Cooper Names George Belu New Offensive Line Coach – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 15, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University head football coach John Cooper announced today that George Belu, offensive line coach and running game coordinator at Wake Forest University, has been named offensive line coach, pending approval from the Ohio State University Board of Trustees. Belu (pronounced buh-LEW), a 34-year veteran of the college football coaching ranks, will begin his coaching responsibilities with Ohio State following the Demon Deacons’ Dec. 25th Aloha Bowl game versus Arizona State.%^$
%^$”We are pleased to make George Belu the newest member of this coaching staff,” Cooper said. “He brings a wealth of experience to our team and has been successful at every stop during his career. He’s familiar with the Big Ten from his days at Indiana. He did an incredible job at Wake Forest this year, a team that is playing in its first bowl game in quite a while. George is very well-respected with other coaches across the country and I believe he’ll be a great addition to our staff.”%^$
%^$”It is great to be coming to a place that has a staff like Ohio State with a head coach like John Cooper,” Belu said. “Ohio State itself is simply a great institution with a great football program and tradition. Coaching football doesn’t get any better than at Ohio State. I grew up in Ohio, my brothers are in Ohio and my son is in Ohio. Coming back is what you always dream for.”%^$
%^$A native of Lorain, Ohio, and a member of the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame, Belu is in his third season at Wake Forest, the last of which was spent as running game coordinator. Belu was largely responsible for the Demon Deacons’ potent ground game, which this year made the second biggest improvement in ACC history. Wake Forest averaged just 65.4 yards rushing per game in 1998, but under Belu gained 175.7 yards per game on the ground this season. The Deacons ranked 31st nationally in rushing yardage this year and recorded the highest totals by a Wake Forest team since 1984. WFU is headed to only the fifth bowl game in school history this December after earning its first winning season since 1992.%^$
%^$Prior to taking the job at Wake Forest in 1997, Belu served 13 years as offensive %^$coordinator and line coach at Indiana University. Under Belu’s scheme, IU running back Anthony Thompson led the Big Ten in rushing for two consecutive seasons and was a two-time winner of the Chicago Tribune’s Big Ten Most Valuable Player Award. The Hoosiers advanced to six postseason games during Belu’s tenure, and two Indiana offensive linemen – Van Waiters (1986-87) and Don Shrader (1987-88) – were two-time all-Big Ten selections. Four more of Belu’s linemen at Indiana were picked in either the%^$first or second round of the National Football League Draft (Andrew Greene, Ian Beckles, Eric Moore and Kevin Allen). In his career, Belu, a 1960 graduate of Ohio University, has produced a total of 11 offensive linemen that were selected in either the first or second round of the NFL Draft.%^$
%^$Overall during a storied coaching career that began in 1965, Belu has been the offensive line coach at six schools and a coordinator at five. His coaching highlights include an 11-0 season at Miami (O.) in 1973, a Big Eight title and two bowl appearances at Colorado, an Orange Bowl trip at LSU, and an ACC Championship at North Carolina State. While with the Wolfpack, Belu also coached Outland Trophy winner Jim Richter in 1979.%^$
%^$George Belu’s Coaching Chronology%^$Year School Title%^$1997-99 Wake Forest Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach %^$1985-96 Indiana Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach%^$1980-84 Louisiana State Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach %^$1979 NC State Offensive Line Coach %^$1974-78 Colorado Offensive Coordinator %^$1973 Miami Offensive Line Coach%^$1968-72 Denison Offensive Line Coach %^$1965-68 Marshall Offensive Coordinator %^$%^$
%^$
