Lou Tepper Lou Tepper ( born September 7 , 1945 ) is an American football coach and former player currently serving as defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bulls . He was the head football coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania , a position he has held since the 2006 season . Previously , tepper served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign ( 1991 – 1996 ) and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ( 2000 – 2005 ) . He was the defensive coordinator at Louisiana State University from 1997 to 1999 . Playing career . Tepper played college football at Rutgers University . As a defensive back from 1965 to 1966 , Tepper led the team in interception s as a junior , and in tackle s as a senior . Tepper graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 1967 . Coaching career . Tepper was named the head coach at the University of Illinois in the 1991 season . Hired by John Mackovic as defensive coordinator in 1988 , Tepper was promoted to head coach when Mackovic accepted the head coaching position at the University of Texas . Tepper ' s first game as head coach was the 1991 John Hancock Bowl , which the Illini lost to UCLA by the score of 6 – 3 . Tepper served as the head coach at Illinois for five more seasons , compiling an overall record of 25 wins , 31 losses , and 2 ties , for a winning percentage of . 446 . The Illini went to the Holiday Bowl in 1992 , losing to Hawaii by the score of 27 – 17 , and the Liberty Bowl in 1994 , beating East Carolina , 30 – 0 , for Tepper ' s only bowl victory . Tepper ' s defensive squads as coordinator were generally strong , and the Fighting Illini continued to field able 3 – 4 defense s with Tepper as head coach . Tepper ' s defensive players as head coach included Butkus Award winners Dana Howard and Kevin Hardy , as well as National Football League standouts Simeon Rice and John Holecek . Tepper authored a book , " Complete Linebacking " , to teach his style of defensive play for the linebacker position . Tepper was the first Illinois coach since Robert Zuppke to win or tie both of his first two meetings against Michigan . The 1992 game , a 22 – 22 tie , ended Michigan ' s nineteen game conference winning streak . Despite Tepper ' s abilities as a defensive coach , he only put together only two winning seasons in his six years in Champaign . His teams were unable to match the moderate success the Illini had enjoyed under Mackovic and Mike White , and the Illini got progressively worse over his tenure . They placed fourth in the Big Ten Conference in Tepper ' s first full season , 1992 , and finished in fourth , fifth , seventh , and ninth in his remaining years . Tepper was fired after the 1996 season , when the Illini went 2 – 9 with a 1 – 7 conference record . Tepper later said that he forgave Illinois for firing him . Prior to coaching at Illinois , Tepper served as an assistant defensive coach at Pittsburgh ( 1967 , graduate assistant ) , New Hampshire ( 1968 – 1971 ) , William and Mary ( 1972 – 1977 ) , Virginia Tech ( 1978 – 1982 ) , and Colorado ( 1983 – 1987 ) . Tepper ' s contract at IUP was scheduled to expire in June 2011 , however , in December 2010 the university announced he would depart effective at the end of the year . In February 2011 he was named defensive coordinator of the United States national American football team for the 2011 IFAF World Cup .