Mike Archer

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Mike Archer (Born in State College, Pennsylvania) is a defensive coordinator for the NC State Wolfpack. Archer recently resigned from the University of Kentucky to serve under coach Tom O'Brien at NCSU. Archer came to LSU as an assistant coach in 1984 after being both a player and an assistant coach at Miami. He replaced Bill Arnsparger as LSU head coach in 1987, when Arnsparger left for the University of Florida to become athletic director. He was Arnsparger's defensive coordinator in 1985 and 1986, and was Arnsparger's hand-picked successor. When he took the job, he was 34 years old, and the youngest head coach in Division I-A football. Some LSU supporters were unhappy with the decision to turn over a nationally-respected team to a young coach with no previous head coaching experience. Archer was also chosen over a number of interviewed candidates, which reportedly included Steve Spurrier, Mike Shanahan and Mack Brown. Ironically, Bill Arnsparger would later hire Spurrier at Florida, and the Gators would become a national powerhouse.

Archer's first two years were memorable at LSU. In 1987, LSU finished in the top ten with a 10-1-1 record. It was LSU's first 10-win season in more than 25 years. He followed it up with a SEC Championship in 1988, and an 8-4 record. The season was also famous for the "Earthquake Game," a 7-6 victory over Auburn University, which would ultimately be the deciding factor in LSU's SEC Championship.

After 1988, things fell apart in a hurry. Archer had back-to-back losing seasons in 1989 and 1990. The seasons were marked by bad performances on the field and questionable behavior by players off the field. Many people initially in Archer's camp now decided that he was indeed not ready to coach a major college program, and he was fired after the 1990 season. He was replaced by University of Southern Mississippi head coach Curley Hallman.

After leaving LSU, Archer remained in coaching, but strictly as a defensive coach. In 1991, he became linebackers coach at the University of Virginia. In 1993, Archer became linebackers coach and assistant head coach at the University of Kentucky. He moved on to the NFL in 1996, where he served as linebacker coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers for seven years. However, Archer returned to the University of Kentucky as the defensive coordinator in 2003.

Archer resigned from UK on January 10th, 2007 in order to accept the same job at NC State, where he was reunited with Tom O'Brien. Archer and O'Brien worked together at Virginia in 1991-92. Archer had been the defensive coordinator at UK from 2003-2006. He had worked to build a unit that was challenged by low scholarship numbers, injuries, and inexperience. To his credit, Archers' defense regressed each year and ranked at the bottom of all NCAA Division I programs. The bend but don't break defense surrendered over 500 yards to such offensive powerhouses as Central Michigan and Texas State. After UK Coach Rich Brooks took over play calling the defense began showing signs of improvement during the 2006 season, as the Wildcats posted an 8-5 record, including a 28-20 victory over Clemson in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Mike Archer hopes to bring the same tenatious defense, where schools such as Temple and Florida Atlantic are above you, to his new defensive coordinator position at NC State.