March 1, 2005
Ron Powlus, Notre Dame’s career leader in football passing yardage, pass attempts, completions and touchdown passes, has been named director of personnel development for the Notre Dame football program, Irish head football coach Charlie Weis announced today.
Powlus’ duties primarily will involve administration of Irish recruiting efforts. A four-year starter at quarterback for the Irish from 1994-97, he joins the Irish football staff after spending the last three years in the business world, working in the healthcare and home mortgage industries.
Most recently, Powlus worked as a wholesale account executive for First Horizon Home Loans out of Pittsburgh, Pa. He previously spent a year each as a loan consultant for Seattle, Wash.-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 TD 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 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.
He also spent two years from 1998-2000 as executive assistant to the Democratic Policy Committee of the Pennsylvania State Senate.
A high school standout at Berwick (Pa.) 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 College of Business Administration in ’97 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 from Berwick, are parents of a son, Ron. They were married prior to his final season at Notre Dame in ’97.