This photograph shows Springfield College football coach Howard Vandersea being carried by his players and celebrating. A man is handing a trophy up to him. Howard Sidney Vandersea was born on September 12, 1941 in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. In 1959, he graduated from Northbridge High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. Vandersea then earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Bates College (1963). Subsequently, he joined the United States Army, in which he served as a first lieutenant from 1964 to 1966. After his service, he attended Boston University and ultimately earned his master’s degree in education and physical education in 1969. From 1972 to 1975, he worked as the assistant football coach at Brown University. In February 1976, he began working at Springfield College as the school’s twelfth head football coach. Vandersea immediately impacted the team, putting together five winning seasons in his first six years. During his eight years at Springfield College, Vandersea posted a record of 42-35, highlighted by an 8-2 campaign during the 1979 season. In 1984, Vandersea left Springfield College to become the head football coach at Bowdoin, where he stayed until his retirement in 2000. Vandersea is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and the New England Football Coaches Association. In 2003, Vandersea won the George C. Carens Award for contributions to New England football.
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