Former Bulldog linebacker Travis Cunningham is in his 12thseason on the Gardner-Webb coaching staff, and will coach theteam's inside linebackers, as well as returning to his role asrecruiting coordinator.
Cunningham has a strong history of coaching linebackers atGardner-Webb, molding the group into one of the nation’s bestduring his time in Boiling Springs. Marty Patterson earnedpreseason All-America honors in 2010, and Jeffery Williams andMario Brown earning spots on several All-America teams leading astrong charge by the Gardner-Webb defense in the process.
Tanner Burch earned FCS All-America honors in 2012 fromCollege Sports Madness after leading the Big South Conference andranking second nationally with 12.6 tackles per game (113 totalhits). Burch was also a first-team All-Big South selection.
During Cunningham's time in Boiling Springs, he hascoached seven of the program's top-20 career tacklers for at leastone season. A total of 19 players have earned All-Conference honorsunder Cunningham's watch and six have been named to a postseasonAll-America team. Two players, Mario Brown in 2008 and JefferyWilliams in 2009, were named to the Buck Buchanan Award WatchList.
A young, organized coach with a sound understanding of thegame, Cunningham has served his alma mater well. In 2005, hecoached the GWU safeties, mentoring All-Big South Conferenceselection Daniel Cooke, who led the Bulldogs with 99 tackles andfour interceptions. Cunningham also coached the team’slinebackers in 2003 and 2004, and spent the 2001-2002 seasons as astudent assistant linebackers’ coach when GWU utilized afour-linebacker scheme.
During his time with the Bulldog inside linebackers, Cunninghamsaw Keppy Baucom earn All-Big South honors three times in as manyseasons, with Baucom leading the 2004 Bulldogs with 90 totaltackles. His 2003 unit, spearheaded by Baucom, Jonathan Little,Adam Wagner and J.P. Weaver, developed into one of theregion’s most consistent and effective groups.
Under Cunningham’s guidance in 2002, Baucom earnedfirst-team All-Big South honors and was named Big South Freshman ofthe Year after leading the league’s rookies with 75 totaltackles.
Cunningham, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., played twoseasons at Gardner-Webb, making his mark as a long snapper and as ahard-nosed special teams coverage man. Prior to enrolling atGardner-Webb, Cunningham was a standout in football and baseball atPowell (Tenn.) High in Knoxville.
Cunningham graduated from Gardner-Webb in August,2003, with an undergraduate degree in Physical Education. He andhis wife, the former Kelly King, reside in Boiling Springs.
