Ex-Husker coach Wagner to lead Western Carolina

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Dennis Wagner was hired yesterday as Western Carolina’s 12th football coach.

Wagner is a former offensive line coach at Nebraska and a former head coach at Wayne State College of Nebraska. Prior to Wagner’s four-year stint at Nebraska, he served as assistant head coach and offensive line coach for seven years at Fresno State.

The 49 year old coach was the head coach at Wayne State College from 1989 to 1996, leading the Wildcats to a 44-37-1 record while guiding the team from NAIA to NCAA Division II classification. His 1993 team led NCAA Division II in total offense at 581.5 yards per game.

Wagner, who has seven years of head coaching experience, will be formally introduced at a press conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Western Carolina University.

Western Carolina committed more than three-quarters of a million dollars with the hope that Wagner can turn the Catamounts' program around, too. Wagner agreed to a contract worth at least $830,000 over the next five years.

Wagner's contract will pay him $100,000 for the first season, $180,000 for each of the second through fourth seasons and $190,000 for the fifth season. Smith said the contract includes incentives for beating an NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision team, winning a conference championship, winning playoff games and attaining certain academic progress achievements.

WCU athletic director Chip Smith said the contract's lower first-year salary was requested by Wagner's agent and is not related to the fact that WCU still owes former coach Kent Briggs $110,823 annually over the next two years.

Photo: Western Carolina new head football coach Dennis Wagner brings seven years of head coaching experience at NAIA and Division II levels.

Former Hampton coach Joe Taylor was offered the position but he elected to take the Florida A&M job instead.

Western Carolina did not win a Southern Conference game while going 3-19 overall the last two seasons under WCU graduate, Kent Briggs, who was fired on November 12, 2007.

Briggs was moved to another job at the university after the 1-10 season of 2007, and an overall six-year record of 22-43.

Bill Callahan brought Wagner to Nebraska shortly after he was hired in 2004.

Wagner last month was one of seven assistant coaches that Bo Pelini chose not to retain after replacing Callahan as the Nebraska Huskers' head coach.

The Catamounts will open the 2008 season at Florida State University.

WCU annually play reigning FCS champion Appalachian State and Georgia Southern in the Southern Conference and they played at Georgia and Alabama in 2007.

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The Dennis Wagner Profile
Age: 49.
Birthplace: Waverly, Iowa.
Education: Utah, bachelors in psychology, 1982; St. Cloud State, masters in athletic administration, 1987.
Playing experience: Drake, 1976; Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College, 1977; Utah, 1978-79.
Coaching experience: Luther College (assistant coach/offensive line), 1980; UNLV (assistant coach/tight ends), 1981-82; William Penn (head track and field coach), 1983; UNLV (assistant strength coach), 1984; St. Cloud (Minn.) State (offensive coordinator/offensive line), 1985-88; Wayne (Neb.) State (head coach), 1989-96; Fresno State (assistant head coach/offensive line), 1997-2003; Nebraska (assistant coach/offensive line), 2004-2007.