J.D. Brookhart enters his sixth season as Akron’s head football coach. Over his first five years, Brookhart has led the Zips through numerous firsts.
Notably, in 2005, Akron won its first Mid-American Conference championship and the programs’ first postseason berth in the Division I era (1980), playing in the 2005 Motor City Bowl. In 2006, then again in 2008, Akron claimed a win over a BCS program, defeating North Carolina State and Syracuse, respectively.

While it was not a first, Brookhart led the Zips through the final season at the Rubber Bowl in 2008. The Zips nearly defeafted eventual Big East Champion Cincinnati in the Rubber Bowl, The Bearcats usd a fourth-quarter field goal to edge UA 17-15. Akron and Buffalo, co-MAC East leaders at the time, battled to a four-overtime classic in the facility’s last game before the Bulls pulled out a 43-40 victory.

Brookhart will now have the pleasure of leading the Zips through perhaps their most exciting season as a veteran team will open Akron’s new on-campus facility InfoCision Stadium—Summa Field.

In addition to his leadership through numerous momentus milestones, under Brookhart, nearly every offensive record has fallen with players like Charlie Frye, Luke Getsy, Chris Jacquemain, Dennis Kennedy, Domenik Hixon and Jabari Arthur sit among the top five on the passing, rushing and receiving lists.

Brookhart brings a unique philosophy towards college football, using  the approach taken by a CEO to a Fortune 500 company, viewing success on the field in the same context as the bottom line in the board room.

It is that philosophy which led the Brookhart to be a 2007 Distinguished Sales and Marketing Honoree, as given by the Akron chapter of Sales & Marketing Executives International. He has additionally used his salesmanship to land the top-rated recruiting classes in the Mid-American Conference in 2005, ’06 and ’07 by various publications — all of which produced Freshman All-Americans as season’s end.

The mood around the Akron football program is similar to what is found in corporate America, where constant productivity and forward progress is a must and employees are held to the highest level of accountability.

The 44-year-old Brookhart, who has a career record of 27-33, views himself not only as a coach and teacher, but also as a manager of people.
 The role of a manager and the parallels between business and the gridiron come easy to Brookhart, because prior to his move to the coaching ranks he was a highly successful member of the corporate community from which the UA program is modeled.

The philosophy was put to use in spring 2004, shortly after his hiring, when he and the coaching staff put the players through a grueling eight-week workout regimen prior to spring practice.

The sessions were not only fitness-based, but also a test of wills, to see who would buy into Brookhart’s team-first philosophy which is built around commitment, responsibility and attention to detail.

The payoff of the teamwork concept was no more evident than on December 1, 2005, when, after an up-and-down season the team hoisted the Mid-American Conference Championship trophy above its collective heads after a 31-30 triumph over Northern Illinois at Ford Field in Detroit.
That thrilling come-from-behind win on national television gave the Zips their first league title in school history and sent them to their first-ever Division I-A bowl game.

Akron, which ended the year at 7-6, faced Memphis in the 2005 Motor City Bowl and nearly duplicated the come-from-behind feat again before falling, 38-31. Most importantly, Akron sold out its full allotment of 10,000 tickets for the game and had an estimated 15,000 fans at the game - an indication that Akron football is on the rise.

While Brookhart has great business acumen, he could be considered a bit of a gambler. However, like all the world’s top gamblers, they do not rely on luck. They calculate all the possibilities and make the appropriate moves based on experience in order to maximize the odds to his favor.

His first “gamble” came in his first year, 2004, moving ‘03 tackles leader Domenik Hixon from defensive back to wide out in order to give record-breaking quarterback Charlie Frye a big-play target. Hixon responded by tying a UA record with 66 receptions. The following year, another record-setting QB, Luke Getsy, found Hixon over and over — including a TD in the final seconds to win the MAC title — as the wideout set UA season records for receptions (75) and yards (1,210), the latter which still stands as a school mark.

His second “gamble” came in 2005, as Getsy established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the MAC, Brookhart moved backup QB Jabari Arthur to wide receiver. Over his final three years, thanks to a phenomenal 2007, Arthur left Akron as the UA record holder for receptions in a game, season and career, among others.

Then, in 2008, Brookhart pulled a double switch, moving an all-conference tailback to strong safety and moving UA’s top defenders to wide receiver. The move once again worked well. Bryan Williams was named All-MAC on defense to become the first player in league history to earn all-league honors on both sides on the ball in a career. Andre Jones, who ranked no lower than fourth in tackles on the team in his first two years, was moved to wide receiver. Jones would be named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week once and third team All-MAC, scoring seven touchdowns ­ 39th-best in the NCAA among wideouts.

Another impressive feat in Brookhart’s frst four years is the fact that at least one Zip was selected within the first four rounds of the NFL draft from 2005-08, including Frye, Hixon, offensive lineman Andy Alleman and cornerback Reggie Corner. Akron was one of just 23 schools to accomplish the feat over the span and the only non-BCS member on the list.

