Former Terps help Towson get set for Northwestern

By David Driver
Posted: September 1, 2009

The bios of Guilian Gary and John Kaleo are back-to-back near the front of the 160-page Towson University football media guide this year. And it makes sense, because the assistant coaches with the Tigers were both stars at the University of Maryland. Kaleo is the quarterbacks coach for Towson, and Gary works with wide receivers.

Gary, class of 2002, is the sixth-leading receiver in Terps history and is in his fifth season as a Towson assistant. Kaleo (class of 1993), a first-year assistant and former Arena Football League star, was the Maryland quarterback in 1992 and set school records for completions (286) and attempts (482) that season. Kaleo graduated from Bowie High and was an All-American at Montgomery-Rockville before heading to College Park. Gary grew up in New York but has been in this region since college, save for a short stint at Holy Cross, as an assistant at Georgetown and now Towson.

Rob Ambrose, the first-year head coach at Towson, said Monday it is a bonus both Gary and Kaleo are assistant coaches with Division I experience at their position of expertise. “They have enough local roots that they are also making inroads in recruiting in the state of Maryland,” said Ambrose, who took over at his alma mater after Gordy Combs was let go.

The former Terps can certainly aid the Tigers as they prepare to face a team from a major conference. Towson opens the season Saturday (noon EST) at Northwestern in a game that will be televised on the Big 10 network. Other teams from the Colonial Athletic Association with big-time conferences foes this Saturday include William & Mary at Virginia (ACC), Richmond at Duke (ACC), Northeastern at Boston College (ACC), and Massachusetts at Kansas State (Big 12). “It speaks well of the conference that we are willing to step up and play them the first week,” said Ambrose, who grew up in Frederick County. For good measure, James Madison of the CAA plays Sept. 12 at Maryland, which begins the season Saturday at California.

Last season Towson was 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the CAA. That is not what Ambrose, a former assistant at Connecticut, expects this year. And he was not pleased when the Tigers began training camp in August. “After the first 48 hours I was incredibly disappointed,” acknowledged Ambrose, who said it took less than the next two days for his team to get turned around and get on track physically.

The Tigers are 6-17 the past two seasons and have had just one winning year since going 6-5 in 2002. “I don’t think it is rebuilding. It is more like renovation. I have renovated two houses. I can tell you it is a pain. It is not for the weak of heart,” Ambrose said.

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