Upcoming Event: Football versus New Hampshire on September 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
Football
vs New Hampshire
Football
McCorkle, Sammy
Sammy McCorkle
- Title:
- Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach
- Alma Mater:
- Florida ’96
- Phone (603):
- 603-646-2467
- At Dartmouth:
- 19th Year (2005-)
Sammy McCorkle, who had been on Buddy Teevens’ staff since the head coach’s return to Hanover in 2005, was filling in as the interim head coach for the 2023 season following Teevens’ bicycle accident in March of 2023 and subsequent passing on Sept. 19. On Oct. 19, McCorkle had the interim tag removed as he became the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach.
McCorkle enters his second season in 2024. During the 2023 season, he went on to be named the Ivy League Coach of the Year, as the Big Green earned a share of the Ivy League Championship for the third time in four seasons. It upped Dartmouth’s Ivy League best mark of championships to 21. The Big Green won their final three games of the season, beating Princeton (23-21), Cornell (30-14) and Brown (38-13) to finish tied with Yale and Harvard at 5-2 in league play. Dartmouth had a total of 18 honors bestowed upon its players, most of any team in the league. Three Big Green made the first team, six more earned a spot on the second team and eight were honorable mentions, plus one member of the Academic All-Ivy Team.
As a team, Dartmouth led the nation in fewest sacks allowed (0.50 per game) and was fourth in first down defense (allowing just 170 all season).
McCorkle, a 1996 graduate and three-time letter winner at the University of Florida is in his 20th year on the Big Green staff, helping Dartmouth to the program’s 20th Ivy League championship in 2021. In the seven seasons of 2013-19, the Big Green were first or second in passes defended in the Ivy League, and his secondary was instrumental to the team’s top-12 ranking in passing efficiency defense from 2018-21.
McCorkle’s special teams have excelled as well, ranking among the top 25 nationally in each of the four seasons in punt returns between 2017-21, including a pair of top-10 rankings. In his first season as head coach, the Big Green ranked seventh nationally in blocked punts with three.
McCorkle has coached 11 players who have earned All-Ivy League First Team honors a total of 15 times, including two-time All-American CB Isiah Swann. No fewer than 26 of his defensive backs have received All-Ivy honors a combined 41 times, most recently safety Sean Williams ’26 (first team) in 2023.
The Dartmouth defense was 14th nationally in scoring defense in 2023 and 13th in 2022 after placing among the top three in the previous three seasons. The 2021 squad also ranked fourth in fewest passing yards. And in the previous campaign of 2019, McCorkle’s players were quite opportunistic during the season with four pick-sixes among the five defensive scores, fourth among FCS programs.
In 2018, the defense ranked second nationally in fewest points allowed and red zone defense, and fourth in total defense as Dartmouth finished the season ranked 15th in the coaches’ poll. Three years prior, the squad led the nation in those first two categories and was also fourth in total defense as the Big Green won a share of its first conference crown in 19 years. Cornerback Vernon Harris ’16 earned a spot on the All-Ivy First Team in 2014 and ’15, and two-time co-captain Garrett Waggoner garnered first-team honors as a safety in both 2012 and ’13.
McCorkle also mentored one of the finest cornerbacks and return men in Dartmouth history in Shawn Abuhoff ’12, who earned first-team All-Ivy honors at both positions in 2010 and 2011.
In his first season on staff, three members of the Green’s defensive secondary in 2005 — Steve Jensen, Mike Ribero and Ian Wilson — earned All-Ivy recognition as Dartmouth ranked first in the league in pass defense and 14th in the FCS.
In 2003-04, McCorkle was the head coach at Martin County High in Stuart, Florida. In 2003, he led Martin County to its best record in 10 years.
McCorkle previously coached at the University of Tennessee-Martin from 2000-02. He coached the defensive secondary in 2000 and was defensive coordinator in 2001-02.
From 1997-99, McCorkle was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, assisting the secondary and special teams coaches while also scouting opponents.
During the 1996-97 academic year, McCorkle taught PE while coaching the defensive backs and linebackers, and coordinating special teams at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Fla.
McCorkle was a standout defensive back at Florida. He played on four SEC championship teams, competed in four bowl games (Gator, Sugar twice and Fiesta) and a national title game. McCorkle graduated with Florida’s single-season and career records for blocked punts. He twice was named Florida’s special teams player of the year.
