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Jack Bicknell Jr. is home.
The former Orono High School football star, a three-year letterman at Boston College, is looking forward to his new challenge as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at BC.
He spent the last eight seasons as the head coach at Louisiana Tech before being fired in December. He was then hired as the offensive line coach at Texas Tech.
But when new BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinski called him and offered him a job, he accepted.
“I couldn’t turn down a chance to come home. It’s exciting to be back,” said Bicknell, the married father of three. “We just bought a house a half a mile from my sister [Wendy] and my parents are getting older and I want to be closer to them.”
A lot has transpired since Bicknell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at BC before going on to New Hampshire.
“I some ways, I couldn’t recognize the place,” said Bicknell. “It doesn’t feel like the school I played at.
“But it’s been great. There are still people here who were here when I was here. It’s an unusual feeling,” said Bicknell.
The biggest change is the Eagles are in the ACC now, not the Big East.
“The ACC is one of the top conferences in the country, if not the top conference. When you start looking at Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech and then you throw in a nonconference game against Notre Dame, that’s quite a schedule. There’s no question we’ll have our hands full. It’s going to be a big challenge,” said Bicknell.
Bicknell said he learned a lot as a head coach at Louisiana Tech, where he compiled a 42-53 record.
“I feel like I did a good job there. I was the third winningest coach in the program’s history and the top two guys coached when it was a I-AA school,” said Bicknell. “It isn’t easy opening your [2006] season with games at Nebraska, at Texas A&M, at Clemson and at Boise State.”
He said it is almost “impossible to keep it going [winning] year after year.”
Louisiana Tech went 3-10 this past season.
Bicknell did lead Louisiana Tech to the WAC championship and a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl in 2001.
He is playing catchup these days as he familiarizes himself with the coaching staff, players and new terminology.
“We have a great coaching staff here. I don’t have a great feel for the players yet. I haven’t seen them on the practice field,” said Bicknell, who will have three starters back on the offensive line.
Two of the coaches on the staff are former Black Bear players and assistants Jeff Comissiong (defensive line) and Ben Sirmans (running backs).
Bicknell has been busy recruiting and said he has been trying to attract players who are not only talented but are also good students.
“There is a direct correlation. The type of player who wants to play at this type of institution is a winner who will work hard,” said Bicknell.
He has fond memories of his days in Orono, where the Riots had a 38-game winning streak.
“I was up there a couple of years ago to our 25th reunion,” said Bicknell. “It was great to see a lot of good friends.”
Bicknell, who was the center for Doug Flutie in 1984, said his father Jack Sr., the former University of Maine and BC football coach, has retired from coaching in NFL Europa.
The elder Bicknell compiled a 59-55 record there and appeared in four World Bowls.
Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.
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