The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Adds Ron Powlus, Charlie Camp to Football Staff
December 22 | Football
AKRON - University of Akron head football coach Rob Ianello announced two more members of his coaching staff, naming Ron Powlus quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator and Charlie Camp linebackers coach.
"Having worked with Ron at Notre Dame and seeing Charlie grow from a player to a coach, I have great confidence in both these coaches," Ianello said. "They will be key components in building the type program of which we all can be proud."
Powlus, a former Notre Dame great and assistant coach for the past three years, helped develop Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen into one of the most prolific passers in school history.
"I have seen first-hand Ron's development as a coach and the work he did with Jimmy Clausen," Ianello said. "He is a rising star in our profession and I am elated he will be a part of our staff."
This past season, Clausen was named All-American as he completed a school-record 68 percent of his passes (289-425) for 3,722 yards with 28 TDs and only four interceptions in 2009. His 3,722 yards in 2009 ranks second in school history, as does his 289 completions and his 310.2 yards per game. Moreover, he set a school record by passing for at least 300 yards in seven games and his four fourth-quarter comebacks for victories are the most in a season by an Irish quarterback.
Clausen leaves Notre Dame ranked first or second in 32 passing categories, including tops in career completion percentage (.626), completions per game for a career (19.86) and tied for first in lowest interception percentage over a career. He completed 695-of-1,110 pass attempts for 8,148 yards with 60 touchdowns and 27 interceptions, while starting 34 of his 35 games played for the Irish.
Powlus began his time on the Notre Dame football staff serving as the director of personnel development (2005-06). He played an integral role in helping the 2006 and 2007 recruiting classes rank in the top 10 in the nation as he helped direct the administrative aspects of Irish recruiting.
A four-year starter at quarterback for the Irish from 1994-97, Powlus was a two-time captain who set 20 school records at Notre Dame. He started all 44 regular-season games (plus two bowl games) of his career and completed 558-of-969 passes for 7,602 yards and 52 TDs.
Powlus received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Notre Dame's College of Business Administration in 1997. A native of Berwick, Pa., he and his wife, the former Sara Ivanina, are parents of two sons, Ronnie and Tommy.
Camp and Ianello have a long history as Camp played at the University of Arizona while Ianello was an assistant with the Wildcats. While there, Camp was a four-year starter at linebacker for Dick Tomey's "Desert Swarm" defense, leading the team in tackles in 1995.
"Charlie was one of the first coaches I called when I got this job," Ianello said. "He is passionate, committed and I know his players will love playing for him."
Camp was most recently linebackers coach at North Dakota State University this past season. There, he mentored All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree Preston Evans, who ranked 33rd in the NCAA FCS and fourth in the MVC for tackles (9.6 avg.)
He spent 2007 at the University of Nevada, where he coached the Wolf Pack's inside linebackers, and the previous two years (2005-06) at San Jose State University, coaching the defensive ends in 2006 and the outside linebackers in 2005. Camp spent two seasons at Oregon State University, helping the Beavers play in the Las Vegas Bowl (2003) and Insight Bowl (2004). and one at his alma mater, the University of Arizona (2002).
Camp began his coaching career in 1997 as an assistant coach at Sahuarita High School in Tucson, Ariz. He then went to the University of Idaho as a graduate assistant in 1998. He was promoted to assistant coach that year and stayed with the Vandals for the 1999 season. Camp went to San Diego State for two years (2000-01) before his two stints in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Camp has also furthered his career with National Football League internships with the Miami Dolphins in 2002 and the San Diego Chargers in 2001.
A native of New Orleans, La., Camp earned his bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at Arizona in 1997. He has a daughter, Alyssa.
