Millersville

From 1980-1983, Millersville football was synonymous with a power rushing attack. The backfield led the nation in rushing three times in four years, and it would not have been possible without fullback Robert Coyne. Whether the featured back or the lead blocker for eventual NFL player Robb Riddick and nation’s leader Ricke Stonewall, Coyne was an indispensable member of two PSAC East Championship clubs.
 
Even while playing with Riddick and Stonewall, Coyne’s productivity and contribution rivals any before or since. Coyne finished his Millersville career with 2,322 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns and an average of 6.1 yards per carry. He owned all three records at the time of his graduation. He still ranks sixth in career yards and touchdowns. He also ranks third in career all-purpose yards with 4,456—an average of 123.8 per game.
 
A three-time All-PSAC East selection, Coyne was a first team pick and All-America Honorable Mention selection after his record-setting 1981 season in which he led the NCAA with 7.3 yards per carry and set school records with 1,183 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 84 points scored that season snapped a record that had stood for 40 years. He finished the season ranked seventh in Division II in rushing yards per game (10.7.5) and was the primary ball carrier for an offense that led the nation in rushing yards with an astounding 322.9 per game. The sophomore was the driving force behind an offense that won the PSAC East and reached the PSAC Championship game. He was selected as the team’s MVP at season’s end.
 
Coyne’s junior season of 1982 was cut short to just four games because of an ankle injury but he returned to the lineup as a senior and rushed for 448 yards. While his numbers did not match those of his sophomore campaign, he still earned the respect of the league’s coaches by landing All-PSAC East Second Team honors in back-to-back years.
 
Coyne’s athletic accomplishments extended beyond the football field. He ran track as a freshman and sophomore, helping the 4x100-meter relay team to a second-place finish at the PSAC Outdoor Championships. As a senior, he played baseball and batted over .300.
 
Coyne is also a member of the Marple Newtown High School Hall of Fame. His 4x400-meter relay team still holds a school record from its performance at the Penn relays. He earned four varsity letters as a senior by competing in football, indoor track, baseball and outdoor track. Coyne was the recipient of the Herbert E. Rathey Award, given to the most dedicated athlete. He currently is a teacher in the Ridley School District and has coached baseball, football and track and field at the high school and junior high levels since graduating from Millersville with a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts in 1985. Coyne also earned a master’s degree from Penn State. 
 
Coyne’s wife, Jean, graduated from Millersville in 1984. He is the father of the recently graduated Millersville golfer Rob Coyne, who qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2013. His daughter, Elizabeth, was named All-America Fifth Team as a women’s basketball player at Division III Rosemont College last season. His son, Patrick, is attending Millersville as a freshman this fall, and his youngest son, Brian, is a junior at Downingtown West.