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 Kent State Football Camps
Coaching Staff
Brian Rock
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
 Brian Rock joined the Kent State staff in January, bringing nearly three decades of collegiate coaching experience to his role as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Rock comes to Kent after spending the previous three seasons as the wide recievers coach at Purdue. In 2009, Keith Smith led the Big Ten with 91 catches (third-most in school history) and 1,110 receiving yards (fifth-most) en route to earning first team all-conference honors. Dorien Bryant topped the Big Ten in receptions in 2006 and 2007 (87 both seasons) while setting the Purdue career record with 6,219 all-purpose yards, the fourth-most in Big Ten history. He was named first team all-conference in 2006. Rock came to the Boilermakers from Western Michigan, where he was an assistant from 1992 to 2005 under three head coaches: Al Molde (1992-96), Gary Darnell (1997-2004) and Bill Cubit (2005). Rock coached wide receivers from 1997 to 2004 as well as tight ends (1992-96 and 2000-04), offensive tackles (1992-96) and running backs (2005). He served as offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2004 and special teams coordinator from 1997 to 1999 and in 2005. The Broncos captured Mid-American Conference West Division championships in 1999 and 2000. Western Michigan ranked eighth nationally in passing offense in 2003 - averaging 308.4 yards per game - and 16th in 2004 - averaging 264.8 yards per game. During the 2003 season, Western Michigan had two 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in school history in Greg Jennings (1,050) and Kendrick Mosley (1,019). Jennings became the Broncos' career leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns and all-purpose yards and went on to play with the Green Bay Packers. Rock also developed and coached tight end Tony Scheffler of the Denver Broncos. Prior to his tenure at Western Michigan, Rock was defensive coordinator at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., from 1987 to 1991. He also coached the defensive backs and special teams. Rock was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 1985 and 1986. Widely regarded for his enthusiasm and innovation, Rock has authored several articles on football strategy. His piece "Scoring Zone Efficiency" appeared in American Football Monthly in 2005. A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Rock (born Aug. 6, 1962) earned a bachelor's degree in business education in 1985 and a master's of education in sports management in 1986, both from Bowling Green. As an undergraduate, he was an assistant coach at Bowling Green High School. Rock and his wife, Lori, have a daughter, Kirsten, and two sons, Nathan and T.K.
Jon Heacock
Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks
 Jon Heacock (pronounced HAY-cock) joined Darrell Hazell’s staff in January as the defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach, bringing with him nine years of head coaching experience at nearby Youngstown State (2001-09). Hazell and the Heacock family have a long history together, as he played with Jon and was coached by Jon’s brother, Jeff, at Muskingum (1982-85). More recently, he was on the Ohio State staff for seven seasons with the oldest brother, Jim, who is the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator. Heacock took over the reins at YSU when Jim Tressel left for Ohio State, compiling a record of 60-44 with the Penguins while earning Gateway Conference Coach of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons (2005 & ‘06). His tenure was highlighted by a 2006 run to the national semifinals that saw YSU finish 11-3 on the year. During the 2006 campaign, YSU posted five wins over top-25 ranked foes, earned the school’s first outright Gateway title since joining the league in 1997, earned an automatic bid to the playoffs for the first time since 1987 and captured conference titles in consecutive years for the first time since 1978-79. The Penguins had a league-record 10 first-team all-conference selections while a group of 15 players earned all-league accolades. Four YSU players earned All-America honors, including first-team selections Ryan Jewell (center) and Marcus Mason (tailback). For the second consecutive season, Heacock was named the conference’s Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year, the American Football Coaches Association’s FCS Region Four Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. Youngstown State finished the 2005 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and a 5-2 conference mark. YSU earned a part of its first-ever Gateway Conference title finishing in a tie with Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa. In