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Bio

Recruiting areas: Western MA/CT (Hartford)

Russell Gaskamp (hiring release) enters his fifth season as head coach of Franklin Pierce University football in fall of 2023.

Arriving to Rindge in December of 2018, Gaskamp helped lay the foundation for the program as he guided the team through its first season at the Division II level in the Northeast-10 Conference.  

During the 2022 season, Gaskamp and the Ravens went 2-8 overall, but broke a program points record in the team’s 42-19 win against Post University. Under Gaskamp’s leadership in 2022, the Ravens swooped up in a list of athletic and academic accolades. Alex Benitez (Belle Meade, N.J.) was named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week four times and was picked as the Northeast-10 Special Teams Player of the week, proving to be a threat both in the backfield as a running back and on fourth down as the team’s punter. Jaden Clark (West Warwick, RI) was honored during the 2022 season as well after he tallied two interceptions during the team’s blowout win against Post University.

At the conclusion of the season, five Franklin Pierce Ravens were honored in the Northeast-10 Year End Awards. Graduate running back EJ Burgess (Pearland, Texas) was selected for Second Team All-Conference for offense. On the other side of the ball, defensive lineman Chris Yeboah (Worcester, Mass.) and defensive back Tyvarius Daniels (Springfield, Mass.) earned All-NE10 Second Team accolades. Rounding out the awards, Alex Benitez (Belle Meade, N.J.) and Austyn Howe (Newington, Conn.) were named to the NE10 All-Rookie Team.

Gaskamp’s squad has proven it can make a difference on and off the field. Over the last year, 34 Ravens made the NE10 Academic Honor Roll for spring of 2023, five made College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors, four made the NE10 Presidents’ Award For Academic Excellence, and one made NE10 Academic All-Conference Fall 2022.

Gaskamp has made an impact off the field as well. After his arrival, the gameday experience was overhauled, establishing Raven Row, featuring the GAS Station, Franklin Pierce's tailgating option for home football games, which has offered a new and rowdy option for fans to enjoy the game from above the field week after week. Tailgating tent reservations sold out within 30 minutes of being posted in recent years, proving to be a fan favorite for gameday. 

Rindge is the second collegiate head coaching stop for Gaskamp, who came to Franklin Pierce after spending seven years leading the football program at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where he also earned the title of Associate Athletic Director. Over 73 games at the helm of the Aggies, he posted a 35-38 record (.479 winning percentage). OPSU played at the NCAA Division II level for the first five seasons of Gaskamp’s tenure, including one season in the highly-competitive Lone Star Conference, before the institution elected to reclassify to the NAIA level for 2017.

Prior to taking the reins at OPSU, Gaskamp spent time as an assistant coach at three other Division II programs, as he logged time at Angelo State University (2009-11), Southwestern Oklahoma State University (2006-08) and Texas A&M University-Commerce (2005). He opened his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Division I Sam Houston State University for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

As an undergraduate, Gaskamp was rostered for five years (1994-98) at the University of Texas, where he was a member of Southwest Conference championship teams in 1994 and 1995, as well as the Big 12 title-winning squad in 1996. He lettered for both the 1996 team and the 1998 incarnation, which would go on to win the Cotton Bowl. In 1998, Gaskamp was the starting center on the Longhorns offensive line which helped clear the way for Ricky Williams in his Heisman Trophy season.

Originally from Weatherford, Okla.,Gaskamp is a 1999 graduate of the University of Texas, with a bachelor’s degree in management. He later added a master’s degree in educational leadership from Sam Houston State University in 2005.

Career Record: 25-58 (.431)

Franklin Pierce (Three Seasons): 3-28 (0.107) Overall, 1-22 (0.045) Northeast-10
2022: 2-8, 1-6 Northeast-10
2021: 0-10, 0-8 Northeast-10
2020: Covid Year
2019: 1-10, 0-8 Northeast-10

*Oklahoma Panhandle State (five seasons: 22-30 (.423) overall, 1-8 (.111) Lone Star)
2016: 2-9, 1-8 Lone Star
2015: 5-5
2014: 7-3
2013: 4-7
2012: 4-6
* Only includes years competing at NCAA level