After leaving Western Kentucky, Harbaugh served as an associate athletic director at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where his son-in-law, Tom Crean, was the head coach of the men's basketball team. Western Kentucky University football coach Willie Taggart has announced an addition to his coaching staff and several changes in responsibility as the Hilltoppers prepare for spring practice. Roberts struggled through his first three seasons posting a record 10221 before turning things around. at Houchens-Smith Stadium against Austin Peay on Sept. 1. Sheridan worked primarily with the "I'm excited about the opportunity to come here and work with Coach Helton and the new OC Zach Kittley. Athletics | Western Kentucky University Accepted temperature range: Below 100.3 F normal, above 100.4 F abnormal Assessment of ALL Athletic Department personnel required prior to return to approved level of activity Approved level of authorization could be, but not limited to, medical, WKU, WKU Athletics, state and local LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Would you like to receive a digest of each day's headlines & events from The Daily News by email? "We're excited for the guys that we have and the guys that decided to come back and play football here for WKU," Crum said. J.L. RWxlbWVudHNCeVRhZ05hbWUoInNjcmlwdCIpWzBdOyBzLmFzeW5jID0gdHJ1 During Western Kentucky's Board of Regents meeting on Friday, May 15, it was announced the football staff would be getting a raise, some members have much as 17 percent. [2] When he retired from coaching football in 1928, Diddle posted a record of 38242. Email Address. In 1963, Denes led the Hilltoppers to their second bowl game victory, defeating Coast Guard 270 in the Tangerine Bowl, a season where the Hilltoppers went 1001 and set a new school record for wins. Taggart has been the first Black head coach at five different college programs - Western Kentucky (2010-12), South Florida (2013-16), Oregon . "I'm excited to officially welcome Coach Brumfield and his family to the Georgia Tech football family," Key said. Things only got worse for the Hilltoppers in 2009 after they finally became full members of the Sun Belt Conference. In 1992, WKU was on the verge of losing its football program after a state-mandated $6.1 million budget cut. Ben Arbuckle - who was an Offensive Quality Control coach in 2021 - will become a full-time assistant as a Co-Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach. "It's been a journey, but I'm just getting started," Locklyn said. The transition's been pretty simple, considering that I know all of these kids.". We won't share it with anyone else. [24] In WKU's last season as members of the Sun Belt, Antonio Andrews won Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year while Xavius Boyd won Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. cmlwdCc+PC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZGVvLWNvbnRhaW5lcicg In the early parts of the football offseason, the Hilltoppers lost two assistants. In 1946, Jesse Thomas returned to the Hill for his second stint as head coach. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field (Football) Ingles Court at the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center (Basketball, Volleyball) Catamount Athletic Complex (Soccer, Tennis, Track) Childress Field at Hennon Stadium (Baseball) Catamount Softball Complex (Softball) Spurlock played in the National Football League from 2006-14. WKU is losing veteran linemen Jordan Meredith, Seth Joest and Tyler Witt, but bring back some younger guys and a big transfer in Nebraska graduate transfer Boe Wilson. M.A. In eight seasons, Feix's teams have never suffered more [6] Preseason [ edit] Elson was hopeful to survive the transition as he asked for patience in building the program, but on Nov. 9th, 2009, prior to the end of the season, athletic director, Wood Selig had enough and fired Elson. Phone. John, on the other hand, was a coach at Cincinnati and could rely on his scouting services, deep contacts, and endless high school game footage to help out. 864-3392 . [39]:164165, WKU won the NCAA Division 1AA football national championship in 2002 and finished ranked number 1 in both final 1AA national polls that year. He then moved to Colorado State to be Defensive Coordinator in 2015 before earning a head coaching opportunity for Georgia Southern in 2016; the Eagles went 5-7 in his first season at the helm. WKU Athletics DEI Council. We won't share it with anyone else. Signup today! Number of employees at Western Kentucky University in year 2021 was 1,620. Thomas only stuck around WKU two more seasons with much less success than his first go around posting a 5102 record. [36] Mike Sanford finished his WKU tenure with a 916 record, and a 610 record against Conference USA opponents. 