the final regular-season polls, Youngstown State was ranked 13th after receiving a meager five votes in the preseason rankings. Following the regular season, Heacock was named the Gateway’s Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year marking the first time since the Penguins joined the league in 1997 that a YSU coach had earned the honor. He was also named the AFCA’s Region Four Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach-of-the-Year Award. Overall, Youngstown State had 12 all-conference selections, including five on the first team. Heacock helped create a blueprint for success throughout the most of the 1990’s as an assistant coach, and despite the fact that YSU’s plan for success has been followed by most other Division I-AA schools, the program remained solid under his leadership as head coach. A 7-4 mark in his second year was followed by back-to-back losing seasons as the Penguins were hampered by injuries and a youth-laden roster. In his first season in 2001, he had the best season of any first-year coach in school history as the Penguins posted an 8-3 mark. In Heacock’s debut, the Penguins beat Lock Haven 38-7 as he became just the second head coach in school history to win his opening game. Victories over Clarion and Western Illinois followed as Heacock became the first coach in school history to win his first three YSU games. With the eight victories, Heacock set a school record for wins by a first-year coach and tied for the second-most victories by a first-year coach in the Gateway. Heacock first came to YSU before the 1990 season and since his arrival the program has had tremendous success. From 1991 through 2002 the program has won four national championships, appeared in the playoffs seven times and won 116 games. Before taking over as the head coach in January 2001, Heacock had been a member of the coaching staff for seven of the 10 previous years as an assistant, including spending six as the defensive coordinator. Heacock was the defensive coordinator at YSU from 1992 through 1996 before going to Indiana. He returned to YSU from Indiana for the 2000 season to serve as the defensive coordinator and less than a year later was named the head coach. In 2000, in Heacock’s second stint as a defensive coordinator with the YSU program, the Penguins defense was a key factor in leading the team to a 9-3 mark and an appearance in the Division I-AA playoffs. Youngstown finished 15th in the nation in scoring defense. Before returning to YSU, he spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Indiana. Heacock’s first stay at Youngstown State brought much success to the program in his six seasons (61-19-2). In his first four years, YSU appeared in the Division I-AA championship game and earned three national championships (1991, 1993 and 1994). He was the defensive backs coach in 1991 as YSU finished 12-3 and beat Marshall 25-17 in the National Championship Game. The next season he was promoted to defensive coordinator, while also coaching the defensive backs, and served in that capacity through the 1996 campaign. In 1992, YSU advanced to the title game losing to Marshall. His defense in 1993 yielded only 15.5 points per game and helped the Penguins to a 17-5 victory in the championship game against Marshall. His 1994 unit may have been his best allowing an average of 10.1 points per game and holding nine of 15 opponents to 10 points or less. YSU finished the year with a school-record 14-0-1 mark capped by a win over Boise State in the title game. YSU finished 3-8 in 1995 and was 8-3 in 1996. Prior to his first stint at YSU, Heacock served as an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy from 1990-91. From 1988 to 1990, Heacock was a graduate assistant at Michigan under coach Bo Schembechler where he worked with the Wolverines’ defensive backs and special teams in addition to assisting in many other capacities. During his two years, Michigan won two Big Ten titles and appeared in the Rose Bowl twice, winning in 1989. Prior to his stint at Michigan, Heacock was the defensive coordinator, secondary coach, and defensive line coach at West Liberty College from 1985-87. Heacock’s coaching career began in 1983 when he was hired as a graduate assistant to be the defensive line coach at the University of Toledo. After spending one season with the Rockets, Heacock joined the staff at Steubenville High School, where he helped guide The Big Red to the 1984 Ohio Division II State Championship. Heacock, who is a native of Alliance, Ohio, earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Muskingum College in 1983. At Muskingum, Heacock played football and competed on the track and field team. He is a 1979 graduate of West Branch High School. Jon and his wife, Trescia, who is a registered nurse, have a son, Jace and a daughter, Adelyn.
