Coach Mac’s Coaching Staff

Coach Mac’s Coaching Staff

January 31st

Introducing Dave Forman, Director of Sports Performance

From cubuffs.com … There are a couple of things you’ll notice (or won’t) in the strength and conditioning domain at the University of Colorado under new guy Dave Forman.

There won’t be a “big lift board” – no names posted alongside outlandish numbers in the bench press, squat or whatever. There will be piped in tunes, but probably not Metallica. And for additional purposes of improved perception, there will be assistant coaches wearing CU shirts with collars. No muscle T’s with cut out sleeves, please.

Oh, and Forman won’t slip you a business card identifying him as Director of Speed, Strength and Conditioning. Rather, it will read Director of Sports Performance.

Why the changes? Let Forman explain:

“The change to sports performance, while it might seem like semantics, I think it better reflects the all-encompassing aspects of performance and what we’re trying to do. We’re more than just running around and lifting heavy weights. There are the aspects of recovery, there’s crossover with what the athletic training staff does – and not just in a rehab setting but in reconditioning, where maybe you’re out of rehab but not quite full-go, there’s a whole spectrum of function there . . .

“I just think that title, that new term, really is a broader term and encompasses all that we’re trying to do. I want to have the most comprehensive sports performance department in the country. That’s what I envision. How we’re going to do that, I’m working on it.”

Don’t think for a second that the essential components of off-season football conditioning or fundamental weight room work will be deemphasized. To the contrary, Forman said, “We will power clean, for example, but not like you see guys in the Olympics power clean – that’s not our job. Our job is to win the battle across from you, move the big guys out of the way and let the fast guys run past the other guys. That’s football. But hopefully we can create a better athlete in the weight room – bigger, faster, stronger and more durable, and that’s our goal.”

Pay very close attention to “more durable.”

The department’s name change also allows Forman more overall responsibility, which he has never shunned. Each CU sport retains its own strength/conditioning coach, but each reports to Forman, who noted, “I didn’t want to rock the boat in that way. But overall, at the end of the day, the buck stops with me.”

AND IN THE SCHOOL’S big-buck sport, Forman is the guy. He’s new coach Mike MacIntyre’s handpicked choice to not only build up the Buffs, but keep them on the field and out of the training room. As much as getting their 40 times down and their poundage up, Forman (read: MacIntyre) wants his best players playing regularly – which more often than not was the case when both were at San Jose State.

In 2010 – MacIntyre’s first season at SJS – 80 “player games” were missed due to a variety of injuries, a “player game” being the four-quarter absence due to injury/illness of a player on the two-deep chart. Said Forman, who joined MacIntyre’s staff in January of 2011: “Eighty is insane . . . they were starting third- and fourth-string kids. Or true freshmen who weren’t ready to play. You do that you take your lumps.”

The lumps were large and plentiful on a schedule that included Alabama and Wisconsin in non-conference play and traditional WAC heavyweights Nevada and Boise State. Good players missing a lot of games don’t always equal bad results, but San Jose State finished 1-12 in 2010.

In 2011, Forman’s count had dropped from 80 “player games” missed to 41. The Spartans’ record improved to 5-7. In 2012, those totals were 28 and 11-2 (counting the Military Bowl win against Bowling Green).

CU also knows something about injuries; the Buffs were decimated over the past two seasons. In 2011, which yielded a 3-10 finish, CU lost 115 “player games” to injury. In 2012’s 1-11 disaster, the lost-game count was 71.

An accompanying figure that Forman cites is how often San Jose State’s starters started. “Last year we were about 95 percent and the previous year at about 92 percent,” he said. “Your best players are playing. They’re your best players for a reason – they win games.”

Forman often reminds players that, “I’m not going to make you a better defensive lineman – coach (Jim) Jeffcoat is.’ But if you’re hurt and you’re missing practice, you’re not getting better.’ My big thing is to reduce the incidents and severity of injuries. By doing that we’re going to use a lot of different assessment tools and maybe see where there are some predispositions or imbalances in muscle groups.”

Borrowing from Michael Jordan’s philosophy, Forman noted that athletes who only work on their strengths find their weaknesses only become more glaring. “Work on your weaknesses and improve on them so that they’re your strengths – then you’re awesome and everything has gone up a level,” Forman said. “Sometimes that’s difficult for guys because I’m asking them to do something that’s difficult. It’s hard and challenging and doesn’t come so easy.”

FORMAN, 33, PLAYED FOOTBALL – he was a defensive back – at James Madison from 1999-2001 and graduated in 2002 (kinesiology) before earning a master’s in exercise science from Ole Miss in 2006. A native of Glendale, N.Y., he joined MacIntyre’s SJS staff in January of 2011, coming from Stanford, where he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach for three years and worked primarily with football and wrestling.

Forman said Stanford “has done a nice job of finding experts in their own backyard and involving them and evolving the program.” He hopes to do the same at CU, and recalled one of his worst regrets from his days in Palo Alto was not meeting more faculty and other staffers outside of athletics.

The Cardinal strength and conditioning facilities were in a basement, he said, “And I didn’t leave the basement much.” At San Jose State, “I was getting there – trying to build bridges – after two years. I don’t anticipate it will take that long here.”

When then-head coach Jim Harbaugh left Stanford for the San Francisco 49ers after the 2010 season, the Cardinal had co-directors of strength and conditioning. (The school has since gone to a Director of Sports Performance, as has San Jose State.)

Forman didn’t know if either or both co-directors would accompany Harbaugh to the NFL, but he did know MacIntyre was shopping for someone to head the strength and conditioning program 20 minutes away in San Jose. Forman applied, MacIntyre interviewed him twice and hired him. It wasn’t a case of having worked together at a previous stop; they were strangers, but MacIntyre liked what he heard from Forman and liked what he saw on the field in the muscular Cardinal.

Arriving in Boulder last month, Forman kept two members of the former strength and conditioning staff – Steve Englehart and Troy Ramsey. He also hired Kerry Johnson from Duke and former CU volunteer Isiah Castilleja, who had worked with the track and spirit programs.

On a number of fronts, including what he’s seen physically from returning players, Forman said his starting point in football at CU is “much better” than what he walked into at San Jose State. “I feel like they want to work and that’s a great thing . . . I really feel like they’re giving great effort. That’s great. The worst player in the world, the slowest, baddest athlete can give great effort.

