Honors & Accomplishments
• Coming off a 5-5 season in 2022, tied for the program's best win total since 2005.
• Led team to three-game improvement in 2016, tied for its biggest turnaround since 1986.
• First top 25 win since 2007, first top 25 road win since 1950.
• Has developed 63 All-Ivy selections, two Ivy league Rookies of the Year, four Academic All-Americans and five FCS All-Americans as head coach.
Coaching Experience
• Head Coach, Cornell University (2013-present)
• Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2007-12)
• Assistant Coach, Fairleigh Dickinson (2006)
Education
• B.S., Economics, Cornell (2005)
At Cornell
Former Big Red captain David Archer ’05 will continue a mission many years in the making ... leading Cornell to the top of the Ivy League standings. From student-athlete to assistant coach to head coach, Archer has seemingly always bled Big Red.
Archer became the nation’s youngest Division I head coach when he was named the Roger J. Weiss ‘61 Head Coach of Football on Jan. 3, 2013. He immediately began putting his stamp on the program, and the small but incremental improvements in all areas are focused on the goal of competing for league championships.
An innovator who has provided steadfast leadership while making education his mission — on the field, in the classroom and in life away from Cornell — Archer brings an infectious passion and detailed and organized plan for the future of the Big Red football program. Spend five minutes listening to Archer talk about the educational mission of the university and how football fits into it and you’ll be ready to suit up. When he speaks about how Big Red football shaped his life, you understand why success is coming – and will be built to last once the corner is turned.
The native of Endicott, N.Y. has assisted in developing 63 All-Ivy League selections in his first 10 seasons, as well as Ivy League Rookies of the Year Chris Fraser (2013) and Nick Gesualdi (2014). Four players (Jeff Mathews, Chris Fraser, Nick Gesualdi and Grant Gellatly) were named FCS All-Americans and Gellatly, Seth Hope (two times) and Jelani Taylor earned spots on the Capital One Academic All-America squad. Both Hope and Taylor were first-team picks.
Archer has shown significant progress in improving the Big Red's Ivy League record with an upward trajectory that has methodically improved the program. The Big Red tied for fourth in the Ivy in 2019, its best finish since 2006. It went 5-5 in 2022, matching the program's best win total since 2005, going unbeaten in non-conference play for the first time since 2007.
Mathews, the 2011 Bushnell Cup winner for Ivy League Player of the Year and a two-time finalist for the award, graduated with 47 Big Red school records and 18 Ivy League marks for passing and total offense, while Luke Hagy, a first-team All-Ivy pick in 2015, graduated as the first player to surpass 2,000 rushing and 1,500 receiving yards in a career in conference history. He also became the first Cornellian to lead the team in rushing four straight years. Fraser set virtually every conference record for for punting, including posting a 42.8 yard punt average that is more than a yard greater than any player in league history en route to becoming the first four-time, first-team All-Ivy League selection in school history and the third overall.
The NCAA has also recognized Big Red football for its elite standing in the academic world, honoring the program four times for its Academic Progress Rate (APR) that measures the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term. Twenty-one student-athletes have been named Academic All-Ivy during his tenure, while 12 have earned Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
In his first season as head coach, Archer began making the Big Red program his own. It paid off in the season opener, as his players, fans and alumni alike got a chance to see a glimpse of his vision. In front of more than 15,000 fans at
Schoellkopf Field, Cornell flew around the field defensively, made huge special teams plays and showcased an opportunistic and explosive offense in a 45-13 win over Bucknell.
His steadfast preparation and positive attitude helped the Big Red weather a mid-season storm that saw Cornell lose seven straight games, only to turn the season around with wins in its last two contests. Without All-America quarterback Jeff Mathews in the lineup, Cornell snapped the skid with a sensational 24-9 team effort at home against Columbia, then rallied from a 21-7 second quarter deficit and held on in the final seven minutes for a 42-41 win at perennial Ivy League contender Penn to close the season. Tre’ Minor, one of five senior captains from Archer’s first class as recruiting coordinator, came up the middle to block the game-tying PAT attempt with just over a minute left to seal the win.
