WORCESTER — When Princeton was searching for a new football coach, it thought of Holy Cross’ Tom Gilmore.

Princeton expressed interest in Gilmore after it fired Roger Hughes at the end of the season and Gilmore said he had some discussions with Princeton officials, but on Tuesday night Gilmore formally withdrew as a candidate for the job.

“I ultimately decided I wasn’t going to pursue the position,” Gilmore said yesterday. “I feel that Holy Cross is a better fit for me and I feel great about the future of our program here.”

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Yesterday, Princeton hired Cincinnati Bengals assistant Bob Surace yesterday, who graduated from the school.

The 45-year-old Gilmore, a 1986 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, drew the interest of another Ivy League school last offseason. He was among the candidates to replace Jack Siedlecki at Yale before withdrawing his name from consideration in mid December.

Gilmore, who was hired at Holy Cross six years ago today, has done a remarkable job during his tenure with the Crusaders. He took over a failing program that had won just one game the year before his arrival and turned it into a Patriot League champion.

This season, HC won its first PL title since 1991, qualified for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and finished the year ranked No. 14 in the country.

In the first round of the FCS playoffs, Holy Cross battled Villanova for four quarters before falling, 38-28. Villanova went on to win the national championship.

“There are no moral victories in football,” Gilmore said, “but to go toe to toe with the eventual national champion shows how far we’ve come from where we were.”

Princeton, Gilmore talked about post
By Jennifer Toland, The Worcester Telegram & Gazette
http://www.telegram.com/article/20091224/NEWS/912240745/1009/SPORTS