Gerard Wilcher returns to the Seton Hill coaching staff for his second season as defensive coordinator. He will coach the cornerbacks as well. Last season the Griffin defense had two players named to the All PSAC West team as well as being named USA College Football All Americans.
This past summer, Wilcher worked with the Denver Broncos through the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship.
Wilcher spent the past ten seasons at Lehigh University where he was the defensive backs coach as well as the co-defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, a job he also held during the 2005 season. As defensive coordinator, Wilcher led the Hawks to a 26-7 record.
During his ten seasons with the Mountain Hawks, Wilcher coached 24 All Patriot League performers and his defenses racked up 126 interceptions. Also while at Lehigh, Gerard recruited Will Rackley who was drafted in 2011 in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft and Lee Kurfis who in 2013 set the single season all-time receiving record at Lehigh and was invited to the Dallas Cowboys training Camp.
Wilcher originally joined the staff at Lehigh after serving three years as the defensive secondary coach for Cornell. In 2003 at Cornell, the Big Red led the Ivy League in passing efficiency defense. Prior to coaching at Cornell, Wilcher spent four seasons at UMass, where he helped lead the Minutemen to a 1998 national championship as well as another appearance in the national quarterfinals. While serving as the wide receivers coach at UMass, Wilcher’s group set school records for catches and reception yards in a single season. Wilcher also spent a season coaching the outside linebackers.
In 2007, Wilcher was selected as one of just 26 coaches across the country to participate in the NCAA Expert Coaches Academy in Miami, Florida where he participated in numerous workshops that focused on a variety of topics including communication, academic success, and building a successful football program. During the summer of 2008 Wilcher interned with the Philadelphia Eagles where he worked with the defensive backs. He has also interned for the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals.
A four-year member of the Morehouse football team, Wilcher earned his bachelor’s in business administration from Morehouse in 1992.
Wilcher and his wife Ayanna live in Greensburg with their three children: son Xavier (19), who is a sophomore on the Delaware State football team, and daughters Jalen (17) and Jehlani (13).
