1979 Football Team and Dean Pees to be Inducted into UF Athletic Hall of Fame

The University of Findlay Athletic Department will enshrine the 1979 Oilers football team and induct former assistant football coach Dean Pees into its Hall of Fame on Jan. 27 at the Winebrenner Theological Seminary.
Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. and the induction/luncheon will begin at 11 a.m. The registration fee is $25 for adults, $15 for minors and free for children ages 6 and younger. To register in advance, visit findlay.edu/events or call (419) 434-4516.
The Oilers 1979 football team captured the school’s first national championship under the guidance of head coach Dick Strahm, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. The Oilers, who fell 7-0 to Concordia in the 1978 title game, out-scored their opponents by a 102-21 margin in the 1979 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) playoffs en route to their championship and finished the season with a 10-1-1 record.
Strahm, who would later lead the Oilers to national championship wins in 1992, 1995 and 1997, was tabbed the NAIA National Coach of the Year during the 1979 season. He also earned NAIA District 22 Coach of the Year accolades and led a team that featured 12 all-Hoosier Buckeye selections, ten NAIA all-District 22 picks and five NAIA all-Americans.
After finishing the regular season with a 7-1-1 record, the Oilers began their playoff run with a 41-15 win over Jamestown in the opening round of the NAIA playoffs at Donnell Stadium. The Oilers piled it on early, jumping out to a 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back as they rolled up 436 yards of total offense.
Fullback Nelson Bolden led the Oilers offensive attack with 136 rushing yards on 31 carries while quarterback Paul Trina completed 7-of-10 passing attempts for 156. Defensively, end Jerry Campbell and linebacker Jim Ryan led the way with 11 and ten tackles, respectively.
In the second round of the playoffs at a frozen Donnell Stadium, the Oilers scored a 9-0 win over Pacific Lutheran to reach the national championship game. The Oilers defense came up big as they forced nine turnovers in the game. Defensive back Denny Maag led the way with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in the victory.
The Oilers won convincingly in the title game, spanking Northwestern (Iowa) by a score of 51-6 in Donnell Stadium for the school’s first national championship. The Oilers defense once again was dominant in forcing nine turnovers and held Northwestern to just 171 yards of total offense. Findlay built a 41-0 lead at the half and were led offensively by Trina, who finished with 124 passing yards and 59 rushing yards.
The Oilers offensive attack during the 1979 season was unstoppable. They gained 4,534 yards of total offense and averaged 246.4 rushing yards per game. Bolden led the charge with 1,324 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns while Trina threw for 1,171 yards and 18 scores. Rick Hatfield was the Oilers top receiver, hauling in 55 catches for 839 yards and 14 touchdowns.
On defense, the Oilers were experts at forcing turnovers, totaling 51 on the year, and held their opponents to a mere 11.0 points per game. Maag recorded nine interceptions while defensive back Tim Tagliapietra had seven.
Pat Gibson, the Oilers leader on the offensive line, earned second team all-Little All-American honors and was also voted a NAIA All-American. Bolden and Hatfield each earned NAIA All-American honors while Tagliapietra and offensive lineman Dave Berger each earned honorable mention All-American accolades.
All of the Oilers individual accolades from the 1979 season are listed below:
NAIA All-American
Pat Gibson (OL)
Nelson Bolden (RB)
Rick Hatfield (WR)
NAIA Honorable Mention All-American
Dave Berger (OL)
Tim Tagliapietra (DB)
NAIA All-District 22
Rick Hatfield (WR)
Dave Berger (OL)
Pat Gibson (OL)
Paul Trina (QB)
Nelson Bolden (RB)
Roger Funk (DL)
Paul Street (DL)
Jim Ryan (LB)
Denny Maag (DB)
Tim Tagliapietra (DB)
First Team All-Hoosier Buckeye League
Rick Hatfield (WR)
Dave Berger (OL)
Pat Gibson (OL)
Mike Griffith (OL)
Paul Trina (QB)
Nelson Bolden (RB)
Roger Funk (DL)
Paul Street (DL)
Denny Maag (DB)
Second Team All-Hoosier Buckeye League
Jerry Campbell (DL)
Jim Ryan (LB)
Tim Tagliapietra (DB)

Dean Pees

In addition, former Oilers assistant football coach and retired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, will enter the Hall of Fame as the 2018 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is a part of the Oilers Athletic Hall of Fame and was established in 2013 to honor outstanding Oilers who have attained an extremely high level of success in their industry, sport or profession.  This success may or may not have a connection to a Varsity “F” letter earned at the University of Findlay. This award serves as humble appreciation for the recipient who has brought positive recognition and distinction to the University of Findlay athletics and the University of Findlay as an institution.
Pees has had an incredible career as a coach across all levels and has two Super Bowl rings to show for it. He got his start at Findlay under Strahm and served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1979-82. While at Findlay, Pees played a key role in helping the Oilers capture the 1979 NAIA national championship and helped lead Findlay to a 23-6-1 record during his tenure with the program.
After getting his start at Findlay, Pees later served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Miami (Ohio) from 1983-86 before becoming the secondary coach at Navy from 1987-89. He would then serve as defensive coordinator at Toledo from 1990-93, secondary coach at Notre Dame in 1994 under Lou Holtz and defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Michigan State from 1995-97 on Nick Saban’s staff.
Pees became a collegiate head coach for the first time in 1998 when he took the reins of Kent State’s program. He would compile 17 wins for the Golden Flashes from 1998-2003 before leaving the collegiate game for the NFL.
Pees got his start in the NFL as a linebackers coach for the New England Patriots in 2004 under Bill Belichick. In his first season on staff, the Patriots finished the regular season with a 14-2 record and went on to win Super Bowl XXXIX by a score of 24-21 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Patriots would promote Pees to defensive coordinator in 2006 and he held that title until 2009. During his time as defensive coordinator in New England, the Patriots won three AFC East titles (2006, 2007, 2009). In 2007, the Patriots finished the regular season unblemished with a 16-0 record. They would later fall by a score of 17-14 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
Pees would join the Baltimore Ravens staff in 2010 and spent his first two seasons in Baltimore as their linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2012, a position he still holds today, and helped lead the Ravens to a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.