Buies Creek, NC (Sports Network) - New Campbell University football coach Mike Minter suffered a broken foot while playing for the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVII, but continued to play on it and collected a career-high 18 tackles against the New England Patriots.
Now that the Camels have a new leader with such mentality and toughness, their struggles could be solved in the near future.
On Tuesday, Campbell hired Minter to revive a program that has gone 14-41 since it ended a 58-year hiatus and returned to the field in 2008.
Minter, the special teams coach at Liberty University this season, brings 10 year of NFL playing experience to the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League program.
"I am excited to be the next head football coach at Campbell University," Minter said. "My family and I are looking forward to being part of the Campbell family. I would like to thank president Dr. Jerry Wallace and athletic director Bob Roller for the opportunity to take the Campbell football program to the next level. I am grateful for the chance to lead these young men and to help develop them into champions on and off the field."
Minter, 38, succeeds Dale Steele, who was fired after five seasons and this year's 1-10 record, including 0-8 in the PFL.
Before coaching at Liberty, Minter had previous stints as an assistant coach at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and the head coach at First Assembly Christian high school in Concord. He guided First Assembly to two state titles and 33 victories in three seasons.
A former safety, Minter graduated from Nebraska in 1997 and is in the school's Hall of Fame. He spent 10 years in the NFL with the Panthers and holds team records for consecutive starts (141), fumble recoveries (11) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (four). A second-round draft choice in 1997, Minter helped the Panthers to three playoff trips and the Super Bowl appearance before he retired after the 2006 season.
Minter was one of nine new assistant coaches brought in by Liberty coach Turner Gill in January. The two have ties, as Gill was an assistant coach at Nebraska when Minter was a member of back-to-back national championship teams in 1994-95.
Minter will bring Adam Morris with him from Liberty. Morris served as the team's offensive quality control staff member for the last year.
Campbell re instituted its football program under Steele in 2006 after it had been dormant since 1950.
