GRAND FORKS, N.D. - University of North Dakota head football coach Chris Mussman announced a trio of staff additions along with assignment and title changes for some of his other assistant football coaches on Friday.
The additions to Mussman's staff include one new name and a pair of familiar ones. The fresh face belongs to Wes Nurse, who comes to UND from UC Davis where he spent one season coaching the Aggie cornerbacks. The two familiar names that UND fans will recognize belong to Kyle Myers and Jeff Richter.
"We are fortunate to be able to add Wes to our staff. He is our newest addition and what he brings is a perspective from all different levels from his playing days to his coaching days," Mussman said. "He has coached at two FCS schools and two FBS schools and with his connections at those schools and his ability to recruit in those areas, we felt like it was a very good fit."
Myers returns to the UND staff after a season as the defensive coordinator at Northland Community College, while Richter returns to his alma mater for his first stint on the coaching staff.
"Kyle was a volunteer assistant for us a couple of seasons ago and we were keeping an eye on him last season over at Northland," Mussman said. "He did a nice job over there with recruiting and coaching and when we had a position come open, he was one of the first guys that came to mind. We're glad to have him back in a bigger role.
"And with Jeff, we had an opportunity to bring another former player back into the program. He has been with us for a couple months now and did a great job in the spring with our tight ends. He is very adept with the video stuff and the technology part of it, so it's great to have a guy back that has worn the jersey and knows what it means to play here."
With the addition of Nurse, assistant coach Benny Boyd will move from coaching the cornerbacks to overseeing the secondary in 2012. Myers will coach the outside linebackers, allowing special teams coordinator Josh Kotelnicki to work exclusively with the inside linebackers. Kotelnicki also received the title of assistant head coach.
Mike Mannausau, who was the co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, is now the sole defensive coordinator and associate head coach. Richter will take over Luke Schleusner's role as the tight ends coach with the former UND wide receiver switching to coach his old position.
"In addition to the new staff members, I wanted to reward some current guys for their hard work and I've given Josh Kotelnicki the title of assistant head coach and elevated Mike Mannausau to associate head coach," Mussman said. "Josh has done a great job in reorganizing our recruiting and with the special teams and he deserves this title. Both him and Mike are alums and you want to keep guys like that around your program and reward them for the great work they have done."
For Nurse, this will be his eighth season coaching at the college ranks after a storied playing career in the defensive backfield at Boise State (1999-2003). He worked as a defensive graduate assistant at his alma mater from 2005-06 before landing his first full-time time job at The Citadel (2007). Prior to his latest one-year stint at UC Davis, Nurse was a quality control coach at the FBS level with Houston for three seasons (2008-10).
"I am fired up about being a part of the UND football tradition," Nurse said. "From what I have seen so far, we are taking every step possible to be a top Division I FCS program. I am extremely happy to be a part of this process as we transition to the Big Sky Conference and my family and I felt like this was a great opportunity for us."
Myers is coming off a one-year stint at Northland where he coordinated a defense that set school records with 23 interceptions, five defensive touchdowns and 120 tackles for loss. He was also the recruiting and special teams coordinator for the Pioneers.
"I am definitely fortunate to be able to come back and work with the staff here at UND," Myers said. "I look up to several of them as mentors and appreciate all they have contributed to me in order for me to get to this point of my career. I'm excited to be back and continue to learn from them and help this program the best I can."
Richter graduated from UND in 2008 with a degree in physical education and exercise science. He earned three letters on the gridiron and was a member on the final North Central Conference Championship team in program history in 2006.
Richter comes back to UND after spending the 2010 and 2011 seasons as the tight ends coach at Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D. He spent his first year out of college as an assistant coach in 2009 at Red River High School in Grand Forks.
"I am excited to be back in Grand Forks and be a part of the UND football program again," Richter said. "I had a special time here as a player and being able to coach here is something I have always wanted to do."
UND will open the 2012 season, which will be the team's first in the Big Sky Conference, with a home game against South Dakota School of Mines on Thursday, Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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