Jan. 12, 2001

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen announced today the hiring of Al Seamonson as outside linebackers coach and special teams assistant.

Seamonson is the ninth and final assistant to join the Terrapin staff under Friedgen who was appointed head coach on November 29. The other hirees are offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe, defensive coordinator/secondary coach Gary Blackney, special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski, defensive tackles coach Dave Sollazzo and linebackers coach Rod Sharpless. Running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Locksley and wide receivers coach James Franklin were retained from the previous staff.

Most recently a special teams coordinator and linebackers coach under Gary Blackney at Bowling Green State, Seamonson brings with him 18 years of collegiate coaching experience. His longest coaching stint took place at The Citadel where he served as the Bulldogs' special teams coordinator for 13 years. He is one of four members of the new staff who have served at The Citadel as he, Taaffe and Sollazzo were all members of the same staff in the late `80s and early `90s (Friedgen is the other coach with experience at the military college, but he served in the `70s).

"I feel very fortunate in being able to hire coach Seamonson," said Friedgen. "I think he is an outstanding young coach and an excellent recruiter. He has had the opportunity to work with (offensive coordinator) Charlie Taaffe and (defensive coordinator) Gary Blackney in two different situations and I am confident that he will do an excellent job with our outside linebackers and special teams."

The following is an updated bio on the latest addition to the Maryland coaching staff.

AL SEAMONSON
(Wisconsin, `82)
Outside Linebackers/Special Teams

Al Seamonson begins his first season as outside linebackers coach for the Terrapins. He will also assist Ray Rychleski with the special teams.

At the age of 41, Seamonson comes to Maryland with 18 years of collegiate coaching experience. He spent last season at Bowling Green State University -- where he worked under current Terp defensive coordinator Gary Blackney -- as the Falcons' special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.

In his lone year at Bowling Green State, Seamonson helped the Falcons produce a defensive unit that ranked fourth in the MAC in rushing defense and total defense. Hired by Blackney, who at the time was the Falcons' head coach, he was responsible -- in addition to his duties with special teams and linebackers -- for recruiting Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York and Florida.

Seamonson's coaching tenure prior to BGSU was weighted heavily in military settings. From 1987-99, he coached at The Citadel (The Military College of South Carolina), where he started as a wide receivers coach (1987) before serving the remainder of his tenure (1988-99) as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. At The Citadel, Seamonson coached under current Terp offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe and worked alongside defensive tackles coach Dave Sollazzo. He helped coach four linebackers to All-Southern Conference honors and one (J.J. Davis) to an appearance in the Senior Bowl. The highlight of his tenure was in 1992 when the Bulldogs led Division I-AA in scoring defense, yielding just 13.0 points per contest en route to a Southern Conference championship and advancing to the I-AA playoffs for the third time in five years.

The Citadel was not Seamonson's first taste of the military life, however, as he was a linebackers coach at the U.S. Military Academy (Army) in West Point, N.Y., for the 1985 and `86 seasons. In his first season at Army, the Cadets were one of the surprise teams in the country as they won the 1985 Peach Bowl, 31-29, over Illinois. It was one of just four times in the Academy's history that it had gone to a bowl game.

A 1982 graduate of Wisconsin and a four-year letterwinner for the Badgers at wide receiver, Seamonson got his start in coaching in Madison. In 1982 and `83, he served as a volunteer coach for Wisconsin's wide receivers. He then was a graduate assistant for the next two years where he worked for the Badgers' secondary unit.

Born September 7, 1959, in Stoughton, Wisc., Seamonson was an all-state receiver at Stoughton High School and was a captain for the All-State Shrine Team in 1977. He and his wife, Kristi, have three children: Kylen, Kalvin and Karter.

The Seamonson File
Personal
Date of Birth: September 7, 1959
Hometown: Stoughton, Wisc.
Alma Mater: Wisconsin, `82

Coaching Experience
Maryland
2001 - Assistant Coach - Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Assistant
Bowling Green State
2000 Assistant Coach - Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers
The Citadel
1987-99 Assistant Coach - Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers
United States Military Academy (Army)
1985-86 Assistant Coach - Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
Wisconsin
1983-84 Graduate Assistant - Defensive Backs
1982-83 Volunteer Coach - Wide Receivers

Playing Experience
Wisconsin Football (Wide Receiver), 1978-81

Transactions
College
Maryland (football) - Hired Al Seamonson, former Bowling Green State assistant, as outside linebackers coach/special teams assistant.