August 17 , 2004

GENEVA, N.Y.—A pair of familiar faces will return to the sidelines for the Hobart College football team for the 2004 season. Head Coach Mike Cragg recently that Aaron Backhaus ’00 and Craig Swanson ’04 will join the football staff as the inside linebackers and quarterbacks coaches, respectively.

A tri-captain during his senior season, Backhaus was a four-year starter at inside linebacker. He led the team in tackles as a first year and earned second team All-Liberty League honors his junior season. His senior year, Backhaus finished the season third on the team in tackles with 52 and picked up first-team All-Liberty League accolades. He completed his career with 279 tackles (131 solo) and six interceptions.

Earning a bachelor’s degree from Hobart in psychology in 2000, Backhaus went on to complete a master’s degree in education at Alfred University. He is currently a guidance counselor at Geneva Middle School and coaches the Geneva modified football team.

The best passer in Hobart’s 110-year football history, Swanson puts on the coaching hat after completing a very successful career on the gridiron. In 32 games, he completed 454 of his 802 passes (56.5%) for 5,678 yards and 47 touchdowns, averaging 177.4 passing yards per game and posting a 129.7 efficiency rating, all of which are Hobart career records. He also holds the single-game record for passing yards with 437 against Rensselaer in 2001.

A 2002 Gagliardi Trophy finalist (Division III Player of the Year), Swanson was the 2002 Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year. He excelled in the classroom as well, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America second-team honors, just the second Hobart football player to do so.

Swanson graduated this past May with a bachelor’s degree in physics and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education at Hobart.

Hobart opens the 2004 season at 1 p.m., on Sept. 11, hosting Dickinson on Boswell Field. The Statesmen also will host Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Oct. 2), Coast Guard (Oct. 9), Union (Nov. 6), and Rochester (Nov. 13). For the complete schedule visit: web.hws.edu/statesmen/football