Photo by: Jeremy Enlow
Dorrel effusive in his praise for new staff
1/7/2017 1:52:00 AM | Football
Meet the ACU Coaching Staff
ABILENE — New ACU head football coach Adam Dorrel wasted little time in filling out his coaching staff, announcing 10 assistant coach hirings over a two-week period in late December.
Two coaches with ACU ties are now on the staff, including former Wildcat defensive back and NFL standout Danieal Manning, who returns as an undergraduate student assistant coach working with safeties. Manning is 38 credit hours short of earning his degree and will work toward his bachelor's degree while coaching at ACU.
"It was a no-brainer to bring Danieal onto the staff when he decided he wanted to come back to school and finish his degree," Dorrel said. "He told me the first day that he didn't want any special treatment; that if it was his turn to get doughnuts that he would get them. He's very sharp and that came across to everyone very quickly.
"His story and how he shares it is very powerful," Dorrel said. "I already know that he'll have an excellent rapport with our players and in developing relationships."
Derron Montgomery – who has coached at Miami and Michigan before serving as the offensive coordinator at New Mexico Highlands in 2016 – joins the ACU staff as the fullbacks / tight ends coach. Montgomery ('11) is the son of ACU's all-time leading rusher and former NFL assistant coach, Wilbert Montgomery ('77).
"The people I talked to at Michigan and New Mexico Highlands about Derron spoke extremely highly of him and his work ethic, his knowledge and his ability," Dorrel said. "In all of our meetings early on, we are on the same page in terms of how we want to play and that's by being physical in the running game. And I believe he'll kill it on the recruiting trail."
Former Northwest Missouri State University quarterback Josh Lamberson – who played for and later coached for Dorrel at NW Missouri – is the new offensive coordinator, while former University of Sioux Falls defensive coordinator Tremaine Jackson was hired to the same position at ACU. Lamberson most recently spent two seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and will also have the title of assistant head coach.
"Josh played for me at Northwest Missouri State and then we coached together after his playing career ended," Dorrel said of Lamberson. "We have a very special relationship, and I'm excited that we're back together at ACU. Josh is great working with and coaching the quarterbacks, and he'll develop great relationships with those guys.
"I haven't worked with Tremaine before, but we have several mutual friends and they all spoke highly of him," Dorrel said of Jackson. "One of my best friends worked with him previously and one of the things he kept coming back to when talking about Tremaine was that he has a great personality, he's high energy and he's a man of great character. When we talked on the phone, so many things resonated with me in terms of how he wants to coach and how he wants our guys to play."
Former NW Missouri State assistant coach Ryan Gent joined the staff as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, while another former NW Missouri State assistant coach, Blake Andersen, joins the Wildcats as the defensive line coach. Former Colgate assistant coach Jordan Brown is the new linebackers coach, while former New Mexico all-conference defensive lineman Jacori Greer will help coach the defensive line.
Former Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh – who spent the 2016 season as a graduate assistant coach at TCU – is now the running backs coach on the ACU staff. The only coach retained from the previous ACU coaching staff is defensive backs coach Ray Brown.
"I believe we hit a home run with this entire staff," Dorrel said. "They're all going to be great recruiters, coaches and teachers. They'll be high quality and high character guys, and they'll be great with our student-athletes."
ABILENE — New ACU head football coach Adam Dorrel wasted little time in filling out his coaching staff, announcing 10 assistant coach hirings over a two-week period in late December.
Two coaches with ACU ties are now on the staff, including former Wildcat defensive back and NFL standout Danieal Manning, who returns as an undergraduate student assistant coach working with safeties. Manning is 38 credit hours short of earning his degree and will work toward his bachelor's degree while coaching at ACU.
"It was a no-brainer to bring Danieal onto the staff when he decided he wanted to come back to school and finish his degree," Dorrel said. "He told me the first day that he didn't want any special treatment; that if it was his turn to get doughnuts that he would get them. He's very sharp and that came across to everyone very quickly.
"His story and how he shares it is very powerful," Dorrel said. "I already know that he'll have an excellent rapport with our players and in developing relationships."
Derron Montgomery – who has coached at Miami and Michigan before serving as the offensive coordinator at New Mexico Highlands in 2016 – joins the ACU staff as the fullbacks / tight ends coach. Montgomery ('11) is the son of ACU's all-time leading rusher and former NFL assistant coach, Wilbert Montgomery ('77).
"The people I talked to at Michigan and New Mexico Highlands about Derron spoke extremely highly of him and his work ethic, his knowledge and his ability," Dorrel said. "In all of our meetings early on, we are on the same page in terms of how we want to play and that's by being physical in the running game. And I believe he'll kill it on the recruiting trail."
Former Northwest Missouri State University quarterback Josh Lamberson – who played for and later coached for Dorrel at NW Missouri – is the new offensive coordinator, while former University of Sioux Falls defensive coordinator Tremaine Jackson was hired to the same position at ACU. Lamberson most recently spent two seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and will also have the title of assistant head coach.
"Josh played for me at Northwest Missouri State and then we coached together after his playing career ended," Dorrel said of Lamberson. "We have a very special relationship, and I'm excited that we're back together at ACU. Josh is great working with and coaching the quarterbacks, and he'll develop great relationships with those guys.
"I haven't worked with Tremaine before, but we have several mutual friends and they all spoke highly of him," Dorrel said of Jackson. "One of my best friends worked with him previously and one of the things he kept coming back to when talking about Tremaine was that he has a great personality, he's high energy and he's a man of great character. When we talked on the phone, so many things resonated with me in terms of how he wants to coach and how he wants our guys to play."
Former NW Missouri State assistant coach Ryan Gent joined the staff as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, while another former NW Missouri State assistant coach, Blake Andersen, joins the Wildcats as the defensive line coach. Former Colgate assistant coach Jordan Brown is the new linebackers coach, while former New Mexico all-conference defensive lineman Jacori Greer will help coach the defensive line.
Former Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh – who spent the 2016 season as a graduate assistant coach at TCU – is now the running backs coach on the ACU staff. The only coach retained from the previous ACU coaching staff is defensive backs coach Ray Brown.
"I believe we hit a home run with this entire staff," Dorrel said. "They're all going to be great recruiters, coaches and teachers. They'll be high quality and high character guys, and they'll be great with our student-athletes."
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