TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -Toledo hired Tim Beckman as head coach Thursday, selecting the Oklahoma State defensive coordinator to take over its football program.
Beckman, a native of Ohio, has spent the past two seasons at Oklahoma State, where his 14th-ranked Cowboys (9-3) gave up 27 points per game this season in the Big 12.
They held Texas to a season-low 28 points but gave up 61 to Oklahoma last week.
“I didn’t always have this gray hair,” Beckman said. “It just came about in the last couple of months.”
Before going to Oklahoma State, Beckman coached defensive backs at Ohio State for two years and spent six seasons as defensive coordinator at Bowling Green, Toledo’s rival in the Mid-American Conference.
o of his mentors, Jim Tressel at Ohio State and Florida’s Urban Meyer. Beckman and Meyer were together for two seasons at Bowling Green.
“They’ve given me insight on how to build programs, how to be successful and how to graduate your football players,” Beckman said. “Teaching players how to be great people.”
He’ll replace Tom Amstutz, who announced his resignation last month. Amstutz was 57-38 in eight years at Toledo and led the Rockets to four bowl games and two Mid-American Conference championships.
Toledo athletic director Mike O’Brien said Beckman brings the same type of character found in those he has coached with in the past.
“Tim’s that type of person,” O’Brien said. “He has a commitment to making his players better people.”
Beckman is from Berea, Ohio, and his father, Dave, coached at Iowa and later was an assistant for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers.
He’ll get a chance to go against one of his mentors next season. Toledo plays Ohio State in Cleveland on Sept. 19.
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