Sammy McCorkle Named the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach

HANOVER, N.H. — Mike Harrity, the Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation at Dartmouth College, announced that Sammy McCorkle, the interim head football coach for the Big Green since May 8, has been promoted to serve as the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach.

McCorkle was originally elevated from his position as associate head coach to acting head coach on April 4 to lead the football team after Buddy Teevens — the team's head coach since 2005 — sustained critical injuries in a bicycle accident in March before passing away last month. Following the conclusion of spring practice, McCorkle was tabbed as the interim head coach for the 2023 fall season.

"Sammy has done a tremendous job of leading this program, on and off the field, during an extremely difficult time," Harrity said. "He has a gift for connecting with young people and helping them grow as football players and as people. It was incredible to witness the team's genuine elation when I shared that Sammy will continue to be their head coach. I'm excited to see how the culture created by these extraordinary student-athletes continues to grow, and we couldn't be more excited to have Sammy continuing to guide this team into the future."

Entering the homecoming game on Saturday against Columbia, McCorkle has led the team to a 2-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the Ivy League through the midpoint of the season. The Dartmouth defense ranks among the top 20 in the FCS in total yards allowed and rushing yards allowed, as well as sixth in third-down percentage defense. The offense leads the nation in fewest sacks allowed while completing 66.2 percent of its passes (17th in the country), plus is second in rushing in the Ivy League.

"I can't thank Mike Harrity and President Beilock enough for giving me this opportunity, for having the faith and confidence in me to lead this team," McCorkle said. "Having been a part of this program and this Dartmouth community for close to 20 years, it is a true honor to be be able to continue all of Buddy's hard work that he put into this program. I am very lucky and fortunate to have been a member of not only this team — helping to mold it and grow through all these years — but the community as a whole. This place literally changed the course of my life and the lives of my entire family. None of this would be possible without the players, through their hard work and dedication to this program, as I truly appreciate the trust they have placed in me."

In his first 18 years coaching at Dartmouth, McCorkle worked with the defensive secondary as well as special teams and was promoted to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2014 season. A total of 26 of his players in the defensive backfield earned All-Ivy honors a total of 39 times, including a spot on the first team a dozen times. That total does not include the four players to earn All-Ivy honors as return specialists on five occasions.

Two of his players have earned All-America honors as well, most recently cornerback Isiah Swann '20, a consensus first-team pick in 2018 when he led the nation in interceptions, and a member of the first team again the following year. Shawn Abuhoff '12 also was named a first-team All-American as a return specialist in 2010 by the Sports Network after returning three punts for touchdowns that season.

McCorkle's defensive secondary unit has played a big role in the Big Green's three Ivy League titles over the last eight years. The 2021 team was fourth in the nation in passing yards allowed, and in 2019, the defense had four pick-sixes among five defensive scores, fourth among FCS programs. In both campaigns, the Dartmouth defense ranked in the top three nationally as well. And in 2015, the Big Green were ninth in the country in passes intercepted while leading the nation in scoring defense.

Prior to Dartmouth, McCorkle spent two seasons as the head coach at Martin County High in Stuart, Florida, following a three-year stint as an assistant coach at UT-Martin. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Florida, where he was a standout defensive back. McCorkle played on four SEC championship teams, competed in four bowl games (Gator, Sugar twice and Fiesta) and a national title game, and graduated in 1996 with Florida's single-season and career records for blocked punts. He was named Florida's special teams player of the year twice.

Dartmouth kicks off its homecoming showdown against Columbia (2-3, 0-2 Ivy) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Memorial Field. The game will be televised on NESN and streamed live on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. with Matt Corsetti and Steve Goldberg calling the action. A free audio broadcast featuring Brett Franklin and Wayne Young '72 also will be available through the official site of Dartmouth Athletics, DartmouthSports.com. To purchase tickets, visit the Dartmouth Ticket Office website or call at 603-646-2466.

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