Banks Named Terps' Inside Linebackers Coach
3/21/2003 7:00:00 AM | Football
March 21, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen has named Tim Banks as the Terrapins' new inside linebackers coach.
Banks comes to College Park from the University of Memphis and his hiring helps the Terps reshuffle and fill out their coaching staff. With Banks taking over inside linebackers, recently hired Bill O'Brien moves into the running backs coach position, a spot vacated when Mike Locksley took a similar post at Florida. O'Brien is well-suited to the position having served as Georgia Tech's offensive coordinator the past two years.
In addition to the move by O'Brien to the offensive side of the ball, wide receivers coach James Franklin will take over as Maryland's recruiting coordinator, another post previously held by Locksley.
"I feel like Tim Banks will be a tremendous addition to our staff," said Friedgen. "I feel he is one of the up-and-coming young coaches in the country and I expect that he will be a big help in recruiting as he has had success recruiting the Atlanta area as well as in Florida."
Banks, who has worked in the past with Terp staffers Gary Blackney and Al Seamonson, is looking forward to his opportunity in College Park.
"I am very excited to be joining the Maryland program," said Banks. "I have had the chance to meet the kids and have been very impressed with how hungry they are to continue and improve upon their successes of the last couple of years. Obviously, Coach Friedgen's reputation speaks for itself and I just feel very blessed and fortunate to be a part of his staff."
TIM BANKS
(Central Michigan, '94)
Inside Linebackers
Tim Banks begins his first season at the University of Maryland, serving as the Terrapins' inside linebackers coach after spending the last two seasons at the University of Memphis.
Banks joined the Tiger staff when former Clemson head coach Tommy West took the reins of the Memphis program in '01. He oversaw outside linebackers in his first season in Memphis before taking over as cornerbacks coach for the 2002 campaign. In his first season coaching cornerbacks, the Tigers finished ninth in Division I-A ranks in pass defense, allowing an average of just 165.8 yards per game.
Now entering his eighth year of coaching at the collegiate level, Banks is another Terrapin coach with ties to the current staff. Prior to his being hired at Memphis, Banks served as defensive backs coach at Bowling Green State under current Maryland defensive coordinator Gary Blackney. Like his first season coaching corners at Memphis, Banks' first season coaching defensive backs at Bowling Green offered immediate results as the Falcons tripled their interception total from the previous year.
In addition to coaching under Blackney, Banks also served along side current Terp assistant Al Seamonson who was the Falcons' linebackers coach in 2000. All told, Banks spent two years as a full-time coach at BGSU -- both during the Blackney regime -- serving one (1999) as a running backs coach and the other (2000) in charge of the defensive backs.
Bowling Green was also the site of the start of Banks' coaching career as he was the school's graduate assistant for the 1996 season after completing his collegiate playing career. After serving that season working with the Falcons' defense, he was hired to his first full-time post, coaching defensive backs at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. In his two seasons, he worked as the Bulldogs' defensive backs coach while also having a hand in the passing game and special teams.
A four-year letterwinner at cornerback for Central Michigan, Banks graduated in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management. In his time with the Chippewas, Banks earned All-Mid-America Conference honors as a junior and a senior while also being named his team's most valuable player in those seasons. A team co-captain his senior year, Banks finished his career with over 200 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Born December 16, 1971, Banks is a native of Detroit, Mich. He and his wife, Robin, were married in 1994.
The Banks File
Personal
Date of Birth: December 16, 1971
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Alma Mater: Central Michigan, '94
Coaching Experience
University of Memphis
2002 Assistant Coach - Cornerbacks
2001 Assistant Coach - Outside Linebackers
Bowling Green
2000 Assistant Coach - Defensive Backs
1999 Assistant Coach - Running Backs
Ferris State University
1997-98 Assistant Coach - Defensive Backs
Bowling Green
1996 Graduate Assistant - Defense
Playing Experience
Central Michigan University Football (cornerback), 1991-94
