Worcester, MA -- Coming off a woeful 1-11 season, Holy Cross hired former Lehigh defensive coordinator Tom Gilmore as its new head football coach.

The Crusaders, who dropped their final 10 games of the 2003 campaign and set a school record for losses in a season, fired Dan Allen with one year remaining on his contract last month.

It marked the third straight losing season for the Crusaders and their seventh in eight years under Allen, who finished his tenure with a record of 26-63.

Gilmore guided Lehigh's defense for the past four seasons, finishing in the top three in scoring defense each year.

Prior to his stint at Lehigh, Gilmore coached for eight years at Dartmouth College where he served as offensive line coach, linebacker coach, and defensive coordinator. He helped lead the Big Green to two Ivy League Championships in 1992 and 1996.