ABILENE – New ACU head football coach
Ken Collums began putting his stamp on the program Saturday when he announced that he has hired two new assistant coaches, both on the defensive side of the ball.
Former Tarleton State defensive coordinator and Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College head coach
Darian Dulin has been hired as the Wildcats' new defensive coordinator / secondary coach, and former Eastern New Mexico head coach Mike Ribaudo has been hired as the team's linebackers coach.
Collums also said that former defensive coordinator / linebackers coach Jason Johns has resigned to enter private business, and that former secondary coach Cody Farrell has taken a high school coaching job in East Texas.
"I'm really excited about adding
Darian Dulin and
Mark Ribaudo to our staff," Collums said. "We're very fortunate to be able to hire both of those guys right now. Having two former head coaches on staff will ultimately benefit our entire program. We're blessed to have these two fine men on our staff. They're both quality husbands and fathers, which is what we're striving to produce here at ACU."
Dulin recently resigned as the head coach at Coffeyville after directing the Red Ravens to a 22-19 record from 2008-11. Coffeyville was 6-5 in 2011 and lost to Hutchinson Junior College in the National Junior College Athletics Association Region VI semifinals.
Dulin, who spent the 2004 season as the defensive coordinator at Butler Community College, returned to the Tarleton staff in 2005 after spending four years in Stephenville prior to his one-year hiatus.
In 2006, the Tarleton defense ranked second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense, allowing just 18.1 points per game. Tarleton was the number one rushing defense, allowing just 90.5 yards per game. In 2005, Tarleton was No. 2 in scoring defense and No. 1 in pass defense efficiency.
In 2004, his defense finished the regular season No. 1 in the Jayhawk Conference for total defense. Butler's defense also led the NJCAA in scoring defense, sacks and passing efficiency defense.
Before leaving for his one season at Butler, Dulin coached the defensive backs and secondary at Tarleton from 2000 through 2003.
A former Academic All-American at both the junior and senior college levels, Dulin went to Tarleton after serving two years at Sam Houston State University, first as a defensive assistant and then as secondary coach.
"I'm thrilled and honored to be part of the ACU family and to have the opportunity to coach with and work with a great men in
Ken Collums," Dulin said. "He's leading a program and staff that I have competed against and have always admired.
"After visiting with Coach Collums about the mission of ACU and the vision he has for the program, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work in that type of environment," Dulin said. "I'm excited to be back in Texas and in the Lone Star Conference, and the chance to work with Coach Ribaudo is a tremendous opportunity."
Collums said he's anxious to see what Dulin can do with the Wildcats.
"Darian is a well-respected coach and recruiter," Collums said. "He's known around this part of the country for both of things. He's always been known for solid, really good defense. His guys always play extremely hard and are very solid in what they do. Darian is very humble, but he can coach and recruit his tail off."
Ribaudo resigned as the head coach at Eastern New Mexico shortly after the end of the 2011 season. Ribaudo was the Greyhounds' head coach for seven seasons, but was an assistant coach under head coach Bud Elliott for eight seasons, including seven seasons (1998-2004) as the team's defensive coordinator.
Ribaudo was 25-51 in his seven seasons as the head coach, including 2-9 in 2011. His greatest success at ENMU, however, came as an assistant coach.
Ribaudo, 47, was hired at ENMU in 1997 as linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator the following year and helped the Hounds post seven consecutive winning seasons and a 49-26 overall record in that span, including Lone Star Conference South Division co-championships in 1999 and 2000.
He was promoted to head coach after Bud Elliott retired following the 2004 season.
"I'm extremely blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to join the staff at ACU," Ribaudo said. "I believe it's divine intervention. ACU is a world-class institution with a great football program and a man of character (Collums) directing that program. What situation could be better?"
Under Ribaudo's direction as the coordinator, the Greyhounds had one of the top defenses in the Lone Star Conference. The ENMU defense ranked ninth in NCAA Division II in total defense during the 1998 season, as Eastern allowed just 254.8 yards per game. ENMU ranked 19th in the nation in 2003, after holding opponents to 288.2 yards per game. The Hounds allowed just 110.0 rushing yards per game in 2003 and gave up just 128.6 rushing yards per game in 2002.
Ribaudo began his career at his alma mater, Sabino High School in Arizona. He was assistant coach for three years, and helped Sabino reach the playoffs in 1986. He was an assistant coach at powerful Amphitheater High School in Arizona in 1988 and 1989.
In college, Ribaudo played cornerback and running back at Hastings College (Neb.). He received a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Arizona in 1988.??In 1991 and 1992, he was a graduate assistant at Midwestern State. MSU won the TIAA title and earned a No. 10 ranking in the NAIA poll during his second year. Ribaudo received a master's degree in Physical Education from MSU in 1992.
"Mark is one of the most positive people you'll ever meet," Collums said. "He's a true innovator on defense and special teams. He'll handle the majority of our special teams because he's constantly looking for an edge on special teams. Anybody that's coached against him knows that. As a rookie head coach, Mark will be invaluable to me because of his experience."
OTHER COACHING STAFF NEWS
Collums announced that he has retained
Nathan Young,
Kendrick Holloway and Sam Collins off the previous coaching staff. ... Young – who has coached the offensive line since 2008 after an all-America career as a guard at ACU – will become the running backs coach, a move that Collums said is being made to help give Young a different look at the offense and a bigger role in developing game plans. ... Collins, who has coached the defensive line the last three seasons, is moving over to coach the offensive line. Collins was a four-year starter at center for ACU (2005-08) and won the Gene Upshaw Award in 2008 as the top lineman in NCAA Division II football and the Dave Rimington Award as the top center in NCAA Division II football. ... Holloway will continue coaching the wide receivers as he did the last two seasons. Holloway was an all-LSC South Division tight end in his two-year career at ACU (2007-08). ... Collums said he has one more defensive assistant coach spot left to hire and hopes to have that decision made in the next 7-10 days.??
