Assistant Coach moves

[jakejc795]

A name to keep an eye out for to fill the D Line Coach Position: Kellen Soulek, Yankton native, coached D Line for Mount Marty last year.

That would be awesome. They'd almost have to do a coaches' hype video during home opener including his rumbling UNI run

[NWHSUandSDSU]

Looks like we need a CB coach now. Erickson goes to Eau Claire to be head coach.

[RahRahRabbits]

Looks like we need a CB coach now. Erickson goes to Eau Claire to be head coach.

Got some coaching geographical "swaps" going on here. Their previous coach left D3 Eau Claire to become the assistant head coach/OC at DII University of Sioux Falls.

From Erickson's profile, it certainly looks like this is a move home. He played for UW-Platteville in the late 90s, coached at UW-Stevens Point, Aurora University in Illinois, a 6-year stint as assistant HC/DC at UW-Platteville again, and five years as DC/DB coach at UW-Whitewater prior to joining the Jackrabbits in spring 2020.

[Jacked_Up]

I see that Jalon Bibbs has been hired to be the Jacks' d-line coach. He's spent the last few years in that position at Grand Valley State in Michigan, which has a very good D-2 football program. Bibbs, like Jimmy Rogers, is an Arizona native. He played and worked at Northern State. He looks like a great addition to the staff.

[bigticket1]

Looked at the official roster and saw that Chris Meyers is now recruiting coordinator in addition to being TE coach.

[Jacked_Up]

The Jacks have announced the hiring of Mike Banks as the new corners coach. He looks like another great addition. For the past five years, Banks has been an assistant coach at Illinois State, where he also played football. In addition to coaching defensive backs, Coach Banks was the Redbirds' defensive associate head coach. I'm not sure if the Jackrabbits' coaching staff is complete yet, but it's getting close.

[Jacked_Up]

It doesn't look like the Jacks have a special teams coach or coordinator yet. Maybe one of the existing coaches will take on that duty. Regardless, I'm impressed by the staff Coach Rogers has assembled to this point.

[mnjackrbt]

The Jacks have announced the hiring of Mike Banks as the new corners coach. He looks like another great addition. For the past five years, Banks has been an assistant coach at Illinois State, where he also played football. In addition to coaching defensive backs, Coach Banks was the Redbirds' defensive associate head coach. I'm not sure if the Jackrabbits' coaching staff is complete yet, but it's getting close.

That's an impressive hire just in the sense that he has been with ISU-red from 2011-2014 as a standout player and on their coaching staff since then. Wonder what the connection or reason was to get him out of there and here?

[LetsGoRabbits]

That's an impressive hire just in the sense that he has been with ISU-red from 2011-2014 as a standout player and on their coaching staff since then. Wonder what the connection or reason was to get him out of there and here?

TOTAL SPECULATION here. i could go look at his Bio and probably will in a moment, but i am pretty sure Coach Bobbit is a Chicago area native. with Coach Banks playing for and coaching at ISUr, i will guess he might be as well, or at least a native of Illinois, maybe he and Coach Bobbit have a connection. anyway, that is my guess. coach banks has some relationship / connection to coach bobbit when you add that to the jacks obviously being one of the best / the best fcs team in the country..... good coaches should be interested. hopefully, Coach Rogers is as good at picking the right ones as Stig has been!!!!

actually just checked the Bio. it does not say, but i am pretty sure that is what i remember. the jacks have always recruited the greater chicago area and i am pretty sure that is where coach bobbit grew up. now i am ready for someone to tell me that my memory has gone bad))) which i also believe))

[OldHare]

TOTAL SPECULATION here. i could go look at his Bio and probably will in a moment, but i am pretty sure Coach Bobbit is a Chicago area native. with Coach Banks playing for and coaching at ISUr, i will guess he might be as well, or at least a native of Illinois, maybe he and Coach Bobbit have a connection. anyway, that is my guess. coach banks has some relationship / connection to coach bobbit when you add that to the jacks obviously being one of the best / the best fcs team in the country..... good coaches should be interested. hopefully, Coach Rogers is as good at picking the right ones as Stig has been!!!!

actually just checked the Bio. it does not say, but i am pretty sure that is what i remember. the jacks have always recruited the greater chicago area and i am pretty sure that is where coach bobbit grew up. now i am ready for someone to tell me that my memory has gone bad))) which i also believe))

