David Archer (American football coach)

David Archer

Archer in 2019
Biographical details
Born	November 5, 1982
Playing career
2001–2004	Cornell
Position(s)	Offensive lineman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2006	Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham (assistant)
2007–2012	Cornell (assistant)
2013–2023	Cornell
Head coaching record
Overall	29–71

David John Archer (born November 5, 1982) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of the Cornell Big Red football team, from January 2013 until November 2023.

Early life

Archer played high school football at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, New York, where as a senior he served as team captain was named a first-team New York State all-star. Archer was a three-year starter for the Big Red football team at Cornell University, serving as team captain during his senior season, before graduating with a degree in economics in 2005.

Coaching career

In 2006, while teaching fourth and eighth grades in Newark, New Jersey as part of Teach For America, Archer was an assistant coach at Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham, before returning to Cornell in 2007. He worked at Cornell as an assistant until his appointment to the head coaching position for the Big Red in January 2013. As of his appointment, Archer was the youngest head college football coach in NCAA Division I.

Having failed to attain a winning season since 2005, the Big Red continued to be unable to do so under Archer, however, accumulating 9 losing seasons and one break-even season in eleven years; the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Archer's teams did not attain a share of an Ivy League title, though defeated the eventual Ivy League champion twice in his final four seasons and won its first away game against a ranked opponent since 1950 when the team overcame a 23-point deficit to defeat No. 25 Colgate in 2016. Following the 2023 season, Cornell athletics director Nicki Moore announced that Archer would not return to the head coaching role for the 2024 season. Archer was the longest-tenured head coach at Cornell since George K. James (1947–60).

Head coaching record