army black knights
assistant coaching staff
OFFENSE
Offensive Coord/QB’s: Ian Shields, 1st year
Shields spent 2006-’07 as the HC at Eastern Oregon
before spending LY as an asst HC/OC at Cal Poly. Prior
to EOU, Shields spent time at Cal Poly (2004-’05) as
the team’s offensive coordinator under new Army HC
Rich Ellerson.
FB’s/Special Teams: Joe Ross, 1st year
Ross is a former West Point graduate who returns to his
alma mater for his first season. He will assist with the
special teams as well as coach the FB’s in 2009.
Wide Receivers: Andy Guyader, 1st year
Guyader spent the past 5 seasons working with new Army
HC Ellerson at Cal Poly as the WR coach. Prior to Cal
Poly, Guyader spent his first 3 years of coaching as the
offensive coordinator at Pasadena Poly HS.
Slot Backs/Recruit Coord: Tucker Waugh, 3rd year
Waugh takes over the slot backs this season after spending the last 2 years as the RB coach here. This marks
his 8th season at West Point combined as he coached
under former HC Bobby Ross from ‘00-’04. He has also
had stops at Stanford, Illinois St, DePauw & Otterbein
during his coaching career.
Offensive Guards/Centers: Gene McKeehan, 1st year
McKeehan spent the past 8 years working with Ellerson at
Cal Poly in such roles as associate HC, OC, RB coach &
OL coach. Prior to Cal Poly, McKeehan spent 6 years on
Navy’s coaching staff while also having coaching stops
at Utah St, Wake Forest & Virginia.
Offensive Tackles: Bill Tripp, 1st year
Tripp spent the past 3 seasons working under Ellerson
at Cal Poly as both the OL coach & DL coach. Tripp has
coached in the HS, Arena Football or collegiate ranks
since 1971.
DEFENSE
Co-Defensive Coord/Safeties: Chris Smeland, 1st year
Smeland enters his 25th year of coaching at the defensive
coordinator level including stops at Utah State, Louisville
& Michigan State. Smeland also spent 4 years as member
of the Hawaii defensive coaching staff including spending
1 year with Ellerson there.
Co-Defensive Coord/Linebackers: Payam Saadat, 1st year
Saadat joins the coaching staff at West Point after spending
the previous 5 seasons (3 as the defensive coordinator) at
Cal Poly under Ellerson. Saadat has also coached at Saint
Mary’s & his alma mater, Washington State.
Defensive Ends: John Mumford, 10th year
Mumford has worked with Army’s DL since the summer of
‘00 and took over as the interim HC for the final 7 games
of ‘03. He was promoted to DC in ‘04 but moves back to
coaching just DE’s with the HC change. Prior to arriving
here, he was the HC at SE Missouri St from ‘90-’99 (Conf
Coach of the Year in ‘94) after serving 1 season as the
DC there before being promoted. He also worked for 7
seasons as an Asst at South Dakota and began his career
as a Grad Asst at Kansas.
Defensive Tackles: Capt. Clarence Holmes, 7th year
Capt. Holmes enters his 6th season as a full-time staff
member and his 7th year here overall. He began as a
Grad Asst in ‘03. He graduated from Army as the team’s
all-time career leader in sacks (11.5) and is 7th in tfl.
WHIP Linebackers: Robert Lyles, 3rd year
Lyles, an 8 year NFL veteran (Houston Oilers, Atlanta
Falcons) begins his 3rd season here after working in the
NFL’s Minority Coach Fellowship Program. He also has 2
yrs as a HC in the AFL after playing 2 years in the AFL.
Cornerbacks: Tony Coaxum, 3rd year
Coaxum enters his 3rd year with the program but first
as the Cornerbacks coach here as he spent the previous 2 seasons as the Linebackers coach. Prior to Army,
Coaxum spent 2005-’06 as the co-defensive coordinator
at Henry County High School in McDonough, GA.
Rovers/B-Squad: John Brock, 3rd year
Brock enters his 3rd year with Army and now adds the
role of Rovers & B-Squad coach to his Director of Player
Personnel title