STEPHENVILLE – Two months after leading the Tarleton Texans to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs and then being named the American Football Coaches Association Region Four Coach of the Year, Tarleton athletics director Lonn Reisman announced that head football coach Sam McElroy has taken a position at a Division I institution.

McElroy, who has led the Texans to a 40-15 record over the last five seasons, directed Tarleton to Lone Star Conference South Division Co-Championships in 2006 and 2009 as well as a LSC Co-Championship in 2009. 

“Sam has been a part of our athletics family for eight years, and I appreciate all of his hard work and dedication to our football program,” Reisman said.  “Sam has done a good job of keeping our football program competitive on both the conference and national level. 

“Sam has been a good family man, has cared about the program's academic stability and made sure Tarleton football represented the University well,” Reisman said.  “He has followed the NCAA rules, and he has been a pleasure to work with.  I appreciate his loyalty to Tarleton State University, and we wish he and his family every success in the future.”

McElroy continued the winning tradition at Tarleton by bringing in both quality coaches and players to represent Tarleton in a positive manner.  He has also continued to build on the traditions and ideals that have made Tarleton a winning program.

“This is a very difficult place to leave because I have spent a lot of years here and the Tarleton family is very special to me,” McElroy said.  “My family and I will certainly miss the relationships and support we have received here.  This is a tremendous university with a lot of great things going on, and I will certainly miss being a part of that.”

McElroy, the 24th coach in Texan football history and the 11th since the school became a senior college, has the highest winning percentage (.727) of a head coach in Tarleton history.  As a member of the Texan staff as both a head and assistant coach, McElroy helped the Texans to a 65-25 record (.722). 

“To be the winningest coach in the program's history is a reflection of the assistant coaches and players we have had in this program,” McElroy said.  “The wins were a result of a lot of hard work.  Hopefully, the record is also a reflection of doing things right.  We were blessed to have success here, and I fell the program is in great shape and will continue to flourish.

“I would like to think people around the program feel it is based on character and class,” McElroy said.  “I hope our kids represent that not only on the football field, but in the classroom and later in life.  We want them to become successful as husbands and fathers and in their professional careers.”

After five years at the helm of the Texans, Tarleton has a 33-13 record in LSC action, including a 19-11 record in the South Division. 

In 2009, the Texans finished 10-3 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs for just the second time in school history. 

In 2008, Tarleton finished 8-3 after starting the season winning the first five games for the second straight season.  Tarleton's game with Angelo State – a 31-24 victory over the Rams – was broadcast on national television on CBS College Sports Network.  Tarleton tied for third in the very competitive Lone Star Conference South Division.

The 2007 Texans finished 9-2 and was denied the school's third NCAA playoff appearance; however, the Texan head coach was named the Lone Star Conference South Division Co-Coach of the Year. The season included an overtime victory over NCAA Division I Football Subdivision member Stephen F. Austin.

Tarleton finished the 2006 season 6-4 overall and claimed a share of the LSC South Division championship after going 5-1 in the division.  The Texans were just short of the playoffs that season as well.  In 2005, McElroy lead the Texans to a 7-3 overall record and was one win short of a NCAA Division II playoff contest.

There have been 37 Texans selected to the All-LSC First Team under McElroy as well as 34 second team members and 29 honorable mention honorees.  During his eight years on the Tarleton staff as both a head coach and a defensive coordinator, McElroy has seen 56 Texans earn First Team All-LSC honors, 34 second team honors and 29 honorable mention nods.   

McElroy, 45, returned to Tarleton after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at North Texas, a NCAA Division I member of the Sun Belt Conference. Prior to his position at UNT, Tarleton's head coach spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Texans.  In 2002, he also held the position of assistant head coach at Tarleton.

In his two seasons at UNT, McElroy coached three first-team all-conference selections in safeties Craig Jones and Jonas Buckles (two-time honoree). He also helped in the development of Markeith Knowlton, who made the transition from safety to starting cornerback for the Mean Green. UNT made two consecutive appearances in the New Orleans Bowl, and the Mean Green went 9-4 in 2003 and 7-5 in 2004.

While at Tarleton the first time, McElroy guided a defense that improved each year under his direction. His last season with the Texans, his defense allowed opponents just 271 yards of offense and 17.1 points per game to rank second in the Lone Star Conference. Over his three seasons at Tarleton, McElroy helped 17 players earn all-conference recognition, including the league's Defensive Lineman and Defensive Back of the Year in 2002. The Texans won the Lone Star's North Division in 2002 with a 9-2 overall record, including a 4-1 record in conference games. In 2001, McElroy guided a strong defense that helped Tarleton State win its first-ever Lone Star Conference championship and advance to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.

McElroy also served as activity director for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) summer camp, which is a month-long sports and education program that Tarleton offers to area youths.

McElroy, who has experience as a head coach at the high school level, came to Tarleton after working seven seasons as a defensive coach at Sam Houston.

During his seven years on the staff at SHSU, McElroy coached eight players who earned All-Southland Conference honors. In addition, he tutored the punt and kickoff return special teams.

McElroy started at SHSU after serving one season as head football coach and athletics director at Alto High School. That year he was named 1992 District 22-AA Coach of the Year after winning the district title and earning a state playoff berth.

In 1991, as head football coach and athletics director at T.K. Gorman High School in Tyler, McElroy produced a 10-3 record, won the district crown and reached the TAPPS Class AA state finals.

He also served as recruiting coordinator and secondary coach at Navarro Junior College in 1991 and was a graduate assistant coach at Baylor University in 1989 and 1990. McElroy, who assisted in the secondary, helped to direct a Baylor defensive unit that led the Southwest Conference in defense both seasons.

McElroy and his wife, Valerie, have three children, Sarah, Ryan and Madison.

“I just want to thank all of the people who have been supportive of me and this program,” McElroy said. 

Reisman said the search for the 25^th head coach in Tarleton football history will begin immediately.  Defensive coordinator Cary Fowler has been named the interim head coach.

“I am very confident that our current staff can carry on with the high expectations of running the program until we name a full-time head coach,” Reisman said.  “With the timing of Sam's departure, we want to make sure we move quickly to find the right coach to fill this high-profile.  We want to find the very best person for Tarleton State University.”