Randy Awrey

Defensive Coordinator, Football
E-mail: rawrey@nmu.edu
Telephone: 906-227-2084
At NMU Since 2008

Randy Awrey joins the Northern Michigan University football coaching staff as the defensive coordinator. He will also coach the defensive backs.

He brings 28 years of football coaching experience to the Wildcats, which includes 18 as a head coach. Awrey was the head coach at Saginaw Valley State University for nine seasons (1999-07) where he led the Cardinals to a 76-27 overall record and a 71-20 GLIAC record. He left SVSU as the all-time winningest coach in school history. His overall collegiate record is 124-68-1. Awrey led SVSU to GLIAC titles in 2000 and 2003. He led SVSU to five appearances in the NCAA II playoffs and was named the GLIAC coach of the year in 2003. Awrey’s other head coaching stops have been at Lakeland College (1994-98) and at Kentucky Wesleyan College (1990-93). He was an assistant coach at St. Lawrence University (1982-85), Michigan Tech (1982-85), NMU 1980-81) and at Westwood High School (1979).

Awrey, an Iron Mountain native, was a four-year starter for the ‘Cats. He was a defensive back as freshman before switching to a running back. Awrey was named the MVP in the 1975 national championship game as NMU claimed the title. He was inducted into the NMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. He has two bachelor’s degrees from NMU, in criminal justice (1978) and a teaching certificate in physical education (1981). Awrey earned his master’s degree in educational administration from NMU in 1986.