“Maybe he can’t run a 4.2 40, but he can run as fast as he can. We need to do the things than anyone can do really well. We’ll get into being the biggest and most explosive. We’ll get to that. The easiest thing to do right now is overdo it and crush them on day one. It’s a delicate balance of knowing when to push, when to pull back.”

THE BUFFS’ WINTER SCHEDULE includes three days of lifting (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and two of running (Tuesday, Thursday). Lifting usually is done in two groups, but everyone runs together. An evaluation process of each player is on-going, as well as an evaluation of injured players and those who have had off-season surgeries.

But for now, Forman’s emphasis is on building MacIntyre’s foundation and having each player “give great effort, line up correctly and have a great attitude,” he said. “That’s a decision you make every day, it’s a choice you make whether it’s conscious or not.”

That likely explains why the Buffs found this Merlin Olsen quote in their lockers when they began their winter conditioning work: “You can take the best team and the worst team and line them up and you will find very little physical difference. You will find emotional difference. The winning team has a dedication, it will have a core group of leaders who set the standards and they will not accept defeat.”

Forman declined to compare or contrast his approach with what was done under the former strength and conditioning staff. “I don’t know what the other was about,” he said. “I’m not knocking what they did, because I don’t know what they did. This is what I’m about and this is what we’re going to do.”

With an eye on the start of spring drills on March 7, Forman is having the Buffs do “high volume” weight work, which he said would correctly imply “more repetitions” with varying intensity. “We’re slowly introducing things; it might not be entirely new, but the priorities are new. Stance and technique are being taught. I don’t want to get sloppy.

“I’ve told them what they can control is their effort, their attitude and their coachability – and they’ve been great about it. They’re working hard and I’m sure their legs are sore; it’s a little different. But they’re not using excuses to not give great effort. That’s all you ask of them.”

January 13th

Coach MacIntyre’s staff remains two names short

One week after naming Troy Walters as the new wide receivers coach, two positions still remain open on Coach MacIntyre’s staff. A running backs coach has yet to be named, and there is still no coach designated to work on special teams.

He said it’s possible he could hire one assistant who would be entirely responsible for coaching special teams and no other position.

“I think the kicking and punting and longsnapping and all that — all the intracacies of it — I don’t want to have those guys neglected,” MacIntyre told the Daily Camera.

He said he hopes to have the staff completed in the next week. He said not having a full staff is not having an impact on recruiting because only seven coaches are ever allowed on the road at one time.

“I wish it was an exact science,” MacIntyre said. “I will hopefully know here in the next couple days.”

January 6th

Troy Walters joins CU staff as wide receivers coach

It is being reported … and confirmed by Walters himself on Twitter … that Troy Walters is joining Mike MacIntyre’s staff as the Buffs’ new wide receivers coach.

Walters comes to Boulder from North Carolina State, where he was the wide receivers coach in 2012.

Walters, 36, was born in Bloomington, Indiana, and grew up in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M (Walters actually went to the same high school as CU Class of 2013 commit Jimmie Gilbert, A&M Consolidated high school).

Walters was a star wide receiver at Stanford from 1996 to 1999 (when Kent Baer was there as the defensive coordinator, if you are looking for a connection to the already named members of the CU staff).  Walters was the winner of the 1999 Biletnikoff Trophy, given annually to the nation’s top wide receiver. A consensus All-American in 1999, he also was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year. Also earned Academic All-America honors. An All-Pac-10 player as a specialist in 1997 and as a wideout in 1999, Walters holds the Stanford single-season (86) and career (244) records for receptions and the single-game (278), single season (1,456 in 1999) and career (3,986) records for receiving yards. The 244 career receptions was also a Pac-10 record at the time.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Walters in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Walters had an eight-year NFL career, playing for Minnesota (2000-01), Indianapolis (2002-05), Arizona (2006) and Detroit (2007). Walters played in 98 games, compiling 102 receptions for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns. Walters returned 117 kickoffs for 2,594 yards, and 139 punts for 1,241 yards.

Walters’ first coaching experience came at Indiana State in 2009, where he was the offensive coordinator in addition to coaching quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Before joining the North Carolina State staff in 2012, Walters was the wide receivers coach at Texas A&M for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In two seasons at A&M, Walters coached school record setting receivers Ryan Swope and Jeff Fuller. In 2010, both players set the school record for single-season receptions with 72, while Fuller set the schoolmark for reception yardage with 1,066. In 2011, Swop broke both of those marks with 89 grabs for 1,207 yards.

This past season, North Carolina State, in compiling a 7-6 record, was 18th in the nation in passing offense.

January 3rd

Colorado adds six to Coach MacIntyre’s coaching staff; three more names still to be added

From cubuffs.com … University of Colorado head football coach Mike MacIntyre has hired his first wave of full-time assistants for his coaching staff and the school officially released the names Thursday.

MacIntyre was named the Buffaloes’ 25th full-time head coach this past December 10 after leading San Jose State to a 10-2 regular season record, a No. 24 national ranking in all three major polls or standings (AP, Coaches, BCS) and a berth in the Military bowl, where the Spartans defeated Bowling Green, 29-20. He replaced Jon Embree, who guided the Buffs to a 4-21 record in two seasons as head coach.

Six of his assistant coaches from San Jose State will follow MacIntyre to Colorado, including defensive coordinator Kent Baer and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren. Baer will also coach the linebackers and Lindgren the quarterbacks.

Four other assistants are Boulder-bound and will continue to coach the same positions they did for MacIntyre on the Spartan staff: Klayton Adams (tight ends), Gary Bernardi (offensive line), Charles Clark (secondary) and Jim Jeffcoat (defensive line).

Colorado will become the eighth Division I-A/FBS university in which Baer, 61, will serve as a defensive coordinator, as he held those similar duties for 28 combined seasons, in order, at Utah State, Idaho, California, Arizona State, Stanford, Notre Dame, Washington and San Jose State. Baer served as interim head coach for the Spartans’ bowl game, and his defense shined in capping off a season where it finished 24th in the NCAA, allowing 344.7 yards per game, including 19th against the run (122.2).His best units have excelled at stopping the run, highlighted by two particular seasons at Notre Dame. In 2002, the Fighting Irish were ranked high nationally in scoring defense (9th), pass efficiency defense (10th), rushing defense (10th) and total defense (13th). Baer was recognized for the Irish’s rankings that season as a Frank Broyles Award finalist, presented to the nation’s most outstanding assistant coach. In 2002, Notre Dame yielded a paltry five rushing touchdowns and was third nationally in rushing defense. A decade earlier (1992), when he was at Arizona State, the Sun Devils ranked seventh nationally in total defense.

