Dave Ungerer
5/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dave Ungerer
Special Teams/Tight Ends
* Fourth Year at Alabama (May 23, 2003)
A veteran of 23 college seasons, Dave Ungerer is in his fourth year on the Crimson Tide staff as special teams and tight ends coach. Under Ungerer’s guidance, kicker Jamie Christensen ranked second in the SEC and 23rd nationally with 1.5 field goals per game. Christensen also became the first Alabama kicker to record consecutive game-winning field goals in back-to-back games. He hit a game-winning 31-yard field goal at Oxford as the time expired for a 13-10 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels. The next week Christensen nailed a 34-yarder with :13 left for the 6-3 win over the Tennessee Volunteers. And it was Christensen’s career-long 45-yarder as time expired that provided the deciding points in Alabama’s 13-10 Cotton Bowl win over Texas Tech.
As a team, the Tide finished the 2005 season ranked 26th nationally in kickoff returns averaging 22.2 yards per return. Alabama finished the 2004 season ranked ninth nationally and first in the SEC in kickoff returns after spending most of the season as the top team in the country in that category. Under Ungerer’s guidance, kickoff returner Tyrone Prothro tied the school record with a 100-yard kick return against Kentucky. Prothro led the SEC and was ranked 11th nationally with a 26.6 yard return average. His 17 kickoff returns for 452 yards in 2004 tied him for fourth in the UA record books. At the conclusion of the season, Alabama kicker Brian Bostick led the SEC in field goal percentage.
In 2003, the Alabama special teams produced three touchdowns from kick/punt returns (most in the SEC) and five blocked kicks. Ungerer coached tight ends and special teams at California and finished ranked first in kickoff returns and 5th nationally in punt returns in the Pac-10. His special teams accounted for six plays of 50-yards or more on the season. Cal’s LaShaun Ward set the school record for kickoff return yards in a season with 806 yards.
Prior to his stint at Cal, Ungerer coached running backs and special teams at Lehigh for two seasons. During that period, the Engineers etched a 23-2 record and advanced to the NCAA Division 1-AA semifinals his second season and to the quarterfinals in 2000. Ungerer coached running backs and special teams for five years at Maryland (1992-96) and four seasons at Holy Cross (1988-91), where he also served as strength and conditioning coach.
A 1980 graduate of Southern Connecticut State, where he lettered four years at running back, Ungerer began his coaching career at Rutgers as a graduate assistant from 1983-85. He later coached defensive line and special teams at Northeastern (1985) and Davidson (1986-87). Ungerer was born Aug. 21, 1956 at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Southern Connecticut State.
Ungerer and his wife, Sylvia, have three sons, Dominic, David and Dante.
THE UNGERER LEDGER Born: August 21, 1956 Education: 1980 Southern Connecticut State Playing Experience: 1976-79 Southern Connecticut State Coaching Experience: 2003-Present Alabama, Tight Ends/Special Teams 2002 California,Tight Ends/Special Teams 2000-01 Lehigh, Running Backs/Special Teams 1999 Private Business 1992-98 Maryland, Running Backs/Special Teams 1988-91 Holy Cross, Running Backs/Special Teams 1986-87 Davidson, Defensive Line/Special Teams 1985 Northeastern, Defensive Line/Special Teams 1983-84 Rutgers, Graduate Assistant Bowl Participation As a coach: 2006 Cotton Bowl, 2004 Music City Bowl, Division AA Playoffs: 2000, 2001
