Coach Chris Robertson

Chris Robertson begins his fourth season as head football coach at Salve Regina University in 2009. Last season, the Seahawks doubled their win total from the previous year for the second-consecutive season (one to two to four) and posted their highest win total in seven seasons. Under the tutelage of Robertson, the Seahawk defense ranked in the top 10 nationally in both pass defense (1st) and pass efficiency defense (6th), and 39th in turnover margin (.67/game).

Utilizing a roster which featured 69 underclassmen and just four seniors on opening day, Robertson and the Seahawks opened the season with a resounding 41-14 win over Maritime (N.Y.). Two weeks later, they went on to post their first-ever win over Endicott (20-13) and finished up with wins over NEFC rivals Nichols (28-12) and Western New England (28-14). The win over the Bison helped avenge a 33-8 loss in Dudley, Mass. during the 2007 season, while their win over the Golden Bears improved their all-time mark against WNEC to 13-3.

Following the season, the Seahawks placed seven played on the New England Football Conference All-Boyd Division Team, led by First Team selections Nolan McGarrity (LB) and Zach Szymanski (DB). Rob LaRiviere-Tougas (RB) was joined on the Second Team by Ben Hall (WR), Brian Kirkland (OL), Andrew Gould (OL), and Brian Bernarducci (LB). McGarrity led the conference and finished 17th in the NCAA in 11.44 tackles/game.

Robertson came to Salve Regina after seven seasons as both defensive coordinator and head baseball coach at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1999-2006). At WPI, Robertson produced 15 All-Freedom Football Conference players on defense, including four All-New England and All-ECAC selections. On the diamond, he compiled an overall record of 67-86 and became the first head coach in WPI baseball history to lead the Engineers to post-season tournaments, doing so in 2000 and 2004. Ten of his baseball players garnered All-NEWMAC honors, two earned All-New England Honors, and one was selected to the All-ECAC team. In addition, several of Robertson's student-athletes played in the Cape Cod League, one of which was signed as a free agent by the Baltimore Orioles.

Robertson began his football coaching career in 1996 as an assistant coach at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. He was later promoted to defensive coordinator, and in 1998 his defense finished the season ranked 22nd among all NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) schools.

A 1996 graduate of the University of Albany, Robertson earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics and his graduate degree in educational psychology and statistics. While at Albany, Robertson was a three-year starter and letterwinner for the Great Danes football team and twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. In 1994, he received the Defensive Back of the Year Award, and the following season, he served as team captain.

A native of Deposit, N.Y., Robertson resides in Grafton, Mass. with his wife, Kristin, and children Jake and Danielle.

Contact Robertson: (401) 341-3264
Recruiting Areas: Rhode Island, New York (518 area code), central Massachusetts, Eastern Massachusetts (I-90 South), California

(updated 8/6/09)

Robin Bowkett begins his third season at Salve Regina University and first as wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator. Last season, Bowkett coached the running backs and was instrumental in the improvement shown by Rob LaRiviere-Tougas, who rushed for 976 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to earning Second Team All-NEFC Boyd Division honors. In his first season at SRU in 2007, the Seahawks averaged over 100 rushing yards per contest.

Bowkett began his coaching career in 2005 at his alma mater, Nichols College. He was a four-year letterman for the Bison football program and received the Dan Cardin Award for integrity and leadership. Upon graduation, Bowkett was employed by Congressman Zach Wamp of Tennessee in Washington, D.C. before joinging Robertson's staff.

A native of Amherst, N.H., Bowkett resides in Newport.

Contact Bowkett: (401) 341-2494
Recruiting Areas: Maine, New Hampshire, Long Island (N.Y.)

Bill Carty begins his seventh season as an assistant at Salve Regina University and his first as outside linebackers coach. He spent his first six years coaching the wide receivers.

Last season, Carty helped Ben Hall earn Second Team All-NEFC Boyd Division honors. The junior wideout ranked amongst the league leaders in receptions (52), yards (648), touchdowns (five) and yards/reception (12.5). The Seahawks finished the season with four players with at least 15 receptions.

Carty began his player career at Furman University before transferring to Mass.-Amherst, where he played his final two seasons. He helped the Minutemen to a pair of Yankee Conference Championships and, upon graduation in 1971, began his coaching career one year later at UMass under Vic Tusia.

Carty and his wife of 45 years, Barbara, reside in Newport. The couple has four children and eight grandchildren.

Contact Carty: (401) 341-2496

Neil Hitchen begins his second season as offensive coordinator and first as quarterbacks coach at Salve Regina University. He also coached the linebackers during his first stint at SRU in 2000.

