The 2022 staff includes four coaches retained from the previous staff, and six new additions to SUU. The Thunderbirds new coach is confident that he and his staff can make thenecessary changes to turn things around. Copyright 2010 - 2023 StGeorgeUtah.com LLC, all rights reserved. He was named First Team All-State by the Deseret News as well as First Team All-Region. Before Fitzgeralds remarks, SUU Athletic Director Debbie Corum talked about the hiring process and said Fitzgerald had been chosen from a nationwide field of more than 100 applicants. The junior running back brings physicality and size to the backfield at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds. Hes going to play safety and hes going to run around and make 40-60 tackles for us,Fitzgerald said. Miller is now joined in the quarterback room by redshirt freshmen Jackson Berry and Rand Jensen, and Western Kentucky transfer Grady Robison. The thing with him and Zach Strand is theyve always won. For all the latest on Southern Utah football, follow @SUUFB_ on Twitter, @SUUFB on Instagram, and like the Southern Utah Football Facebook page. The move comes as SUU is just 1-10 this season, including 0-8 in Big Sky Conference play. Bolingbroke and Schenks are slated to come back in the fall but both will miss the Spring Game due to injuries. No stranger to the state of Utah, Peterson comes to Southern Utah by way of Brigham Young University where he has worked with quarterbacks as an offensive analyst since 2019. It marked the fourth-straight losing season for the school and the second time in as many seasons that it finished with just one win. 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. Measom was a team captain for the Thunderbirds during his tenure and served on the leadership committee, along with putting up impressive stats in the wide receiver position. Well, about halfway through his presentation, all I can think of is, I would give anything in the world right now if I could become an 18-year-old man and come play for him. And thats when I knew we had the right person that we were interviewing.. Kelling started his coaching career at his alma mater, Minnesota State Mankato, from 1992-95, and spent the following two seasons at Augustana College in South Dakota. The Official Facebook Page for Southern Utah University Football #FocusFightFinish #TBirdNation Karris Davis, Isaiah Williams, Thomas Duckett, and David Moore III all received over 40 touches on the ground. The school announced Monday that SUU and Demario Warren have mutually agreed to part ways after six seasons. Focus and consistency, if he can get those two down, hes going to be fine.. 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. Davis led the pack with 71 carries and 313 yards. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Fitzgerald has a knack for turning around struggling programs, and the Thunderbirds fit that bill. The team began spring practices on Monday, March 21, and the Spring Game allows a preview into what can be expected for next season. The Thunderbirds feature a first-time Division I head coach in DeLane Fitzgerald, who moved across the country from D-II Frostburg State (Md.) Ryan Hunt- Interior Defensive Line Coach/Director of Football Operations. The T-Birds went 1-10 and 0-8 in Big Sky play in 2021. 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. Acord comes to Cedar City by way of Northridge High School in North Salt Lake, Utah. The Thunderbird football program got longer, stronger and faster today.". Price was out of Wednesdays practice due to his wedding on Thursday. Southern Utah University football spring game photo gallery. Acord also played wide receiver during high school and was a First Team All-Region performer. He left the school as the winningest coach in program history. 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. Before meeting coach Fitzgerald in Maryland, Kelling coached at the University of Mary in North Dakota for two seasons in various roles. He led a Southern Virginia team to its second-ever winning season in 2013 with an 8-2 record. After his remarks, Fitzgerald also fielded several questions from the media and football players. The Southern Utah University football team is a team in transition. 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. 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. Before transferring to FSU, Brunson played quarterback at the University of Albany where he threw for 2,334 yards with 10 touchdowns in three seasons. Thunderbirds. Warren was named head coach in 2016 after spending the two previous seasons as defensive coordinator. He said they will do things the right way, adding that his players will be diligently attending class, weightlifting sessions, study hall, meetings and practices. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The end of the 2021 season marked the conclusion of Warren's sixth year as head coach of the Thunderbirds, and 14th year with the program overall. We completely revamped the safety position, the wide receiver position, the running back position and got some things going there that are pretty positive.. 2023 Football Roster - Southern Utah University Athletics. TicketSmarter: Official Ticket Resale Partner, George S. Eccles Sports Performance Center, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital, Deputy Athletic Director for External Relations/COO, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Events, Deputy Athletic Director for Finance & Administration, Senior Associate AD for Revenue Generation, Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information and Communications (FB, GYM, SB), Director of Athletic Academic Performance, Orthopedic Surgery- Intermountain Healthcare, Assistant Director of Communications (SOC, MBB, M/WGOLF), General Manager-Van Wagner College-Southern Utah University Athletics, Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks Coach, Running Backs Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Linebackers Coach and Special Teams Coordinator, Interior Defensive Line Coach/Director of Football Operations, Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning, Assistant Coach (Multis, Hurdles, Pole Vault). Warren leaves SUU with an overall record of 21-42, and led the T-Birds to a Big Sky Conference championshipin2017 during