Settle To Coach Badger Running Backs
February 15, 2006 | Football
John Settle, who has coached six of Fresno State's 13 1,000-yard rushers, has been hired as an assistant football coach at Wisconsin, head coach Bret Bielema announced Wednesday.
The 40-year-old Settle will coach the Wisconsin running backs.
'John's experience as a college and NFL running back, as well as the coaches he has both played for and coached with, makes him an ideal person to coach our backfield,' Bielema said. 'He has been successful coaching both NFL and college running backs. We are very fortunate to have him join us. '
Settle most recently served eight seasons as running backs coach at Fresno State, where he tutored six 1,000-yard rushers, including Wendell Mathis, who rushed for 1,313 yards and 15 touchdowns along with making 19 catches for 156 yards and a TD for the Bulldogs last season. Bryson Sumlin earned second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors (WAC) when he ran for 1,102 yards and 12 TDs in 2004. He was joined that season by Mathis, who rushed for 995 yards and 12 scores, making Fresno State one of only two schools in the nation with two running backs ranked among the national top 50. In 2003 Dwayne Wright became the third Bulldog in three seasons to surpass the 1,000-yard mark when he gained 1,038 yards. Rodney Davis set the school rushing record with a 1,586-yard campaign in 2002. Paris Gaines carried for 1,044 yards in 2001. Settle also developed Derrick Ward, the 1999 team rushing leader, freshman All-American and current New York Giant. In addition, Settle coached 1998 WAC Pacific Division Offensive Player of the Year and 1,000-yard rusher Jamie Kimbrough.
Settle went to Fresno State after a three-year stint (1995-98) as an offensive assistant with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens franchise under head coaches Bill Belicheck and Ted Marchibroda. During that time he coached running backs like Lorenzo White, Leroy Hoard, Earnest Byner and Priest Holmes. Settle began his coaching career at his alma mater, Appalachian State, where he assisted with running backs in 1994.
Settle was a four-year letterman (1983-86) as a running back at Appalachian State, where he played one season for current Texas head coach Mack Brown and another three years for Sparky Woods, currently the running backs coach at Alabama. Settle finished as the school's career rushing leader with 4,409 yards (then third-most in NCAA Division I-AA history) and 43 touchdowns. He was the Southern Conference Player of the Year as a senior after rushing for 1,661 yards and 20 TDs. The two-time All-American also scored a conference-record five TDs in a game against Davidson.
Settle signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent and played for coaches Jerry Glanville and Marion Campbell. He played a total of six seasons in the NFL, including four with Atlanta (1987-90) and two with the Washington Redskins. He accumulated 1,594 yards of total offense (1,024 rushing and 570 receiving) in 1988, becoming the first free agent in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He was named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Madden Team in 1988. He registered three 100-yard rushing performances and three 100-yard receiving games that season. He also played for the Redskins' Super Bowl championship team in 1991.
A 1989 graduate of Appalachian State with a degree in criminal justice, Settle and his wife, Karen, have three children: Jonathan, Leighton and Devynn. Settle's No. 23 was retired by his alma mater and he was inducted into the school 's hall of fame in 1994.
