Jan. 19, 2007
The University of Notre Dame has named Ron Powlus its new quarterbacks coach, head coach Charlie Weis announced Friday.
After working the last two years as the director of personnel development for the Notre Dame football team, Powlus moves to the coaching staff as quarterbacks coach in 2007. One of the more decorated quarterbacks in school history, Powlus will be able to impart the knowledge he gained as a four-year starter at Notre Dame and his three-year stint in professional football to a talented, young crop of Irish signal-callers.
Powlus played an integral role in helping last year’s recruiting class rank in the top-ten in the nation and has been instrumental again this season as Notre Dame appears to have a second-straight top-ten recruiting class. Formerly Notre Dame’s career leader in football passing yardage, pass attempts, completions and touchdown passes, Powlus rejoined the University in his previous position in March of 2005. He worked closely with recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello as he helped direct the administrative aspects of Irish recruiting.
A four-year starter at quarterback for the Irish from 1994-97, Powlus returned to Notre Dame after spending three years in the business world, working in the healthcare and home mortgage industries. Immediately before returning to Notre Dame, Powlus worked as a wholesale account executive for First Horizon Home Loans in Pittsburgh. He previously spent a year each as a loan consultant for Seattle-based Washington Mutual Home Loans/American Home Mortgage, and as a healthcare representative for Pfizer Inc.
A native of Berwick, Pa., Powlus was a two-time Irish captain who set 20 school records at Notre Dame. He started all 44 regular-season games (plus two bowl games) in which he played for the Irish and finished with 558 career completions on 969 attempts for 7,602 yards and 52 touchdowns. He set the Irish single-game mark for touchdown passes in a game with four (three times) and at one point completed 14 straight passes. He set single-season marks in 1997 as a senior with his 182 completions and 298 attempts. Powlus rebounded from a broken collarbone suffered in the preseason of what would have been his freshman season in 1993 and then broke a bone in his upper left arm late in the 1995 season.
Powlus originally signed as a free agent in 1998 with the NFL’s Tennessee Oilers and then was on the Detroit Lions’ preseason roster in ’99 and the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster in 2000. He played with the NFL Europe Amsterdam Admirals in the spring of 2000. A high school standout at Berwick High School, Powlus was the Parade prep player of the year in ’92 and the USA Today offensive prep player of the year.
Born July 16, 1974, Powlus received his Notre Dame degree from the Mendoza College of Business Administration in 1997 with a major in Marketing. He also took graduate coursework during his final season with the Irish. Powlus and his wife, the former Sara Ivanina, are parents of two sons, Ronnie and Tommy. They were married prior to his final season at Notre Dame in 1997.