Rich Gunnell

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1987)}}

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

{{Infobox NFL biography

| embed =

| name = Rich Gunnell

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| number =

| current_team = Holy Cross Crusaders

| position = Wide receivers coach & Pass game coordinator

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|1|12|mf=y}}

| birth_place = East Windsor Township, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 197

| high_school = Notre Dame
(Lawrence, New Jersey)

| college = Boston College

| undraftedyear = 2010

| pastteams =

| pastcoaching =

  • Tufts (2011)
    Assistant defensive line coach
  • Boston College (2012–2013)
    Graduate assistant
  • Marian HS (MA) (2014–2015)
    Head coach
  • Boston College (2016–2019)
    Wide receivers coach
  • Boston College (2019)
    Interim head coach
  • Boston College (2020–2021)
    Running backs coach
  • Holy Cross (2022–present)
    Wide receivers coach & Pass game coordinator

| highlights =

| regular_record =

| playoff_record =

| overall_record = NCAA: {{Winning percentage|0|1|record=y}}

}}

Richard P. Gunnell (born January 12, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Boston College.Joe O'Gorman [http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2009/12/21/sports/doc4b2ef5232ed44264566378.txt Gunnell grateful for football career at Boston College] December 21, 2009 Trentonian He is currently the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator at the College of the Holy Cross.

Early years

Gunnell is from East Windsor Township, New Jersey[http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/gunnell_rich00.html Player Profile] Boston College and was a standout at Notre Dame High School{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndnj.org/|title=NDHS {{!}} Private Catholic High School in Lawrenceville NJ|website=www.ndnj.org|access-date=2019-07-11}} in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. In high school, he made 115 receptions for 2,200 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also returned three kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns. He played for head coach Chappy Moore, and was on the school's basketball and track teams.

College career

Gunnell set the career receiving yard record at Boston College, surpassing Pete Mitchell's. Gunnell broke the record on a 61-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter of his final game against USC in the 2009 Emerald Bowl. He finished with 2,459 receiving yards in his career surpassing Mitchell's 2,388 yards. In his final collegiate game Gunnell he had 130 receiving yards and one touchdown on six catches.Heather Dinich [https://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/16374/instant-analysis-usc-24-bc-13 Instant Analysis: USC 24, BC 13]

December 26, 2009 ESPN He was also the active leader in catches, receiving yards, and punt return touchdowns in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Gunnell was voted the Eagles Most Valuable Player by his teammates, the first time a wide receiver captain received the honor since 1990. His "dream" is to play professionally and is awaiting an invitation to the NFL Combine. Gunnell was a senior team captain along with center Matt Tennant and middle linebacker Mike McLaughlin.Dan Rowinski [http://bcblog.weei.com/sports/boston/general/boston-college/2009/12/26/seniors-set-to-bid-adieu-in-san-francisco/ Seniors Set To Bid Adieu in San Francisco] December 26, 2009

WEEI Gunnell played under three head coaches start including Tom O'Brien and Frank Spaziani

Gunnell played with quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Dominique Davis, and Dave Shinskie. His best season statistically was as a sophomore with Ryan as quarterback when he had 64 receptions for 931 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns. His senior year with 25-year-old freshman Shinskie he caught 54 passes for 750 yards, and 6 touchdown, plus another 5 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown against USC in the Emerald Bowl.[https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13504/rich-p-gunnell ESPN player profile]

Professional career

On April 25, 2010, it was announced that Gunnell had signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, just prior to the start of the 2010 season on September 3, the Chiefs released Gunnell along with 6 other players vying for roster spots. Gunnell was the final cut for the Chiefs and was placed on the practice squad.

{{cite web |url=http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/102201364.html |title=Chiefs Resign Page; Release Seven |website=www.wibw.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311034141/http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/102201364.html |archive-date=2012-03-11}}

Coaching career

Gunnell was a graduate assistant at Boston College, his alma mater.

He coached at Marian High School in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 2014. Gunnell became the wide receivers coach for Boston College in the 2016 season. Gunnell was named interim head coach following the firing of Steve Addazio at the conclusion of the 2019 regular season. For the 2022 season, Gunnell joined the Holy Cross football coaching staff as the Wide receivers coach and Pass game coordinator. {{cite web |last1=Bailin |first1=Arthur |title=Rich Gunnell Will Be Boston College Football's Interim Coach |url=https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/12/1/20990860/rich-gunnell-will-be-boston-college-footballs-interim-coach |website=BC Interruption |access-date=December 2, 2019 |language=en |date=1 December 2019}}

Head coaching record

=College=

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Boston College Eagles

| conf = Atlantic Coast Conference

| startyear = 2019

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2019

| name = Boston College

| overall = 0–1

| conference = 0–0

| confstanding =

| bowlname = Birmingham

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Boston College

| overall = 0–1

| confrecord = 0–0

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 0–1

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

References

{{Reflist}}