Posted: May. 3, 2017 9:35 am

QUINCY  Tom Pajic has resigned his position as the head football coach at Quincy University to become the director of player personnel at Temple University. The announcement was made in a press release on Wednesday morning.

Pajic was the head coach of the Hawks for five seasons. His teams had a 20-34 record, and last year's team won five of its first seven games. Highlights were a victory over Drake, a non-scholarship NCAA Division I program, and the program's first-ever victory over four-time defending GLVC champion Indianapolis. However, the Hawks also finished the season with four consecutive losses and a 5-6 record, the fourth losing record in Pajic's tenure.

Before coming to Quincy, Pajic was the offensive coordinator for eight seasons at Bloomsburg (Pa.) University. His other coaching stops were at Wilkes and Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, Hofstra and Fordham in New York and at South Florida.

"After 18 years being away from our families, we have decided to move back home to be closer to our families and to be able to spend more time with all of them," Pajic said in the press release. "Temple University affords us this opportunity. It is a great pairing to be a part of a Top 25 program while enjoying the journey with our entire family."

Temple went 10-4 last season under first-year coach Geoff Collins and won the American Athletic Conference championship. The Owls lost 34-26 to Wake Forest in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27. The 10-victory season was only the third in school history.

"I want to thank Tom for his dedicated service to Quincy University and the athletic department," QU vice president for intercollegiate athletics Marty Bell said in the release. "Under his leadership, the football program has made great strides and has established itself as a well-respected program in the region. I wish him the very best in his new endeavor as this will allow him to advance his career in football."

The release noted that the university will have an announcement regarding the leadership of the program "in the coming days."

Pajic's teams established 26 school records and four GLVC records. He coached 50 All-GLVC players and 11 USA College Football Preseason All-Americans, and he coached two Don Hansen All-America honorable mentions in 2016.

Seventy players on last year's team earned at least a 2.75 grade point average last year, including 52 hitting the 3.0 mark.

Pajic replaced Bill Terlisner, whose contract was not renewed after the 2011 season. Terlisner's last five teams also had a 20-34 mark, and he had a 47-82 mark in 13 seasons.

"I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and President (Dr. Robert) Gervasi for allowing me to lead QU football and represent Quincy University as the head football coach for the past five years," Pajic said. "It is certainly something I am proud of and thankful I was entrusted with this honor.

"I would like to thank Coach Bell for bringing me aboard in 2012 and for giving me my first head coaching job. I am truly thankful and indebted to him for believing in me to lead the program. His vision and work ethic over the past five years are evident when looking at the QU football program today. I am grateful that I was able to work with him in making QU football a strong program in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

"To all the coaches I have had the fortune to work alongside, and all the young men I have had the blessing to coach, I am proud to say we have left QU football in a better place."