Cornell started to turn the corner in 2016, finishing the campaign with a 4-6 overall record, a three-game improvement over 2015. Additionally, three of its six losses came by a touchdown or less. The Big Red had its first winning road record since 1994 and posted just the ninth 3-0 start since the formation of the Ivy League in 1956. Included was a 39-38 win at No. 25 Colgate, the program's first road win over a top 25 team since 1950 and its first win over a ranked team in 10 years. The Big Red rallied from a 23-point deficit against the 2015 Patriot League champion and NCAA quarterfinalist, its largest overcome since 2000. Safety Nick
Gesualdi earned All-America honors, punter Chris Fraser became the school's first four-time, first-team All-Ivy pick on the gridiron. The duo joined running back Chris Walker as All-Ivy first team picks, just the third time in the previous 20 seasons Cornell had three first-team picks in the same season.
In between, Cornell suffered through a pair of one-win seasons, though even then improvement could be seen in terms of gains that helped the Big Red close the gap on its Ivy brethren. Fewer points and sacks allowed, more points and turnovers created. The team began shoring up third downs, showcasing greater balance on offense and made special teams a weapon - all trademarks of the future of Big Red football under Archer.
The 2017 season saw Cornell climb to fifth in the Ivy standings at 3-4 and was in contention for the Ivy title in November for the first time since 2000. The team's three Ivy wins were the most since 2011 and tied for the best Ivy record by the program in more than a decade. The Big Red defeated both Ivy League preseason co-favorites, Princeton and Harvard, defeating the Crimson for the first time in 12 years. The Big Red's non-conference schedule (Delaware, Patriot League co-champ Colgate and Bucknell) also proved to be the most challenging in the conference, with those three teams posting a 19-14 record. Seven players earned All-Ivy honors, three captured Academic All-District honors and Seth Hope became Cornell's first first-team Academic All-American since 2006.
Cornell went 3-7 in 2018 with a pair of league losses to top half teams by less than a touchdown (Yale, Columbia). The Big Red defeated Harvard for the second straight season for the first time since 1999 and 2000, and hammered previously unbeaten Sacred Heart at home, 43-24. Cornell rallied from a double digit deficit at Brown for a 34-16 victory, the Big Red's first win in Providence, R.I. since 2002 and its first consecutive victories over the Bears since 1993 - before any current member of the team was born. Cornell’s seven losses came against teams that sported a cumulative 53-21 record, including four to nationally ranked opponents (Colgate, Delaware, Princeton and Dartmouth). Colgate reached the national quarterfinals and Delaware earned a spot in the FCS Playoffs, while Princeton went undefeated (10-0) and joined fellow Ivy rival Dartmouth (9-1) in the final top 25 poll. Cornell also faced seven of the nation's top 20 defenses, but still had its most successful season running the ball since 2006 (156.1 yards per game). Six Big Red players earned All-Ivy honors, with Harold Coles (RB) and David Jones (CB) both finding a spot on the second team.
Cornell finished in the top half of the Ivy standings for the first time in more than a decade in 2019, with the team's 3-4 conference mark tied for fourth. The Big Red finished strong, topping Ivy champion and 12th-ranked Dartmouth 20-17 before reclaiming the Empire State Bowl with a 35-9 Senior Day win over Columbia in the season finale. The victory over the Big Green was the team's only loss of the season and was its first over a ranked Ivy ranked team on the road since 1950 (No. 13 Penn) and its highest ranked opponent overall since 1939 (No. 4 Ohio State). Eight players were named to the All-Ivy League team, including first-teamers Harold Coles and Jelani Taylor and Jerry Rice Award finalist Jake Stebbins on the second team. Taylor was named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's "Academic Heisman", and the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Award.
Though the 2020 season was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big Red finished the 2021 season with a 2-8 overall record with four of its defeats coming at the hands of nationally ranked opponents and three others coming by a touchdown or less The Big Red’s wins over Colgate (first win on a Friday since defeating Manhattan Athletic Club on Nov. 18, 1892) and Penn (first victory for the Trustees’ Cup since 2013) were both memorable victories.
