"Coach Warren has been a cherished member of this institution and community for the last 14 years," Corumsaid. Our right guard and right tackle can play with the best of em, Fitzgerald said. He runs around at safety and outside linebacker and hes 6-212 and can run like a deer.. His impact on Frostburg State was unprecedented. Iglesias was a three-year starter for Orange. Since then, Tapasa has transitioned into a role as assistant coach overseeing the linebackers for Southern Utah. And this man did.. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. All rights reserved. Peterson served as an offensive quality control assistant at Texas from 2010-12, and served as the team's interim running backs coach in the 2012 Alamo Bowl. The T-Birds went 1-10 and 0-8 in Big Sky play in 2021. SUU is a caring campus community where students come to explore their interests and prepare for meaningful careers and life experiences . Fitzgerald believes that this team will be just the beginning of something great at SUU. [4] After 1985, Southern Utah moved up to NCAA Division II and joined the Western Football Conference (WFC). What Utah college football players have entered the transfer portal this spring? With a history dating back to 1963, SUU currently competes in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision [2] as a member of the United Athletic Conference . The secondary will see the most change, returning practically none of the major contributors from 2021. The intersquad scrimmage is set for Saturday, April 16, at 1 p.m and is free to the public. SUU football enters the 2022 season coming off a disappointing year that saw the Thunderbirds finish 1-10 in 2021. "Coach Warren has been a cherished. "The Southern Utah Football coaching staff couldn't be more excited about this year's signing day class," Fitzgerald said. In 2017, Southern Utah won their second Big Sky title, finishing the regular season at 92, with wins over four ranked (FCS) teams: Northern Iowa, Weber State, Eastern Washington, and NAU. Like Magginson, Brunson comes to Southern Utah by way of Frostburg State as both a player and coach. The 2022 staff includes four coaches retained from the previous staff, and six new additions to SUU. He served as team captain of the track and field team and won his school's Student-Athlete Leadership Award and Community Service Award. He also said he plans to actively recruit top athletes from Arizona, Nevada and Southern California. And then after we show up, were going to work our rear ends off to be really, really good while were there., He said he promised SUU, Cedar City and Southern Utah that everything they do is going to be done at an extremely high rate., Were going to finish what we start. The Thunderbirds, however, get a fresh start in 2022 when a new era begins under recently hired head coach DeLane Fitzgerald in the schools first season in the Western Athletic Conference. Corum said that throughout the hiring process, because we had such great candidates, I just kept hoping that somebody would separate themselves. He was a two-time letter winner playing college football at both Grand Rapids Community College and Wayne State University. (The offensive line) will have as big an impact, or bigger, than anybody else, just nobody will know that theyre doing it because theyre playing offensive line.. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Penn Treaty HS. Southern Utah University 0:03 0:24 DeLane Fitzgerald announced his first signing class as head football coach at Southern Utah University on Wednesday, as the Thunderbirds inked 23. With a history dating back to 1963, SUU currently competes in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision[2] as a member of the United Athletic Conference. Everything you see on me right now was first purchased at Christensens about 30 minutes ago, he said of his new suit. Follow Sean on Twitter @SeanEllertson. The coaches from last year's staff staying in Cedar City include offensive line coach Aaron Fernandez, wide receivers coach Brady Measom, linebackers coach Solomona Tapasa and defensive line coach Ryan Hunt. Theyve been winners in college and now theyre graduate transfers, so they bring some much-needed leadership.. High school girls golf: Week 8 region recap from some 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A regions. Southern Utah University football spring game photo gallery. Director of Football Operations / Player Personnel. After one season with the Lobos, he transferred to Towson where he played quarterback from 2008-09. A 2003 graduate of SUU, Coach Hunt was a three-year starter at offensive tackle for the Thunderbirds before joining the staff. Karris Davis, Isaiah Williams, Thomas Duckett, and David Moore III all received over 40 touches on the ground. Before working with the Pirates, Bates was the head strength and conditioning coach at Jacksonville University for nine and a half years. BYU transfer Mitchell Price should have a big impact on the secondary for Fitzgerald. Guys, well not be 1-10 again, OK, he said. Overall, the T-Birds went 21-42 under Warren. New faces on the staff for the upcoming season include offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Blair Peterson, defensive coordinator and safeties coach John Kelling, defensive ends coach Shawn Magginson, tight ends coach Will Brunson, cornerbacks coach Nick Rosser and Andrew Bates, who will serve as the football team's strength and conditioning coach. Copyright 2023 Southern Utah University. A nationwide search for Southern Utah's new head football coach will begin immediately. Joseph McWilliams. It is important to me that everybody in this program gets a clean slate, said Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald also said he plans to focus on the 15, meaning the Interstate 15 corridor that bisects Utah, as the starting geographic basis for the teams recruitment efforts. 