by Christi Mathis
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Former Saluki head football coach Rey Dempsey will be the grand marshal for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s 2023 Homecoming.
Coach Rey Dempsey celebrates with the 1983 national champion Salukis and fans. (SIU file photo)
Dempsey’s illustrious career included coaching for 28 years at various levels, highlighted by leading the 1983 Salukis to the NCAA Division 1-AA National Championship title, the first national title for the gridiron Dawgs. He earned the Division I-AA Coach of the Year honors that year as well.
The championship team, which had a 13-1 record that season, is being invited to join Dempsey in being recognized during the homecoming parade and game.
The homecoming parade will take place through the streets of Carbondale, ending on campus, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Tailgating follows from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saluki Row, and the homecoming football game sees the Salukis taking on South Dakota State at 2 p.m. in Saluki Stadium.
Storied career
Dempsey, the university’s 14th head football coach, compiled a 54-37 record coaching from 1976 to 1983 at SIU. He is a 1996 Saluki Hall of Fame inductee.
Dempsey, 87, is a Pennsylvania native who launched his career as quarterback for the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes in Beaver Falls. Prior to his historic career at SIU, he also coached at Youngstown State University and special teams for the Detroit Lions; he later coached at the University of Memphis.
He went on to serve as a pastor for more than a decade in Columbus, Ohio, and has been involved with Team Focus, a nonprofit organization designed to “fill the father gap” for young men who don’t have a father in their lives, since it was founded in 2000. He has served as vice president of program services and director of spiritual development. He and his wife, Annie, continue to serve with Team Focus and are involved in their Fort Mills, South Carolina, church.