Jason Johns named ACU defensive coordinator

Thomsen shuffles coaching staff

ACU head coach hires new defensive coordinator

ABILENE -- ACU head football coach Chris Thomsen announced Thursday that he has added former Wichita Falls High School head coach Jason Johns to his staff as the team's new defensive coordinator.

That addition is one of a few coaching staff changes the second-year head coach has implemented, although only one of the team's former coaches has left the university.  Dan Gonzales, who coached the wide receivers in 2005, left coaching to enter private business.

Johns joins the ACU staff after spending the 2005 season as the head coach at Wichita Falls, leading the Coyotes to a 6-4 finish and a tie for third place in District 5-4A.  In addition to his responsibilities as the defensive coordinator, Johns will coach Wildcat linebackers.

Veteran defensive coach Jerry Wilson will coach the defensive line and serve as special teams coordinator with Nathan Headrick again coaching defensive backs.  Colby Carthel -- who had spent his first six seasons on the ACU staff coaching the defensive line -- will move to the offensive side of the ball and coach running backs.

Desmond Gant will coach defensive safeties with Brandon Avants moving from graduate assistant to full-time assistant as the offensive line coach.  Ken Collums will return as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, while Thomsen will coach wide receivers.  Graduate assistant Steve Fox will help coach linebackers, while former all-America defensive lineman Junior Filikitonga is back in school and working as a graduate assistant coaching the defensive line.  Former Wildcat Clayton Farrell is also helping coach the defensive line while staying in shapeand hoping for a shot withan NFL team later this spring.

Thomsen and Johns worked together in 2001 when Thomsen was the offensive coordinator and Johns the defensive coordinator at Wichita Falls High School.  Johns coached at WFHS for five years, joining the staff in 2001 and spendig four seasons as the defensive coordinator before taking over the program in June 2005 as the head coach.

A 1996 graduate of Angelo State University, Johns coached at Odessa before going to Olney in 1997 as an assistant coach.  He went back to ASU in August 1999 and spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Rams, working with the defensive line.  He then moved on to Wichita Falls where he worked with Thomsen under former head coach Leo Brittain.

"Jason is an extremely hard worker and committed to helping kids develop on and off the field," Thomsen said.  "He played and coached at Angelo State, so he knows what Division II football is about.  And he'll obviously have ties to the Texas high school coaches that will help us in recruiting."