Tony Levine enters his first season at WKU and will coordinate the special teams and coach tight ends after great success over seven seasons at Houston. A former head coach, Levine led the Cougars for three seasons, taking them to consecutive bowl games and winning seasons in his final two years at the helm. The 2016 season will mark Levine's 21st year in the coaching ranks, including stints at all levels of football, from high school to college to the NFL.
In Levine's first game as head coach at Houston, the Cougars beat No. 22 Penn State 30-14 in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl, setting a Cotton Bowl Stadium record with 532 yards passing vs. the nation's No. 4-ranked pass defense. Houston finished the season ranked No. 14 by USA Today and No. 18 by the Associated Press, the first end-of-season national ranking for the Cougars since 1990, and Levine became the first Houston head coach to open his career with a win vs. a nationally-ranked opponent since 1957.
In 2013, Levine led Houston into their first season in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), producing an eight-win season for only the 16th time in school history, despite playing the toughest schedule in program history with one of the youngest teams in the nation. At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Houston played in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., which marked the second January bowl with Levine as head coach.
The 2013 season saw Houston lead the nation with a plus-25 turnover margin and 43 turnovers gained. Sophomore Trevon Stewart led the nation with 10 turnovers -- a nation's best six fumble recoveries and four interceptions. Fellow sophomore Adrian McDonald led the AAC with six interceptions. Defensively, Houston finished the season ranked 20th nationally by allowing only 21.8 points per game. Offensively, quarterback John O'Korn led all true freshmen nationally with 28 touchdown passes on his way to being named the AAC Rookie of the Year, while sophomore receiver Deontay Greenberry led the AAC with 1,202 receiving yards and was second in the conference with 11 touchdown receptions.
During Levine's tenure at Houston, the special teams units reached unprecedented heights, highlighted by 20 blocked kicks, nine kick-off returns for touchdowns, and seven forced turnovers. Those groups also broke or tied several NCAA and school records. In 2013, the Cougars were fifth nationally in kick return average (25.3), led by AAC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year Demarcus Ayers. Ayers, who also added AAC First Team honors, led the conference and was 12th nationally with a 27.6 yard per return average, and his 1,021 return yards set a Houston freshman record and were second on the UH single-season chart. Levine's punter, Richie Leone, was an All-Conference USA First Team selection in 2012, a Second Team All-American in 2013, as well as a three-time semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. Leone set the Houston career record with 54 punts over 50 yards, and became the only punter in Houston history to earn All-America honors.
Prior to taking over the program as the head coach, Levine led Houston's special teams, tight ends and inside receivers from 2008-11. He was also assistant head coach from 2010-11. From 2008-11, Houston returned eight kickoffs for touchdowns, the second-most by any FBS school over that time period. The five kickoff returns for touchdowns during the 2009 season tied an NCAA record, and the six blocked kicks tied a single-season school mark. During this same time frame, Houston also ranked among the national leaders in blocked kicks (16). In 2010, punt returner Patrick Edwards finished seventh nationally and led C-USA with a 15.4-yard per return average. Wesley Scourten finished the 2010 season with five blocked kicks and eight for his career -- both school records. Kick-off returner Tyron Carrier also tied an NCAA record with seven career kickoff returns for touchdowns. Additionally, kicker Matt Hogan finished his career as the C-USA scoring record-holder with 405 points, while also setting the NCAA record with 78 consecutive extra points made in a season.
Levine's inside receivers were also an integral piece to a Houston offensive attack that consistently led the nation in total offense. In 2008, Levine coached tight end Mark Hafner to an All-Conference USA Second Team selection and career highs in catches (86), receiving yards (907) and touchdowns (11). In 2009, inside receivers James Cleveland (1,214 yards) and Tyron Carrier (1,029 yards) each surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark while tight end Fendi Onobun became a sixth round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams. In 2011, inside receiver Justin Johnson, a converted running back, finished the season with 87 catches for 1,229 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Statistically, the Cougar offense finished second in the country in 2008 in both Total Offense (562.8 ypg) and Passing (401.6 ypg), and 10th in Scoring (40.6 ppg). In 2009, the Cougars ranked first nationally in Total Offense (563.4 ypg), Passing Offense (433.7 ypg) and Scoring Offense (42.2 ppg). Offensively in 2010, Houston finished 11th in the nation in Total Offense (480.5 ypg), fifth in Passing Offense (327.3 ypg) and 13th in Scoring Offense (37.7 ppg). And in 2011, Houston's offense led the nation in Total Offense (599.1 ypg), Passing (450.1 ypg), Scoring (49.3 ppg), and became the first team in college football history to surpass 8,000 yards of Total Offense in a season (8,387 yards).