his tenure as head coach. The school announced Monday that SUU and Demario Warren have mutually agreed to part ways after six seasons. Theres a lot of players in this room. Purcell will play defensive line at Southern Utah after successfully doing so for Bountiful High School in Bountiful, Utah. After one season with the Lobos, he transferred to Towson where he played quarterback from 2008-09. Southern Utah University and head football coach Demario Warren have mutually agreed to part ways, per a press release from the school on Monday. Our players have a better understanding of the offense, defense, and special teams (schemes). Each one of today's signees brings a physical skill set and a mentality that our coaching staff is looking for. Thanks to the departure of Kobe Singleton, Fitzgerald will need to find another lockdown corner. Rancho Cucamonga, California / Alta Loma HS. Davis led. On the other side of the defensive line, Strand was a 2x First Team Mountain East selection and Mountain East Defensive Player of the Year under Fitzgerald at Frostburg State. Robison was graded as a three-star quarterback in the 2020 cycle, and the 73rd best dual-threat quarterback in the class. SUU had just five wins in Warrens final three seasons. UNLV wide receiver Steve Jenkins runs after a catch during game against San Diego State, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Las Vegas. In three years with the Rebels he amassed 1,159 receiving yards. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The Sammamish, Washington native led Eastlake High School to a 9-2 record as a senior under center. The Southern Utah University football team is a team in transition. Coach Warren has been a cherished member of this institution and community for the last 14 years, SUU athletic director Debbie Corum said in a statement. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures. The Thunderbirds will begin their 11-game 2022 season at home against St. Thomas before facing a tall task against Utah in Salt Lake City. Iglesiaswas named First Team All-Orange County after leading the state of California in sacks during the regular season. Southern Utah University Aug 31 // football Arizona State University Sep 09 // football Brigham Young University Sep 16 // football UC Davis Sep 23 // football Western Illinois University Sep 30 // football University of Central Arkansas Oct 07 // football Tarleton State University Oct 21 // football Austin Peay State University Oct 28 // football Photo courtesy of SUU Athletics, SUU students protest HB0011 in support of transgender athletes, SPB ends Sunfest week with Most Fun Friday, Art Challis: The voice of the Thunderbirds, Raising the bar: The legacy of SUU Gymnastics, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnR7Qpa9dTk&ab_channel=SUTV-9News. Thats because Fitzgerald is no stranger to turning programs around. Sean Ellertson is a sports reporter for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News. Needing to plug multiple gaps along the line has left spots open for competition. Coach Fitzgerald even admitted that players sticking around on the roster may not have the same roles that they did in the fall last year. The intersquad scrimmage is set for Saturday, April 16, at 1 p.m and is free to the public. 351 W. University Blvd, Cedar City, Utah 84720 The 2022 staff includes four coaches retained from the previous staff, and six new additions to SUU. Can Weber State get back on top of the Big Sky? Another Utah native, Kelley was the 6A Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-State selection as a defensive end. Prior to that, he had been a coach in various capacities in the program since 2007. Sanderswas a First Team All-Region performer for the Wasps at wide receiver. The Thunderbirds play their home games on campus at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah, and have been led by head coach DeLane Fitzgerald since 2021. But if youre trying to break it down, were going to be 45% run, 45% pass, and then the jet sweep stuff and option will be about 10%, he said. CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah University Director of Athletics Debbie Corum announced Monday that the university and head football coach Demario Warren have mutually agreed to part ways. Francis Bemiy is on every teams radar for the 2023 draft, said Fitzgerald. [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]. Smith comes to TSU after two seasons as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern Utah. As this goes on, getting these young men to buy in and we start running like a well-oiled machine, we will get more and more exciting.. [10], The Thunderbirds won their first Big Sky championship in 2015, defeating Northern Arizona 4941 in the regular season finale at Cedar City. 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 move comes as SUU is just 1-10 this season, including 0-8 in Big Sky Conference play. 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. Main Phone (435) 865-8355 Fax (435) 865-8078. Tapasa and his wife, Joanna, reside in St. George and have five daughters. Before the regular season rolls around in late summer, Southern Utah University football will host its Spring Game to culminate the spring training season. The new T-Birds are made up of 15 signees straight from high school and eight transferring from previous colleges. All Rights Reserved, This Utah college football team is now looking for a new head coach. And this man did.. Story by: Christian Esparza Aleka Leausa earned All-Region recognition as a sophomore, junior and senior. 2022 will mark Fernandez's 14th season at Southern Utah, and 11th as a full-time assistant. Also showing flashes at left guard is redshirt junior Artese Gregory. Before working with the Pirates, Bates was the head strength and conditioning coach at Jacksonville University for nine and a half years. He graduated from SUU with a master's of accountancy in 2018. Peterson is originally from San Antonio, Texas, and is joined in Cedar City by his wife, Camille, and daughter, Brooklyn. Now what weve got to do is find the other five or six pieces on each side of the football. CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah Thunderbirds have announced three new additions to Coach DeLane Fitzgerald's coaching staff for the upcoming year..