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Tony Levine is in his second season with the University of Houston, joining head coach Kevin Sumlin's staff in January of 2008 as special teams coordinator and inside receivers/tight ends coach. In his first season at Houston, Levine tutored tight end Mark Hafner to an All-Conference USA Second Team selection and career highs in catches (86), receiving yards (907) and touchdowns (11). Inside receiver Tyron Carrier was also named to the All C-USA Second Team after catching 80 passes for 1,026 yards and 9 touchdowns. Statistically, the Cougar offense finished 2nd in the country in both total offense (562.8 ypg) and passing (401.6 ypg), and 10th in scoring (40.6 ppg). Also under Levine, junior punter Chase Turner earned a spot on the All C-USA Honorable Mention list after averaging 45.5 yards per punt, which ranked 4th nationally. Turner's mark was a single-season school record for gross punting, while the team's net punting average of 36.5 yards was also the highest in school history. The Cougars finished the season ranked 34th in the country in net punting, up from 114th (31.2) in 2007. Houston's kick-off coverage ranked 22nd in the nation, yielding a mere 18.96 yards per return on 92 kick-offs. Other special team's highlights included Houston blocking five kicks (3 field goals, 2 punts), as well as Tyron Carrier's 93-yard kick-off return for a touchdown against Tulsa. For his efforts after taking over the return duties midway through the season, Carrier was also named to the All C-USA Freshman Team both as a punt and kick-off returner. Before coming to Houston, Levine spent two seasons with the National Football League's Carolina Panthers, where he was the assistant special teams and assistant strength & conditioning coach. While at Carolina, Levine worked with one of the best specialist units in the NFL in kicker John Kasay, punter Jason Baker and long snapper Jason Kyle. Following the 2006 season, both Baker and Kasay were named as first alternates to the Pro Bowl, while Kasay again earned the honor after the 2007 season. In 2006, the Panthers led the NFC with a net punting average of 38.8 yards while Baker's 39.0 net punting average set a Panthers team record. Baker's 31 punts inside the 20 were also tops in the NFC, and he ranked 2nd overall with a 45.7-yard gross average. Kasay produced his most accurate season as well in 2006, converting a career-best 88.9 percent of his field goals (24-of-27). Prior to Carolina, Levine was at the University of Louisville, where he played an integral role in the Cardinals success for three seasons. During his stay in Louisville, the Cardinals posted an impressive 29-8 overall record, including an 11-1 record and a No. 6 national ranking in 2004 as well as an appearance in the 2006 Gator Bowl. Levine began as director of football operations in 2003, where he was responsible for the overall day-to-day operation of the school's football program in coach Bobby Petrino's first year as head coach. In 2004 he was named special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach and made an immediate impact on the field. Under Levine's tutelage, the Cardinals statistically ranked near the top in Conference USA is almost all special teams categories, while Louisville's defense finished 15th nationally in total defense, 18th in rush defense, 24th in scoring defense and 30th in pass defense. Superlatives from his two seasons as special teams coach at Louisville included seven blocked kicks, three punt returns for touchdowns and an NCAA single-season record of 77 consecutive extra points by kicker Art Carmody. Carmody, a former walk-on, was also named First-Team All-Big East Conference under Levine, and went on to win the 2006 Lou Groza Award as the nation's top collegiate kicker. Carmody finished his playing career as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer for a kicker with 433 points. As special teams coordinator at Louisiana Tech in 2002, Levine coached Josh Scobee, who earned 2nd Team All-WAC honors, was selected by Jacksonville in the 2004 NFL draft and is currently the Jaguars starting placekicker. Also while at Louisiana Tech, kick returner Erick Franklin broke the school's single-season record for kick-off return yardage. Offensively, Louisiana Tech ranked 19th nationally in total offense (417.9 ypg) and 10th in passing (302.8 ypg). Levine spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons working as the offensive graduate assistant at Auburn, where he coached the tight ends and worked closely with special teams. During those two seasons, the Tigers compiled a 16-9 overall record while winning back-to-back Southeastern Conference Western Division titles. Robert Johnson, Lorenzo Diamond and Cooper Wallace, three of the tight ends Levine worked with, went on to earn roster spots in the NFL. Prior to Auburn, Levine worked as an assistant coach at Texas State University, assisting with the wide receivers in 1997 before coaching the tight ends in 1998 and 1999. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Levine served as co-recruiting coordinator at the end of the 1999 season. Levine began his coaching career in 1996 as an assistant coach and freshman head coach at Highland Park (MN) Senior High, his alma mater. A walk-on at the University of Minnesota, Levine became a three-time letter-winner at wide receiver for the Gophers and was twice named Academic All-Big Ten. In addition to earning a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports management from Minnesota, he also holds a master's degree in physical education from Texas State University and an educational specialist degree in adult education from Auburn. His playing resume also includes one season as a wide receiver for the Minnesota Fighting Pike of the Arena Football League. Levine and his wife, Erin, have two sons, Benjamin and Asher.
THE LEVINE FILE COACHING HISTORY BOWL GAMES COACHED (6) PLAYING HISTORY |
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