FFC (2001)
4 Ivy (2013, 2016, 2018, 2021)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Robert J. Surace (pronounced {{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|r|eɪ|s}};{{cite AV media|date=October 4, 2019|title=Football Friday with Bob Surace: Week 3 vs. Columbia|publisher=YouTube|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=OMh-_PkUBJI|access-date=September 2, 2020}} 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.Gargan, Guy. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/millville-graduate-bob-surace-named-princeton-football-coach/article_b4d167f4-779f-5cef-afca-61d982cfb9f7.html "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." 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 1990.2008 Princeton Football Media Guide, p. 138, Princeton University, 2008. Surace's wife Lisa was a former soccer player at Princeton, and practiced psychology in Cincinnati. The couple have a son, A.J., who is a Quarterback at Rutgers and a daughter, Allison. His brother Brian was the offensive coordinator at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/article_0a08e7d4-477c-5659-b451-f36b11305ccb.html Millville native Bob Surace finds dream coaching job at Princeton], The Press of Atlantic City, October 13, 2010.

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.[http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=204862394 Bob Surace Bio] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314065527/http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=204862394 |date=March 14, 2012 }}, Princeton University, retrieved January 1, 2011. In 1993, he was the offensive line coach at the Maine Maritime Academy.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104221815/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bangor/access/71128699.html?dids=71128699:71128699&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+10,+1993&author=Pete+Warner+Of+the+NEWS+Staff&pub=Bangor+Daily+News&desc=Marchitello+fills+big+void+for+MMA+Sophomore+back+tough+to+stop&pqatl=google Marchitello fills big void for MMA Sophomore back tough to stop], The Bangor Daily News, November 10, 1993. In 1994, he was an assistant coach under Forrest Gregg for the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League. In 1995, he was the offensive line coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1999, he became the offensive coordinator at Western Connecticut State University.[http://www.spoke.com/info/p7E58xi/BobSurace Bob Surace, Assistant Offensive Line Coach, Cincinnati Bengals], Spoke.com, retrieved January 1, 2011. 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. His record at Western Connecticut State was 18–3.[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aj_Baq9pqe30 Princeton Hires Bengals Assistant Surace as Head Football Coach], Bloomberg, December 23, 2009. 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.

Princeton hired Surace in December 2009, which made him the first alumnus as coach since Bob Casciola in 1977.[https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4769227 Surace replaces Hughes at Princeton], ESPN, December 23, 2009. In his first season, Princeton finished with a 1–9 record.[http://www.dnj.com/article/20101223/SPORTS08/101223007/1006/SPORTS/Blaze+s+Patton+picks+Princeton Blaze's Patton picks Princeton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227092648/http://www.dnj.com/article/20101223/SPORTS08/101223007/1006/SPORTS/Blaze%2Bs%2BPatton%2Bpicks%2BPrinceton |date=December 27, 2010 }}, The Daily News Journal, December 23, 2010.

Head coaching record

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both | poll1 = STATS | poll2 = Coaches }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Western Connecticut Colonials

| conf = Freedom Football Conference

| startyear = 2000

| endyear = 2001

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2000

| name = Western Connecticut

| overall = 10–1

| conference = 5–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| bowlname = Northeast

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 2001

| name = Western Connecticut

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 5–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname = NCAA Division III Second Round

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Western Connecticut

| overall = 18–3

| confrecord = 10–2

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Princeton Tigers

| conf = Ivy League

| startyear = 2010

| endyear =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2010

| name = Princeton

| overall = 1–9

| conference = 0–7

| confstanding = 8th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2011

| name = Princeton

| overall = 1–9

| conference = 1–6

| confstanding = T–7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2012

| name = Princeton

| overall = 5–5

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = T–3rd

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

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| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 2013

| name = Princeton

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2014

| name = Princeton

| overall = 5–5

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2015

| name = Princeton

| overall = 5–5

| conference = 2–5

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 2016

| name = Princeton

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2017

| name = Princeton

| overall = 5–5

| conference = 2–5

| confstanding = 7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 2018

| name = Princeton

| overall = 10–0

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 11

| ranking2 = 9

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2019

| name = Princeton

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 5–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2020–21

| name = No team—COVID-19

| overall =

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| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 2021

| name = Princeton

| overall = 9–1

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 24

| ranking2 = 21

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2022

| name = Princeton

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 5–2

| confstanding = T–2nd

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2023

| name = Princeton

| overall = 5–5

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2024

| name = Princeton

| overall = 3–7

| conference = 2–5

| confstanding = T–6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2025

| name = Princeton

| overall = 0–0

| conference = 0–0

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Princeton

| overall = 81–59

| confrecord = 54–44

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 99–62

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

}}

References

{{Reflist}}