Lindgren, 32, worked just the 2012 season for MacIntyre, having joined the Spartans a year ago after six years on the staff at Northern Arizona.

His lone year coordinating the Spartan offense was a most productive one. San Jose State averaged 446.2 yards per game, including 332.7 passing, good for seventh in the nation, and a pass efficiency rating of 170.2, second best in the land. SJSU was 32nd overall in offense, with six games of 500 or more yards (seven 400-plus), and was 30th nationally in scoring as the team finished 11-2 on the year.

Adams, 29, played on the offensive line at Boise State under former CU head coach Dan Hawkins, and got his start in the coaching profession as a student assistant on Hawkins’ last Bronco staff there in 2005. He was at San Jose for two years with MacIntyre, having joined his staff in 2011 after two years at Sacramento State where he coached the tight ends and offensive tackles.

Bernardi, 58, is a veteran of 32 seasons coaching at Division I-A/Football Bowl Subdivision schools, most recently spending all three years with MacIntyre at San Jose State. Many of those were spent in the Pac-10 Conference, including seven years at Arizona (1980-86), six at Southern California (1987-92) and 10 at UCLA (1994-2003). He also spent one year at Northern Arizona and five at UNLV. Other than one year at Arizona when he coached the wide receivers, he has always coached the offensive line, the offensive tackles and/or the tight ends. At USC, he also coordinated special teams and at UCLA, NAU and UNLV, he also served as recruiting coordinator.

Clark, 28, also spent the last three years with MacIntyre at San Jose State where he coached the defensive backs, as he accompanied him from Duke where he worked with him for two years on the staff at Duke. He spent one year (2008) as a quality control intern who had scouting, film breakdown, and recruiting responsibilities in addition to helping the assistant coaches, and in 2009, he was a defensive graduate assistant.
Jeffcoat, 51, enjoyed a 15-year career in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys (1983-94) and the Buffalo Bills (1995-97). A defensive end at Arizona State, he was a first round selection by Dallas in the ’83 NFL draft (23rd player overall), he recorded 102½ quarterback sacks in his career, including five in one game versus Washington in 1985.

He began his coaching career with the Cowboys after retiring from the game, working as an assistant defensive line coach in 1998 and 1999. He then coached the defensive ends the next five seasons (2000-04). He turned to coaching in the college ranks in 2008, serving as the defensive line coach at the University of Houston for three years, and then joined MacIntyre’s San Jose staff for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

MacIntyre said the remaining three assistant positions, coaches for the running backs, wide receivers and another defensive coach (discipline to be determined), will be filled sooner rather than later, hopefully by the end of the week.

Brian Cabral reflects on 24-year career at Colorado

A good article from cubuffs.com. Here is the first portion of a well-written tribute to a true Buff:

In a profession as transient and volatile as coaching, leaving on your own terms is rare. Most coaches dream of it being that way, but Brian Cabral never did.

From start to finish of an extraordinary 24-year career at the University of Colorado, Cabral strongly believed the terms were set, the shots called, by Someone with more authority than whatever head coach he happened to be working for.

And Cabral worked for five of them, a remarkable run as an assistant coach, role model and mentor. The long run is over. He knew it would happen, the only unknown was when; the call came a week before Christmas.

Cabral won’t be retained by new CU head coach Mike MacIntyre. But here’s what separates Cabral from his profession’s pack: He is as much at peace with MacIntyre’s decision as he is with his two-plus decades as a CU assistant and the four before that as a celebrated Buffaloes player. His 23 years as a full-time assistant are the most at the school in any sport, but Cabral’s legacy won’t be measured in seasons worked.

“All good things have to come to an end – and here it is. I just want to say ‘Aloha’ and ‘Thank you’ to all the supporters, fans and people that believe in the Buffaloes,” Cabral said during a long and emotional conversation in a Boulder coffee shop.

HE IS AS UPBEAT NOW as he was when he stepped on campus four decades ago to play for Bill Mallory. “I’m leaving here on a positive note with no regrets,” Cabral said. “I’ve been fortunate, privileged and blessed for 24 years. I can’t tell you how fast it’s gone. It felt like the blink of an eye . . . but it’s all been good and it’s not a shock. For some reason, I was preparing myself for this year.”

It might be difficult for some to believe, but Cabral and the head coach who finally let him go “connected” – that’s Cabral’s term – in what turned out to be Cabral’s exit interview. “I feel very confident and comfortable knowing him,” he said of MacIntyre. “I can still be a Buffalo; I can cheer for Mike MacIntyre. He impressed me very much . . . everything I know about him, he’s in it for the right reasons. I’m excited about it.”

That endorsement speaks as much about Cabral as it does about MacIntyre. Those who know Cabral shouldn’t be shocked; if MacIntyre had failed to impress him, Cabral would have grinned, kept it to himself and let others form their own opinions over time. Cabral is a man of very few discouraging words.

After a stellar playing career at CU in the mid-1970s, he returned in 1989 to work as a graduate assistant coaching the inside linebackers on former coach Bill McCartney’s staff. A year later, he was named linebackers coach, and his list of pupils since then reads like a college Who’s Who at the position: Greg Biekert, Chad Brown, Ted Johnson, Matt Russell, Jordon Dizon . . . the roll call is nearly endless.

Ask any what Cabral meant to them and their answers would be along the lines of what Dizon told me in the winter of 2007 when his CU career was done. Dizon was as intense and instinctive a linebacker as Cabral ever coached, and he had just been named the Big 12 Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.

I asked Dizon to reflect on his career and what motivated him to stay at full throttle every play, every Saturday.

“It was simple,” Dizon answered. “I never wanted to disappoint my coach . . . never.”

Added Matt Russell, CU’s 1996 Butkus Award winner: “I never wanted to get that look from him, the one that said he was disappointed in what I’d done. That was my greatest motivation. I think going back to Biekert, Johnson, Brown, (Ron) Merkerson – everybody he coached, the loyalty Cabral instilled in us was tremendous. All of his players were pleasers.”

