Hall of Fame
DAVE WHILDING – Football Assistant Coach 1977-2011
Dave Whilding spent 35 seasons on the sidelines as a University of Dayton assistant football coach from 1977 to 2011. He was part of history as the Dayton offense was never shut out during his time at UD, and now he makes history as the first assistant coach to be inducted into the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame.
Whilding spent the final 31 years of his tenure coaching UD's quarterbacks and the last 29 serving as offensive coordinator. He inherited a school-record games-without-being shutout streak that began in 1976 and extended it to 397 games when he retired. It is now up to 465 games, the longest active streak in college football and the longest-ever involving a Division I team.
Whilding was an integral part of four national championship teams at Dayton (1980 and 1989 NCAA Division III and 2002 and 2007 I-AA Mid-Major) and 11 Pioneer Football League champions.
Of the 17 new starting quarterbacks in Whilding's 31 years of coaching the position, 11 took over with less than 20 career passes to their credit. Yet the Flyer offense kept clicking.
At present, three of his quarterbacks – Kevin Johns, Steve Keller and Dan Sharley -- have been inducted into the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame. More are sure to follow. During a five-year period in the 1990's, three Flyer QBs led their respective NCAA Divisions in passing efficiency. In career total offense, seven of the top ten players in UD history are Whilding quarterbacks.
Whilding and his wife Evie live in Jamestown. A native of Xenia, Whilding earned his bachelor's degree from Earlham College in 1971. He played quarterback there for Rick Carter, the coach who brought him to UD in 1977.
