New CSU coach will have co-defensive coordinators
- February 16, 2012
By Kelly Lyell
New CSU football coach Jim McElwain has decided that two defensive coordinators are better than one and today announced that Al Simmons and Marty English will share that role on his staff.
Simmons, who will be 49 when the Rams open the 2012 season, was a defensive secondary coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2003-04 and also worked as an assistant at NFL training camps with the Dallas Cowboys in 2000, San Diego Chargers in 1999, Arizona Cardinals in 1996 and Los Angeles Raiders in 1993.
He's spent 25 years as an assistant coach in the college ranks, beginning with a stint from 1986-93 at his alma mater, Cal State-Hayward (now Cal State-East Bay). Simmons and McElwain worked together on the same staff in 1995-96 at Montana State. Simmons coached safeties last year at UTEP and also has coached at San Francisco State (1994), Idaho State (1997), California (1998-2000 and 2008-10), Oregon State (2001-02), San Jose State (2005) and Arizona State (2006-07).
McElwain said Simmons will work together with Tim Duffie coaching Colorado State University's defensive backs. Duffie has coached the Rams' defensive backs for the past four years under former coach Steve Fairchild.
English, who was Wyoming's defensive coordinator for the past three years, will share the coordinator duties with Simmons and also coach the Rams' defensive line.
McElwain originally planned to bring in former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Don ''Wink'' Martendale as his defensive coordinator, but Martindale was offered a job in the NFL coaching the Baltimore Ravens linebackers that he chose to accept instead.
McElwain announced the rest of his coaching staff last week. Dave Baldwin is the offensive coordinator, Billy Napier is the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, Derek Frazier is coaching the offensive line, Alvis Whitted the receivers, and Jeff Hammerschmidt will serve as special teams coordinator and running backs coach.
McElwain said he still hopes to bring in two coaches to work in player development and an assistant to work with Tom Ehlers in football operations.