Vernon Hargreaves

Position:
Linebackers

University of Miami linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves has molded some of the nation's finest linebackers since joining the Hurricanes staff in 1998, including 2000 Butkus Award winner Dan Morgan and 2004 first-round draft choices Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams.

Hargreaves' linebackers have been instrumental in the development of the Hurricanes' defense into one of the nation's top units over the last five seasons.

Linebackers flourish in Miami's 4-3 scheme, and that position has continued to do so at an even higher level since Hargreaves' arrival. In his first six seasons on the staff, a linebacker led Miami in tackles each season. In 2003, Hargreaves molded a unit that produced two of 11 semi-finalists for the Butkus Award: middle linebacker Vilma and weakside linebacker Williams. Vilma earned first-team All-Big East honors his last two seasons and was a first-team All-American in 2003 and a finalist for the 2003 Butkus Award.

In 2000, Hargreaves worked closely with Dan Morgan in a switch from outside linebacker to middle linebacker, a move that reaped huge rewards for UM and Morgan, who became the first player in college football history to sweep the Butkus, Nagurski and Bednarik Awards in the same season on the way to consensus All- America honors.

Hargreaves came to Miami after 13 seasons on the staff at the University of Connecticut, where he was outside linebackers coach from 1985-89 and inside linebackers coach from 1989-97. While at Connecticut, Hargreaves was crucial in the development of linebacker Paul Duckworth who was a sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1994.

A native of New Haven, Conn., Hargreaves attended the University of Connecticut and received a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology in 1986. He was a star linebacker at UConn from 1980-83, and he was recognized as an All-American twice, earning honorable mention in 1982 and third-team honors in 1983. Hargreaves was a two-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection and tri-captain of the 1983 UConn team. He ranks fourth on the UConn career tackles list and holds two of the top 10 single-season tackles marks.

One of only six Huskies to register 20 tackles in a game, he signed a free agent contact with the Cleveland Browns and played professional football in Italy. In 1998, Hargreaves was named a member of UConn's 100th anniversary team commemorating the greatest players in the program's first century of football.

Hargreaves and his wife, Jackie, are the parents of three children: daughters Carina (13) and Channelle (7) and son Vernon III (10).

Personal Information

Full Name:	Vernon Hargreaves
Birth date:	April 8, 1962
Hometown:	New Haven, Connecticut
Education:	B.S. in sociology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (1986)
Wife:	married to the former Jackie Bond
Children:	Carina (12), Vernon III (9), Chanelle (6)

Hargreaves' Coaching Career

1998-	University of Miami (linebackers)
1989-97	University of Connecticut (inside linebackers)
1985-89	University of Connecticut (outside linebackers)

Bowl Games as a Coach (6)
2004 Peach Bowl
2004 Orange Bowl
2003 Fiesta Bowl
2002 Rose Bowl
2001 Sugar Bowl
2000 Gator Bowl
1998 MicronPC Bowl

Coaching Accomplishments

Coached 2003 Butkus Award finalist Jonathan Vilma on a defense that ranked second nationally in total defense, led the nation in pass defense and ranked fourth in pass efficiency defense and scoring defense.

Tutored two 2002 Butkus Award semi-finalists (Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams) on a defense that ranked seventh nationally in total defense and led the nation in pass defense and pass efficiency defense.

Led the 2001 linebacker corps that was a key part of a National Championship team. The defense led the nation in scoring defense, turnover margin and pass efficiency defense.

Coached Dan Morgan, the first player to win the Butkus, Bednarik and Nagurski awards in the same season (2000). Morgan also was a Consensus First-Team All-American and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.

Honors as a Player

Recognized as an All-American twice.

Earned third-team honors in 1983 and honorable mention in 1982.

Two-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection.

Tri-captain of the 1983 UConn team.

Ranks fourth on the UConn career tackle list and holds two of the top 10 single-season tackle totals.

Only one of six Huskies to register 20 tackles in a game.

Signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns.

Played professional football in Italy.

Prominent Players Coached

Dareel McClover (Miami)- New York Jets

Jonathan Vilma (Miami) - 2003 Butkus Award Finalist