College Football Champion Coach Loses Leg, Injures Spinal Cord in Bike Crash

A college football champion coach suffered serious injuries following his bicycle accident in March. In a statement given to Dartmouth, Kristen Teevens, the wife of Dartmouth football head coach Buddy Teevens, announced that her husband lost his right leg and suffered injuries to his spinal cord. 

“We would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of love and support for Buddy,” Kristen said in the statement. “It has been nothing short of amazing and we are so grateful. As Buddy navigates through the healing of his injuries, he is experiencing many positive improvements. Unfortunately, as a result of the accident, Buddy’s right leg was amputated due to the severity of the injury. He is alert and communicating with us and ready for transfer to a premier rehab facility to continue healing. Spinal cord injuries are challenging, and if anybody is up for the challenge, it is Buddy. We appreciate your continued respect of our privacy as we navigate this ongoing recovery process as a family.”  

Teevens Family Recovery Update

🔗: https://t.co/JF9D0yFU9l pic.twitter.com/I9W0xOCIfz

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) April 18, 2023

Valley News reported at the time that Buddy Teevens was struck by a 40-year-old female driver when riding his bike home with Kristen in St. Augustine, Florida. “He has sustained serious injuries and is currently hospitalized,” Kirsten Teevens wrote in a text to Valley News. “He is a healthy man and hopefully he will have a full recovery. We are very appreciative of all the support and the outpouring of love.” 

Teeven, 66, is coming off a 2022 season that saw his team finish with a 3-7 record, his first losing season since 2016 when the squad went 4-6. He has been with Dartmouth Big Green since 2005, but this is not his first stint with the team. In 1987, Teevens became the head coach of Dartmouth and won Ivy League Championships in 1990 and 1991. He left the school following the 1991 season to become the head coach at Tulane. Teevens then spent time at Illinois, Florida and Stanford before returning to Dartmouth. And in his second stint with the Big Green Teevens won Ivy League titles in 2015, 2019 and 2021. 

Sammy McCorkle, the acting Dartmouth football head coach, talked about how the accident has impacted the team. “Everybody handles the situation their own way,” McCorkle, said per The Dartmouth. “And the biggest thing we want guys to know is we’re here for each other. And we want them to know, if you’re struggling and you’re having a tough time, let us know –– reach out.”