Union College Athletics

Rick Flanders finished his eighth year as the Defensive Coordinator with the Union College football team in 2023. 

In his first seven seasons with the program, the Union defensive unit has produced one D3football.com All-American and six All-Region selections, five All-ECAC honorees, and a total of 44 All-Liberty League picks.

Flanders previously coached for 24 years in the Ivy League, including his last 19 seasons at Yale University in various capacities. He served as the Defensive Coordinator and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2007 and served in that role for eight seasons. Flanders spent his first seven years focusing on defensive backs before moving on to be a linebacker coach for four seasons. Under his watch, the Yale defense was ranked No. 1 in the FCS in scoring defense during his tenure and the Bulldogs won the 1999 and 2006 Ivy League championships.

Before his time at Yale, Flanders spent five seasons as a secondary coach at the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked under former Union head coach and Athletics Hall of Famer Al Bagnoli. While there, he helped coach Penn to Ivy titles in 1993 and 1994 and his defensive backs helped the Penn defense rank nationally in both seasons, including No. 1 in pass efficiency defense for 1994.

Before heading to Philadelphia, Flanders served as head coach of the undefeated Dean College team in 1991 and was the linebacker and special teams coach at Lafayette College from 1987 to 1990. In 1986 he was the defensive coordinator at American International College, after three seasons as linebacker and defensive back coach at SUNY Albany, where he also served as head lacrosse coach for two years.

Flanders earned a degree in physical education from the University of Maine in 1979 and a master's in education from the University at Albany.

Career Highlights: 
- 6 All Americans 
- 68 All Conference Selections 
- 8 Championships 
- 5 Players of the Year 
- Coached 8 players who went on to play in the NFL or CFL