David Serna - Football Coach - Florida Atlantic University Athletics

David Serna

Title:
Running Backs

Coaching Experience
2005- Florida Atlantic Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
2004 Mountain View High School Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
2002-2003 UTEP Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
2000-2001 UTEP Graduate Assistant

Bowl Games
2008 Motor City Bowl (Florida Atlantic)
2007 New Orleans (Florida Atlantic)
2000 Humanitarian Bowl (UTEP)

Recruiting Area
Lakeland, Ocala and Orlando, FL

Personal Information
Birth date: Nov. 14, 1975
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Education: 1999, B.S., mechanical engineering, UTEP
Marital Status: Married to the former Andrea Alvarado
Children: Mario (9), Steven (2)

At FAU
Dave Serna joined the staff in the spring of 2005, assuming the role of running backs coach after playing and coaching offensive lineman much of his career. He took the transition head-on, knowing he would be working with a core of running backs that had a cumulative total of eight carries entering the season. Not only were his running backs young, but the receivers and the offensive linemen were also young, and he would need them all to grow at a rapid place.

Despite the youth and a rotation of five backs or fullbacks, with two key losses both at fullback, the 2005 Owls had six games with more than 100 yards, including 227 yards on the ground against North Texas and DiIvory Edgecomb's 118-yard performance, the first 100+ yard game for a back since Sept. 11, 2004, also against North Texas.

Serna was afforded the opportunity of a stronger line in '06, as well as the return of senior fullback Aaron Sanchez who missed '05. He made the most of it and saw sophomore Charles Pierre flourish. Pierre ended the season with four career games with 1,000+ yards, three were accomplished in '06.

The Owls' running game became more integral in 2007, with Charles Pierre tallying 733 yards in 159 caries. Pierre had four games with 80+ yards. Sixteen players were credited with runs that opened the Owls' passing game. That unselfishness and willingness to block and pass protect as much as run was a key to the team's success. The running game tallied 1,523 yards in 2007, which was second only all-time to the 2003 season when FAU played 14 games (1,788).

Charles Pierre saw the three years of working with Serna pay off in 2008. Despite a rotation between three primary carriers, Pierre became the first player in the program's history to rush for more than 1,000 yards (161 carries). Maybe even more impressively, he is just the third running back in Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger's career to break the 1,000 yard plateau. He broke the milestone in the Motor City Bowl's final drive a drive that FAU gave him the ball nearly every carry and ask him to use his drives to control the game clock. Pierre ended his four-year career as the program's top back in several categories. Serna also bid farewell to DiIvory Edgecomb who was an instrumental part of the team's success. Edgecomb averaged 20.9 yards per kick return, 9.8 yards per reception and 5.0 yards per carry.

Coaching Accomplishments
Serna came to Florida Atlantic after a one-year stint as the running backs coach for Mountain View (Texas) High School, where he worked with Alex Miranda. Under Serna's tutelage, Miranda earned District 2-4A Offensive Most Valuable Player honors, was named Associated Press Class 4A Honorable Mention All-State, first-team El Paso Times All-City and ended his junior season ranked as the 5th best rusher in Texas Class 4A.

UTEP
His collegiate experience, both as a player and as a coach, came under the direction of FAU's offensive coordinator Gary Nord. Serna played for Nord when Nord was an assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso. Serna first served as a student assistant for UTEP (1998-99). Upon his graduation in 1999 with a degree in mechanical engineering, he served as a graduate assistant. The two-year letterman was on staff in 2000, when the squad shared the Western Athletic Conference title and played in the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl. He was elevated to assistant coach in 2002 and began his career as a running backs coach. In 2002, the Miners ranked fourth in the WAC in rushing offense (154.1 ypg), including 300 yards against Sacramento State. UTEP rushed for over 200 yards in four games, three players posted 100-yard rushing games and Howard Jackson tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns in the first half versus Sacramento State. That same season saw four UTEP players rush for over 200 yards on the year, combining for 12 rushing touchdowns and at the season's conclusion Matt Austin was named to The Sporting News WAC All-Freshman team. In 2003, the Miners rated fourth in the WAC in rushing offense (169.3 ypg), rushed for more than 150 yards seven times, and over 200 yards on five occasions. Jackson became the eighth Miner to rush for 2,000 yards in a career and set a school record with four-consecutive 100-yard rushing games, and had a total of six. UTEP enjoyed a season that saw its top two backs average at least five yards per carry, and combined to score nine touchdowns. Under Serna's direction, Howard Jackson (2003) was the program's first 1,000 yard rusher in since 1999, first team All-WAC, and ranked no. 4 nationally as an all-purpose runner. Texas Native

Serna, the son of Rosie Serna, is a native of El Paso, TX, where he played high school football for Hanks High School.