Rusty Wright, who's posted three consecutive winning seasons atop the FCS Chattanooga Mocs program and last year advanced in the FCS Playoffs, is making a pair of crucial staff decisions for the 2024 season, FootballScoop has learned.
Wright is set to promote Mike Yeager to take over the Chattanooga defense as the unit's coordinator.
The move comes in the aftermath of former defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward's departure for a job on Dabo Swinney's Clemson staff.
Additionally, to replace Yeager's role as the Mocs former special teams coordinator, Wright is hiring Wolfgang Shafer as Chattanooga's new special teams coordinator, sources tell FootballScoop.
Most recently, Shafer has been on staff at Indiana State, where he coaches the safeties for the Sycamores.
Prior to Indiana State, Shafer -- a former Ithaca College (NCAA Division III) quarterback -- also came up through the coaching ranks via graduate assistant roles at the FBS level, including time on Tom Herman's University of Texas staff as well as at MTSU.
Shafer also previously coached at Marietta College.
Yeager, on staff with the Mocs since 2019, previously coached in the Big Ten as an assistant on the defensive side of the ball at Indiana.
He's also been a head coach at Carthage and defensive coordinator at Tiffin.
Chattanooga, which won eight games last season and advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs, opens its 2024 season at Josh Heupel's Tennessee Vols program on Aug. 31.