William and Mary Announces Plans for Jimmye Laycock Football Complex
30,000-Square-Foot Complex Will Be Built Adjacent to Zable Stadium
Williamsburg - With the excitement and success of one of the most remarkable campaigns in William and Mary’s 110-plus year football history still resonating, the College of William and Mary’s Athletics Department put a fitting exclamation point on what was head coach Jimmye Laycock’s 25th season at the helm by announcing plans for a 30,000- foot football complex that will bear the longtime mentor’s name.
The Jimmye Laycock Football Complex will be located at the northwest corner of the stadium on what is the Tribe’s football practice field at a cost of $10 million. In what could be the most exciting aspect of all, the entire funding of the project will be provided by private gifts. The College originally announced plans to begin planning the structure in September 2000. Current plans have the complex providing a new home for team and coaches’ lockers, an athletic training room, an equipment storage area, coaches’
offices, conference rooms, and administrative support areas – as well as an entrance that will include a Tribe football Hall of Fame space. The project is scheduled to be finished by August 2007.
“I am overwhelmed and I am speechless with this honor,” said Laycock, the team’s school’s all-time leader in wins with 170 to his credit. “A building of this scope is a direct reflection of the success the program has seen over the last 100-plus years. I see this project coming to together in much the same light as I saw our success of last season, as a reflection of the many contributions of players, coaches and alumni over many generations. This will stand as a tribute to their efforts and as a resource to the generations of student-athletes to come,” continued Laycock.
“We are truly excited to announce the construction of this football complex – and proud it will be named after Jimmye Laycock” said William and Mary Athletic Director Terry Driscoll. “As William and Mary’s football coach, Jimmye has de-veloped a program that is second to none when considering the combination of competition on the field and scholastic integ-rity off the field.”
The school’s all-time winningest coach, Laycock has compiled a 170-113-2 career record at W&M. The 2004 season saw him led the Tribe to the Atlantic 10 Co-Championship, earn the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Playoffs, the highest seed in school history, and establish the school’s single season win record with 11. The College finished the season with a No. 3 national ranking, which also stands as the best finish in school history. He has led the team to nine postseason appearances and has posted winning ledgers in 18 of the past
22 seasons. He currently ranks third among all current Division I-A and Division I-AA head coaches in terms of tenure at their current school. The two coaches ahead of Laycock are Penn State’s Joe Paterno (37 years) and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (26 years).
Going hand-in-hand with his on-field success is his attention to the team’s academic progress as well. The most recent National Collegiate Athletic Association official graduation-rates report for all student-athletes receiving athletics aid shows that the College of William and Mary has graduated an impeccable 100% of its football players that entered the program as freshman during the 1997-98 school year. The Tribe carries not only the highest graduation rate in the conference (beating Richmond’s 94% by a full six points), but was far and away the top figure of any team ranked in the final national top 25. Only fourth-ranked Furman (81%) was within 20 percentage points of the College.
In fact, William and Mary is one of only four teams in the entire I-AA top 25 to have a graduation rate of 70%, or better. By comparison, the overall graduation rate amongst all schools providing athletics aid for I-AA football is 54%.
“It is time our football facilities meet the same high standard that our football team -- and Jimmye Laycock -- have established on and off the field each season,” Driscoll said.
The two-story football complex will be designed by HOK Sport, an internationally renowned architectural firm based in Kansas City, Mo., whose clients include sports venues at nearly every level --- including Oriole Park at Camden Yards. With offices also in Brisbane, Australia and London, England; HOK’s experience includes more than 600 sports projects.
“This building will allow for a whole new level of opportunity for coaching and development of the players. It will bring vast improvements to every level of support for the program, from offices to training rooms and meeting rooms. It is a very exciting time to be a part of the Tribe football program.”
The Laycock Complex will also serve as a game-day facility.
Officials are working closely with the building designers to ensure the complex complements the architecture of Zable Stadium and conforms to the campus design guidelines.
Preliminary plans call for the design of the building to begin immediately and completed by May 2006. The College hopes to award a bid by July 2006 with construction beginning in August 2006 and taking about a year to complete.
------------------------
Mark J. Hoskins Jr.
