Wittenberg Football Head Coach Joe Fincham (1996-2021)

Bio

Joe Fincham built on the long, proud Wittenberg football tradition, becoming just the second coach in program history to amass more than 100 career wins after becoming head coach prior to the 1996 season. In 2010, Fincham broke the school record for football coaching victories, surpassing National College Football Hall of Famer Dave Maurer, who had 129 wins between 1969 and 1983.

Fincham retired following the 2021 season after leading the Tigers to a 224-51 overall record, including a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)-best 158-22 record during that time. His teams captured 15 NCAC titles (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), and Wittenberg reached the NCAA Division III Tournament 13 times during his tenure as head coach (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017). Fincham earned numerous coaching honors, including nine NCAC Coach of the Year designations (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017), American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2009, and Ohio College Football.com Coach of the Year in 2009.

He was considered an ideal choice to take over Wittenberg's coaching reins when hired in March 1996 after serving as an assistant for six years at Wittenberg. Fincham tutored the offensive line and served as Head Coach Doug Neibuhr's chief aide on offense.

As an assistant, Fincham was an integral part of teams that posted a combined record of 47-12-1 (.797), won two North Coast Athletic Conference championships and made an appearance in the 1995 NCAA Division III playoffs. He has successfully upheld the unmatched winning tradition established by the previous coaches of the "modern era" of Tiger football - National College Football Hall of Famers Bill Edwards and Dave Maurer, Ron Murphy and Neibuhr.

During his tenure as offensive line coach (in addition to head coach), he tutored 11 All-America offensive linemen: Doug Cochran (1990), Mark Chubb (1994), Ron Cunningham (1995), Xan Smith (1996), Jonathan Farley (1997), Aaron Shaffer (1998), Mark Sunderman (2000), Chad Thompson (2002 and 2003), Brad Kassner (2003), Tim Funke (2006), Dillon Hollin (2009), and Aaron Coeling (2013).

In addition, Fincham helped coach an offense which put up record numbers. In 1995, the Tiger offense averaged a school-record 484.1 yards per game (third in Division III) and 304.0 ypg rushing (fourth). In 1990, Tiger tailback Jon Warga led Division III in rushing with 1,836 yards and he combined with teammate Jeff Stockdale to set a Division III record for yards rushing by two running backs, 2,563 yards. In 2000, tailback Casey Donaldson set school and conference records for rushing, scoring and touchdowns under Fincham's guidance. In recent years, the Tigers ranked among the nation's best in total offense and scoring offense several times, and in 2006 Tristan Murray shattered school records for consecutive 100-yard rushing games and 100-yard rushing games in a season.

American Football Quarterly Magazine named former head coach Doug Neibuhr and Fincham as Division III "Co-Offensive Coordinators of the Year" in 1995. A native of Williamstown, W.Va., Fincham was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Ohio University. He served as team captain in 1986. A 1988 graduate of OU, Fincham received a scholar-athlete award from the university and earned a master's degree from the school as well.

Fincham's previous coaching experience included two years as a graduate assistant at OU and one season as offensive coordinator at Urbana University. He ranks among the top coaches in college football based on winning percentage, he led the program to its 600th all-time victory in 1999 and its 700th all-time victory in 2011, and he finished his career with a playoff record of 12-12.

Fincham resides in Springfield with his wife, Rita, and their children, Mack, Samantha, and Annie.

College Coaching Experience

• 1987-88 Graduate Assistant, Ohio University
• 1989 Offensive Coordinator, Urbana University
• 1990-95 Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach, Wittenberg University
• 1996-present Head Coach, Wittenberg University

Coaching Honors

• North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017)
• American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year (1998, 2009)
• American Football Quarterly, Co-Offensive Coordinator of the Year (1995)
• OhioCollegeFootball.com Coach of the Year (2009)