The Ashland University football program paid tribute to former Head Coach Lee Owens just less than a month ago when he announced his official retirement. Now, the program looks to fill the everlasting void that Owens left with a new head coach that can lead the team.

On Jan. 3, the AU athletic department held a press conference to welcome their new head coach to the program. With athletics members and media personnel packing the conference room in the Robert Troop Center it was announced that Doug Geiser will be the fourth head coach since 1959 for the program.

With such a big step for the program, Athletic Director Al King noted that this was a hard task for him to do.

“How does someone like this get to this stage to get this job? This is about integrity, I need to be able to sleep when you go to recruit or work, and with Doug, I can do that,” said King.

He also discussed how big of a role this is to fill and how a caring culture is a massive part of the energy established at Ashland.

“He would not be here standing today if it was not for the emphasis he puts on the students and people inside the building,” he said. “You have to come in here and fit what has been established.”

After Dr. King left the podium, the President of Ashland University Dr. Carlos Campo had words to share about Geiser.

“We believe here at Ashland that we are producing and strengthening the next generations of leaders,” said Campo. “We think that everything we here do matters. He is not the safe choice, he is the right choice to be our next head coach.”

Geiser was then brought to the podium and introduced by Campo.

“I am honored to be the 14th coach of this program,” said Geiser. “This is very humbling and I am honored.”

He would then go on to discuss the deep tradition that has been established for years at the University.

“AU football is a physical, brotherhood-built program that sacrifices for your fellow men around you, that will not change,” he said.

One thing that will be changing however is the play calling of the team. Owens previously held the play-calling roles for the team, but Geiser stressed that he will be bringing in his own play-caller as he acts more as a CEO.

Geiser has had an illustrious career up until his first job as a head coach at Ashland University. He previously stood as the Associate head coach, offensive line coach, run game coordinator, pro liaison and interim head coach on the Eagle staff. Before being at Ashland, he coached for four years through three different high schools from 1990-94 before being a graduate assistant at Akron University.

Former Head Coach Lee Owens finished his career with the Eagles with an overall record of 137-61 that went along with five conference Coach of the Year honors and three conference titles. With big shoes to fill, Geiser looks to build off of the program’s prior success

The Eagles now focus on recruitment and practicing in the spring of 2023 before kicking play off in the fall.