DeBoer UW Staff Should Be Finalized After New Mexico Bowl
While it was always a given that Kalen DeBoer would bring Fresno State assistant coaches with him to the University of Washington, it wasn't clear how many.
If a report by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg is accurate, DeBoer will settle on six — four coming once Fresno State (9-3) faces UTEP (7-5) on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.
Bulldogs interim head coach Lee Marks is expected to become DeBoer's running-backs coach, William Inge the defensive coordinator, Chuck Morrell the safeties coach and Eric Schmidt the edge-rushers coach, with only Schmidt changing his duties, moving from Fresno State defensive-line coach to direct the UW edge rushers.
If it pans out this way, the idea of Orlondo Steinauer leaving the CFL and his job as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach to return to his hometown and become DeBoer's defensive coordinator will end up as nothing more than an intriguing flirtation.
Steinauer might never reveal how much consideration he gave this opportunity, or how much he was given, but the job possibility dogged him throughout the week leading up to the Grey Cup, which his team lost 33-25 in overtime to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Inge is a former Iowa linebacker who has spent most of his coaching career in the Big Ten, seven years at Indiana, before DeBoer brought him to Fresno State for two seasons — to replace Steinauer. Previously, he worked for the Buffalo Bills, the University of Buffalo, Cincinnati, San Diego State, Colorado and Northern Iowa.
In 2020, Inge's Fresno State defense finished third in the nation in sacks with 4.1 per game and five of his defenders, including three defensive lineman, were named all-conference.
William Inge coached at Indiana before coming to Fresno State.
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Marks, 39, is a former Boise State all-conference running back who played for coach Dan Hawkins in 2001-2005 and coached the backs at his alma mater for Bryan Harsin.
When DeBoer left for Washington, Marks, the Bulldogs' assistant head coach and run-game coordinator, was put in charge of the team for the New Mexico Bowl.
Lee Marks is serving as Fresno State interim coach at the New Mexico Bowl.
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Morrell is a former Montana Tech football coach and athletic director who spent nine years at the NAIA school in Butte. He won three Frontier Conference championships and was named coach of the year each time. He left there to join DeBoer at Fresno State.
Previously coaching together for a decade at Sioux Falls, Morrell and DeBoer shared in three NAIA national championships. They also played together for two seasons at the same school as a safety and a wide receiver, respectively.
Schmidt played linebacker at North Dakota and coached two different stints over eight seasons at his alma mater. In 2018, he was the defensive coordinator for the Fighting Hawks when they lost 45-3 in Husky Stadium. He met DeBoer when they coached together for four seasons at Southern Illinois.
With or without Steinauer, DeBoer it appears is hiring only coaches with whom he has had a prior working relationship.
His predecessor, Jimmy Lake, didn't do this when Lake took a flier on John Donovan as his Husky offensive coordinator, hiring him sight unseen and based only on a recommendation and sit-down interview.
Steinauer would have been a big splash the UW, but it's possible the Seattle native prefers being a head coach who only answers to himself, even if the CFL pay pales to Power 5 football. And he doesn't have to recruit.
Projected DeBoer UW coaching staff:
Offensive coordinator, QBs — Ryan Grubb (Fresno State)
Defensive coordinator, LBs — William Inge (Fresno State)
Offensive line — Scott Huff (UW)
Defensive line — Inoke Breckterfield (Vanderbilt)
Running backs — Lee Marks (Fresno State)
Wide receivers — Junior Adams (UW)
Tight ends — Nick Sheridan (Indiana)
Cornerbacks coach — Juice Brown (Fresno State)
Safeties coach — Chuck Morrell (Fresno State)
Outside LBs, special teams — Eric Schmidt (Fresno State)
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