Former Susquehanna Head Coach Steve Briggs To Be Honored At 27th Annual Awards Dinner

By: Ed Weaver  |  February 26, 2024  |  Photo: Susquehanna Athletics

STATE COLLEGE, PA – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF), Central Pennsylvania Chapter, will honor former Susquehanna Head Coach Steve Briggs with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement in Coaching Award during its 27th scholar-athlete awards dinner. The dinner will be held on Sunday, March 17 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.

Briggs devoted 37 years to Susquehanna between two years as an assistant coach, 25 as head coach, and the last ten in the Office of Advancement. Briggs arrived at SU in 1988 as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator under the late William “Rocky” Rees, before taking over the head coaching reins in 1990. His career wins (127) and the number of games coached (253) both exceed the totals set by any other head coach in Susquehanna's long football tradition which dates back to 1892. In his 27 seasons Briggs and Susquehanna made three NCAA National Tournament appearances, including leading the 1991 team to the program's only berth to in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship.

Later in his head coaching career Briggs led the program through an historical shift, transitioning from the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) to the Liberty League (2007-09) and Centennial Conference (2010-2022), winning the Liberty League title in 2009. Another historical shift ensued as the university retired the Crusaders name in favor of the River Hawks, where Briggs’ role in advancement played an important role in bridging the transition with past, current, and future students of Susquehanna University. He was also instrumental in the development of the Football Ring of Honor that was established in 2018 and where he, himself, was inducted into in 2019.

SU's Liberty League championship season in 2009 led to Briggs and his staff earning the league's Coaching Staff of the Year award. That same year, the Liberty Mutual Group named Briggs one of five NCAA Division III finalists for its National Coach of the Year award. He led his team to back-to-back MAC Commonwealth championships in 1998 and 1999, earning Coach of the Year honors in the latter. He coached an impressive list of 73 first-team all-conference players since 1990 in the Centennial Conference, Liberty League, and Mid-Atlantic Conference with five of them being named conference players of the year. Briggs also mentored seven All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans.

Aside from mentoring hundreds of young men, Briggs influenced many hallmark achievements by the university. He also served as Assistant Athletic Director during a time where the athletics department flourished with new facilities and upgrades, including the development of the Sassafras Multipurpose Fields and additions to Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Doug Arthur Stadium that features a video board and the building of Stagg Memorial Plaza. He was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

Following the 2014 football season Briggs announced he would step down as head coach to accept a role in the Office of Advancement. He announced his retirement from the university in December of 2023.

A Massachusetts native, Briggs is a 1984 graduate of Springfield College and served as an assistant coach at Lehigh, Richmond, Bowdoin and Springfield. He resides in Selinsgrove with his wife Christina, where they raised two children: son Cory and daughter Casey.

Since 1998, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter has awarded a total of $296,000 in scholarship money while honoring 1,190 scholar-athletes from high schools and colleges located in its coverage area.

The event is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased by calling (717) 250-5806 or by downloading and mailing in the ticket order form. The cost is $30 per ticket. The NFF, Central Pennsylvania Chapter is one of 121 chapters nationwide involving over 12,000 members. The wide reach of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter encompasses 25 counties and 96 high schools.

Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The NFF & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit education organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people.