Before going to Houston, Levine spent two seasons working with special teams for both the Carolina Panthers (2006-07) and Louisville Cardinals (2004-05), as well as one season at Louisiana Tech (2002).
While at Carolina, Levine coached one of the best specialist units in the NFL in kicker John Kasay, punter Jason Baker and long snapper Jason Kyle. In 2006, the Panthers led the NFC with a net punting average of 38.8 yards, while Baker's 39.0 net punting average set a Panthers team record. Baker's 31 punts inside the 20 were also tops in the NFC, and he ranked second overall with a 45.7-yard gross average. Kasay produced his most accurate season as well in 2006, converting a career-best 88.9-percent of his field goals (24-of-27).
While at Louisville, the Cardinals posted a 29-8 overall record with back-to-back top 20 national rankings, including an 11-1 record and a No. 6 national ranking in 2004 after winning the C-USA Championship. Levine began as Director of Football Operations at Louisville in 2003, where he was responsible for the overall day-to-day operation of the school's football program in coach Bobby Petrino's first year as head coach. In 2004, he was named Special Teams Coordinator and Outside Linebackers coach, and made an immediate impact on the field. Under Levine's tutelage, the Cardinals ranked near the top of C-USA in almost all special teams statistics, while Louisville finished 15th nationally in Total Defense, 18th in Rush Defense, 24th in Scoring Defense, and 30th in Pass Defense.
Superlatives from his two seasons coordinating the special teams at Louisville included seven blocked kicks, three punt returns for touchdowns, and an NCAA single-season record of 77 consecutive extra points by kicker Art Carmody. Carmody, a former walk-on, was also named First-Team All-Big East under Levine, and went on to win the 2006 Lou Groza Award as the nation's top collegiate kicker. Carmody finished his playing career as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer for a kicker with 433 points.
As Special Teams Coordinator at Louisiana Tech in 2002, Levine coached Josh Scobee, who earned All-WAC Second Team honors and was selected by Jacksonville in the 2004 NFL draft. Offensively, Louisiana Tech ranked 19th nationally in Total Offense (417.9 ypg) and 10th in Passing (302.8 ypg).
Prior to Louisiana Tech, Levine was an offensive graduate assistant at Auburn (2000-01), where he coached the tight ends. During those two seasons, Auburn compiled a 16-9 overall record while winning back-to-back SEC West Division titles. Robert Johnson, Lorenzo Diamond and Cooper Wallace, three of the tight ends Levine coached, went on to earn roster spots in the NFL. Prior to Auburn, Levine worked as an assistant coach at Texas State University (1997-1999) where he assisted with the receivers before coaching the tight ends and being named Co-Recruiting Coordinator at the conclusion of the 1999 season.
Over his career, Levine has recruited and/or coached multiple first round NFL draft picks (D.J. Hayden, Houston; William Jackson, Houston), an AAC Rookie of the Year (John O'Korn, Houston), an AAC Special Teams Player of the Year (Demarcus Ayers, Houston), Houston's first-ever five-star recruit (Deontay Greenberry), and signed three Top 100 players from the state of Florida (Louisville).
Levine began his coaching career in 1996 as an assistant coach and freshman head coach at Highland Park (Minn.) Senior High, his alma mater. A walk-on at the University of Minnesota, Levine became a three-year letterwinner at wide receiver for the Gophers and was twice named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team. In addition to earning a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in sports management from Minnesota, Levine also holds a master's degree in Physical Education from Texas State and an educational specialist degree in Adult Education from Auburn.
Levine and his wife, Erin, have three sons, Ben, Asher and Eli, as well as a daughter, Willa.
THE TONY LEVINE FILE
PERSONAL
Born: October 28, 1972
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
College: Minnesota, `96
Children: Benjamin, Asher, Eli, Willa
PLAYING CAREER (Wide Receiver)
High School: Highland Park (Minn.), `90
College: Minnesota, 1991-95
AFL: Minnesota Pike, 1996
COACHING CAREER
1997-98: Texas State (Assistant Receivers and Tight Ends)
1999: Texas State (Assistant Receivers and Tight Ends/Co-Recruiting Coordinator)
2000-01: Auburn (Offensive graduate assistant)
2002: Louisiana Tech (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2003: Louisville (Director of Football Operations)
2004-05: Louisville (Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers)
2006-07: Carolina Panthers (Assistant Special Teams/Strength and Conditioning)
2008-09: Houston (Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Receivers/Tight Ends)
2010-11: Houston (Asst. Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Receivers/Tight Ends)
2012-14: Houston (Head Coach)
2016: WKU (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
