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Bill Lynch completed his first season as Indiana head coach and his 15th season overall, leading the 2007 Hoosiers to a 7-6 record and a trip to the Insight Bowl. Lynch is the only head coach in Hoosier history to guide an IU team to a bowl game in his debut season. He led Indiana to its most wins since 1993, its first bowl appearance since 1993 and its first Old Oaken Bucket victory since 2001. The team's seven victories were the second most for a first-year Indiana head coach, trailing only James M. Sheldon, who went 8-1-1 in 1905.
Lynch signed an agreement on November 26, 2007, to remain head coach through July 1, 2012. He was named Indiana's 27th head coach on June 15, 2007. Lynch has compiled an 88-72-3 record with stops in Bloomington, Butler, Ball State and DePauw. He has won or shared seven conference or divisional titles in his 15 seasons. Lynch has 31 overall years of coaching experience, spending 30 of those seasons in the state of Indiana.
With the Hoosiers' trip to the Insight Bowl, Lynch made his third appearance in a bowl game. He was an assistant under former Hoosier head coach Bill Mallory when Indiana fell to Virginia Tech in the 1993 Independence Bowl. Lynch served as the Ball State head coach and led the Cardinals to the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl. BSU dropped an 18-15 decision to Nevada.
Lynch served as interim head coach for two games in 2006 and led the Hoosiers during 2007 spring practice. During his first two campaigns in Bloomington, he served as the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. This is Lynch's second stint at Indiana, as he was the Hoosiers' quarterbacks coach in 1993-94.
Under Lynch's leadership as offensive coordinator, quarterback Kellen Lewis posted one of the top freshman seasons in IU history in 2006. The redshirt freshman racked up 2,221 yards passing and 19 total touchdowns. In 2006, the Hoosiers scored their most points (277) since 2001. Indiana averaged 23.1 points, 335.9 yards and 222.1 passing yards per game. The Hoosiers scored over 30 points three times and at least 24 points on seven occasions.
The veteran coach returned to Bloomington after directing DePauw to an 8-2 record en route to Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2004. Lynch was the first coach in SCAC history to earn the award in his debut campaign after his team went 5-1 to capture the league championship.
Under Lynch's tutelage, seven DePauw players earned All-SCAC first team honors, and the Tigers compiled the second-best single-season per-game rushing average (254.6 yards) in school history. Senior wide receiver Jamarcus Shepard was one of only two Division III players invited to the 2005 Hula Bowl Maui All-Star Classic.
Lynch was head coach at Ball State from 1995-02. During his tenure in Muncie, the Cardinals won at least six games in three seasons, including a 7-4 mark in 1995 and an 8-4 record the following season. The 1995 team posted a 6-2 record and tied for third in the Mid-American Conference, while Lynch's 1996 team captured the MAC championship at 7-1 and earned a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl. Ball State also staked claim to the 2001 MAC West title after claiming third-place finishes in 1997 and 2000.
A 1977 Butler graduate and four-year letterwinner in both football and basketball, Lynch quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 28-12 overall record and three conference championships. He earned Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) Most Valuable Player honors in each of his final three seasons. Lynch led the nation in pass completion percentage in 1975 and captained both sports his senior campaign.
A three-time Little All-American, Lynch became the first athlete to twice be named recipient of the prestigious Tony Hinkle Award, presented by the ICC for outstanding scholastic and athletic achievement. He finished his career with 5,909 passing yards and 60 touchdowns. Lynch also set a Butler men's basketball school record by handing out 121 assists in 1975-76, and he was inducted into the Butler Hall of Fame in 2000.
Upon graduation, Lynch spent seven seasons as a Bulldog assistant coach, including stints as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator. He moved on to Northern Illinois as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in 1984 and was quarterbacks coach of the Orlando Renegades of the United States Football League (USFL) in the winter of 1984.
Lynch returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1985 and compiled a 36-12-3 record over the next five seasons. Butler won four Heartland Collegiate Conference titles during his tenure, and he won conference Coach of the Year honors on three occasions. Four of Lynch's five squads were ranked among the top 20 of NCAA Division II, and he twice earned AFCA Regional Coach of the Year laurels.
He moved on to Ball State as the Cardinals' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1990-92, where he worked with eventual NFL running backs Bernie Parmalee (Miami Dolphins and New York Jets) and Corey Croom (New England Patriots). From Ball State, Lynch headed to Indiana, where he oversaw the quarterbacks in 1993 and 1994 and helped the Hoosiers to the 1993 Independence Bowl.
Lynch and his wife, Linda, have four children - Billy (Carla), Kelly (Lucas Manor), Joey (Danielle) and Kevin - and seven grandchildren - Lindsey (1) and Max (newborn) Lynch (Billy and Carla - parents); Joe Jr. (newborn) Lynch (Joey and Danielle - parents); and Lexie (7), Maggie (5), Jonny (2) and Kate (newborn) Manor (Kelly and Lucas - parents). Billy is the Hoosiers' wide receivers coach, while Joey, who played quarterback at Ball State (2003-06), is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind. Kevin is a junior member of the Franklin (Ind.) College football team.