Coach Jeff Jagodzinski - Head Coach, Boston College

January 2, 2008

HONOLULU, HAWAII – Boston College head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski has been selected and has agreed to coach in the 2008 Hula Bowl, the game's President Nick Logan announced on Wednesday.

Jeff Jagodzinski returns to Boston College as its 33rd head football coach in 2007, his 15th collegiate season and 23rd overall in coaching.

Named to his position Dec. 19, 2006, the 43-year-old Jagodzinski spent last season as the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He had spent the three previous seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after five years with the Packers (1999-2003) as tight ends coach.

Although Jagodzinski comes to BC from the professional ranks, he spent 14 years as a college coach, most recently two successful seasons (1997-98) as offensive coordinator at Boston College. At BC, his offenses averaged more than 400 yards per game in each of his two seasons. In addition, during both years the Eagles allowed the fewest sacks in the Big East, going from last to first in 1997.

In 1998, Jagodzinski saw one of his pupils gain All-America honors as running back Mike Cloud earned first-team honors and ranked third in the country in rushing; Cloud subsequently was drafted in the second round by Kansas City in 1999. One of his linemen, All-Big East center Damien Woody, was a 1999 first-round draft pick of the New England Patriots, the 17th selection overall. Jagodzinski also coached Seahawks All-Pro quarterback (and former Green Bay backup) Matt Hasselbeck during his 1997 senior season at BC.

Jagodzinski served as Atlanta's offensive line coach in 2005, a promotion he earned after his first year in Atlanta, 2004, as tight ends coach. While in Atlanta, he worked with offensive line consultant Alex Gibbs, the architect of some of the best offensive lines in NFL history, including that of the 1997-98 Super Bowl champion Broncos.

Known as one of the NFL's most successful rushing offenses, the Falcons led the NFL in both rushing yards per game and rushing yards per carry during Jagodzinski's two years in Atlanta. As line coach in 2005, the Falcons' zone-blocking schemes led the way for RB Warrick Dunn's career-high 1,416 rushing yards, a Pro Bowl effort. In part behind timely blocks from the offensive line, Atlanta in 2004 set a franchise record with 2,672 rushing yards, a springboard to the team's berth in the NFC Championship game.

The 2008 Hula Bowl all-star game, now in its 63rd year, will be played Sat. Jan. 12, 2008 at Aloha Stadium on the island of Oahu. The Versus network has been selected to televise the game, which kicks off at 1 PM HST / 6 PM EST.