Hitchen joined Robertson's staff after spending the 2007 season as a graduate assistant on offense at Central Florida, where he helped the Golden Knights win Conference USA and gain a berth in the Liberty Bowl.

He began his coaching career at Norwich University (1999-2000) and has also coached at Bowdoin (2001-02), Endicott (2002), Rhode Island (2003-04), and Colorado State (2005-07).

A 1998 graduate of Assumption College with a Bachelor of Arts in history, Hitchen played in 34 games for the Greyhounds football team from 1994-1994. He earned his Master's Degree from Rhode Island College in 2001 and his Master's Degree in organizational management in 2002.

Contact Hitchen: (401) 341-2498
Recruiting Areas: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland

Alex Marx begins his first season as inside linebackers coach at Salve Regina University. Most recently, Marx served as both defensive coordinator and assistant men's lacrosse coach at Portsmouth Abbey School.

During his time at Portsmouth Abbey, Marx composed all aspects of defensive game planning for both practices and games, and called defensive plays during games. He worked primarily with the linebackers and defensive lineman, produced playbooks for both the offense and defense, and assisted head coach Al Brown's staff with recruiting.

Prior to his arrival at Portsmouth Abbey, Marx also served as an assistant varsity football coach at The Hun School of Princeton (Princeton, N.J.), Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, Vt.), Cardigan Mountain School (Canaan, N.H.), and Rumson Country Day School (Rumson, N.J.). He also coached junior varsity/varsity lacrosse at each school and served as assistant wrestling coach at Cardigan Mountain.

A graduate of Seton Hall University with a bachelor degree in Secondary Education/English/History, Marx is currently pursuing his Master's degree in humanities at Salve Regina.

Contact Marx: (401) 341-2497
Recruiting Areas: All Prep schools

Timothy Kepple begins his second season as offensive line coach at Salve Regina University. His impact was felt immediately as both Andrew Gould (OT) and Brian Kirkland (C) earned All-NEFC Boyd Division Second Team honors last season. The offensive line allowed the Seahawk running game to average 174 yards per game, led by all-conference selection Rob LaRiviere-Tougas and his 976 yards.

Prior to his arrival in Newport, Kepple spent parts of the last seven seasons (2001-04; 2006-07) at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he served as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, linebackers coach, video and offensive coordinator, and special teams coach. He handled all aspects of the offense, including scouting and attacking fronts and coverages, defensive game plans, and the maintenance, update and use of video systems. Kepple spent the 2005 season as run game and special teams coordinator at Pace University.

He began his coaching career in 1981 at Ardsley H.S. (N.Y.), where he spent six seasons as an assistant before becoming offensive coordinator at both Port Washington H.S. (N.Y.) in 1986 and later at Westchester Community College from 1988-91. Following his time at Westchester CC, Kepple accepted his first collegiate coaching position at Iona College. He remained at Iona until becoming tight ends coach at Fordham in 1998. He then spent three seasons as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at St. John's University (1999-2002) before beginning his tenure at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Kepple is a member of both the American Football Coaches Association and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

A resident of Yorktown, N.Y., Kepple received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Fordham in 1977 and his Master's in Special Education from Lehman College in 1982.

Contact Kepple: (401) 341-2495
Recruiting Areas: New York (914, 845 area code), New York City, Florida

Chris La Rose begins his fourth season at Salve Regina University and first as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. In his first three seasons, he coached the running backs (2006) and defensive line (2007-08).

La Rose came to Salve Regina following two seasons at Clinton High School in Clinton, N.Y. He served as an assistant for the varsity team while coaching both the offensive and defensive lines for the junior varsity squad. During his first season at Clinton in 2004, La Rose coached the modified football wide receivers and linebackers while also serving as a scout for the varsity team.

La Rose resides in Newport.

Contact La Rose: (401) 341-2497
Recruiting Areas: New Jersey, New York (315, 585, 716 area codes), Eastern Massachusetts (Cape Cod), Texas

Ryan Paquette begins his third season as a member of Robertson's coaching staff and first as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. Paquette had served as the outside linebackers coach during his first two seasons.

Paquette joined the Seahawks after working as the assistant coach at The Pingree Schol in South Hamilton, Mass. A 2007 graduate of Endicott College, Paquette was a four-year letterwinner on the Gulls football team. He earned his degree in sports management.

A native of West Cornwall, Vt., Paquette resides in Newport.

Contact Paquette: (401) 341-2498
Recruiting Areas: Western Massachusetts, Vermont, Eastern Massachusetts (I-90 North)