Upper Iowa Football Coach Tom Shea Steps Down
A restructuring of the football staff at Upper Iowa means the Peacocks are getting a new head coach.
Vice President for Athletics Rick Hartzell announced Tuesday that Tom Shea will transition to a new position with the program through the end of the 2020 season. Shea will become a special adviser to the head coach effective immediately.
Shea has guided the Peacocks for the last 11 years after being named Upper Iowa’s 15th head coach in January 2009. Under his leadership, the Peacocks posted four winning seasons in a five-year span that included three-straight from 2013 to 2015 – something that hadn’t been done at Upper Iowa in more than 50 years.
"I have the utmost respect for Tom Shea," Hartzell said in a statement released by the university. "Not only is he a good football coach, he is a tremendous person.
"We will do everything we can to make sure this coming year is a great one for him and, at the same time, do our best to move this football program forward to be even more competitive in the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference)."
During his tenure at Upper Iowa, Shea led the Peacocks to 42 victories in 121 games. He recruited and coached three all-Americans, 14 all-region performers, 70 all-NSIC selections, a Northern Sun Conference Player of the Year, and NSIC Newcomer of the Year.
According to Hartzell, Upper Iowa plans to promote someone from the current football staff to fill the head coaching vacancy on an interim basis through the end of the 2020 season.