Chris Bache
Recruiting Coordinator/Offensive Line
 Chris Bache (bay-jay) joined Darrell Hazell’s staff in January after spending the 2010 campaign as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Adrian College in Michigan. He will serve as the recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach for the Golden Flashes. In his only year at Adrian, the Bulldogs ranked third in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in both rushing and total offense. Prior to his stint at Adrian, Bache spent the previous five seasons as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Youngstown State. In 2008, senior offensive lineman Brad Samsa was named an All-America selection by the American Football Coaches of America. It was the second time in three seasons that the Penguins placed an offensive lineman on an All-America squad. Samsa was also a first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. In Bache's four years, YSU had four first-team all-league picks and seven all-conference honorees. The Penguins were one of just two teams to rank in the top eight in the Football Championship Subdivision in sacks allowed per contest for both the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In the 25 games over that span, YSU allowed just 25 sacks, including just nine in 2007. In 2006, the offensive line helped pave the way for the best individual rushing performance in school history. A veteran unit, the entire line started 13 of 14 games together during the Penguins’ run to the national semifinals. All-America tailback Marcus Mason took advantage of some impressive holes rushing for a school record 1,847 yards and averaging 153.9 a contest. As a team, YSU averaged a 223.7 yards rushing a game, ranking ninth nationally. Before coming to Youngstown State, Bache spent the previous six seasons at Division II Indiana (Pa.), including the last three as the offensive line coach and the recruiting coordinator. Bache helped lead the Indians to four Division II playoff appearances during his tenure at his alma mater. IUP won at least seven games in every season, including a 7-3 mark in 2004. Bache coached the linebackers his first three years at IUP before taking over the offensive line duties prior to the 2002 campaign. Under Bache at IUP, offensive guard Khiawatha Downey was a Division II All-America selection in 2003 and a free agent signee by the San Francisco 49ers. While coaching linebackers, he helped develop Mike Borisenko into a first-team Associated Press All-American in 2000 and a two-time PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year. In 2003, the Indians were 10-1, but failed to qualify for the postseason. During his first four campaigns (1999-2002), IUP qualified for the playoffs every year and advanced to the Division II semifinals in 1999. IUP was 11-2 in 2002, 8-2 in 2001, 8-3 in 2000 and 9-4 in 1999. He spent all six seasons working for head coach Frank Cignetti. He returned to IUP following a four-year stint at Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division member Kutztown. While on the Golden Bears staff, Bache worked primarily with the offensive line while also directing Kutztown's recruiting efforts. Prior to his stay at Kutztown, Bache spent five years as an assistant coach at The College of Wooster (Ohio), where he served at different times as linebackers coach, offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. After earning his bachelor's degree in criminology from Indiana, Pa., in 1987, Bache worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Indians until August 1989, when he accepted a similar position at Temple. He assisted the defensive staff of the Owls during the 1989 season and received a master's degree in education from Temple in 1991 before moving to Wooster. Bache starred at inside linebacker for IUP from 1983-86 while recording 337 tackles, including 118 as a junior in 1985. He is one of only 12 players in IUP history since 1960 to record more than 300 career tackles.
Jeff Burrow
Assistant Coach/Safeties
 Jeff Burrow joined the Kent State staff in March and will serve as the safeties coach for head coach Darrell Hazell. Burrow spent the 2010 campaign as the secondary coach at Indiana State after serving the previous season as the assistant secondary coach at Marshall. The Sylvester, Ga., native previously spent two years at Jacksonville State as the wide receivers coach. During his tenure with the Gamecocks, Burrow tutored all-conference standouts Taurean Rhetta and Maurice Dupree. Burrow joined the Jacksonville State staff after spending two years as a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2005-06 under head coach Charlie Weiss. Prior to that, he served as a defensive graduate assistant at Minnesota under head coach Glenn Mason in 2003 and 2004. In 2002, he coached defensive backs and served as the team's strength and conditioning coach at Greenville (Ill.) College.
As a player, Burrow was a two-year starter and a four-year letterman at cornerback for the University of Cincinnati from 1995-99 where he played for then head coach, and current Kentucky co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter. During this period, Burrow was also coached by current Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin who served as defensive backs coach at Cincinnati from 1999 to 2000.
Following his collegiate career, Burrow signed as a free agent with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and played one season with the team (2000). Burrow earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Cincinnati in 1999 and a master's degree in education from the University of Minnesota in 2004. He is married to the former Janea Coleman. The couple has a daughter, Jazmyne.
Marcus Freeman
Assistant Coach/Linebackers
 Former Ohio State University standout Marcus Freeman joined Darrell Hazell’s staff in January as the linebackers coach. Freeman spent the 2010 campaign on the Ohio State football staff as the defensive quality control assistant. A four-year letterman for OSU from 2004-08, Freeman earned second team all-Big Ten recognition while helping the Buckeyes to four Big Ten titles, three BCS bowls and two trips to the national championship game. Second on the squad as a senior with 84 tackles, he ended his career with 268 career stops. One of three national finalists for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Bobby Bowden Award, he was also a nominee for the Lowe’s Senior Class, ARA Sportsmanship and Wuerffel Trophy awards. Freeman, who played in the Senior Bowl, was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, and spent time with the Bears, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before a medical condition ended his pro career. A 2007 Ohio State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport and leisure studies, he earned academic all-Big Ten and CoSIDA academic all-district honors. A Parade All-American, Freeman graduated from Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio. Freeman is married to the former Joanna Herncane of Massillon, an Otterbein graduate. He is the father of two children, Bria and Vincent.