1:47. At the prep level, Davis spent four years as the athletic director and head football coach at Renaissance Christian Academy in Georgia from 2013-16, then spent one season as the Co-Offensive Coordinator at Westlake High School in Atlanta. He then spent three seasons working at Memphis as a weight room assistant (2017), offensive analyst (2018) and director of high school relations (2019) before following coach Mike Norvell to FSU. \ Spurlock returned to Ole Miss in 2020, joining Lane . The primary logo was switched in 2003 to a red towel with an embossed "WKU" wordmark in white.[45]. Beck, who is in his first year as a college football head coach, and his almost entirely new staff - outside linebackers/special teams coach Josh Miller is the lone assistant who stayed. In 2016, Brohm led WKU to their second consecutive 10+ win season for the first time in school history and their second straight C-USA Football Championship title. LUBBOCK, Texas- Zach Kittley, the architect behind one of the nation's top offenses this season at Western Kentucky, has been named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech, head coach Joey McGuireannounced Monday evening. Fresno State Athletics. Staff Directory. "There is no new total spending, it was reallocation money. WVU coach salaries by the numbers John Lowe, Sports Editor Jan 24, 2019 Updated Aug 19, 2022 1 of 15 Bob Huggins Graphic by John Lowe Neal Brown Graphic by John Lowe Mike Carey Graphic by John Lowe Randy Mazey Graphic by John Lowe Nikki Izzo-Brown Graphic by John Lowe Marlon LeBlanc Graphic by John Lowe Tim Flynn Graphic by John Lowe Reed Sunahara Later that day, former Auburn running backs coach Cadillac Williams was appointed interim head coach for the . linebackers coach after two seasons working with the defensive Mar 8, 2016 Mar 8, 2016 . [6] While Harbaugh and the team did their part, former WKU quarterback, coach and athletics director at the time, Jimmy Feix, started an emergency fundraising campaign writing letters and making calls to former WKU players, urging them to buy season tickets. "I can't sleep because I'm so fired up. They made it to the championship game against Louisiana Tech coming up just short and finishing the season 121, setting a new school record for wins that still stands. c2NyaXB0PgoKPG5vc2NyaXB0PgogIDxpbWcgc3JjPSJodHRwczovL3NiLnNj (270) 745-5311 Bio Tyson Helton was named Western Kentucky University's 21st head football coach on November 27, 2018. Before that, Davis coached at Morehouse College from 2017-18. College football team that represents Western Kentucky University, 2023 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, "WKU Alumni Association Mr. Jimmy Feix", "Harbaugh highlights WKU teams for inaugural Hall of Fame induction", "WKU 'Program Savers' re-unite on Saturday", "Harbaugh sons used unconventional means to help father build college football powerhouse", "Board Of Regents Votes To Elevate Western Kentucky Football To Division I-A Status", "Moving up? Andy LaRussa Retweeted. Jack and his wife Jackie are credited with saving the program which led to being honored in 2012 with naming rights to the stadium club at L. T. Smith Stadium. The Hilltoppers were very successful in this era posting an outstanding a 60204 record. In 1920, L. T. Smith, whose name bears the Hilltoppers' home stadium, took the reins and coached the team for two seasons. Davis spent the 2021 campaign at McMurry University, where the War Hawks' top three running backs Kameron Session, Dee Robinson and Aeneaus Gray combined for 1,097 yards on 225 carries (4.9 average) with seven touchdowns in nine games. