Steve Tosches

Steven P. Tosches (born c. 1956) is an American former college football coach. He was the head coach at Princeton University from 1987 to 1999. Tosches had previously served as an assistant on the coaching staffs at Princeton, the University of Maine, and the University of Rhode Island. He played college football as a quarterback at Idaho State and Rhode Island.

Steve Tosches
Biographical details
Bornc. 1956
Playing career
1974–1975Idaho State
1977–1978Rhode Island
1979Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Position(s)Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1980Rhode Island (off. backs)
1981–1982?Maine (WR)
1983?–1984Maine (OC)
1985–1986Princeton (OC)
1987–1999Princeton
Head coaching record
Overall78–50–2
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 Ivy League (1989, 1992, 1995)
Awards
All-Yankee Conference (1978)
All-New England (1978)
All-East Division I-AA (1978)
Scott M. Whitelaw Trophy (1989)

Early life

Tosches attended Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut, and played on the football team as a quarterback.[1] In 1973, the Connecticut Chapter of the National Football Hall of Fame honored Tosches as a scholar-athlete.[2] He attended college at Idaho State University, where as a freshman, he played quarterback on the football team in 1974.[3] He transferred to the University of Rhode Island in 1976 to follow his head coach, Bob Griffin.[4] After sitting out one season due to NCAA transfer rules,[4] Tosches played on the football team from 1977 to 1978.[5] In his final season, he earned places on the All-Yankee Conference, All-New England and All-East Division I-AA teams.[6] He compiled 2,693 passing yards at Rhode Island and 4,772 over the course of his career.[7] Tosches graduated from URI in 1979.[8] He then spent one season playing professional football for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.[6]

Coaching career

Tosches began his coaching career as an assistant under his former college coach Bob Griffin at Rhode Island in 1980.[4] He was responsible for the team's offensive backfield.[2] The following year, he took a job on the staff of head coach Ron Rogerson at the University of Maine,[9] where he served as the wide receivers coach.[10] By 1984, Tosches had been promoted to the offensive coordinator position at Maine.[11]

Tosches followed Rogerson to Princeton University as his offensive coordinator. On August 8, 1987, Rogerson died of a heart attack while jogging at the age of 44, and Tosches was promoted as his replacement.[9] He led the Tigers to the Ivy League championship in 1989, 1992, and 1995. After the 1989 season, he was awarded the Scott M. Whitelaw Trophy as the Eastern Division I-AA Coach of the Year.[12] Tosches coached the Ivy League Senior All-Stars in the 1993 Epson Ivy Bowl in Tokyo, Japan.[7] He failed to achieve a winning season from 1996 to 1999, and posted a 17–23 record over that period.[13] Princeton fired Tosches in November 1999 and bought out the remaining time left on his contract.[14]

Tosches was inducted into the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.[8]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Princeton Tigers (Ivy League) (1987–1999)
1987 Princeton 6–44–3T–4th
1988 Princeton 6–44–3T–3rd
1989 Princeton 7–2–16–1T–1st
1990 Princeton 3–72–5T–6th
1991 Princeton 8–25–22nd
1992 Princeton 8–26–1T–1st
1993 Princeton 8–25–23rd
1994 Princeton 7–34–3T–2nd
1995 Princeton 8–1–15–1–11st
1996 Princeton 3–72–5T–6th
1997 Princeton 5–52–5T–6th
1998 Princeton 5–54–34th
1999 Princeton 3–71–6T–7th
Princeton: 78–50–250–40–1
Total:78–50–2
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References
  1. Greenwich Beats New Canaan, 10-0; 37-Game Streak Ended -Stamford 26-6 Victor, The New York Times, September 17, 1972.
  2. Tosches Named Interim Coach At Princeton, Schenectady Gazette, August 11, 1987.
  3. Early striking Vandals sack Idaho State 28-9, Lewiston Morning Tribune, October 6, 1974.
  4. Princeton turned to Tosches when it needed courage, Providence Journal, September 18, 1987.
  5. 2005 Rhode Island Football Media Guide, p. 116, University of Rhode Island, 2005.
  6. Tosches has brought success to Tigers football in 13-year tenure, The Daily Pennsylvanian, November 6, 1999.
  7. Player Bio: Steven P. Tosches ('79) Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, University of Rhode Island, retrieved January 16, 2011.
  8. 2005 Rhode Island Football Media Guide, p. 106.
  9. Tosches starts well in job he didn't want, Daily News, September 23, 1987.
  10. Paquette's mother should be happy this year, Bangor Daily News, August 17, 1982.
  11. Black Bears skaters face Fighting Sioux tonight, Bangor Daily News, December 28, 1984.
  12. Sports People: College Football; Tosches Is Honored, The New York Times, February 21, 1990.
  13. Princeton fires football coach Steve Tosches, The Daily Pennsylvania, November 1999.
  14. Football: Nationwide search for new football coach underway, The Daily Princetonian, December 2, 2009.
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