Recruiting Area: Southern Pittsburgh area, southern Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Tennessee, Oregon, Washington
An Allegheny College alum, the 2013 season marked the first for J.P. McFeeley on the staff, as he serves as the Gators' defensive coordinator, secondary coach, and recruiting coordinator.
McFeeley enjoyed a strong playing career for the Gators, as he was the 2002 team captain and team MVP, while earning All-North Coast Athletic Conference laurels at linebacker following the 2001 and ’02 campaigns. He brings a wealth of coaching experience from all three NCAA levels with him to Meadville.
“J.P. is a welcome addition to our staff,” said head coach Mark Matlak. “He is a seasoned football coach that will bring energy and new ideas to our staff. In addition to being a 2003 grad and former football captain, he knows the history and tradition of our program. I’m very excited to have him on board.”
Following his 2003 graduation from Allegheny, McFeeley spent two years at Division-II Clarion University as the linebackers coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, while earning a Masters in English in 2004, before moving on to Division-I FCS Fordham, where he spent the 2005 season as an assistant linebackers coach and southeastern U.S. recruiter.
In 2006, McFeeley was the assistant secondary coach at another FCS school, Lafayette College, and saw the Leopards win the Patriot League championship and advance to the NCAA FCS playoffs. He then moved on to Thiel College, spending two seasons as the Tomcats’ defensive coordinator, strength and conditioning coordinator, and linebackers and safety coach. He spent the 2009 season at Colgate coaching the secondary, before serving as a strength and conditioning intern with the University of Pittsburgh’s football program in the summer of 2010.
McFeeley worked in the private sector from September 2010 – May 2012, serving as an admissions representative for the Education Management Corporation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, before enrolling in graduate school at California University of Pa., where he earned an M.A. in Education and grade 7-12 English teaching certification, graduating with a perfect 4.0 and being named a California University Presidential Scholar.
He spent the past year at New Castle School District, where he was a student-teacher of middle school English, as well as the defensive coordinator for the varsity football team.
A native of Cranberry Township, Pa. and product of Seneca Valley High School, McFeeley graduated from Allegheny with a B.A. in Political Science and minor in Communication Arts. A four-year starter for the Gators, he made 227 career tackles, including 34 for loss and four sacks. In 2001, he posted 18 TFL’s, fifth most in a single season in program history.
