December 4, 2008

Kurt Barth hired as next EC head football coach

Eureka College would like to officially announce the hiring of Kurt Barth as its Head Football Coach. Barth is a 1998 graduate of Eureka and was inducted into the EC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.

Coach Barth returns to EC after serving as the head football coach at Eureka High School for the last four seasons. He coached 38 all-conference players in just his first three years there, and led the Hornets to the state playoffs for the first time in four years in 2007.

Barth has had two previous stints as an assistant coach at Eureka College. He served as an assistant coach under Nick Fletcher just after graduation from 1998-99, then took over offensive coordinator and assistant athletics director duties from 2003-05 under former coach Darrell Crouch.

A Minonk, Illinois native, Coach Barth spent four years working in his hometown as the Special Teams and Defensive Coordinator at Fieldcrest High School from 2000-04. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Defiance College, a NCAA Division III member school in Defiance, Ohio.

Easily one of the greatest players in Eureka College football history, Barth was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American from 1995-97. The Red Devils compiled a 26-14 record during Barth's time at EC, which included an NAIA playoff berth in 1994 and a 9-1 record in 1995. He formed a lethal combination with quarterbacks Mike Simpson and John Furmaniak that still brings back vivid memories to many Eureka fans today.

In October of 1997, Barth set the NCAA Division III record to career receiving yards. He finished with 4,311 yards, which is now currently sixth in NCAA history. He had 256 career receptions and scored 51 touchdowns. In his sophomore year, he led the country in receiving yards per game at 133.7. The Red Devils lost just one game that season as Barth recorded 68 catches, 1,337 yards and 18 touchdowns. Against Concordia (WI) in 1996, Barth had 20 receptions, which still ranks in a tie for the third most in a game in NCAA history. By the time he had completed his EC playing career, Barth ranked second in NCAA Division III for career touchdowns (51), career receiving yards per game (110.5) and touchdowns in a season (18).

Coach Barth becomes the 10th head coach at Eureka since 1956. He replaces Dan Sullivan, who coached EC the last four years. Defensive Coordinator Matthew Smiley served as Interim Head Coach for the final four games this past season. The Red Devils were 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

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For More Information Contact:

Bryan Moore
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bmoore@eureka.edu