Brian George
Assistant Coach/Defensive Line
 Brian George joined the Kent State staff in March and will serve as the defensive line coach. George spent the previous six seasons as the co-defensive coordinator at Indiana. He mentored the defensive tackles in 2009 & ’10, after serving as the defensive line coach from 2005-08. Five Hoosier defenders were either drafted or signed free-agent deals following the 2009 campaign. Defensive end Jammie Kirlew (Denver) and cornerback Ray Fisher (Indianapolis) were drafted in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft, while linebackers Matt Mayberry (Chicago) and Will Patterson (Houston) joined safety Nick Polk (Houston) in signing free-agent contracts. In his first year working with the tackles, George trained two of the top youngsters in the Big Ten. Redshirt freshman Larry Black, Jr., earned a spot on the Sporting News freshman All-America and All-Big Ten teams. Black finished fourth on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss (27 yards), which ranked second among freshmen defensive tackles and shared third among all freshmen players in the Big Ten. True freshman Adam Replogle finished third on the team with four sacks (16 yards), which ranked second among freshmen defensive tackles and third among all freshmen players in the conference. The Hoosier defense finished second in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in turnover margin (plus-7), shared second in the league and 21st nationally with 13 fumble recoveries and fourth in the conference and tied for 23rd nationally with 16 interceptions. Under George's tutelage, the Hoosiers set the school record with 42 sacks in 2007 and the fourth-highest total with 31 sacks in 2008 - the top two-year total in IU history. For the second straight season, one of George's charges was named a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award in 2008. Kirlew finished the season with 10.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, each ranking fourth on Indiana's single-season list. He ended the year second in the Big Ten and tied for 14th nationally in sacks and third in the league and sixth nationally in tackles for loss. Indiana's defense was ravaged by injury with six starters missing a combined 27 games. Despite the injuries, the Hoosiers still finished fifth in the league with their 31 sacks and sixth in the league in turnover margin (plus-1). The 2007 defense finished third in the league and shared eighth nationally with its 42 sacks. Middleton burst on to the national scene with a school-record 16 sacks, the highest total in the nation. Middleton earned All-America honors from seven publications and garnered All-Big Ten accolades along with cornerback Tracy Porter, who was selected in the second round (40th pick) of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Cornerback Leslie Majors also signed a three-year rookie free agent deal with the Chicago Bears. Porter earned second team All-Big Ten honors after posting four interceptions and breaking up eight passes in 2006. The Hoosiers collected 13 interceptions, the fifth-highest total in the Big Ten. Two members of George's defense, linebacker Will Patterson and Kirlew were named freshman All-Americans by Sporting News. In 2005, George tutored second team all-league defensive end and current Cincinnati Bengal Victor Adeyanju, who competed in the Senior Bowl and was a fourth-round selection by the St. Louis Rams. One of five assistant coaches that came from Miami (Ohio) University to Indiana, George served as co-defensive coordinator for the first time with the RedHawks in 2004. He helped oversee a defense that ranked among the top three in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in both rushing and scoring defense. MU allowed just 108.83 yards per game on the ground (second in the MAC and 17th in the nation) and 23.42 points per game (third in the league). After spending two years helping coach Miami's offense, George made a smooth transition to defense, coaching the defensive line. In three years with the line, Miami's sack total steadily increased each year, culminating with a three-year high of 45 sacks in 2003. As a graduate assistant at Miami (1998-99), he worked with the offensive line and special teams and assisted with Miami's 1999 running back corps, which featured the MAC's all-time leading rusher and former NFF standout Travis Prentice. George received his master's degree in education leadership from Miami in May 2001. George started and lettered four years as a fullback at Ohio University. He was named Ohio's Scholar-Athlete his senior year. After receiving his bachelor's degree in special education in 1994, George taught and coached running backs at Pickerington High School in Pickerington, Ohio, for three years before joining Miami's football program in 1998. He is a 1990 graduate of Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio. George was a prep all-conference performer in football, basketball and track. Brian and his wife, Jasa, have one son, A.J., and one daughter, Maren.