Coming off a 6-5 season in 2004, which saw the Zips competing for the MAC East Division title in the final game, the question was would this team be able to match or go beyond that feat? Gone was team captain Frye, holder of 54 school records and the undeniable heart and soul of the group. The prognosticators had picked the Zips to finish no better than fourth in the East Division.

Enter transfer quarterback Getsy, who would set or tie 25 UA records in his two years under center, and Akron surprised many by opening the 2005 campaign at 2-1. After a season-opening loss at Purdue, the Zips snatched a road win at Middle Tennessee State, and then silenced the critics with a thrilling 48-42 overtime victory over MAC power Northern Illinois at UA’s Rubber Bowl. It looked as though the Zips were well on their way.

Thanks to a little help from its friends, Akron found itself in the position of controlling its own postseason destiny in the ‘05 season finale versus Kent State. Not only was the Wagon Wheel trophy on the line, but also a MAC East Division crown and the program’s first-ever appearance in the MAC Championship game.

When the final seconds ticked off the clock and the MAC East Champion plaque was presented to the team, it was clear that Brookhart’s vision, and the precedent that was set with the 2004 squad, had become a reality.

 The 2005 season turnaround was oddly reminiscent of what happened in 2004. After an 0-3 start, the players responded to Brookhart in resounding fashion with a thrilling 24-19 road win over arch rival Kent State on Sept. 23.

That victory brought the Wagon Wheel back to Akron and re-energized the Zips’ season.

UA reeled off wins in three of its next four games, setting up a showdown with perennial MAC power Marshall. The game was nationally televised by ESPN2 and the Zips, led by the heroics of Frye, stunned the Thundering Herd by coming back from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit to win 31-28 on a last-second field goal by Jason Swiger.

That triumph, coupled with a win over Ohio the following week, moved the Zips to 6-4, including a 6-1 mark in the league, and placed UA within one game of its first-ever MAC East Division title. The Zips fell the next week to Miami, 37-27, in the season finale, but it was evident that Brookhart had raised the bar for the program.

Akron posted its then-highest league win total (6) as a member of the MAC in 2004, and was within an eyelash of the program’s first-ever Division I-A bowl berth - two feats which were surpassed in 2005.

The 6-5 mark was tops among the five first-year head coaches in the league, and was tied for second most nationally among 14 new head coaches, trailing only Mike Price of UTEP (8-3). For his efforts Brookhart was tabbed as MAC Coach of the Year, the first such honor for a UA coach in the program’s 13 years in the league.

The Zips were not ranked among the top offensive or defensive teams in the league in terms of total yards, but they did all the little things necessary to win. They led the league in both punt and kickoff returns, were second in fewest penalty yards and third in turnover margin, each an ingredient in a recipe for football success.

In a nutshell, the Zips did not beat themselves during 2004, a mantra preached by Brookhart since his arrival at Akron.

Under Brookhart’s leadership, the Zips also had their first-ever Vern Smith Leadership Award winner, honoring the top player in the league, when Frye was anointed after the season. Frye, who ended his career among the all-time leaders in NCAA Division I-A history in passing yards and total offense, was also tabbed second-team All-MAC, along with running back Brett Biggs, a first-year junior-college player.

The Zips received a number of individual accolades in 2005. Hixon, running back Brett Biggs, defensive lineman Kiki Gonzalez, and linebackers Jay Rohr and Brion Stokes were named to the All-MAC team.

In addition, linebacker Kevin Grant, a member of Brookhart’s first recruiting class in February 2004, was named a third team freshman All-American. Brookhart was also tabbed MAC Coach of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com.

The 2006 season did not live up to preseason expectations, as the Zips went 5-7. However, there were a number of highlights from the season. After making a solid showing at Penn State in the season opener, Akron went to North Carolina State the following week and pulled out a victory on the game’s last play to record the program’s first victory over a BCS team. The list of honors for Brookhart players, in particular at wide receiver, continued as David Harvey was named first team Freshman All-American. Also, quarterback Luke Getsy and Andy Alleman were both selected to participate in the NFL Combine with Alleman being snatched in the third round of the draft by the New Orleans Saints.

In 2007, the Zips opened the year by beating Army in the first Patriot Bowl at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Akron would then produce five turnovers and only trailed eventual national champion runner-up Ohio State 3-2 at halftime before losing 20-2. The first of the Zips’ dramatic finishes came in week four as UA senior Davanzo Tate picked off a pass in the endzone as time expired allowing Akron to win back the Wagon Wheel with a 27-20 victory — the last time the Wagon Wheel would be fought for in the Rubber Bowl. That was a prelude to one of the top plays in college football in 2007 as Akron, down 38-24 at Western Michigan in the fourth quarter, scored 15 unanswered points, including a miraculous return of a free kick following a safety as time expired for the 39-38 decision.

Arthur would earn fourth team All-American honors, catching a UA record 86 passes for 1,171 yards. Corner led the MAC and ranked fourth nationally with seven interceptions. Defensive end Almondo Sewell was tabbed honorable mention Freshman All-American.

