WILMINGTON, Ohio - Wilmington College Senior Director of Athletics Bill Wilson has announced that the acting tag will be removed from Corey Fillipovich's title, making him the 15th head coach in the last 75 years of Quaker football. Fillipovich's tenure will begin immediately.
"I am thrilled to announce that we have found our next head football coach, and he resides right here on our campus," said Wilson. "Following a full assessment of our football program and many conversations with Corey, I am confident in his ability to lead Quaker football into a new era. Corey is a tireless recruiter who cares about the success of our student-athletes not just on the field, but in the classroom as well. The team has made positive strides this season, and we look forward to continued growth."
Fillipovich has a cumulative full season under his belt as acting head coach having assumed the role in mid-October of 2021. He's guided WC to a 5-5 record in his 10 games leading the program including a 3-3 record this season. Victories include four thrilling games with the Columbus schools - Capital University and Otterbein University - as well as a 52-27 thrashing of Southern Virginia University to open the 2022 season.
Prior to assuming the role of acting head coach, Fillipovich served as the program's defensive coordinator and academic coordinator, titles he still holds, for three-plus years. During the unique 2021 spring season, Fillipovich was named the OAC Assistant Coach of the Year for a defensive yearly turnaround in nearly every statistical category including: points per game allowed (41.4 to 27.6), yards per game allowed (438 to 309) and rushing yards per game allowed (197 to 86). In total, 13 defense players have garnered All-OAC honors under Fillipovich's tutelage, most notably Tavion Bryant as the Gene Slaughter Award winner as the league's top linebacker in the spring of 2021.
"I would like to thank President Trevor Bates, Vice President Sigrid Solomon and Senior Director of Athletics Bill Wilson for this opportunity to continue to lead the Wilmington College football program into the future," said Fillipovich. "Wilmington College is a special place for so many people, and my family and I are excited to help WC RISE academically, athletically and socially! To our current players, coaches and families, this moment could not have happened without you. Thank you for your support and continued support as we move forward. To our future players and families, I can't wait for you to join #QuakerStyle!"
Since becoming the leader of the football program, Fillipovich has maintained a healthy roster size of over 100 student-athletes during both of his seasons. Additionally, the 2022 squad, which features 51 freshmen recruited by Fillipovich and his staff, has kept over 90 percent of its members since camp began in early August. Academically, the football program achieved a 2.96 team grade point average (GPA) for the 2022 spring semester with 32 individuals tallying a 3.0 GPA or higher. Fillipovich has also put an emphasis on his program being involved in the overall campus community. Members of the football program have aided residence life by helping move new students into their dorms during Welcome Week, been involved in campus organizations such as Men of Excellence and supported other athletic teams as fans.
"Coach Filli has shown exceptional leadership from the end of last semester when he and his team finished last season with two wins until now leading the team to its best start in over two decades," said Sigrid Solomon, Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students. "He has led positive recruitment efforts and has worked closely with a variety of staff and faculty members on retention as well as academic success. Respect and integrity are important to Corey and his staff as they've been very attentive to hold players accountable for their actions. I'm confident that he will continue this spirit of collaboration. Go Quakers!"
Prior to Wilmington, Fillipovich spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan University and 11 seasons at fellow OAC member Heidelberg University. A 2003 graduate of Muskingum College (now University), Fillipovich played both offensive and defensive line as Musky. He went on to earn a master's degree from Heidelberg in 2006.
Fillipovich and his wife Andrea reside in Wilmington with their two children, Henry and Abbey.
