Tulsa Completes Hiring of Football Staff

The University of Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship introduced its entire football staff for the first time Friday.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:10 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa Completes Hiring of Football Staff

Originally Published: Jan 21, 2011 12:58 PM CDT

Layna Dewell
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

TULSA, Oklahoma—The University of Tulsa introduced its entire football staff for the first time Friday afternoon in a press conference led by new head coach Bill Blankenship.

“I am thrilled that we have completed our staff, all the hirings are done,” said Blankenship.

Coach Blankenship introduced the entire football staff Friday which includes:

Brent Guy- Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach
Van Malone-Recruiting Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach
Jess Loepp-Outside Linebackers Coach
Archie McDaniel-Interior Defensive Tackles Coach
Adam Blankenship-Defensive Ends Coach
Greg Peterson-Offensive Coordinator
Denver Johnson-Offensive Line Coach
Scott Downing-Assistant Head Coach, Tight Ends Coach
James Kilian-Quarterbacks Coach
Blair Philbrick-Director of Football Operations
Clint Roundtree-Director of High School Relations
Holmon Wiggins-Running Backs Coach

“I am excited about these gentlemen and what they mean to the university and the program,” Blankenship said. “I was able to get most of the gentlemen that I had hoped to work with for a long time.

“Some people ask me how it happened so quickly, but I’ve actually had plans and preparation for this day for a long time,” Blankenship said.

Brent Guy comes to Tulsa from UNLV where he was the linebackers coach. He played football at Oklahoma State from 1979-1982. He also coached the OSU Cowboys' linebackers from 1986-1994, then again from 1998-2000. Since 2001, guy has coached at Boise State, Arizona State, Utah State, Louisville, and UNLV. From 2005 to 2008 he was the Head Coach at Utah State University.

Van Malone joined the staff in February 2010 after spending the past four seasons at Texas A&M as a defensive secondary coach. He coached the cornerbacks in his first two seasons (2006-07) and spent the last two years (2008-09) coaching the safeties. Malone went to Texas A&M in January of 2006 from Arizona State where he accepted a position coaching the running backs in December of 2005.

Jess Loepp, a native of Turpin, Oklahoma, coached at TU when Steve Kragthorpe was the head coach. He stayed at Tulsa under head coach Todd Graham and departed with Coach Graham to coach at Rice University. He later returned with Graham to Tulsa. In his two previous stints with the Hurricane, Loepp has been a part of three bowl games -- 2003 Humanitarian Bowl, 2005 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and the 2008 GMAC Bowl -- as well as Tulsa's C-USA Championship team in 2005.

Archie McDaniel enters his second year with TU after being hired in March of last season just before spring practice began. Coach McDaniel came to Tulsa following one season as the linebackers coach at Texas Southern University, where the TSU defense ranked 22nd in the nation for total defense during the 2009 campaign. He helped that defensive unit rank first in the SWAC for total defense and second for rush defense. Previously, he spent the 2008 season as a defensive graduate assistant at this alma mater, Texas A&M.

Adam Blankenship is the youngest son of head coach Bill Blankenship. He comes to Tulsa from the Oklahoma high school ranks. He has spent the past two seasons (2009-10) coaching the defensive line at two-time Class 6A state champion Union High School. Blankenship has also served as a summer camp instructor at Tulsa Union High School for four years and at Illinois State three summers. A former Union High School letterman and first-team all-state selection as a prep senior, Blankenship attended the University of Nebraska for one year (2005) before transferring to Illinois State. He earned three letters with the Redbirds and was team captain as a senior in 2008.

Greg Peterson, who was most recently the offensive coordinator at Northern Colorado, also coached the same position at Kansas State and Colorado State.

Denver Johnson, a Tulsa alumni and native of Bowlegs, Oklahoma, played with Blankenship on the football team at TU. Johnson and Blankenship were also roommates in college. Coach Johnson now joins a short list of coaches that have coached at all three Division I programs in the state since he previously has coached at both Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma.

Scott Downing joins the program as an assistant head coach. He most recently was the head coach at Northern Colorado. He and Blankenship have been friends for more than 20 years.

James Kilian, a graduate assistant last year, returns to coach the quarterbacks. Before that, he spent one season as the offensive coordinator at Del City (Okla.) High School, where he helped lead that team to a 7-3 overall record in Class 6A. Kilian was a four-year letterman and starting quarterback for the Hurricane in 2003 and 2004. He was a seventh-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005 and returned to training camp in 2006.

Blair Philbrick, enters his second year with TU after coming to Tulsa after spending 20 years in various coaching roles in Oklahoma High Schools since 1984. He was the head football coach at three different high schools, including Edmond North (2005-07), Tulsa Memorial (1998-2000) and Edmond Santa Fe (1995-97).

Clint Roundtree, a 2005 TU grad, was a graduate assistant coach last year helping with the defense. Before returning to his alma mater, Rountree spent two seasons coaching the defensive secondary at Delta State (Miss.) University. Roundtree was a four-year letter winner for Tulsa from 2001-2004. He began his career as a receiver and moved over to the defensive secondary as a sophomore. Roundtree totaled 137 tackles in 48 career games while started 27 contests for the Hurricane.

Finally, Holmon Wiggins, who was unable to attend the press conference, will be the running backs coach. He most recently coached the same position at Illinois State for five seasons. Blankenship said he expects Wiggins to be in town by Monday at the latest to join the rest of the staff. Before that, Wiggins worked two seasons as a student assistant coach and one year as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, New Mexico. As a student assistant, he worked with the Lobo running backs, while shifting his focus to quarterbacks and wide receivers as a graduate assistant coach.

Blankenship said he and his staff have been out recruiting this week and will continue recruiting next week.