March 25, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen officially announced the hiring of Bryan Bossard and Dan Hickson today. Bossard replaces James Franklin as the Terps' wide receivers coach while Hickson takes over as assistant recruiting coordinator, a post vacated by John Donovan when the latter assumed the duties of running backs coach.
As was previously announced, defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo has assumed Franklin's duties as the Terps' recruiting coordinator. Franklin left the Terps in February to become the wide receivers coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Bossard comes to the Terps after a three-year stint at nearby Delaware. His most recent stint with the Blue Hens - his second - was a productive one. In his first season back in Newark, Delaware succeeded offensively despite the team having four different freshmen starters at wide receiver and a first-year quarterback. Most importantly, his efforts in '03 helped lead the Blue Hens to a 15-1 record and the Division I-AA national championship. For the first time in school history, three different UD receivers caught 50 passes or more.
In 2004, Bossard helped coach receiver David Boler to a top 30 national ranking in I-AA in both receptions per game (21st, 5.91) and receiving yards per game (29th, 82.1).
Prior to heading back to Delaware, Bossard served as a defensive backs coach at the University of Wyoming from 2000-01. He took that post in Laramie after one year at Army, his first coaching job at the I-A level (wide receivers).
Bossard's longest consecutive stint at any school was his in first post at Delaware where he was receivers coach from 1994-98. The highlight of his first stint included playoff appearances in 1995, 1996 and 1997, each of which featured 12-2 records and national semifinal berths.
Now in his 15th year overall as a full-time coach, Bossard's first collegiate coaching post was as a graduate assistant at Delaware (1990), followed by jobs with Morehouse College (1991), West Chester University (1992) and Bucknell (1992-93). Every job he has had has either involved coaching receivers or coaching the players trying to stop them (defensive backs).
Prior to beginning his career as a college coach, Bossard served one year as an assistant coach at Glasgow High School in Newark, Del., helping lead his team to the state title in his only season.
In addition to his coaching at the collegiate level, Bossard also served summer coaching internships with the National Football League's Chicago Bears in 1996 and '97.
A native of and all-state prep performer from Dover, Del., Bossard was a standout defensive back at UD from 1985-88, helping the Blue Hens advance to the I-AA playoffs in both his sophomore and senior seasons. A three-year letterwinner, he earned second team All-Yankee Conference honors as a senior and was selected as the team's Outstanding Senior Defensive Player (Blue Hen Touchdown Club). He posted 122 tackles that season, including the fourth-highest total in school history (22 vs. Navy).
Bossard graduated from Delaware in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in agricultural business management.
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Hickson gives the Terrapins a presence both as a local recruiter and as a football mind. He comes to Maryland after three years as offensive line coach at Georgetown University where he also recruited Maryland, Washington D.C., Connecticut, Rhode Island, Tennessee and North Carolina for the Hoyas.
He joined the Hoyas after two years as an offensive line coach at Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., a school that he had previously served as a coach (1990-99) and assistant athletics director (1997-2002). In between stops at Good Counsel, Hickson also worked for two years as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Catholic University in D.C.
A retired police lieutenant who was a member of D.C.'s Metro Police force for over 23 years, Hickson is also the father of former Maryland graduate assistant, Brian Hickson, and a member of the Maryland High School Football Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Association.
