BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Samford Director of Athletics Martin Newton officially announced the hiring of Al DelGreco as the Bulldogs' Head Men's Golf Coach on Friday as the former NFL star, Golf Channel celebrity and current radio personality will take the reins of Samford's program heading into the 2014-15 season.
 
"I'm extremely excited about adding Al DelGreco to our athletics family," said Newton. "Al brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and competitive spirit to our program. He is a proven winner and knows the passion and dedication that it takes to succeed at the highest level. Most importantly, he is a man of great character and integrity and will be a great role model and leader for our student-athletes. I'm looking forward to Al building a competitive golf program at Samford, one that competes for conference championships and excels on the course, in the classroom and the community."
 
DelGreco, a 1987 graduate of Auburn University, spent 17 seasons as a placekicker in the NFL and finished his illustrious professional career with a total of 1,592 points. As of his retirement in 2001, he was ranked No. 11 on the NFL's list of all-time leading scorers. Nicknamed "Automatic Al", DelGreco was inducted in the Alabama Hall of Fame in 2003.
 
In 2011, DelGreco was awarded the Legend of Birmingham Award by the organizers of the Birmingham Bowl. Last year, he was featured in a Golf Channel reality show, Big Break, where he captained a team of former NFL players in a benefit golf tournament held in Puerto Rico.
 
Additionally, DelGreco has spent the previous eight years as a radio personality and co-host of The Opening Drive, a highly-rated morning show which airs live Monday-Friday on Birmingham's WJOX 94.5 FM, a roll he will continue as head coach at Samford.
 
"A great plus of this job is that it's an outstanding school right here in Birmingham and it allows me an opportunity to continue doing the radio show which I enjoy." DelGreco said. "There is a tremendous amount of golf talent in this state, especially in this region of the country and having been in the high school ranks, as well as having good relationships with a lot of the coaches in the area, I think it will definitely help me in recruiting. I also think my background in golf as both a player and a coach will lend itself well to having a lot of success at Samford."
 
A four-year letterman at Auburn, DelGreco completed 110 out of 111 PATs in his college career. He also set the Southeastern Conference record for field goal attempts in a game and field goals made in a game when he made six out of his seven attempts against Kentucky in 1983.
 
An accomplished golfer, DelGreco boasts a +1 handicap and registered 10 career top-10 finishes at the American Century Championship, including eight straight top-10s from 1998-2005. He also earned the championship title at the 2000 American Century Championship by carding a 7-under par 65, which proved to be the lowest score ever posted in the Celebrity Championship.
 
DelGreco was a five-time winner in the NFL Division of the Champions Tour Cadillac NFL Classic and played in two Web.com Tour events (2001, 2003). He was recently featured on the Golf Channel's 2013 edition of Big Break NFL Puerto Rico.
 
"I'm really excited about the opportunity and the challenge," said DelGreco. "When Samford moved to the Southern Conference a few years ago, they really stepped up their athletic department and I'm looking forward to being able to move the golf team to the next level. It's something that I really look forward to and I'm excited to accept the challenge of bringing home some conference championships."
 
DelGreco recently spent over eight years as the head boys' golf coach at Spain Park High School in Hoover where he led the Jaguars to three-consecutive 6A Alabama state championship titles, including a trio of individual state champions. DelGreco's son, Trey, was a member of the Spain Park golf team and earned a scholarship to play four seasons at Vanderbilt University.
 
Raised in Miami, Fla., DelGreco played a large variety of sports throughout the years. His grade school soccer team won a state title and he competed in both soccer and football at Coral Gables High School before earning a scholarship from Auburn University.
 
In his 17-year NFL career, DelGreco played for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Oilers (later the Tennessee Titans) from 1984 to 2000. He played in some of the most famous games in NFL lore during his career, including "The Comeback," the "Music City Miracle," and "The Tackle."
 
DelGreco finished his 17 NFL seasons making 347 of 449 (77%) field goals and 551 of 554 (99%) extra points, giving him a total of 1,584 points, which currently ranks him 17th on the NFL's list of all-time leading scorers.
 
"Samford is an outstanding academic school," said DelGreco. "I also think the size of the university will be a plus, and there is plenty of great golf in the Birmingham area that can be utilized, as far as playing and being able to practice. The best thing is also that Samford is in the SoCon, where it has a tremendous opportunity to compete every year for conference championships."
 
DelGreco replaces Woodie Eubanks as Samford's head men's golf coach. The Bulldogs recently completed their 2013-14 season with a 10^th-place finish at the SoCon Championship, which was held last week in Pinehurst, N.C.
 
Next year, DelGreco and Samford will be without the talents of graduating senior William Catanzaro, but will return the remainder of the Bulldogs' young roster. In 2013-14, Samford's young, up-and-coming squad was comprised of just one senior, one junior, three sophomores and five true freshmen.