Recruiting Areas: Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York (516 area code - Long Island), Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin
David Hanna returns for his fifth season on the Cornell coaching staff and his first as running backs coach. He has also worked with the wide receivers and served as special teams coordinator during his time on East Hill.
Under Hanna's tutelage, 2013 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and 2015 STATS FCS All-American Chris Fraser has been named the first-team All-Ivy punter in each of his first three seasons. He has led the Ancient Eight in punting all three seasons, each year by at least two full yards per punt.He became just the sixth Cornellian to be named first-team All-Ivy three times in a career.
At receiver, Collin Shaw (37 receptions, 520 yards, four touchdowns) and Marshall Deutz (16 receptions, 197 yards, two touchdowns) had breakout seasons in 2014. Seven different players had double digit receptions in 2015 with Ben Rogers (26 receptions, 439 yards, three touchdowns) leading the way.
Hanna’s charges were excellent in his first season with the special teams. Fraser was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and was a first-team All-Ivy pick after leading the Ivy League in punting average (42.9 yards per punt), setting a school record for a season in that category. He ranked 17th nationally and was third among freshmen in punting. In 49 punts, he pinned opponents inside the 20 a total of 16 times (33 percent) with nine going at least 50 yards. As a unit, Cornell ranked 11th in net punting (38.12 yards per punt), a mark that also led the Ivy League.
John Wells led the Ancient Eight with his 26 touchbacks in 2013, putting more than half of his kickoffs through the end zone. Despite using three place-kickers, the Big Red still made 32-of-34 PAT attempts and added six field goals. The Big Red also blocked a total of six kicks, including one that was recovered for a touchdown and one that was a game-tying PAT attempt with a minute to play that was the difference in a wild 42-41 win at Penn. The team’s kickoff and punt return teams also ranked in the top half of the league.
His work with the special teams was impressive, but so was his job with a young receiving corps. All-American Grant Gellatly deservedly got much of the attention after setting a school single-season record for receiving yards (91 catches for 1,224 yards, 8 touchdowns), but a number of underclassmen also had breakout seasons. Junior Lucas Shapiro (38 receptions, 600 yards, 6 touchdowns) , sophomore Chris Lenz (14 receptions for 194 yards, three touchdowns) and freshman Ben Rogers (12 receptions for 179 yards, 1 touchdown) were superlative, as was sophomore Luke Hagy (55 receptions for 652 yards, 5 touchdowns) out of the backfield. Â
In his first season at Cornell, while serving as running backs coach, Hanna assisted in the development of freshman All-American Luke Hagy, one of 20 finalists for the Jerry Rice Award for national freshman of the year in the FCS, as well as rookie Silas Nacita, who scored six touchdowns on the ground. The duo combined for 15 total touchdowns during their freshmen season.
He previously had served as co-offensive coordinator at Salve Regina. Hanna also coached wide receivers, defensive backs and special teams, as well as serving as recruiting coordinator, during his two seasons at the Division III school in Newport, R.I.
Prior to his time at Salve Regina, Hanna served as an offensive intern at Notre Dame in 2009 and had stints at Washington & Lee (2007-08) and Johns Hopkins (2005-06). The 2005 Johns Hopkins team won a conference title and claimed the school’s first-ever NCAA tournament berth. The 2009 Notre Dame offense that he worked with featured Biletnikoff Award winner Golden Tate and All-American Michael Floyd. Head coach Charlie Weis’ team ranked eighth nationally in total offense and fifth in passing.
Hanna participated in the 2011 NCAA Football Coaches Academy, which is designed to improve and reinforce various aspects of securing, managing and excelling in head football coaching positions at the FBS intercollegiate level. Hanna was one of only two Division III coaches invited to participate. He also received a National Football League (NFL) Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship in both 2008 and 2009. He worked with special teams and wide receivers for the Denver Broncos during their ‘09 training camp and spent the ’08 camp working with special teams and the secondary with the Dallas Cowboys.
A member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Black Coaches and Administrators and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hanna is a former ODAC Representative on the AFCA Assistant Coaches Committee.
Hanna graduated from Kalamazoo in 1999 with a degree in psychology with a minor in sociology. He was a four-year letter winner and two-time all-conference selection at safety on the football team.
* Updated April 2016