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the team's head football coach is Tyson Helton. The Hilltoppers competed in two "College Division" bowl games prior to the NCAA instituting playoffs for lower division teams in 1973, with a record of 20. What majors and programs are available at WKU? The university's cupola is inscribed on the chest plate and the line from the school's alma mater "We shall never fail thee" is written on the bottom of the jersey. After spending the past two seasons working in an offensive quality control position, Hamby is entering his first year as WKU's offensive line coach, replacing Mike Goff. LOS ANGELES Chip Kelly signed a two-year extension with UCLA that keeps him under contract through 2027. And actually happens with every single program in the county.". Kittley will become the new offensive coordinator for Texas Tech, per Texas Tech . Hamby inherits an offensive line group that was ranked the 14th-best unit by PFF College and finished last season ranked second in the nation in pass-blocking grade and 17th in run-blocking grade. "I am thankful and blessed for this great opportunity," said Spurlock. BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Da'Von Brown has been hired as WKU's new defensive backs coach, head coach Tyson Helton announced Thursday. W-Club. . Davion Ervin-Poindexter. If he opts against hiring a full-time offensive coordinator for next season, Helton said Arbuckle who followed Kittley from Houston Baptist and has served this season as an offensive quality control coach would be the Hilltoppers play-caller on game days. WKU Football Recruiting. If you give them the impression counseling is an OK choice, Choose wisely! [32], On December 5, 2016 it was announced that Jeff Brohm would be leaving to take the head coach position at Purdue and that defensive coordinator Nick Holt would be filling in as interim head coach leading into their bowl game. endobj New assistant coaches Kenny Baker and. A Texas Tech graduate, Hamby spent three seasons working under Kliff Kingsbury at TTU serving as the assistant offensive line coach before spending the next three seasons as Bowling Green State's offensive line coach. ZTsKICAgIC8vIGxvYWRpbmcgdGhlIGV2ZXJncmVlbiB2ZXJzaW9uIG9mIGNz Leaving his job as offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, Mike Sanford returned to WKU, this time as head coach, after serving as quarterbacks coach under Willie Taggart in 2010. In 1994, with unwavering faith in their father, both of his sons, Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh, decided to help however they could. If your Faculty/Staff information is incorrect, please contact the Human Resources at 270-745-5360. LmpzIHNvIHdlIGFsd2F5cyBoYXZlIHRoZSBsYXN0IHZlcnNpb24KICAgIHMu b3JlY2FyZHJlc2VhcmNoLmNvbS9wP2MxPTImYzI9NzI0MTQ2OSZjNz1odHRw If you need help enabling JavaScript, please contact the. "You know we're 12th of the 14 members in Conference USA in the budget," Stewart said. Ellis was named the new offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern and Hamby is joining Kittley as offensive line coach at Texas Tech. Red and white are the primary colors of the football uniforms with an occasional gray or black uniform. This college football 1960s season article is a stub. Head coach Tyson Helton made the decision to reallocate the salaries of the two coaches among his current staff. 9 0 obj The following are the head coaches of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Both are due $2.5 million in 2020. Western Kentucky head football coach Tyson Helton has made some staff changes this offseason, with the latest three being the promotion of Maurice Crum to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Stephen Hamby to offensive line coach and Carlos Locklyn to running backs coach. The 2002 team was the FCS national champion. They were a member of the Sun Belt Conference. One new defensive staff change for WKU is Scott Vestal, who will be the inside linebackers coach next season. <> That was Western Kentucky's first win over a SEC opponent in program history. Categories . Y29tc2NvcmUgPSBfY29tc2NvcmUgfHwgW107CiAgX2NvbXNjb3JlLnB1c2go <>stream Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Visit WKU. Sheridan, a former quarterback at Michigan, fills To start the 2012 campaign, Summers went to UCF, where he was the Linebackers coach for two years before being promoted to Defensive Coordinator for the 2014 season. Taggart was the head coach for five different NCAA football programs in the past, including Oregon and Florida State. Summers boasts 20 years of coaching experience, while Davis is a rising star in the profession who was a former running back at Ole Miss. I want competition from the coaches, I want competition from the players. Led by Nick Denes in his 11th and final season as head coach, the Hilltoppers compiled and overall record of 711 with a mark of 511 in conference play, placing second in the OVC.