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."
