Aurora University Athletics

Rick Ponx was named the Head Football Coach of the Aurora University football program in December of 2013.

In the third year of his tenure at AU, Ponx led the Spartans to a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championship. Senior Justin Gibbons became the first Spartan football player to sign a contract with a NFL franchise when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent.
 
Ponx has held several coaching and coordinator positions at prominent Division III programs over the past two decades, including roles at Ohio Northern University and North Central College. He also served as a consultant in 2013 for the Illinois High School Association Class 8A State Champion Naperville Central High School.
 
Most recently at North Central College, Ponx served as the Assistant Head Coach (2007-2012), Defensive Coordinator (2010-2012), Offensive Line Coach (2005-2009) and Defensive Backs Coach (2004, 2010-2012). He was the 2012 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year finalist, and coached top 10 nationally ranked defenses in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In his nine seasons at North Central, the team made the NCAA Division III playoffs seven times with an 84-20 record, including a 31-6 record while he was defensive coordinator.
 
From 1988 to 2003, Ponx served in a variety of coaching roles at Ohio Northern, including five seasons as the Offensive Coordinator (1996-2000) and three seasons as the Defensive Coordinator (2001-2003). In his time at ONU, Ponx helped turn the program into a top 10 nationally ranked program with back-to-back NCAA Division III playoff appearances in 1999 and 2000.
 
Ponx is a member of the AFCA and Football Coaches Professional Growth Association. He has spoken at numerous camps and clinics, including the Frank Glazier Clinic in 2011 (Chicago) and 2013 (Indianapolis) and the IHSA Football Coaches Clinic in 2015.
 
Ponx received a bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst College and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University.
 

YEAR	OVERALL	CONFERENCE (Place)
2014	1-9	1-5 (T-5th)
2015	3-7	2-4 (5th)
2016	6-4	5-1 (T-1st)
2017	5-5	4-2 (3rd)
2018	5-5	5-2 (T-2nd)
5 Years	20-30 (.400)	17-14 (.548)