Dan Sabock Joins Florida Tech Football Coaching Staff

By  //  June 23, 2012

FLORIDA TECH FOOTBALL

MELBOURNE • FLORIDA — Florida Tech head coach Steve Englehart has selected Dan Sabock to be his special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach.

Both coached at Indiana State University before arriving at FIT. Sabock was the Sycamores’ linebackers coach in 2011.

Englehart (Florida Tech image)

Englehart returned to his alma mater in 2010 and held the offensive coordinator role until he was hired in June 2011 by President Anthony J. Catanese to lead the Panther football program.

“Dan Sabock is a high energy coach that will bring even more passion to our already passionate staff,” Englehart said.

“He knows what it takes to be a great college coach and works extremely hard to be successful.

He has grown up around football as a coach’s son, so he knows what this profession is all about. Dan has a great knowledge of the special teams and linebackers and will prove to be a great recruiter.”

During Sabock’s one season with Indiana State, three of his linebackers were named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Team: Aaron Archie, Jacolby Washington and Ryan Roberts.

Archie tied for 12th in NCAA Division I-AA with 122 tackles in 2011. His counterpart Washington was right behind him with 120 stops.

EXCITED TO BE AT FLORIDA TECH 

“I’m excited to be at Florida Tech for several reasons,” Sabock said.

Dan Sabock (Florida Tech image)

“It’s a school that’s just starting a football program. Everything we do is going to be built from the ground up, with our touch.

The program has a phenomenal leader in Coach Englehart, who’s going to do everything the right way, the first-class way.

I’m excited to work with such a great guy and an energetic guy.”

Sabock worked in player development for Rutgers University in 2010.

He played football and graduated from Elmhurst College.

FROM A FOOTBALL FAMILY 

He comes from a football family with his father, Mike Sabock, a graduate assistant at Penn State in 1983 and then  coaching for 24 seasons at Northern Illinois University, before retiring after four seasons at Western Michigan University.

Florida Tech President, Dr. Tony Catanese has taken bold measures to ensure Florida Tech’s football program will be successful from its inception, hiring a proven head coach in Steve Englehart, who holds the record at Indiana’s Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for the highest winning percentage as a football coach in school history.

His mom, Sandy Sabock, serves on the board of directors of the American Football Coaches Wives Association (AFCWA). And, his brother Kevin Sabock, is a student coach at Northern Illinois.

“I pride myself on being the most energetic, upbeat, positive person around,” he said. “I want to make the people around me happier and better.

If a kid scores, I’ll be the first one in the end zone high-fiving him and coaching with a ton of energy.

I thoroughly enjoy the recruiting process and working with families to help them make the right decision for their son, which is why I am coaching at the college level.”

CATANESE TAKES BOLD MEASURES

Florida Tech President, Dr. Tony  Catanese has taken bold measures to ensure Florida Tech’s football program will be successful from its inception, hiring a proven head coach in Steve Englehart, who holds the record at Indiana’s Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for the highest winning percentage as a football coach in school history.

Despite the fact that there are no other NCAA Division II football schools in Florida, Catanese was adamant that Florida Tech would not field a smaller and less-competitive NAIA football program.

His intuition proved to be correct when Florida Tech was asked before ever playing a down to join college football’s NCAA Division II’s Gulf South Conference, which includes larger schools with winning football traditions such as Valdosta State University  in Georgia, Delta State University in Mississippi and the University of North Alabama.

‘WE’RE GOING TO HAVE FUN’

Catanese is adament about the fans and players taking pride in this new community franchise.

“This is a very exciting time for us all as we embark on this great journey to bring college football to our campus.” said Dr. Anthony Catanese. (SpaceCoastDaily.com image)

“My vision for football at Florida Tech is to win a national championship,” Catanese said.

“We’ve proven we can do it. I think we can be very competitive and we’re going to have fun.

It will be a source of pride for Brevard County and the Space Coast and hopefully will change the way we think about sports here.

I couldn’t be more excited about the future for Florida Tech and for our community.”

The Florida Tech football program will have several scrimmages in the fall of 2012 and will open its first regular season in September 2013 versus Stetson University.

The Panthers will play its first season home games in Palm Bay High School Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 7,500.

Season tickets are now available for the first time.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FLORIDA TECH FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

For information on athletic fundraising contact Kilcullen at mkilcullen@fit.edu or 321-674-8427

1 Comment

  1. Florida Tech has one gifted player in QB Collin O’Neal that I watched in Polk County that is a D-1 Talent … Should be a well of a football team in a few yr’s …

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