Fresno State Athletics
DeBoer reveals changes to coaching staff, four new hires
1/27/2020 3:30:00 PM | Football
Four additions to the staff include assistant coaches William Inge, Lee Marks, Chuck Morrell and Eric Schmidt while four members from 2019 staff stayed intact – Ryan Grubb, Kirby Moore, Roman Sapolu and J.D. Williams – leaving two vacancies remaining to be filled.
"This is a combination of guys who are expert teachers, that first and foremost is what I believe we have to have is great teachers," said DeBoer. "When it comes to X's and O's, these guys are proven, they're veteran coaches whether it's been defensive coordinator positions, special teams coordinator positions, we have a great combination of guys that are going to come together to make sure our players are put in good positions to be successful on the football field."
A glance at: William Inge – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Inge joins the Bulldogs' following seven seasons as a staff member at Indiana. Inge, who shared a coaching room with DeBoer for one season with the Hoosiers, oversaw all facets of the special teams unit as their special teams coordinator for the past two seasons. He coached linebackers the previous five seasons at IU.
Inge has experience serving as a defensive coordinator, or co-defensive coordinator, at stops at Indiana, Buffalo and Northern Iowa. His resume also includes coaching notable players such as Khalil Mack, who was developed into a No. 5 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders under his tutelage, and while serving as an assistant for the Buffalo Bills for one season guided stars Mario Williams and Kyle Williams.
The Kirkwood, Mo. native holds West Coast ties having spent two seasons as West Division rival San Diego State's linebackers coach in 2006-07.
A glance at: Lee Marks – Running Backs/Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator
Marks moves over to the Bulldogs' coaching staff following six seasons at his alma mater, Boise State. There he spent the past five seasons as the Broncos' running backs coach and was a member of their strength and conditioning staff his initial season.
Marks and DeBoer have not shared the same coaching room before, but they do share a history with the University of Sioux Falls. DeBoer was at USF from 2000-09, while Marks was at USF as a graduate assistant from 2010-11. While a GA that assisted with the running backs, current Fresno State offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was Sioux Falls' offensive coordinator during both of Marks' seasons at USF.
In Marks' five seasons with the running backs at Boise State, they had a 1,000-yard rusher each season. Under his watch, true freshman George Holani kept the streak going and was named the 2019 Mountain West Freshman of the Year and a second-team all-league selection, after Marks lost his second running back in three seasons declaring early for the NFL Draft – Alexander Mattison (3rd Rd. – Minnesota, 2019) and Jeremy McNichols (5th Rd. – Tampa Bay, 2017).
A glance at: Chuck Morrell – Safeties
Morrell comes from Montana Tech, where he was the head coach for the past nine seasons. Morrell was named the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year three times as well as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Regional Coach of the Year (2012, 2015-16).
Morrell and DeBoer have a long history together having coached and played at the University of Sioux Falls. Morrell served as a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Sioux Falls from 1998-2009. DeBoer spent 2000-04 as an offensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach and serving at that post from 2005-09. During their time together, Sioux Falls played in five NAIA national championship games and won three titles (2006, 2008, 2009).
As a safety at Sioux Falls, he was the leading tackler on the 1996 NAIA Division II national championship team, a title he shared with DeBoer who was an All-American wide receiver on that team.
A glance at: Eric Schmidt – Defensive Line/Special Teams Coordinator
Schmidt most recently spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator for his alma mater, North Dakota. Prior to UND, Schmidt spent six seasons (2008-13) at Southern Illinois, which is where he crossed paths with DeBoer. DeBoer was Southern Illinois' offensive coordinator for four of the six seasons that Schmidt spent at SIU.
Schmidt coached North Dakota's defensive line last season, and instructed its outside linebackers in 2018 and inside linebackers the four seasons prior. During the seasons DeBoer and Schmidt were both at SIU, Schmidt was its defensive line coach for two seasons (2010-11) and inside linebackers/special teams coordinator for two seasons (2012-13).
The Mandan, N.D. native helped lead his alma mater to two FCS Playoff berths during his tenure, the first was a first for the program in 2016, the same season they claimed a Big Sky Championship with a defense that gave up just 91.3 yards rushing per game (sixth-best in the FCS) and collected 20 interceptions (second-best in the FCS). The next was just last season, led by a two-time All-America selection, linebacker Donnell Rodgers – an accomplishment Schmidt garnered himself as a player in 2001.
About DeBoer's Offense
Familiar faces in Grubb, Moore and Sapolu will remain on the Bulldogs' staff.
Grubb and Moore will enter their fourth season at Fresno State, respectively, while Sapolu enters his second.
Grubb will also remain the associate head coach and offensive coordinator, as he was under Jeff Tedford in 2019. What will be different is he will coach the quarterbacks group in 2020.
Moore adds pass game coordinator to his title, and will continue to lead the wide receivers' group. Sapolu moves into a full-time role with the offensive line, a change from his first season as the assistant to the offensive line under Grubb. He will share run game coordinator duties with Marks.
A national search for an additional offensive coach is ongoing.
About DeBoer's Defense
The defensive side of the ball is beginning to take shape with the three additions announced in the aforementioned.
Williams will enter his fourth season at Fresno State coaching the secondary, but with a slight adjustment in 2020, as he will narrow his focus to the cornerbacks. He will remain the defensive passing game coordinator alike 2019.
A national search for an additional defensive coach is ongoing.
Kalen DeBoer – Head Coach
Ryan Grubb – Associate Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
Lee Marks – Assistant Head Coach, Running Backs / Run Game Coordinator
William Inge – Assistant Coach, Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
Kirby Moore – Assistant Coach, Wide Receivers / Pass Game Coordinator
Chuck Morrell – Assistant Coach, Safeties
Roman Sapolu – Assistant Coach, Offensive Line / Run Game Coordinator
Eric Schmidt – Assistant Coach, Defensive Line / Special Teams Coordinator
J.D. Williams – Assistant Coach, Cornerbacks / Defensive Passing Game Coordinator
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