University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Staff Additions Highlight UNI's Spring Season
4/7/2015 1:00:00 AM | Football
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa football program has kicked off its spring season, highlighted by the addition of new coaches to an already veteran staff.
Head coach Mark Farley has announced the hiring of three new offensive assistant coaches and one to the defensive side of the ball to round out the staff that will return 13 starters and 39 letter winners for the 2015 season.
Staying at the helm for his 15th year, Farley enters this season having guided the Panthers to their eighth FCS playoff appearance and 11th final top-25 ranking in 2014. Last season, he saw six different athletes get named to seven different All-America squads and 13 earn All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors. During the 2014 season, Farley led the Panthers to wins over then undefeated Illinois State and North Dakota State, ending the Bison's 33-game winning streak.
On the offensive side of the ball, associate head coach and running backs coach Bill Salmon will enter his 29th season with the Panthers. Salmon was an integral part of UNI's return to the FCS Playoffs during the 2014 season, coaching standout running back David Johnson to 15 school records and four All-America selections.
Rick Nelson, who is in his 26th year as an offensive line coach in the MVFC, will continue his work with the Panther offensive line. Nelson coached senior Jack Rummells to his first All-America nod during the 2014 season, with the UNI offense finishing the season ranked first in the FCS and the MVFC in redzone offense.
Joe Davis, Jason Ray and Ben Barkema will all join the offensive staff in their first seasons with the Panthers in 2015, adding depth and youth to an already skilled and experienced group of coaches.
Davis, who will serve as the Panther offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and director of offensive recruiting, comes to UNI after spending two seasons at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa. He coached the Raider offense to a No. 8 ranking in Division II football in total offense, No. 2 rank in first downs and No. 3 rank in offensive plays.
Barkema, a Muscatine, Iowa native, will work with the UNI tight ends after a two-year stint at Missouri State. In his first season with the Bears, Barkema saw standout tight end Matt Swan earn MVFC Scholar-Athlete second team after starting all 12 games while newcomer Gannon Sinclair went on to start eight games and score three touchdowns.
Ray will enter his first season as UNI's wide receivers coach. He spent the past two seasons at Oklahoma State where under his direction, the Cowboy wide receivers turned in the sixth-best season in school history for career receptions. He coached receiver Josh Stewart into the top-four in OSU history in career receptions along with a second-team All-Big 12 selection by the coaches during the 2013 season.
During the 2014 season, the UNI defense finished ranked in the top-15 in the FCS in eight different categories. The defensive corps will return three of its coaches from last season along with one new staff member.
Jeremiah Johnson, UNI's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, will begin his ninth season with the Panthers in 2015. In 2014, Johnson saw two linebackers, Jake Farley and Brett McMakin, earn All-MVFC honors. Farley finished the season leading the Valley in tackles while McMakin ended his season ranked No. 34 in the country in sacks.
Starting his third season with the Panthers, Brandon Lynch will remain in charge of the defensive backs along with his titles of assistant head coach for defense and director of defensive recruiting. He coached Deiondre' Hall and Makinton Dorleant to back-to-back years with All-MVFC honors while anchoring the UNI defensive back core. He was also key in helping senior Ray Mitchell break the school record for career interception return yards with 270 in two seasons with the Panthers.
Former NFL defensive MVP and current defensive line coach Bryce Paup will also enter his third season with UNI, also taking on the title of player development. He coached the defensive line to a No. 3 ranking in FCS football in team sacks, saw defensive lineman Isaac Ales finish in the top-35 in tackles for loss and sacks. Under his direction, senior Xavier Williams was named to four different All-America teams and earned a spot in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Joining the Panthers as the new safeties coach this season will be Olaitan Oguntodu. Prior to UNI, Oguntodu spent two seasons with Northern Illinois as a graduate assistant. Born in Akure, Nigeria, Oguntodu immigrated to Mesquite, Texas, and played collegiately at the University of Kansas as a safety and linebacker. He was special teams captain in 2010, earned first-team All-Big 12 Conference academic honors in 2009 and 2010 and played on the 2008 Insight Bowl and 2008 Orange Bowl championship teams.
UNI's spring season will end with the annual Spring Game on Friday, April 24. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. with a pregame tailgate presented by Tyson Foods prior to the start of the game.