Sports Information Assistant
College of William and Mary
(757) 221-3344
Williamsburg - With the excitement and success of one of the most remarkable campaigns in William and Mary’s 110-plus year football history still resonating, the College of William and Mary’s Athletics Department put a fitting exclamation point on what was head coach Jimmye Laycock’s 25th season at the helm by announcing plans for a 30,000- foot football complex that will bear the longtime mentor’s name.
The Jimmye Laycock Football Complex will be located at the northwest corner of the stadium on what is the Tribe’s football practice field at a cost of $10 million. In what could be the most exciting aspect of all, the entire funding of the project will be provided by private gifts. The College originally announced plans to begin planning the structure in September 2000. Current plans have the complex providing a new home for team and coaches’ lockers, an athletic training room, an equipment storage area, coaches’
offices, conference rooms, and administrative support areas – as well as an entrance that will include a Tribe football Hall of Fame space. The project is scheduled to be finished by August 2007.
“I am overwhelmed and I am speechless with this honor,” said Laycock, the team’s school’s all-time leader in wins with 170 to his credit. “A building of this scope is a direct reflection of the success the program has seen over the last 100-plus years. I see this project coming to together in much the same light as I saw our success of last season, as a reflection of the many contributions of players, coaches and alumni over many generations. This will stand as a tribute to their efforts and as a resource to the generations of student-athletes to come,” continued Laycock.
“We are truly excited to announce the construction of this football complex – and proud it will be named after Jimmye Laycock” said William and Mary Athletic Director Terry Driscoll. “As William and Mary’s football coach, Jimmye has de-veloped a program that is second to none when considering the combination of competition on the field and scholastic integ-rity off the field.”
The school’s all-time winningest coach, Laycock has compiled a 170-113-2 career record at W&M. The 2004 season saw him led the Tribe to the Atlantic 10 Co-Championship, earn the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Playoffs, the highest seed in school history, and establish the school’s single season win record with 11. The College finished the season with a No. 3 national ranking, which also stands as the best finish in school history. He has led the team to nine postseason appearances and has posted winning ledgers in 18 of the past
22 seasons. He currently ranks third among all current Division I-A and Division I-AA head coaches in terms of tenure at their current school. The two coaches ahead of Laycock are Penn State’s Joe Paterno (37 years) and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (26 years).
Going hand-in-hand with his on-field success is his attention to the team’s academic progress as well. The most recent National Collegiate Athletic Association official graduation-rates report for all student-athletes receiving athletics aid shows that the College of William and Mary has graduated an impeccable 100% of its football players that entered the program as freshman during the 1997-98 school year. The Tribe carries not only the highest graduation rate in the conference (beating Richmond’s 94% by a full six points), but was far and away the top figure of any team ranked in the final national top 25. Only fourth-ranked Furman (81%) was within 20 percentage points of the College.
In fact, William and Mary is one of only four teams in the entire I-AA top 25 to have a graduation rate of 70%, or better. By comparison, the overall graduation rate amongst all schools providing athletics aid for I-AA football is 54%.
“It is time our football facilities meet the same high standard that our football team -- and Jimmye Laycock -- have established on and off the field each season,” Driscoll said.
The two-story football complex will be designed by HOK Sport, an internationally renowned architectural firm based in Kansas City, Mo., whose clients include sports venues at nearly every level --- including Oriole Park at Camden Yards. With offices also in Brisbane, Australia and London, England; HOK’s experience includes more than 600 sports projects.
“This building will allow for a whole new level of opportunity for coaching and development of the players. It will bring vast improvements to every level of support for the program, from offices to training rooms and meeting rooms. It is a very exciting time to be a part of the Tribe football program.”
The Laycock Complex will also serve as a game-day facility.
Officials are working closely with the building designers to ensure the complex complements the architecture of Zable Stadium and conforms to the campus design guidelines.
Preliminary plans call for the design of the building to begin immediately and completed by May 2006. The College hopes to award a bid by July 2006 with construction beginning in August 2006 and taking about a year to complete.
------------------------
Mark J. Hoskins Jr.
Sports Information Assistant
College of William and Mary
(757) 221-3344
posted by Don @ 6/27/2005 01:10:00 PM
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