The rest of the article can be found here …

January 2nd

Six of nine assistant coaching positions to be filled by San Jose State coaches

From the Daily Camera … Colorado football coach Mike MacIntyre has hired six of his former assistant coaches at San Jose State to join him in rebuilding the Buffs in Boulder and was hoping to fill the remaining three positions on his staff by Thursday.

MacIntyre has hired Brian Lindgren as offensive coordinator and Kent Baer as defensive coordinator. Klayton Adams, Gary Bernardi, Charles Clark and Jim Jeffcoat also have been hired. What positions those four will be assigned to coach and what titles and responsibilities each will hold were still being refined.

It seems certain Jeffcoat will coach defensive line and Clark will coach defensive backs because both men played in those parts of the defense and have spent their coaching careers tutoring those positions.

Bernardi is likely to coach the offensive line after doing so for three seasons at San Jose State under MacIntyre and at numerous other stops during his 30-plus years in coaching. He also has coached tight end and wide receivers.

Adams also has coached offensive line in the past but he spent the past two seasons coaching tight ends at San Jose State.

It’s possible MacIntyre could bring more members of his San Jose State staff with him and it’s also possible he could retain Bobby Kennedy, who coached wide receivers at CU under Jon Embree and Rip Scherer, who coached quarterbacks under Embree.

MacIntyre also was talking with several possible additions to his staff from outside the CU and San Jose State programs on Wednesday. He is believed to be looking for a wide receivers coach, a running backs coach and a third coach whose responsibilities would include handling some or all of the special teams units.

MacIntyre said he hoped to announce all or most of his staff Thursday when he stopped for a moment in the Dal Ward Center late Wednesday on his way out to pick up his family at the airport.

Five of the six former San Jose State coaches were on campus Wednesday touring facilities and meeting with staffers to familiarize themselves with CU travel policies and other procedures. They are expected to hit the recruiting trail Friday along with MacIntyre.

Baer was the only one of the six who was not at CU Wednesday. He is expected to come to Boulder soon.

In addition to the assistant coaches, MacIntyre also plans to bring Bryan McGinnis from San Jose State to serve as director of football operations, the same job he filled with the Spartans. CU also is expected to hire a recruiting coordinator.

Crickets …

It was expected that the coaching staff for new head coach Mike MacIntyre would be announced today, but that press release has been pushed back until Thursday.

While many of the names on the staff are presumably known (see stories, below), it will be nice to have an official roster of coaches … if for no other reason that the dead period for recruiting ends tomorrow, January 3rd, and the new staff has a great deal of work to do between now and Signing Day, February 6th.

January  1st

Football Scoop reporting two more San Jose State coaches coming to Boulder

From FootballScoop.com … Colorado: Several of Mike MacIntyre’s assistants from San Jose State begin officially tomorrow at Colorado. Offensive line coach Gary Bernardi and cornerbacks coach Andy La Russa will be there.

If true, the CU coaching staff will definitely have a Spartan flavor. There has been a great deal of speculation that defensive coordinator Kent Baer will be named defensive coordinator, Brian Lindgren will be named as offensive coordinator, and Jim Jeffcoat will be named defensive line coach. Other San Jose State coaches, including Charles Clark (defensive backs) and Klayton Adams (tight ends) will also be named as part of Mike MacIntyre’s staff on January 2nd.

Here’s a little bit more about the coaches named in the FootballScoop report:

Gary Bernardi … Throughout his professional career, Bernardi, 58, has been connected with winning programs, established his reputation as a keen recruiter and developed all-star offensive linemen, tight ends and wide receivers. Twelve times, he has coached in major college post-season bowl games. Five of them were Rose Bowl appearances with USC (1988, 1989, 1990) and UCLA (1999).

Bernardi came to San Jose State in 2010 after coaching offensive linemen and tight ends at UNLV from 2005 through 2009. A fixture in the Pac-10 Conference, he was an assistant coach at Arizona (1980-86), USC (1987-92) and UCLA (1994-2003). Bernardi also spent 2004 as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Arizona University.

The 1976 Cal State Northridge graduate majored in physical education. He started coaching in 1973 before his 19th birthday at Bell-Jeff High located in Burbank, Calif. After two seasons, he moved on to his alma mater, Monroe High, in Sepulveda, Calif. (1975), and then to Fountain Valley (Calif.) High for four seasons (1976-1979) before entering college coaching. He also served as the head coach at Burroughs High in Burbank in 1993.

Offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden, Chad Overhauser and Kris Farris at UCLA; Dave Cadigan and Tony Boselli at USC; and wide receiver Ken Margerum, first a high school star at Fountain Valley High before excelling at Stanford, are the consensus All-America players coached by Bernardi.

NFL players who were coached by Bernardi:

Johan Asiata, OG – Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL), three professional seasons
Joe Hawley, OL – Atlanta Falcons, two NFL seasons
Jonathan Ogden, OT – 12 NFL seasons
Brad Banta, TE – 11 NFL seasons
Scott Galbraith, TE – 9 NFL seasons
Tony Boselli, OT – 8 NFL seasons
Pat Harlow, OG – 8 NFL seasons
Dave Cadigan, OG – 7 NFL seasons
Ken Margerum, WR – 7 NFL seasons
Ryan Neufeld, TE – 7 NFL seasons
Paul Green, TE – 5 NFL seasons
Mike Seidman, TE – 5 NFL seasons
Mike Freeman, OG – 4 NFL seasons
Mark Walczak, TE – 4 NFL seasons
Bryan Fletcher, TE – 3 NFL seasons
Kris Farris, OT – 2 NFL seasons
Marshawne Graves, OT – 2 NFL seasons

Andy LaRussa … Just completed his eighth season as a NCAA Division I assistant football coach, his first with San Jose State this fall. LaRussa spent four seasons at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was the defensive graduate assistant and worked with the linemen, linebackers and secondary during his tenure. He also was UNLV’s assistant special teams coordinator, assistant video coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Four of his Rebel players were named All-Mountain West Conference including 2008 conference Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Beau Bell. Teammate Eric Wright and Bell were NFL draft choices following their senior seasons. Wright was a 2007 second round choice of the Cleveland Browns; Bell, a Browns’ fourth round pick the following season.