Cornell bounced back with a 5-5 campaign in 2021, matching its most wins in a season since 2005 and posting its first perfect 3-0 non-league season since 2007 (fifth all-time since the Big Red started playing 10-game seasons in 1980). Twelve players earned All-Ivy honors, matching 2005 as the most by a Big Red player in the past three decades.
Notable Student-Athletes Under Coach Archer
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Chris Fraser '17 - Fraser became the first Cornell player to become a four-time first-team All-Ivy pick on the gridiron and just the third player to achieve that milestone in conference history. Fraser was named a 2015 third-team STATS FCS All-American. The career conference leader in punting average (42.8) by more than a yard per punt, he set Big Red records for punts downed inside the 20 (69), punts of at least 50 yards (48), punts that were fair caught (52) and career punting yards (9,234). In 2016, Cornell led the Ivy League in net punting (37.3 yards) and Fraser finished second in punts downed inside the 20 (23) while leading the circuit in 50-yard punts (13). He was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2013.
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Grant Gellatly '14 - Gellatly was named to the Capital One Academic All-America second team and to the Beyond Sports Network second team and College Sports Madness All-America third team as a senior. He was a first-team All-Ivy League selection in 2013 after setting Cornell single season receiving records with 91 catches for 1,224 yards to go along with eight touchdowns. He led the league and ranked second nationally in receiving yards per game (122.4) and receptions per game (9.1). Gellatly finished his career ranked second at Cornell in career receptions (194) and receiving yards (2,486) and was fifth in all-purpose yardage (3,766 yards). He had a school-record 10 career 100-yard receiving games and two 200-yard games in his career. Gellatly was a two-time All-Ivy pick.
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Nick Gesualdi '18 - Gesualdi was Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman and by his junior year was a third-team Associated Press All-American at safety. A two-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection, he graduated ranked among the school's career leaders in tackles (13th, 250) and interceptions (second, 14).
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Luke Hagy '16 - Hagy was a three-time All-Ivy League selection, including a first-team pick as a senior, after becoming the first Ivy football player to reach 2,000 rushing and 1,500 receiving yards in a career. He also became the first Cornell player to lead the Big Red in rushing all four seasons. Hagy ended his Cornell career in the top five all-time in all-purpose yardage and top 10 in rushing, touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards.
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Jeff Mathews '13 - Mathews ended his storied Cornell career as the most prolific quarterback in Ivy League history and in all of college football, setting 47 Big Red school records and 18 Ivy League marks for passing and total offense. He was named to the College Sports Journal FCS All-America team in 2013 after capturing second-team accolades in 2011 from Beyond Sports College Network. Mathews ranked among the top 20 all-time in career passing yards in the FCS and set the Ivy League's all-time passing record by more than 2,000 yards. The three-time All-Ivy selection was a Capital One Academic All-District first-team selection as a senior and a two-time finalist for the Bushnell Cup for the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, winning in 2011. The program’s first-ever three-year team captain was named one of 16 finalists for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy that recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation in 2013.
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Jelani Taylor '20 - Taylor was a first-team All-Ivy League selection at safety as senior and was one of the great examples of a student-athlete. Off the field, he was a national finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's "Academic Heisman", and the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, as well as a two-time Academic All-District selection. He was also the school's Richie Moran Award winner. On the field, Taylor ranked in the top 30 all-time in Cornell history in tackles and his 30 passes defended was fifth in Big Red history.
As an Assistant
Archer spent six seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater. The architect of Cornell's impressive recruiting efforts over that span, he was a key component in the Big Red's turnaround during that time. Archer most recently had coached the team’s fullbacks and tight ends and served as the squad's recruiting coordinator. During his time as an assistant, Archer also spent time working with the running backs, offensive line and linebackers.
As recruiting coordinator, Archer was responsible for tracking recruits through the program's database, as well as taking evaluations from each respective coach on staff in formulating each season's recruiting plan. His four classes as recruiting coordinator were at the top of the Ancient Eight pack by any measure, with 64 first-year players seeing varsity action and 26 earning at least one start.