Thad Jemison
Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers
.jpg) Thad Jemison was named Kent State’s wide receivers coach in January. Jemison brings nearly 20 years of experience coaching at the high school level, while also providing instruction and mentoring to students with learning and/or physical disabilities. He spent the past seven summers working closely with Darrell Hazell as the top wide receiver instructor at Ohio State’s football camps, in addition to participating in 2010 in the Buckeyes’ mentoring program with freshman football players. Jemison played wide receiver for the Buckeyes from 1980-83, compiling 51 catches for 902 yards and four touchdowns, before being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1984 NFL Draft. A native of Cincinnati, Jemison is a 2009 graduate of Ohio State.
Dave McMichael
Assistant Coach/Tight Ends
 A 36-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, Dave McMichael joined Darrell Hazell’s staff in March. McMichael, who has been on the sideline for 16 bowl games, spent the 2010 campaign at West Virginia. McMichael’s second stint with the Mountaineers saw him serve as the tight ends coach and co-special teams coordinator.
Sandwiched in between his two tenures in Morgantown, McMichael spent nine years at Connecticut, first as the offensive tackles coach from 2001-04 before moving to tight ends coach. He also served as the Huskies' special teams coordinator from 2001-04.
In 2008, McMichael tutored tight end Martin Bedard, who was selected in the second round as the 14th overall pick of the Canadian Football League by the Montreal Alouettes in May of 2009.
His time at UConn was marked by a dramatic rise in offensive totals, while the special teams steadily improved as the team's talent pool deepened. All-BIG EAST pick Ryan Krug developed into an NFL prospect under McMichael, anchoring an offensive line that yielded just 10 sacks in 2003, the third fewest in the nation. Tight end Dan Murray earned All-BIG EAST recognition in 2005.
Steve Brouse caught 26 passes, four of which were for touchdowns, in 2007 while his steadily improved blocking ability helped UConn to the 2007 BIG EAST Championship.
Prior to 2001, McMichael spent the previous 18 seasons as an assistant coach at West Virginia under Hall of Fame head coach Don Nehlen. McMichael coached the offensive tackles and tight ends for his entire tenure in Morgantown. While at West Virginia, the Mountaineers played in 11 bowl games and finished ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 six times. He was a coach for two WVU teams that played for the national championship (1988 and 1993), finishing both campaigns with an 11-1 record. The Mountaineers also captured the 1993 BIG EAST Championship during his tenure, advancing to the Sugar Bowl after an undefeated regular season.
McMichael has directly coached 11 NFL signees, including UConn's Tommy Collins (Green Bay) and Ryan Krug (New England). He has had seven players who were drafted by NFL teams, including first round selections Brian Jozwiak (Kansas City -- 1986) and Anthony Becht (New York Jets -- 2000). He has recruited a total of 14 eventual NFL players, including 11 draftees. He has also worked with five All-Americans.
McMichael went to West Virginia after spending three seasons (1980-82) as defensive line coach at Southern Illinois. At SIU, McMichael helped develop and recruit a core of players that would go 10-1 en route to winning the 1983 Division I-AA Championship. He previously served three seasons (1977-79) as the offensive line coach at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio.
McMichael was a three-year letterwinner on the offensive line at Bowling Green for coach Don Nehlen. The Falcons went 19-10-1 over his final three seasons, including two of the school's biggest victories; wins over Purdue and Syracuse. He received his bachelor's degree in marketing research from Bowling Green in 1974 and his master's degree in physical education at Bowling Green in 1977.
McMichael is a native of Kettering, Ohio, and was inducted into the Fairmont (Ohio) High School Hall of Fame in 1999 as a charter member. He is married to the former Karen Alexander and the couple has a son, John David.
Jafar Williams
Assistant Coach/Running Backs
 Jafar (ja-FAR) Williams was named running backs coach at Kent State in January after spending last season as the special teams quality control assistant at Northwestern. Before joining the Wildcats, Williams was the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Howard in 2009. Under his guidance, wide receiver Willie Carter earned second team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors. Williams spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons on the staff at Illinois State. As the wide receivers coach for the Redbirds, he mentored first team All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree Eyad Salem, and second team pick Jason Horton. Prior to his tenure with ISU, Williams was the wide receivers coach at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa. He also served as the minority recruiting coordinator for all of the Greyhounds' athletic teams. In 2005, Moravian claimed the first Eastern College Athletic Conference championship in school history. Before joining the coaching ranks, Williams was a standout receiver for Maryland, lettering from 2000-03. At the conclusion of his career he ranked 12th in school annals with 1,301 receiving yards and 13th with 90 receptions. Williams capped his Terrapin career with a pair of touchdowns in Maryland's 41-7 win over West Virginia in the 2004 Gator Bowl. After his collegiate career, Williams spent time with the Washington Redskins, before beginning his two-year coaching stint at Moravian College. A native of Philadelphia, Williams received a bachelor's of science degree in health and human performance from Maryland in 2003.