LaRussa began his coaching career in 2003 as a player-coach for the Ostai Marines of NFL Italy. While coaching two seasons overseas, he also was the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at St. Francis High in LaCanada, Calif.
As a player, he played his college football at Glendale (Calif.) College before transferring to Southern Utah University . LaRussa completed his playing career with Ostia of NFL Italy.

The 2002 Southern Utah University graduate majored in physical education. He is pursuing his master’s degree in education through the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

December 30th

San Jose State filling coaching staff, giving clues on what coaches might be coming to Colorado

CU head coach Mike MacIntyre will be announcing his new coaching staff on Wednesday. Until then, it is pure speculation as to who will be on his staff. We can, however, derive some potential options by noting who has not been invited, from the previous San Jose State staff, to stay on with new Spartan head coach Ron Caragher.

From the San Jose Mercury News … San Jose State coach Ron Caragher’s staff is starting to come together.

According to a report from Footballscoop.com, three members of Caragher’s staff at the University of San Diego will join him with the Spartans.

Per the report, wide receivers coach Greg Lewis will join San Jose State in that same role. The report also says that offensive line coach Hank Fraley and safeties coach Joe Stabb will join the Spartans staff.

Former Washington wide receivers coach Jimmie Dougherty has already acknowledged accepting the position as San Jose State’s offensive coordinator.

Two current Spartans coaches, wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Terry Malley and running backs/special teams coach Fred Guidici, will remain on staff in some capacity.

Lewis spent eight seasons as an NFL receiver and is perhaps best known for his 32-yard game-winning touchdown reception from Brett Favre that handed the 49ers a heartbreaking 27-24 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in 2009.

Fraley had a 10-year NFL career as an offensive lineman with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams, primarily as a center. He played in Super Bowl XXXIX for the Eagles.

Both Lewis and Fraley were first-year coaches last season with the Toreros.

Stabb spent the past four years at San Diego and also served as the Torerors recruiting coordinator. He also played football for San Diego.

December 28th

Getting to know Kent Baer

Unless a better offer comes along in the next five days, Buff fans are looking for new CU head coach Mike MacIntyre to announce on January 2nd that San Jose State defensive coordinator Kent Baer will be joining MacIntyre as part of the new Colorado football coaching staff.

So here’s a little more information on Kent Baer …

– Baer is 1-1 in the capacity of an interim head coach. San Jose State won the Military Bowl with a 29-20 victory over Bowling Green on Thursday. In 2004, Baer was the interim head coach for Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl after Fighting Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham was fired. Baer led the 6-4 Irish against Oregon State, losing 38-21, before following Willingham to Seattle.

– Kent Baer just completed his fifth season on the San Jose State University football staff. After two seasons as the linebackers coach, he added the duties of defensive coordinator in 2010.

– San Jose State is the seventh FBS university in which Baer has been the defensive coordinator, with stops at Utah State (his alma mater), Idaho, Cal (1987-91), Arizona State (1992-94), Stanford (1995-2001), Notre Dame (2002-04), and Washington (2005-07) before being hired on at San Jose State. For those scoring at home, that would be four Pac-12 stops already on Baer’s resume. Including his stop at Notre Dame, Baer was the defensive coordinator at a BCS school for 21 straight seasons between 1987-2007).

– Baer’s best units excel at stopping the run. At Notre Dame in 2004, the Fighting Irish yielded just five rushing touchdowns and was third nationally in rushing defense. In 2002, Notre Dame was nationally ranked in scoring defense (9th), pass efficiency defense (10th), rushing defense (10th), and total defense (13th). Baer was recognized for the Irish’s rankings that season as a Frank Broyles Award finalist, recognizing the nation’s most outstanding assistant coach. Arizona State was seventh nationally in total defense in 1992.

– At five of Baer’s stops, there have been immediate upgrades in the defensive statistics in the first season, including Utah State, Notre Dame, Cal, Arizona State and Stanford. In his second season at Stanford, Baer took a team which had been last in the Pac-10 in scoring defense, and, in his second year, had the Cardinal third in the conference in scoring defense.

– Baer has coached teamw which have participated in nine bowl games as well as the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs (while at Idaho).

– San Jose State will be the fourth team with which Baer has finished the season with a ranking in the final AP poll. The other three teams – Notre Dame in 2002 (17th), California in 1991 (8th) and Idaho in 1986 (16th).

– Baer has been among a select group of coaches who has been able to work at the three Bay Area FBS schools. Baer was at Stanford for four bowl games including the 2000 Rose Bowl during his seven seasons on the staff. The 2001 Cardinal led the Pac-10 in rushing defense – just the second Stanford unit to top the conference in that category. California won 17 of 23 games in his final two seasons there.

– The last 27 years, Baer has coached and coordinated the New Era Bowl in Japan. The game annually integrates top Japanese college players with selected American players and coaches.

– In his four seasons with the Spartans, Baer’s teachings produced two 2010 freshman All-America linebackers in Keith Smith and Vince Buhagiar and a two-time second-team All-WAC selection in Justin Cole. Smith led all 2010 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players in tackles and was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Cole began 2012 with the St. Louis Rams.

– Before taking to coaching, Baer, now 61, was a standout linebacker at Utah State during the 1969 through 1972 seasons. He set a school record for total tackles, 116, a record that stood for 10 years. Baer graduated from Utah State in 1973 as a physical education and recreation major.

In 2012 … The Spartans this fall were 19th in the nation in rushing defense, 52nd in passing defense, and 28th in total defense. San Jose State gave up only 21 points per game in 2012, good enough for 25th in the nation. SJSU was also fifth in the country in sacks, and 19th in tackles for loss.

December 23rd

“Good chance” both of San Jose State’s coordinators will be coming to Boulder

From the San Jose Mercury News … San Jose State’s offensive and defensive coordinators both acknowledged the possibility of joining Mike MacIntyre’s new staff at Colorado.

The Denver Post reported that MacIntyre planned to bring defensive coordinator Kent Baer and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren if the two assistants wanted to join him.

Baer, who is serving as the Spartans’ interim head coach for the Military Bowl on Dec. 27, said it’s likely he’ll make the move. He was presumably a candidate to replace MacIntyre as head coach but SJSU hired Ron Caragher on Monday.

“There’s a good chance,” Baer said of going to Colorado. “You never know until you get on the airplane, but there’s a good chance. It’s going to be tough to leave this group but you’ve got to go where you’ve got a job.” Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren also spoke of possibly joining MacIntyre.