I was hoping to find your memory was bad, but I find you looked in the wrong place to verify Banks origins. He attended Mount Carmel in Bloomington, Il. He also played in the 2015 FCS Championship game against the bison. Banks was overlooked by many college programs for recruiting since he was checking in at 5'7". There are other items found on this young coach, but I will attach a more informative link.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2015/1/...ect-attendance

[LetsGoRabbits]

I was hoping to find your memory was bad, but I find you looked in the wrong place to verify Banks origins. He attended Mount Carmel in Bloomington, Il. He also played in the 2015 FCS Championship game against the bison. Banks was overlooked by many college programs for recruiting since he was checking in at 5'7". There are other items found on this young coach, but I will attach a more informative link.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2015/1/...ect-attendance

maybe you misunderstood??

i have zero knowledge or memory of where Coach Banks is from and did not look at his Bio. My memory is that Coach Bobbit is from Chicago or at least Illinois, and it was his Bio that i looked at. (it says nothing about his HS career)

my speculation was that since Banks played for ISUr there was a good chance he has Chicago / Illinois ties and therefore since he is a year or two older than JB, i thought there could be a connection. maybe former teammates? or opponents? all star participants?


anyway i am a bonehead and i make lots of bonehead moves / mistakes so, if somehow i happen to be correct this time, you should not have to look too hard to find the next one))

[Gojacks2487]

maybe you misunderstood??

i have zero knowledge or memory of where Coach Banks is from and did not look at his Bio. My memory is that Coach Bobbit is from Chicago or at least Illinois, and it was his Bio that i looked at. (it says nothing about his HS career)

my speculation was that since Banks played for ISUr there was a good chance he has Chicago / Illinois ties and therefore since he is a year or two older than JB, i thought there could be a connection. maybe former teammates? or opponents? all star participants?


anyway i am a bonehead and i make lots of bonehead moves / mistakes so, if somehow i happen to be correct this time, you should not have to look too hard to find the next one))

Yes your memory is as sharp as ever Coach Bobbit is from Palatine, Ill.

[SDSUAlum08]

A name to keep an eye out for to fill the D Line Coach Position: Kellen Soulek, Yankton native, coached D Line for Mount Marty last year.

Is anyone worried about the amount of former Jackrabbit players on the coaching staff? Not only that, very young coaches. This is not a knock on anyone individually…and obviously this is Rogers’ team…but it probably takes some experience to identify talent and turn those kids into players.

Again, not a knock on anyone specifically. I just worry there’s a little bit of “inbreeding” going on with the hires and it worries me 3-4 years from now.

[jakejc795]

Is anyone worried about the amount of former Jackrabbit players on the coaching staff? Not only that, very young coaches. This is not a knock on anyone individually…and obviously this is Rogers’ team…but it probably takes some experience to identify talent and turn those kids into players.

Again, not a knock on anyone specifically. I just worry there’s a little bit of “inbreeding” going on with the hires and it worries me 3-4 years from now.

Coach Rogers has discussed his rationale -- that individuals with experience in the program and on campus can likely more effectively advocate consideration of the Jacks by recruits. In addition, these individuals have coached elsewhere.

We shall see, but just curious, why is your concern for 3-4 years from now?

[LetsGoRabbits]

Is anyone worried about the amount of former Jackrabbit players on the coaching staff? Not only that, very young coaches. This is not a knock on anyone individually…and obviously this is Rogers’ team…but it probably takes some experience to identify talent and turn those kids into players.

Again, not a knock on anyone specifically. I just worry there’s a little bit of “inbreeding” going on with the hires and it worries me 3-4 years from now.

Less than zero concern about this

my concern is that we have so many coaches who have been on staff for such a short time.

maybe i am forgetting someone but i think Rogers and Lujan are the only coaches who have been on staff for more than 3 years. again maybe i am a bit off, but i believe Coach Olson will be in his 4th year this fall and nobody else has as much time on staff as those 3

what i believe does help with that a bit is that several of the coaches have experience with the program, with Coach Rogers, and with the Jackrabbit way of doing things because they have experience in the system as players. so for me that is a bonus NOT a negative

is there BOTH good and bad to everything? YES! are there some potential advantages for diversity of background? sure!! but overall i think there is plenty of diversity and the former players on staff are a net positive

i am curious to see your answer to Jake's question about why you are worried for several years down the line?? if all these coaches are still here at that time, it would seem to be an indication that Coach Rogers still wants them here and by then they will be completely familiarized with the way this team wants to do things


these are my personal thoughts and everyone is welcome to thier own, but i actually think that the bison have been hurt just a tiny bit by going outside of the bison family for too many hires