NAIA power Saint Francis has shuffled its coaching staff heading into head coach Kevin Donley's 24th season leading the program, sources told FootballScoop on Wednesday.
Defensive coordinator Joey Didier has transitioned to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. Didier shared the 2016 FootballScoop NAIA Coordinator of the Year award with Eric Wagoner, the year the Cougars won the first of two consecutive national championships. USF's defense led the NAIA in scoring, total, rush, pass efficiency, third down, and red zone defense in the 2017 season, as well as in interceptions. A Saint Francis graduate, Didier has been on his alma mater's staff since 2010. In between finishing his career as a Cougars linebacker in 2004 and returning to the USF staff in 2010, Didier spent five seasons on staff at his high school alma mater, Fort Wayne Homestead (Ind.).
With Didier moving off defense, linebackers coach Rahju Blackmon and secondary coach Matt Millhouse will co-coordinate that side of the ball. Ted Karras, Jr., has joined the staff as defensive line coach and a senior defensive analyst, with Dave Ivy as assistant defensive line coach. Karras is formerly the head coach at Rose-Hulman, Marian, and Walsh University
Adam Sherman has joined the staff as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, and Cody Dinan will be wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator. Austin Dreyer (TE/WB), Devin Senerius (asst. WRs), Olajuwon Turner (asst. OL), David Yoder (QBs), Eddie Nolan (RBs), Danny Nolan (Asst RBs) round out the rest of the offensive staff.
Donley founded the Saint Francis program -- located in Fort Wayne, Ind. -- in 1997. Since then, the Cougars have won 13 MSFA Mideast League championships, most recently in 2017. The Cougars went 3-6 in 2021.
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