“The opportunity is there. We’re still deciding what’s best for my family,” Lindgren said.

Caragher said Wednesday that he’s in the process of assembling his coaching staff and has some offers out to coaches he’s worked with in the past. He also indicated there will be some holdovers from the previous staff, citing the importance of continuity. Terry Malley, the Spartans’ wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, seems a likely candidate to remain with SJSU.

December 17th

San Jose State hires new head coach … and it’s not Kent Baer

From the San Jose Mercury News … San Jose State introduced Ron Caragher as its new head coach.

Caragher, who has spent the past six years as head coach at the University of San Diego, replaces Mike MacIntyre, who left for Colorado a week ago.

The 45-year-old Caragher is a Morgan Hill native who went to San Jose’s Bellarmine College Prep. He was 44-22 in six years with the Toreros, where he took over for Jim Harbaugh when the 49ers coach left to take the job at Stanford.

Prior to his time at San Diego, Caragher spent four years as a running backs coach at Kentucky. He was also the Wildcats recruiting coordinator the final three years.

Caragher played collegiately at UCLA, where he spent four years as a backup quarterback, including two seasons backing up Troy Aikman. He later spent nine years on the Bruins’ coaching staff, the first two as a graduate assistant and the final seven as a wide receivers coach.

While at UCLA, Caragher held recruiting responsibilities from Ventura County to San Francisco. Current San Jose State offensive line coach Gary Bernardi was a member of the Bruins’ staff throughout his tenure.

Kent Baer, the Spartans’ defensive coordinator, will remain the interim head coach through SJSU’s Dec. 27 game against Bowling Green in the Military Bowl in Washington, D.C. Baer declined to comment after Monday’s practice if he had interviewed for the job.

So, does that mean that Baer is coming to Boulder?

From the Denver Post … New Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said he will bring his defensive coodinator from San Jose State, Kent Baer, and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to Boulder after his old school didn’t choose Baer as his replacement Monday.

Two interview for San Jose State vacancy

New Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre looking to add some of his former assistants at San Jose State to his staff. As a result, how the search for the new head coach for the Spartans will have a significant impact on the makeup of the Buffs’ staff.

From the San Jose Mercury News … Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo will interview with San Jose State, according to Pete Rousell of Coachingsearch.com.

DeFilippo was the Spartans’ quarterbacks coach in 2010-11 and the offensive coordinator last year before joining the Raiders staff. He had previously served as the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach in 2007-08.

DeFilippo would be a familiar face for most of San Jose State’s players. He played a role in recruiting quarterback David Fales, who has set several school records this season during his first year with the Spartans.

He was asked on Thursday by this newspaper if he had interest in San Jose State’s opening, which became vacant when Mike MacIntyre left for Colorado.

“First of all, let me say I couldn’t be happier for Mike MacIntyre and his family,” DeFilippo said Thursday. “Mike did an unbelievable job at San Jose State. I love the place. It’s a great place. My effort, 100 percent is on the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend and getting Carson (Palmer), Matt (Leinart) and Terrelle (Pryor) ready to go to 100 percent of their ability.”

DeFilippo is the second reported interview for the job. along with University of San Diego coach Ron Caragher, who confirmed his interview to the U-T San Diego. SJSU defensive coordinator and interim head coach Kent Baer has also expressed interest in the job. It’s unclear if he has interviewed yet.

December 15th

MacIntyre interviews existing staff, will hold of on announcement until late December

On December 27th, San Jose State will play Bowling Green in the Military Bowl in Washington D.C.

It’s a game which would not have been on the radar of many Buff fans … but it is now.

Mike MacIntyre met with members of the remaining Jon Embree staff on Friday. The fate of some of those coaches may hinge on what happens with the existing coaching vacancy at San Jose State.

From the Daily Camera…

New Colorado football coach Mike MacIntyre says there is no doubt he will hire San Jose State offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, defensive coordinator Kent Baer and defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat to fill those jobs in the CU program if things go his way.

However, Baer is serving as San Jose State’s interim head coach for its bowl game Dec. 27 and is a candidate to replace MacIntyre permanently. If Baer is hired by San Jose State, it could substantially change the makeup of MacIntyre’s first staff at CU.

MacIntyre said he doesn’t expect to announce his staff in pieces other than the indications he already has given. He said he will announce the entire staff at once and it might not come until late December depending on what San Jose State does. If his old school hires a coach before its bowl game, it will help speed up the process for CU.

“There is a lot of moving parts, but it will be done before long for sure,” MacIntyre said. “… I don’t think anything is definitely etched in stone until they know who is going to be the head coach at San Jose State.”

MacIntyre knows he’s playing catch up with every other team in the Pac-12 Conference right now in recruiting, but he also feels like he’s ahead of the game in terms of making the transition from his old job to his new one.

The last time MacIntyre took over a program three years ago, he was hired eight days later than he was this time around and he was moving from Duke University in North Carolina to the other side of the country on the West Coast. Back then, MacIntyre was a defensive coordinator at Duke and was able to bring a graduate assistant coach with him. This time he hopes to bring a large percentage of his staff with him.

“All of this is dead period time anyway,” MacIntyre said. “So I’m calling all the recruits and doing all sorts of stuff and working at that hard.”

MacIntyre interviewed most of the current Colorado assistant coaches Friday and will wrap up staff interviews today. He also met with approximately 10 players and hopes to meet with 25-30 Sunday through Wednesday before they all leave for the semester break.

MacIntyre said he has spoken with every recruit who has orally committed to CU in the 2013 cycle and those conversations have been positive. He said recruits have questions for him about his staff that he can’t answer now, but he’s doing his best to paint a picture of the CU program as he envisions it.

“Of course when there is a little bit of uncertainty, it probably sends doubts to different recruits’ minds, but all of the commitments sounded very solid,” MacIntyre said. “They also know that the dead period starts and we can’t really get out. So that kind of makes it easier on this situation at this time.

“When it cranks back up, out whole staff will be out in homes and in schools and recruiting hard.”

MacIntyre said he has not received any new commitments yet. He said he working with a fluid number in terms of the total number of recruits he hopes to sign in February.

MacIntyre held a team meeting with the players Friday. He said his goals in meeting with each current CU player individually is to get to know each of them and find out if there are any questions or issues they need to talk with him about that wouldn’t normally be addressed in a team setting.

