BJ Hammer
Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
whammer@whittier.edu

Coach Hammer will be entering his second season as the head coach of the Poets this fall. He spent the previous three seasons as the defensive coordinator for Whittier and continues in that role as the head coach.

Since 2003, Hammer's defense has improved from last in the SCIAC in total defense to 3rd in the SCIAC in 2005. The defense tripled its sack total from the previous season and doubled its take-away margin in 2005.

Hammer began his coaching career as the outside linebackers coach for Wabash College in 2001-2002 and he was also the assistant strength coach.  In 2002, he was the linebackers coach for Heidelberg College in Tiffin, OH. Hammer was also the strength and conditioning coach for Heidelberg.

He received his Bachelor's degree from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN and is currently finishing his master's in education at Whittier.

While at Wabash, Hammer was a three year letterman, team captain his senior year, 2x All-Conf performer, 2x All-American, and he capped his playing career at Wabash by being selected to play in the Aztec Bowl in Mexico as part of the USA Division III All-Star Team.

Coach Felton will enter his third season with the Whittier football team in the fall of 2007. His duties include coordinating the offense and coaching the Poet quarterbacks.

Andy comes to Whittier after serving as defensive coordinator at Citrus College. While at Citrus, Andy helped the team earn a 20-7 record, a conference championship and a bid into the state playoffs.  During his tenure at Citrus, Andy had 17 players receive football scholarships to four year universities. He also coached 18 all-conference players.

Before going to Citrus, Andy spent 9 years at the high school level beginning with his alma mater, Wilson High, Ayala, Damien, and finally Covina. He was a member of seven playoff teams, with two of them reaching the finals.

Andy earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton and a Masters of Science degree from Azusa Pacific University. Andy and his wife, Leslie, reside in Whittier with their two daughters, Bethanne and Cadi, and their son, Andrew.

Walt Fletcher returns for his second season at Whittier, moving over to the offensive side of the ball to coach the offensive line after spending the 2006 season coaching the Poets inside linebackers and coordinating the special teams. Prior to arriving at Whittier Coach Fletcher served as an assistant coach at SCIAC rival Occidental College, coaching the defensive line in 2004 and inside linebackers in 2005. During his time at Oxy Coach Fletcher mentored four different players to All-SCIAC honors and helped guide the team to two consecutive NCAA national playoff appearances.

Coach Fletcher began his coaching career at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. as the intern to the Director of Football Operations in 1999. After the internship he then moved to Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, a member of NCAA Division II. As the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Fletcher was part of a coaching staff that led Saint Anselm to finish the 2002 season in a first place tie among Division II teams in turnover margin. Three of Coach Fletcher's players at Saint Anselm achieved All-Northeast 10 honors with one of them also named a first team All-New England selection. He moved on to the University of Puget Sound in 2003 as the defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and special team's coordinator.

Coach Fletcher played football in high school at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine and played on the defensive line at Nichols College in Massachusetts before transferring to Ithaca College in New York. He received his bachelor's degree from Ithaca in 1999.

Coach Fletcher resides in Whittier.

Bill O'Boyle
Inside Linebackers/Recruiting Coordinator

Bill O'Boyle is entering his first season on the Poets football coaching staff.  He comes to Whittier as the insider linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator, after spending the last six seasons on the coaching staff at the University of Redlands.

O'Boyle began his coaching career in 1988 at Dana College, where he was the defensive line coach for five seasons.  He then moved on to St. Cloud State University for two and a half seasons and during his time there, coached the defensive line, defensive ends and linebackers.  In 1995, he became the defensive line coach at Hastings College.  He served in that role for two seasons before being named the defensive coordinator.  O'Boyle continued at Hastings until 2001, and helped lead that program to a #1 national ranking in 1998 and #3 national rankings before the start of both the 1999 and 2000 seasons.  O'Boyle's defenses were ranked in the top 10 in a number of categories during the 1998 and 1999 seasons.  He then went to the University of Redlands in 2001, where he assumed the defensive and recruiting coordinator responsibilities.  In 2002-2003, he helped guide the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances.  In 2005, he moved to the offensive coordinator position at Redlands.  Since 1993, O'Boyle has worked numerous summer football camps and NFL training camps.  He was named the AFCA national assistant coach of the year in the NAIA in 2000.

O'Boyle graduated from Dana College in 1990 with a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education.  He is also working on thesis requirements for a Master's Degree from St. Cloud State in Athletic Administration.  He currently resides in Whittier with his two dogs, Tess and Tsar.

Chris Dixon
Wide Receiver Coach
cdixon@whittier.edu

Chris Dixon is entering his second season as the Poets' wide receiver coach. He returns to his alma mater to begin his ninth year as a coach. He graduated from Whittier in 1999 with a degree in Kinesiology and was a member of the 1997 Poets squad that won the SCIAC Conference Championship.

Dixon began his coaching career as the wide receiver and defensive back coach at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, Calif. He became the offensive coordinator for the team in 2000, where his top wide receiver was third in the state, catching 85 passes. He moved on to Citrus College in Glendora, Calf., where he served as the wide receiver coach for four years. The team won three straight Western States Conference Championships from 2003-2005. Each year under Dixon's direction, Citrus had at least one receiver with 50+ receptions.

Prior to his playing days at Whittier, Dixon was a three sport star at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, Calif., lettering in football, basketball and track and field. He still lives in Long Beach and has a three year old daughter, Meilani.

Scott Brescol is entering his second year as a Whittier College assistant  coach.  He brings 11 years of playing experience and 28 years of coaching experience to the Poets football program.

"Coaching at Whittier has allowed me to grow as a person and coach thanks to coaches Hammer, Dixon, Felton and the staff.  Thanks to Dave Wright, Dave Hausfeld, Joe Conroy and the many other teammates who made everything possible for me to be a coach."