Hamline University athletic officials announced today that John Pate will be stepping down from his position as Hamline’s head football coach. Pate has been coach of the Hamline Pipers for the past two seasons.
 
“John has been a hardworking and dedicated leader of football here at Hamline. We extend our best wishes to John as he pursues new opportunities,” said Jason Verdugo, athletic director at Hamline University. “Looking ahead, I am excited about the potential for developing a strong football program. Our student-athletes are eager and committed, and our coaches and staff are skilled and dedicated. I believe there is great promise for growing a robust and competitive football team.”

Prior to Hamline, Pate twice served on the staff at Georgia Southern, first from 1985-89 and then again from 1996-2005. Pate’s roles ranged from defensive line coach to associate head coach, and he spent more than 12 years as the recruiting coordinator with the Eagles. His teams won NCAA Division I-AA (now the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision) national championships in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1999, and 2000. Pate also coached in the title games in 1988 and 1998.

Hamline’s football team’s 2012 season record is 1-8, with one game remaining.
 
 Hamline University belongs to the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Hamline supports 19 intercollegiate athletic teams for men and women.

The search for a new head football coach will begin immediately.  

 Creativity and innovation in teaching and learning are the hallmark of Hamline University—home to more than 5,000 undergraduate, graduate, and law students. At Hamline, students collaborate with professors invested in their success. They are challenged in and out of the classroom to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts, while cultivating an ethic of civic responsibility, social justice, and inclusive leadership and service.

Hamline is the top-ranked university of its class in Minnesota, according to U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1854, Hamline also is Minnesota’s first university and among the first coeducational institutions in the nation.