University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Getting to Know Our Opponents -- Old Dominion
8/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The countdown is on as your Golden Eagles prepare for the 2015 Football season! The Golden Eagles and Monarchs take the field at The Rock on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Getting to know... Old Dominion
General Information:
Location: Norfolk, Va.
Founded: 1930
Enrollment: 19,819
Nickname: Monarchs
President: John R. Broderick
Athletics Director: Dr. Camden Wood Selig
Colors: Slate Blue, Silver and Light Blue
Athletics Website: www.ODUSports.com
Institution Website: www.odu.edu
Twitter (Athletics): @ODUSports
Twitter (Football): @ODUFootball
Football Information:
Primary Offense: Spread
Primary Defense: 4-3
Letterwinners Returning / Lost: 36 / 16
Starters Returning / Lost: 15 / 12
Offense: 8 / 3
Defense: 5 / 6
Specialist: 2 / 3
Head Coach:
When he was hired on February 13, 2007, Bobby Wilder's goal was to "AIM HIGH" in everything he did in resurrecting the Old Dominion football team from a 69-year absence. After three years of orchestrating every piece of the puzzle, Wilder's vision has become reality as he has built a program that has not only been the buzz of the Hampton Roads community, but has become the most successful start-up FCS program in history. The Monarchs made an immediate splash in their first season in Conference USA defeating the defending C-USA Champions Rice, in the first conference game in school history. Wilder led ODU to a 6-6 overall record and went 4-4 in league play, including winning three-straight games to end the season.
Football Stadium:
Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium was named after Norfolk attorney A.H. Foreman, a member of William and Mary's board of visitors and one of the founders of the Norfolk Division of William & Mary, which later became Old Dominion University. Originally intended as the home of the Norfolk Division football program, it found new life as the home to other college and community sports programs when football was originally dropped in 1941. Built in 1936, with state and federal funds provided during the Great Depression, Foreman Field has underwent a $24.8 million dollar renovation in 2008-09 with the help of SB Ballard Construction Company and Clark Nexsen Architecture and Engineering.
About Norfolk:
Old Dominion is located in an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Norfolk. Norfolk is the second-most populous city in Virginia. Norfolk is one of the nine cities and seven counties that constitute the Hampton Road metro area. The city is bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay. Norfolk is rich in history, the city is known as a strategic military and transportation point. The largest navy base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, is located in Norfolk. The city was burned down during the Revolutionary War, after the war, the town was rebuilt in Federal style, and based on Roman ideas. The city is also rich in art and culture. With museums and major performing arts companies. Old Dominion students can relax on the weekend while having a picnic, or walking the beautiful Town Point Park.
Notable Alumni:
Ben Bailey, Host of Cash Cab
Kent Bazemore, Professional Basketball Player for the Golden State Warriors
Michael Bloomfield, Space Shuttle and ISS Astronaut
Cal Bowdler, Former Professional Basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks
Anne Donovan, women's basketball player; 1983 Naismith College Player of the Year (the first woman to win that award); gold medalist as a player in the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1988; coached the gold medal team in 2008; coached the Charlotte Sting to the 2001 WNBA finals and the 2004 Seattle Storm to the 2004 league title; inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995
Justin Verlander, Major League Baseball pitcher
Nancy Lieberman, women's basketball player, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, Silver medalist in the 1976 Summer Olympics and two-time (1979 and 1980) Wade Trophy recipient
