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| Don Morel was head coach at Division III La Verne for 12 seasons, compiling a 48-59 record in the process. Wabash athletics photo |
Wabash coach Erik Raeburn, who has led the Little Giants to three playoff trips in five seasons, including a trip to the 2015 national quarterfinals, has stepped down to take over as head coach at a struggling Division I FCS program, Savannah State.
It's the second major move within the Wabash program this offseason, following the departure of defensive coordinator B.J. Hammer to become head coach at fellow NCAC member Allegheny. With Raeburn as head coach and Hammer on the staff, Wabash went 51-7 in five seasons.
Raeburn, who compiled a record of 78-13 at Wabash and is 132-39 as a head coach, will replace Earnest Wilson at Savannah State, who left to take a Division II head coaching job last month. The Tigers were 2-32 in three seasons under Wilson.
Raeburn will be replaced by Don Morel, the Little Giants' offensive coordinator.
“We are very pleased that Don has accepted our offer to lead our football program,” Wabash president Gregory Hess said in a school release. “Don’s coaching resume is impressive, but it is his work with student-athletes and assistant coaches that makes him the ideal person to lead our team. His sincerity and genuine focus on making men better in the classroom and on the field is evident in all that he does.”
Morel has spent 12 seasons as a Division III head football coach already, leading La Verne to a 48-59 mark from 1995-2006. He previously had served as offensive coordinator at ULV for four seasons, including the Leopards' 1994 trip to the 16-team NCAA playoffs.
Morel came to Wabash in 2011 as offensive coordinator. Under his leadership, the Little Giants averaged 37.0 points per game in that span and made three playoff appearances. In the last three years, Wabash has averaged nearly 41 points per game and been listed in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense.