Recruiting Responsibility

Ohio Counties: Ashtabula, Trumble, Mahoning, Columbiana, Jefferson

Chris Bache (bay-jay) enters his second season as the recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach for the Golden Flashes.  He joined Darrell Hazell’s staff in January of 2011 after spending the 2010 campaign as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Adrian College in Michigan.

In his first year at Kent State, the Flashes saw success on offense during the team’s four-game winning streak, averaging 28.5 points per game.  There were four games during the 2011 season in which the Golden Flashes did not allow a single sack. Under Bache’s tutelage, junior offensive lineman Brian Winters was a Second Team All-Mid-American Conference selection.

In his only year at Adrian, the Bulldogs ranked third in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in both rushing and total offense.

Prior to his stint at Adrian, Bache spent the previous five seasons as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Youngstown State.

In 2008, senior offensive lineman Brad Samsa was named an All-America selection by the American Football Coaches of America (AFCA). It was the second time in three seasons that the Penguins placed an offensive lineman on an All-America squad. Samsa was also a First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. In Bache's first four years, YSU had four first-team all-league picks and seven all-conference honorees.

The Penguins were one of just two teams to rank in the top eight in the Football Championship Subdivision in sacks allowed per contest for both the 2006 and ‘07 seasons. In the 25 games over that span, YSU allowed just 25 sacks, including just nine in 2007.

In 2006, the offensive line helped pave the way for the best individual rushing performance in school history. A veteran unit, the entire line started 13 of 14 games together during the Penguins’ run to the national semifinals. All-America tailback Marcus Mason took advantage of some impressive holes rushing for a school record 1,847 yards and averaging 153.9 a contest.

As a team, YSU averaged a 223.7 yards rushing per game, ranking ninth nationally.

Prior to Youngstown State, Bache spent the previous six seasons at Division II Indiana (Pa.), including the last three as the offensive line coach and the recruiting coordinator.

Bache helped lead the Indians to four Division II playoff appearances during his tenure at his alma mater. IUP won at least seven games in every season. Bache coached the linebackers his first three years at IUP before taking over the offensive line duties prior to the 2002 campaign.

Under Bache at IUP, offensive guard Khiawatha Downey was a Division II All-America selection in 2003 and a free agent signee by the San Francisco 49ers. While coaching linebackers, he helped develop Mike Borisenko into a First Team Associated Press All-America pick in 2000 and a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Defensive Player of the Year.

During his first four campaigns (1999-2002), IUP qualified for the playoffs every year and advanced to the Division II semifinals in 1999. He spent all six seasons working for head coach Frank Cignetti.

He returned to IUP following a four-year stint at Kutztown. While on the Golden Bears staff, Bache worked primarily with the offensive line while also directing Kutztown's recruiting efforts. Prior to his stay at Kutztown, Bache spent five years as an assistant coach at The College of Wooster (Ohio), where he served at different times as linebackers coach, offensive line coach and offensive coordinator.

After earning his bachelor's degree in criminology from IUP in 1987, Bache worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Indians until August of 1989 when he accepted a similar position at Temple. He assisted the defensive staff of the Owls during the 1989 season and received a master's degree in education from Temple in 1991.

Bache starred at inside linebacker for IUP from 1983-86 while recording 337 tackles, including 118 as a junior in 1985. He is one of only 12 players in IUP history since 1960 to record more than 300 career tackles.