Athletic director Mike Bohn said he is not granting releases at this time to members of the team who want to transfer because of the coaching change. Bohn said coaching changes are emotional times and he wants players and their families to have plenty of time to think through the decision.

Bohn did not rule out the possibility of releasing players if they continue to want a change of scenery. He does not have a time line for when he will grant transfers to those who want them, but he does want MacIntyre to have an opportunity to meet with every player individually first and get the coach’s input on those cases.

Players rumored to be considering transferring include wide receiver Gerald Thomas, cornerback Kenneth Crawley and tight end Vincent Hobbs.

“I would think that any young man when a situation like this transpires at any school across the country — and there are quite a few this is happening at — sometimes they think about transferring,” MacIntyre said. “All I’m talking to them about is making sure they go through spring practice and really get to know what we do and see how they fit in it. Then at the end of spring practice, if they don’t feel like it’s working out for them, at that time they could decide to transfer.

“But I think if they go through spring, go through winter workouts and get to know us and see what we’re doing, I think majority of them, if any of them are thinking about transferring, would change their mind.”

December 12th

Regents commit $5 million/year for football staff

From the Daily Camera… The Colorado Board of Regents unanimously approved a five-year contract for new football coach Mike MacIntyre today and in doing so provided an unprecedented level of the support to the beleaguered program.

MacIntyre’s deal will pay him $2 million annually with an additional $300,000 in off-field incentives related to the academic performance and citizenship of his players and community outreach. There are numerous incentives for on-field results as well.

In addition, the university committed at least $2.6 million annually to fund assistant coaches’ salaries and adding three new positions specific to the football program. Those positions are a football recruiting director, a football academic director and a football only equipment manager.

In all, the board and the school committed to more than $5 million in salaries for MacIntyre, his staff and support staff annually.

Immediately after the meeting and approval of the contract, Regent Chairman Michael Carrigan issued a challenge to CU fans.

“It’s time for Buffnation to step up and open their checkbooks,” Carrigan said. “The university has made a significant financial commitment to the success — and we heard a lot of emails saying, ‘Well, I used to give.’ or ‘I might give.’ Now is the time.

“…I call on all of our fans. The university has done what they asked. Now we need them to help.”

But there was more.

CU will direct $1.5 million toward immediate enhancements at the Dal Ward Center for improved meeting space for the team and new office space for the three new staffers.

The school also included a clause in the coach’s contract related to the planning stages of facilities enhancements such as an indoor practice facility, expansion of the Dal Ward Center and upgrades to Folsom Field.

CU must complete a program plan for those improvements by Dec. 1, 2013 and must award the design contract and sign the design bid build contract for the improvements by Dec. 1, 2014.

“That is an aggressive time line and our full commitment is to meet them,” athletic director Mike Bohn said.

Asked why it is an aggressive timeline, Bohn said, “Because of the complexities associated with the project and all the key pieces we want to put in.”

If CU fails to meet those deadlines, MacIntyre could leave the school for another job without having to fulfill the substantial buyout clause on his end. That clause calls for MacIntyre to pay the school $2.3 million if he left at any time in 2013, $1.9 million in 2014, $1.6 million in 2015, $1.3 million in 2016 and $1 million in 2017.

CU also agreed to pay the $400,000 buyout in MacIntyre’s contract with San Jose State.

CU officials and regents acknowledged planned facilities improvements in and around Folsom Field will depend largely on the level of private giving by CU fans and boosters. The more revenue received in donations the more CU will be able to afford.

“How quickly we go from phase one to phase three will depend on the level of support we get,” Carrigan said.

The total cost of facilities improvements can’t be known at this time because those plans are so dependent on private donations. Bohn said he anticipates that upgrades will be accomplished in stages as they were for the basketball programs at the Coors Events Center.

“They’re going to come together in different pieces,” Bohn said. “It’s not all going to come together all at once. Obviously now that we have these approvals, it will be a significant part of our appeal to our donor base, which is a significant piece of our continued enhancements.”

Colorado fans and donors have never given to the athletic department at the levels that would be required to make a $175-$220 million project feasible within the next few years. CU will likely be able to finance future Pac-12 Conference television revenue and provide $100-$125 million but that would leave CU fans and boosters needing to donate $50-$100 million to complete the full project, including an indoor facility, expansion of the Dal Ward Center, enclosing the north end of the stadium and adding suites and a new press box on the west side.

“The commitments we are making for athletic facilities recognizes this university intends to be a player and a winner in the Pac-12,” Carrigan said.

December 11th

MacIntyre will not coach San Jose State in bowl game

From the San Jose State website … Kent Baer, San Jose State University’s defensive coordinator since 2010, will add the duties of interim head coach for the Spartans’ Military Bowl game vs. Bowling Green University on December 27.

Baer is finishing his fifth season as a member of the Spartans’ coaching staff. In 2012, the San Jose State defense ranked in the top-25 nationally in fumble recoveries (2nd), quarterback sacks (5th), turnovers gained (8th), rushing defense and tackles for loss (19th), and scoring defense (25th).Baer is stepping into the interim head coaching role after former head coach Mike MacIntyre accepted the head coaching position at the University of Colorado on December 10.

“I believe Kent gives San Jose State the best opportunity to win the bowl game against Bowling Green,” says Bleymaier. “He’s done it before and I am confident in his ability to serve as interim head coach.”

A defensive coordinator at eight current Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions during his five decades of college coaching, Baer served as the University of Notre Dame’s interim head coach for the 2004 Insight Bowl.”Coach MacIntyre put a plan in place and that plan is being executed. We’re going forward with it and do our very best win this bowl game and make it 11 wins this season,” says Baer.

Besides San Jose State (10-2 in 2012, BCS-#24), Baer was the defensive coordinator at Utah State (1983-85), Idaho (1986), California (1987-91), Arizona State (1992-94), Stanford (1995-2001), Notre Dame (2002-04) and Washington (2005-07). He was a top-five finalist for the Broyles Award for the nation’s most outstanding assistant coach in 2002 and one of 29 candidates for the 2012 award.

December 10th

Introducting some members of the San Jose Spartan Staff

New Buffs’ head coach Mike MacIntyre has indicated in his intial interviews that many of those coaches from his staff at San Jose State may be coming with him to Boulder (how different would the last seven years have been if Dan Hawkins had brought along his offensive coordinator, Chris Petersen?).