Casey Wolf
Director of Football Operations
 Casey Wolf joined the Kent State University football staff prior to the 2003 season as the of Director of Football Operations and was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations in the fall of 2008.
Now in his eighth year in that role, he coordinates the daily operations of the football office, including overseeing the budget, coordinating team travel, game scheduling and serving as the liaison to the athletic department. Wolf previously was the department’s promotions director from 2002-03 following two years as a graduate assistant in the athletics marketing office. A native of Akron, he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University in 2000 and a master’s in sport administration from Kent State in 2002. Wolf and his wife, Jen, reside in Cuyahoga Falls with their two sons, Landon and Christian.
Doug Davis
Strength & Conditioning Coach, Football
 Doug Davis joined the Kent State staff in January as a strength and conditioning coach. He will work primarily with the Golden Flashes football and softball teams. Davis spent the past four years as a strength assistant at Ohio State University. He arrived at OSU as an assistant strength coach in January of 2007, before moving to strength and conditioning coordinator in May of 2008. Davis designed and implemented the year-round strength, speed, and conditioning program for the Buckeyes. He specifically trained the Ohio State wide receivers and defensive backs on a daily basis and also prepared a number of Buckeyes entering the NFL Draft. Specifically, he coordinated the training of seven Buckeyes selected in the 2009 draft, including first round picks Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Wells. Prior to his stint at Ohio State, Davis was a strength and conditioning coach at the University of South Florida, working with the football team and the sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers on the Bulls' track and field team. He also worked at an Olympic Training Center in the Tampa Bay area where he obtained his USA Weightlifting Club Coach Certification. Davis is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association and holds certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and from the National Association of Speed and Explosion. He serves as an approved practicum mentor to interns who aspire to be strength and conditioning coaches at the college or professional level and is a contributing editor to Dr. George Dintiman's popular speed training book, Encyclopedia of Sports Speed. Davis earned his Bachelor's Degree from Ohio Dominican University in 2004 and his Master's Degree in Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2009. He was born in Columbus and attended Pickerington High School where he lettered three times in both football and track.
Blake Newsock
Video Coordinator
 Newsock arrives at Kent State with a wealth of experience since his days as a student assistant at Miami University. A 2009 graduate of Miami, Newsock has spent the past year working as an offensive graduate assistant and wide receivers coach at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. In addition to his duties as the team’s mentor of wide receivers, Newsock also spent time working with the special teams and was the designated recruiter for the Miami Valley. Prior to his time at Heidelberg, Newsock spent Spring 2010 as an offense and special teams quality control intern at Toledo, in addition to working as a substitute teacher at Xenia High School. Newsock assisted Toledo’s special teams coordinator, and coordinated group film sessions. While achieving his bachelor’s degree from Miami, Newsock worked as a Student Football Assistant with the RedHawks where he assisted the coaching staff with day-to-day operations. Currently working on his Master’s of Business Administration from Heidelberg University, Newsock was a two-year letterman on the gridiron at Muskingum University (2005-06) and a 2004 graduate of Valley View High School.
Joe Coniglio
Defensive Graduate Assistant
 Joe Coniglio enters his first season as Kent State’s defensive graduate assistant after spending the previous two seasons as the video coordinator (2010) and as student assistant with the Golden Flashes’ defensive staff (2009). A standout defensive end for Miami University, Coniglio totaled 19.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss in his career for the RedHawks (2005-08). He earned third-team All-MAC accolades his final two seasons, turning in his best performance as a junior with 6.5 sacks and 10.5 TFL. He was named the team’s Freshman of the Year in 2005. Coniglio graduated from Miami in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in sport studies. A native of Rockford, Ill., Coniglio accumulated 2,806 yards and 42 touchdowns in two seasons as a running back for Boylan Catholic High School.
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