225-771-3171. As per usual, the school said a nationwide search for Warrens replacement will begin immediately. We have to find the other half and then we have to find some depth., More:Southern Utah announces first signing class under coach DeLane Fitzgerald. Blair Peterson- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. However, Millers subpar 2,416 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions on 61% completion means his job might not necessarily be a lock. Now what weve got to do is find the other five or six pieces on each side of the football. What theyve done in the past does not affect them now. The Thunderbirds feature a first-time Division I head coach in DeLane Fitzgerald, who moved across the country from D-II Frostburg State (Md.) From there, he took over at Frostburg State, where he guided the Bobcats from 18 wins during the eight years before his arrival to 62 over the next eight, including four seasons with 10 or more wins. Next season will bring a lot of change for SUU football as they move from the Big Sky Conference to the Western Athletic Conference. Coach Tapasa played college football at Portland State and graduated with a bachelor's degree in pre-law before going on to receive his master's degree in health education from Western Oregon in 2006. Robison was graded as a three-star quarterback in the 2020 cycle, and the 73rd best dual-threat quarterback in the class. Bemiy totaled 48 total tackles in 2021 and paced SUU in sacks (4) and TFLs (12.5). Fitzgerald has a knack for turning around struggling programs, and the Thunderbirds fit that bill. The win-loss record doesnt matter to me right now, he said. Before his brief stint at LHU, Kelling served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Frostburg State University under coach Fitzgerald. All Rights Reserved, In a new league with a new coach, SUU embracing fresh start. A native of Erda, Utah, he is a graduate of Tooele High School, where he was an all-state and all-region performer. "We have a coaching staff that can coach and recruit with anyone in the country. CEDAR CITY - Southern Utah University and head football coach Demario Warren announced recently that they have mutually agreed to part . His best season came in 2021 when he led the team with 694 yards. Main Phone (435) 865-8355 Fax (435) 865-8078. In their absence, junior Dallin Brown provided one of the highlights with a one-handed grab during 11-on-11 drills. The thing with him and Zach Strand is theyve always won. SUU bolstered its defense at the safety position this offseason through transfers Mitchell Price arriving from BYU, Tre Caine from UNLV and Josh Dunn from Frostburg State. All rights reserved. Starting with the 2022-23 school year, SUU will be exiting the Big Sky Conference and joining the Western Athletic Conference. Southern Utah quarterback Justin Miller throws a pass during game against Arizona State on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Tempe, Ariz. Miller was one of the few bright spots on a Thunderbird team that finished the 2021 season with a 1-10 record. We go into games trying to block a punt and trying to return a punt for a touchdown, he said, calling such plays the quickest way to win a football game., We will be exciting, he added. He was also an Academic All-Region honoree. Jenkins transferred to Southern Utah and will help bolster the Thunderbirds receiving corps in 2022. 2023 www.thespectrum.com. In 2021, Justin Miller lined up under center for SUU. The Dolphins won 10 conference championships across multiple sports during Bates' tenure. Our players have a better understanding of the offense, defense, and special teams (schemes). [12] After the 2022 season, the WAC fully merged its football league with that of the ASUN Conference, creating what eventually became the United Athletic Conference, and SUU accordingly moved its football team to the new league.[13][14]. 2023 www.thespectrum.com. The spring game will offer a glimpse into what the quarterback situation may look like. Also showing flashes at left guard is redshirt junior Artese Gregory. He graduated from SUU with a master's of accountancy in 2018. [9], In November 2010, Southern Utah announced its admission to the Big Sky Conference, effective in 2012. Hunt's responsibilities in 2022 will be changed to coaching the interior of the defensive line in addition to serving as the program's director of football operations. The 2021 running back position was a revolving door for Southern Utah. A big part of spring ball is the learning and getting a feel for what we want. Though a newcomer at the school, he comes to Cedar City with plenty of coaching experience and high expectations. Williams led the Thunderbirds averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Kelling joins the Southern Utah staff after serving as head coach at Lock Haven University since January of 2020. "I am happy with the way our coaching staff came together," Fitzgerald said. After his remarks, Fitzgerald also fielded several questions from the media and football players. Demario Warren out as Southern Utah head football coach after six seasons, Southern Utah University tabs DeLane Fitzgerald as next head football coach, Southern Utah announces first signing class under coach DeLane Fitzgerald, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. At the beginning of his remarks, Fitzgerald joked how his luggage hadnt arrived in time, due to a flight cancellation.