Toward that end, below are some of the biographies of MacIntyre’s coaching staff at San Jose State.

Note: These are all preseason biographies. They have not been updated to include the Spartans’ 10-2 regular season this fall.

Brian Lindgren – Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks coach

Brian Lindgren joined the San Jose State University football staff in March 2012 as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He comes to the Spartans after spending six seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona University.

During the 2008 through 2011 seasons, he was the quarterbacks coach and called plays for the Lumberjacks’ offense that averaged just above 28 points and 410 yards of total offense a game. Nearly one of every four games since 2008, Northern Arizona scored 40 or more points. He was in charge of the passing game in 2008 and added the duties of offensive coordinator in 2009.

In 2009 (fifth) and 2011 (20th), the Lumberjacks were ranked among the top-20 passing teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). During his first two seasons at Northern Arizona, Lindgren coached wide receivers (2006) and running backs (2007).The 2004 graduate of the University of Idaho was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference quarterback during his playing days. He threw for 6,541 yards and 44 touchdowns in three seasons with the Vandals. His career passing marks still rank among the top-10 at the university and his completion percentage (61.0) and passing efficiency figure (136.0) are in the Vandals’ top-five. Heading into the 2012 season, Lindgren set and still holds a NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) single-game record for most total offense in a game by a sophomore with 657 yards against Middle Tennessee State in 2001.

A Walla Walla, Wash., native, Lindgren has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. He began his coaching career in 2005 at the University of Redlands.

In 2012 … This fall, San Jose State was 11th in the nation in passing offense, but only 102nd in rushing offense. The pass-oriented attack netted a ranking of 30th in total offense, and 26th in scoring offense.

Kent Baer – Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers coach

Kent Baer is in his fifth season on the San Jose State University football staff. After two seasons as the linebackers coach, he added the duties of defensive coordinator in 2010.

In his four seasons with the Spartans, Baer’s teachings produced two 2010 freshman All-America linebackers in Keith Smith and Vince Buhagiar and a two-time second-team All-WAC selection in Justin Cole. Smith led all 2010 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players in tackles and was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Cole began 2012 with the St. Louis Rams.

San Jose State is the seventh FBS university in which he is the defensive coordinator. Baer’s best units excel at stopping the run. At Notre Dame in 2004, the Fighting Irish yielded just five rushing touchdowns and was third nationally in rushing defense. In 2002, Notre Dame was nationally ranked in scoring defense (9th), pass efficiency defense (10th), rushing defense (10th), and total defense (13th). Baer was recognized for the Irish’s rankings that season as a Frank Broyles Award finalist, recognizing the nation’s most outstanding assistant coach. Arizona State was seventh nationally in total defense in 1992.

Baer has participated in eight bowl games and the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. He was Notre Dame’s interim head coach for the 2004 Insight Bowl. Three teams – Notre Dame in 2002 (17th), California in 1991 (8th) and Idaho in 1986 (16th) finished a season ranked in the Top-20 by the Associated Press.

Among a select group of coaches to work at the three Bay Area FBS schools, he was at Stanford for four bowl games including the 2000 Rose Bowl during his seven seasons on the staff. The 2001 Cardinal led the Pac-10 in rushing defense – just the second Stanford unit to top the conference in that category. California won 17 of 23 games in his final two seasons there.

The last 27 years, he has coached and coordinated the New Era Bowl in Japan. The game annually integrates top Japanese college players with selected American players and coaches.

Baer was a standout linebacker at Utah State during the 1969 through 1972 seasons. He set a school record for total tackles, 116, a record that stood for 10 years. Baer graduated from Utah State in 1973 as a physical education and recreation major.

In 2012 … The Spartans this fall were 19th in the nation in rushing defense, 52nd in passing defense, and 28th in total defense. San Jose State gave up only 21 points per game in 2012, good enough for 25th in the nation. SJSU was also fifth in the country in sacks, and 19th in tackles for loss.

Jim Jeffcoat – Defensive line coach

With more than 20 years as a NFL player and coach, Jim Jeffcoat joined the San Jose State University coaching staff as the defensive line coach in March 2011.

Jeffcoat made an immediate impact on the Spartans’ defensive linemen. Travis Johnson was a first-team All-WAC pick and was named to the  2011 Hendricks Award Watch List as one of the top defensive ends in the country. Yahoo!Sports named tackle Travis Raciti as the top freshman on defense in the WAC.

In a 15-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys (1983-94) and the Buffalo Bills (1995-97), he was one of the league’s most reliable, productive and consistent defensive linemen. Originally the Cowboys’ first-round draft choice out of Arizona State in 1983, the Long Branch, N.J., native played 227 NFL games – one of the top 40 totals by a player when he concluded his career. His 102.5 career sacks ranks among the top-25 in league history.

He played on Dallas’ Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII winning teams and seven other Cowboys and Bills playoff teams.

Jeffcoat began his coaching career in 1998 with the Cowboys and coached defensive linemen for seven seasons. He and head coach Mike MacIntyre worked together for Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Jeffcoat joined the Spartans after coaching the University of Houston defensive linemen from 2008 through 2010.

The 1982 Arizona State graduate majored in communications. The three-year starter received honorable mention All-America and All-Pac-10 Conference recognition. Following his college career, he was named to the all-time Fiesta Bowl team in 1991 and was a 1994 Arizona State Hall of Fame inductee.
Jeffcoat has a history of participating in meaningful community activities. The New Jersey Sportswriters Association bestowed upon him its Unsung Hero Award for community service in 1991.  In 2000, he and his Cowboys defensive players participated in the team’s “Lineman Weigh-In” sponsored by Campbell Soup that resulted in a donation of 21,064 cans of soup to The Salvation Army Irving Corps Community Center and the Faith Mission Food Bank in Wichita Falls, Texas. In May, he was the 2012 recipient of the Believing in Youth Award presented by the Santa Fe Youth Services of Fort Worth, Texas.

He and his wife, Tammy, are the parents of four children – Jaren, twins Jackson and Jacqueline, and Jasmine. Jaren is a 2011 graduate of Norwich University who played four seasons on the men’s basketball team. Jackson is a junior defensive end at the University of Texas. Jacqueline is a junior and a member of the Texas State University women’s basketball team.

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