Record-setting All-America quarterback Jeff Mathews, the program's first Ivy League Rookie of the Year since 1989 and first Player of the Year since 1996, was among the first recruits Archer's plan yielded. Mathews ended his career with 47 Big Red school records and 18 Ivy League marks for passing and total offense and was a two-time All-American. Another member of that class was wide receiver Grant Gellatly, who was an All-American and an Academic All-American as a senior. In 2012, freshmen Luke Hagy (RB) and Zach Wilk (OL) were named Freshman All-Americans, while 2013’s class included Ancient Eight Rookie of the Year Chris Fraser. In 2012 alone, 21 freshmen earned playing time and six captured at least one start.
Despite the team's youth, the quality of play improved dramatically. In his first two seasons as recruiting coordinator, the team won four games. That number more than doubled over the next two years (nine). He was also instrumental in developing an offense game plan that broke more than a dozen school records in 2011, including total offense, passing yards and a modern day scoring mark. Several of those marks were broken again in 2012 despite a rash of injuries.
The 2008 season saw Archer working with one of the top tight end duos in the league in seniors Alex Spooner and Zach Vredenburgh. In 2007, Archer worked with two-year starters Doug Lempa and Ryan Blessing. The duo earned All-Ivy honors during their career and ranked second and third on the team in both tackles and tackles for loss as seniors.
Archer spent the 2006 season as an assistant coach at Fairleigh Dickinson under head coach Rich Mosca, working with the linebackers.
Playing Career
Archer was a captain for the Big Red in 2004. A three-year starter on the same offensive line that produced two-time Super Bowl champion and nine-year NFL veteran Kevin Boothe ‘05, Archer moved from tackle to guard to center during his senior year. He was rewarded for his leadership and selflessness by earning the team’s Enzo Montemurro Award for spirit and leadership, as well as the inaugural Jaime McManamon Award, given to a senior for hard work and diligence in the strength and conditioning program.
Prior to Cornell
As a first-team all-state pick on the offensive line at Union-Endicott HS, Archer helped the team to two sectional titles. He was selected to play in the annual Governor’s Bowl and the Ernie Davis all-star game. David earned letters in football, basketball and lacrosse, where he was the team captain and a first-team all-league pick on defense.
Personal
Archer and his wife Hannah reside in Ithaca with their son Rhys.
After his graduation from Cornell, Archer taught eighth and fourth grades, respectively, at the Dr. William H. Horton School in Newark, N.J., as part of the Teach For America program in 2005 and 2006.
His father, David Sr., spent eight seasons as head basketball coach at Binghamton and also served as Mayor of Endicott, N.Y. He founded the National High School Basketball Coaches Association and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York and has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
| Year |
W |
L |
Ivy Record |
Ivy Finish |
LINKS |
Captains |
| 2013 |
3 |
7 |
2-5 |
7th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
Brett Buehler, Grant Gellatly, Michael Hernandez, Jeff Mathews, Tre' Minor |
| 2014 |
1 |
9 |
1-6 |
7th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
Justin Harris, Rush Imhotep, Lucas Shapiro |
| 2015 |
1 |
9 |
1-6 |
t-7th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
JJ Fives, Luke Hagy, Rush Imhotep, Miles Norris |
| 2016 |
4 |
6 |
2-5 |
t-6th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
Miles Norris, Ben Rogers, Matt Sullivan, Jackson Weber |
| 2017 |
3 |
7 |
3-4 |
t-5th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
Kurt Frimel, Jack Gellatly, Nick Gesualdi, Miles Norris |
| 2018 |
3 |
7 |
2-5 |
7th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
J. Edward Keating, Reis Seggebruch |
| 2019 |
4 |
6 |
3-4 |
t-4th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
George L. Holm III, Jelani Taylor |
| 2021 |
2 |
8 |
1-6 |
t-6th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
Lance Blass |
| 2022 |
5 |
5 |
2-5 |
t-6th |
Stats - PDF/Enhanced I Results I Roster |
Thomas Glover, Demetrius Harris, Joe Kelly, Jake Stebbins |
| TOTALS |
26 |
64 |
17-46 |
|
|
|
*Updated June 2023
