Drake Football Camps
Head Coach Chris Creighton

With one succinct message, Chris Creighton sets the tone for the Drake football program.

"My vision for the program has always been to make playing football at Drake one of the most incredible experiences of our players' lives."  --Chris Creighton, Head Coach

That experience transcends the football field and the classroom, extending to every aspect of his student-athletes' lives. Creighton in his career has now taken his teams on three overseas trips, including Drake's May 2011 trip to Tanzania, and ventures to Austria and Panama while head coach at Division III Wabash College.

Creighton was named a 2011 winner of the Giant Steps Award presented by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as part of National Student-Athlete Day on April 6, 2011. Creighton, awarded for the Coaching category, was one of just five 2011 winners of the Giant Steps Award, given annually to individuals who use sport to positively affect social change, actualizing the mission of the NCAS. The awards honor student-athletes, athletic administrators, civic leaders, coaches, parents, organizations, and other individuals who demonstrate an outstanding ability to manage life on and off the field, and who demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of society.

Drake's two-week experience in Africa for the inaugural Global Kilimanjaro Bowl included significant service projects in orphanages and schools, the ascension of 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro and a victory over a Mexican collegiate all-star team in the Kili Bowl-the first game of American football played on African soil.

With that trip setting the foundation for the Bulldogs' 2011 season the team, under Creighton's guidance, has adopted the theme "Tupande Kileleni," which means "Let's climb to the summit." The summit, for Drake now, is the climb to the top of the Pioneer Football League standings.

Entering the 2011 season, Drake has won 19 of its last 27 games dating back to the midpoint of Creighton's first season with the Bulldogs in 2008. That stretch includes an 8-1 start in 2009 that matched the best nine-game start in school history. His Bulldogs have posted consecutive top three finishes in the PFL.

The 2010 Bulldogs featured a defense that ranked sixth in the nation among FCS schools (2nd PFL) in rush defense (94.2), eighth (3rd PFL) in sacks (3.0) and 18th (2nd PFL) in tackles for loss (7.4). In addition, the special teams excelled in punt coverage (5th NCAA FCS/1st PFL, 3.4), kickoff coverage (5th NCAA/1st PFL, 16.1) and punt return average (15th NCAA/1st PFL; 13.53).

Creighton's Bulldogs also featured eight players named to the Academic All-PFL team (three 1st-team, five 2nd-team) and a school-record 55 earning a place on the PFL's Academic Honor Roll.

In 2009, picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll, Creighton guided Drake to an 8-3 record, including a 6-2 third-place finish in the Pioneer Football League. Drake matched its best nine-game start in history (8-1) in 2009, while riding a six-game mid-season winning streak to bring Creighton's two-year record at the school to 14-8.

Creighton, 42, owns an overall record of 116-36 (.763 winning percentage) in 14 years as a collegiate head coach, and ranks in the top 20 in winning percentage (No. 20) among active coaches with at least five seasons at four-year colleges. His first Drake club in 2008 went 6-5 and finished in a tie for fourth in the PFL.

Ranked fourth among all active NCAA Division III football coaches in career winning percentage upon his hire at Drake, Creighton was named the 25th head football coach of the Bulldogs on Dec. 22, 2007.

"Coach Creighton is a proven winner, a man of strong character, and has a vision that will move Drake football to the next level," said Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb at the time of his hire.

"I am absolutely thrilled about the opportunity to lead the Drake University football program," said Creighton. "I am very attracted to Drake's sense of family, its proud tradition, and the desire of both the team and the administration to become our absolute best."

Creighton served as head coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., from 2001-07 where he constructed a 63-15 record (.808) with his teams winning four North Coast Athletic Conference championships, while competing in three NCAA Division III playoffs.

During his last three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record (.857) including three straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs.

Wabash posted a 11-2 record in 2007, competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs while being ranked No. 8 in the final NCAA Division III coaches poll. Wabash went 12-1 in 2002 and 11-1 in 2005, capping both seasons with appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

As offensive coordinator at Wabash, Creighton's teams averaged 35 points per game with the multiple offense producing the school's all-time leading rusher and passer. Three starting quarterbacks received All-America honors.

Under Creighton Wabash won conference championships in 2002, '05, '06 and '07. He coached 83 all-conference players, including seven who earned conference player of the year honors, along with 13 All-Americans. Creighton was named North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, '05 and '07, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1997.

Creighton was head coach at Ottawa (Kan.) University from 1997-2000, compiling a record of 32-9 (.780).

The Seattle, Wash. native produced one of the greatest single season turnarounds in NAIA history during his first year at Ottawa in 1997. Inheriting a team that posted a record of 1-8 the previous season, Creighton guided his club to a 9-2 finish en route to capturing its first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title since 1972. He also led Ottawa to a conference championship in 2000 along with appearances in the NAIA playoffs in '97 and 2000.

Creighton served as offensive coordinator at Concordia (Ill.) from 1991-92 and Manchester (Ind.) from 1993-96 before becoming head coach at Ottawa.

Five former assistants who worked under Creighton have gone on to become collegiate coordinators and/or head coaches: Steve Ryan (Ottawa) has been head coach at Morningside College for nine years; Brian Ward (Wabash) was head coach at McPherson College (2006-08) and is now back with Creighton as defensive coordinator at Drake; Neal Neathery (Ottawa, Wabash) is defensive coordinator at Texas-San Antonio; Matt Jeter (Drake) is defensive coordinator at Central Missouri and Wendell Smith (Ottawa) is special teams coordinator at Ottawa, while Tom Allen (Wabash) is assistant head coach/linebackers coach at Arkansas State.

As an All-America quarterback, Creighton led Kenyon (Ohio) College to its only North Coast Athletic Conference title in 1989 and was named conference player of the year after setting single-season conference records for passing yardage (2,843) and touchdowns (29). He was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College in 1991 and a master's degree from Concordia (Ill.) University in 1993.

Chris and his wife, Heather, have two daughters, Hallie (7) and Kate (5) and a son Luke (4).

COACHING EXPERIENCE
1991-92  Offensive Coordinator, Concordia (Ill.) University 
1993 Head Coach and quarterback, Limhamn Griffins - Malmo, Sweden
1993-96 Offensive Coordinator, Manchester (Ind.) College
1997-2000 Head Coach, Ottawa (Kan.) University
2001-2007 Head Coach, Wabash College
2008-present Head Coach, Drake University

YEAR-BY-YEAR HEAD COACHING RECORD:
1997   Ottawa   9-2, NAIA playoffs 
1998   Ottawa   8-2 
1999   Ottawa   6-3 
2000   Ottawa   9-2, NAIA playoffs 
2001   Wabash   8-2 
2002   Wabash   12-1, NCAA Division III playoffs 
2003   Wabash   7-3 
2004   Wabash   6-4 
2005   Wabash   11-1, NCAA Division III playoffs 
2006   Wabash   8-2 
2007   Wabash   11-2, NCAA Division III playoffs 
2008   Drake   6-5 
2009  Drake  8-3
2010  Drake  7-4

CAREER RECORD: 116-36 (.763 winning percentage)
     2008-present at Drake: 21-12 (.636 winning percentage)
     2001-07 at Wabash: 63-15 (.807 winning percentage)
     1997-2007 at Ottawa (Kansas): 32-9 (.780 winning percentage)