Also, with Brookhart taking over as special teams coordinator full time, Bryan Williams finished second in the NCAA in kick returns while Andre Jones was 11th in the NCAA in punt returns as Akron was the only team in the nation with two players among the top 15 in both categories.
Arthur and Corner would both be named first team All-MAC in 2007, becoming just the sixth and seventh Zips to earn such a distinction. In all, a school-record eight players were named All-MAC with second team picks Stokes, Chris Kemme and Sewell as well as third team selections John Mackey, Grant and Williams (both as a running back and return specialist).

The 2008 season saw the Zips claim the program’s second BCS victory, defeating Syracuse 42-28, while claiming a win at Army. Akron also claimed a thrilling double-overtime win at Kent State, a dramatic win at Eastern Michigan and a convincing win over Toledo to set up a first-place battle with Buffalo in the final game played at the Rubber Bowl. The Bulls pulled out a 43-40, four-overtime win and went on to win the MAC Championship.
The accolades reflected the success from the season. Chris Jacquemain, Andre Jones, Deryn Bowser, Igor Iveljic, Dennis Kennedy and the UA offensive line were all named MAC East Players of the Week. At season’s end, seven Zips were named All-MAC, including first team pick Kemme — becoming the Zips’ first three-time All-MAC honoree. Also, as previously mention, Bryan Williams earned All-MAC on defense, while earning All-MAC as a kick returner for the second straight season. Other honorees included Grant, Kennedy, Sewell, Jones, Bowser

Brookhart’s road to where he is now has been a long and winding one.  
In 1988, he was cut as a free agent by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, an event which thrust him into a prosperous six-year stint as an account executive.
At first he worked for the International Golf Tournament in Denver, managing the event’s corporate hospitality tents, but a year later moved on to Xerox Corp. Within three years of selling copiers he was awarded the President’s Club Award, an honor given to those who meet a sales quota among the company’s top 15 percent.

Brookhart later worked for two other companies involved in software sales and marketing in Denver and then in Salt Lake City.
Then an early mid-life crisis hit. At age 30, Brookhart realized that his six-figure salary was not everything and that life just did not seem complete. Managing a speed camp for local high school and collegiate athletes on the side during his business career had kept his passion for football alive.

Discussions with family and friends led the former collegiate star wide receiver back to the game, starting with a low-level, non-paying coaching assignment with the Denver Broncos in 1995. Two years later he returned to the college ranks as an assistant at the University of Pittsburgh.

The transition from business to football is what attracted The University of Akron brass to Brookhart, prompting them to begin a new era of Akron football on December 15, 2003, when he was introduced as the 25th head coach of the Zips.

Brookhart is no stranger to being part of competitive programs having spent the seven seasons prior to his new appointment as an assistant on the Pittsburgh staff, including the last four as both wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator. During that time he guided one of the most prolific offenses in the Big East Conference and tutored the top-rated passer and receiver in the league in 2003. Quarterback Rod Rutherford ranked first in the Big East and No. 11 nationally in passing efficiency that season, while 2003 Biletnikoff Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up Larry Fitzgerald set league and NCAA records for his pass-catching prowess.

Brookhart, who became the Zips’ third head coach since their ascension to Division I-A status in 1987, was part of a rebirth of the Pittsburgh program as the Panthers finished the 2003 campaign with an 8-5 mark and an appearance in the Continental Tire Bowl – the school’s fourth-straight postseason showing.

Much of the success of the Pittsburgh resurgence was attributed to a potent offense and talented receiving corps, led in 2003 by Fitzgerald, who posted school records for receptions (92) and receiving yards (1,672). The sophomore wideout was the latest in a long line of productive receivers at Pittsburgh, which included 2000 Biletnikoff Award winner Antonio Bryant and NFL signees Latef Grim (Detroit Lions, 2001), Darcey Levy (Pittsburgh Steelers, 2001) and R.J. English (Atlanta Falcons, 2002).

Brookhart, who starred as a wide receiver at Colorado State (1985-87), started his collegiate coaching career at Pittsburgh in 1997 when he joined Walt Harris’ staff as the tight ends coach. After five-straight losing seasons, the Panthers finished the 1997 campaign with a 6-6 mark and made their first bowl appearance in eight years when they traveled to the AXA/Equitable Liberty Bowl.

A native of Denver, Colo., Brookhart joined Pittsburgh after a two-year coaching stint (1995-96) with the Broncos. His primary responsibilities included working with the defensive scout team, breaking down the opponents’ offense and working with the special teams. He also studied the west coast offense under head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. 

A three-year starter for CSU, Brookhart finished his Rams’ career in sixth place on the CSU all-time receptions list (111) and still ranks 10th. He also ranks seventh in Rams’ history with 1,873 career receiving yards. Brookhart was also tabbed a GTE Academic All-American as a senior in 1987 and signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams in 1988.  He also attended Brigham Young University as a freshman walk-on before moving on to Colorado State.

Brookhart and his wife, Jami, have four sons, Joseph (10), Jamison (7), John (4) and Jake (1).