McCorkle, was the football staff’s academic liaison, as coordinator of the Mentoring Program that brings Big Green football players and successful Dartmouth alumni together to introduce the players to business and professional opportunities when they graduate.
He and his wife, Vicki, have three daughters, Madison, Allie and Campbell.
McCorkle enters his second season in 2024. During the 2023 season, he went on to be named the Ivy League Coach of the Year, as the Big Green earned a share of the Ivy League Championship for the third time in four seasons. It upped Dartmouth’s Ivy League best mark of championships to 21. The Big Green won their final three games of the season, beating Princeton (23-21), Cornell (30-14) and Brown (38-13) to finish tied with Yale and Harvard at 5-2 in league play. Dartmouth had a total of 18 honors bestowed upon its players, most of any team in the league. Three Big Green made the first team, six more earned a spot on the second team and eight were honorable mentions, plus one member of the Academic All-Ivy Team.
As a team, Dartmouth led the nation in fewest sacks allowed (0.50 per game) and was fourth in first down defense (allowing just 170 all season).
McCorkle, a 1996 graduate and three-time letter winner at the University of Florida is in his 20th year on the Big Green staff, helping Dartmouth to the program’s 20th Ivy League championship in 2021. In the seven seasons of 2013-19, the Big Green were first or second in passes defended in the Ivy League, and his secondary was instrumental to the team’s top-12 ranking in passing efficiency defense from 2018-21.
McCorkle’s special teams have excelled as well, ranking among the top 25 nationally in each of the four seasons in punt returns between 2017-21, including a pair of top-10 rankings. In his first season as head coach, the Big Green ranked seventh nationally in blocked punts with three.
McCorkle has coached 11 players who have earned All-Ivy League First Team honors a total of 15 times, including two-time All-American CB Isiah Swann. No fewer than 26 of his defensive backs have received All-Ivy honors a combined 41 times, most recently safety Sean Williams ’26 (first team) in 2023.
The Dartmouth defense was 14th nationally in scoring defense in 2023 and 13th in 2022 after placing among the top three in the previous three seasons. The 2021 squad also ranked fourth in fewest passing yards. And in the previous campaign of 2019, McCorkle’s players were quite opportunistic during the season with four pick-sixes among the five defensive scores, fourth among FCS programs.
In 2018, the defense ranked second nationally in fewest points allowed and red zone defense, and fourth in total defense as Dartmouth finished the season ranked 15th in the coaches’ poll. Three years prior, the squad led the nation in those first two categories and was also fourth in total defense as the Big Green won a share of its first conference crown in 19 years. Cornerback Vernon Harris ’16 earned a spot on the All-Ivy First Team in 2014 and ’15, and two-time co-captain Garrett Waggoner garnered first-team honors as a safety in both 2012 and ’13.
McCorkle also mentored one of the finest cornerbacks and return men in Dartmouth history in Shawn Abuhoff ’12, who earned first-team All-Ivy honors at both positions in 2010 and 2011.
In his first season on staff, three members of the Green’s defensive secondary in 2005 — Steve Jensen, Mike Ribero and Ian Wilson — earned All-Ivy recognition as Dartmouth ranked first in the league in pass defense and 14th in the FCS.
In 2003-04, McCorkle was the head coach at Martin County High in Stuart, Florida. In 2003, he led Martin County to its best record in 10 years.
McCorkle previously coached at the University of Tennessee-Martin from 2000-02. He coached the defensive secondary in 2000 and was defensive coordinator in 2001-02.
From 1997-99, McCorkle was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, assisting the secondary and special teams coaches while also scouting opponents.
During the 1996-97 academic year, McCorkle taught PE while coaching the defensive backs and linebackers, and coordinating special teams at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Fla.
McCorkle was a standout defensive back at Florida. He played on four SEC championship teams, competed in four bowl games (Gator, Sugar twice and Fiesta) and a national title game. McCorkle graduated with Florida’s single-season and career records for blocked punts. He twice was named Florida’s special teams player of the year.
McCorkle, was the football staff’s academic liaison, as coordinator of the Mentoring Program that brings Big Green football players and successful Dartmouth alumni together to introduce the players to business and professional opportunities when they graduate.
He and his wife, Vicki, have three daughters, Madison, Allie and Campbell.
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