The University of Akron Athletics
Bowden Adds John Peterson to Football Staff
January 13 | Football
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AKRON, Ohio – University of Akron football head coach Terry Bowden announced on Tuesday that John Peterson, who boasts 20-plus seasons of collegiate coaching experience including eight at Ohio State, will join the Zips' staff as assistant head coach and oversee the offensive line. The hire is pending approval by the University's Board of Trustees.
Peterson, who was offensive line coach at Akron from 1995-98, has tutored the offensive line at UAB for the last two years. He spent the eight seasons prior to that at Ohio State (2004-11), working with the tight ends and serving as the program's recruiting coordinator. His resume also includes coaching stops at Miami (Ohio) (1999-2003) and Arizona (January-April 2004), and a student-athlete career on the gridiron at Ohio State (1986-90). Peterson also spent time as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati (1991-92) and Ohio State (1993-94).
"We are excited about having John join our staff," Bowden said. "He has been a part of several very successful programs and none more so than Ohio State, where he was both a coach and student-athlete. He has extensive ties to Ohio, which is obviously our recruiting base, and he is well known nationally."
In Peterson's time on staff at Ohio State, the Buckeyes were Big Ten Conference champions for six-consecutive seasons. Also during that stretch, OSU played in the BCS national championship game in 2006 and 2007, and made four other BCS bowl appearances (2005 and 2008 Fiesta, 2009 Rose and 2010 Sugar).
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work at Akron along with Coach Bowden," Peterson said. "He has put together an excellent staff that I look forward to working with and helping to continue to rebuild the program. Having coached at UA once before, I have a lot of pride in the program and University, and can't wait to get started. My family and I are also looking forward to getting back to the state of Ohio and being closer to home."
Before his stint at Ohio State, Peterson spent five years as offensive line coach at Miami (Ohio). He served as running game coordinator during his last three years with the RedHawks.
After the 2003 season, in which Miami posted a 13-1 record and closed out the year with 13-consecutive wins, Peterson accepted the position of offensive line coach at Arizona. He moved to Tucson in January, and was there briefly before accepting an offer to join Jim Tressel's staff at Ohio State, doing so during spring practice. In his first year with the program, he helped land a top-10 recruiting class. OSU boasted another top-10 class in 2005.
A native of Middletown, Ohio, Peterson was a four-year letterman for the Buckeyes between 1987 and 1990, starting at guard as a senior. Following his graduation from Ohio State in 1991, he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati.
After two years with the Bearcats (1991-92), he returned to OSU in a graduate assistant role. He spent the 1993 and 1994 seasons as a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes, working with future NFL players Rickey Dudley and Orlando Pace. He traveled with Ohio State to the 1993 Holiday Bowl and the 1994 Citrus Bowl.
Peterson's first full-time position came in 1995 as the offensive line coach at Akron under former head coach Lee Owens. In 1997, the Zips boasted the nation's 11th-ranked rushing attack and the offensive line permitted just 10 sacks.
In February 1999, Peterson moved to Miami (Ohio) as offensive line coach. In March of 2001, he was given the added responsibility of running game coordinator. During their Mid-American Conference championship season in 2003, the RedHawks averaged 502 yards and 43 points per game.
In his time at UAB, Peterson coached first-team All-Conference USA offensive tackle Chris Hubbard. Hubbard signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in spring 2012.
Peterson was a high school All-American at Middletown and was named as the state's big school offensive lineman of the year as a senior in 1986. He also broke the 28-year-old Middletown High School shot put record that had been held by Ohio State basketball All-American Jerry Lucas. Peterson was inducted into the Middletown HS Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Butler County Hall of Fame in 2007.
Peterson and his wife, Michelle, have two sons, Austin and Cole, both born in Akron.
He fills a position left open after the passing of Alan Arrington following an automobile accident on Dec. 23 in Batesville, Miss.