[1]. spring game slated for April 14. "I'm over-the-top. NFC. ZWwucGFyZW50Tm9kZS5pbnNlcnRCZWZvcmUocywgZWwpOwogIH0pKCk7Cjwv [44] In 2006 the name of Division I-AA was changed to NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). a student, consider a referral to Counseling Center to help address these problems. Athletes have a unique position on college campuses---they often are seen as student Following the completion of Western Kentucky's football coaching staff last month with the hiring of new offensive . Jimmy Lindsey and Garrett Chachere. UA19/17/1/4 1976 Hilltopper Football The official Football Coach List for the Marshall University The Herd. All the efforts paid off and on April 30, 1992, the WKU Board of Regents voted to allow football to stay but with a reduced budget. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. [10], After serving on Harbaugh's coaching staff seven seasons, David Elson was promoted to head coach where he led the Hilltoppers for seven seasons. Qb"l '3>tp Coach Jimmy Feix The 1980 season will be Jimmy Feix's 13th year as head coach of the Hilltoppers, but his name has been closely connected with winning football at Western Kentucky for much longer than that. Terry Obee will return to his role as wide receivers coach after In 1975, the Hilltoppers made the playoff field again advancing to the title game for the second time, but once again having to settle for runner-up honors finishing their season with an 112 record. ICAgIGo9ZC5jcmVhdGVFbGVtZW50KHMpLGRsPWwhPSdkYXRhTGF5ZXInPycm Western Kentucky University football coach Willie Taggart has dCc6CiAgICAgICAgbmV3IERhdGUoKS5nZXRUaW1lKCksZXZlbnQ6J2d0bS5q Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - WKU Football has announced the hiring of Micheal Spurlock as the program's receivers coach. PULLMAN, Wash. With spring football practice just around the corner for Washington State, head coach Jake Dickert stopped by the KING 5 studios to talk . Feix was named head coach in December, 1967, when the late Nick Denes retired from active coaching. 2020 Western Kentucky Football Coaches and Staff. On December 7, 2012, prior to their December 26th bowl game, Taggart left WKU to accept the head football coach position at South Florida. From there, Taggart is credited with getting WKU's football program back on track after posting back to back 75 regular seasons that included an upset of Kentucky in Lexington in 2012. "There is no football coach, basketball coach anywhere in the county that has a tenure. The official Football Coach List for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. Create a password that only you will remember. coordinator each of the past two seasons, will focus solely on the 8 0 obj Assistant Strength Training & Conditioning Coach 864-294-3444 864-294-3444: Joe Novotasky: Assistant Strength Training & Conditioning Coach . The WKU Senate is devoted to furthering the university's mission by providing a forum for faculty deliberation and contribution to shared governance. The program has 13 conference championships (1 SIAA, 9 OVC, 1 Gateway, 2 Conference USA) and 6 FBS-level bowl game victories. Western Kentucky head football coach Tyson Helton has made some staff changes this offseason, with the latest three being the promotion of Maurice Crum to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Stephen Hamby to offensive line coach and Carlos Locklyn to running backs coach. WKU Campus Directory Campus Directory Faculty/Staff Select either the "Active" or "Retired" button, enter as much of the last and first name as known, then click on the SEARCH button. Assistant Coach - Defensive Ends/Special Teams Coordinator. With the bowl win under Coach Holt, that brought their total wins over three years to 31 becoming a dominant force in Conference USA and among the Group of Five.[34]. Earlier this month, Staggs was reportedly set to become the linebackers coach at Western Kentucky. Diddle took over the football program for seven seasons leading them to four winning seasons while also coaching the WKU Hilltoppers basketball team. d3MvY3J1bS1oYW1ieS1sb2NrbHluLWRpc2N1c3MtbmV3LXJvbGVzLXdpdGgt In his three seasons as head coach Jeff Brohm posted an outstanding 3010 record, 172 at home, and 205 against Conference USA opponents. On December 8, WKU announced it would be accepting an invite to play in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl in Dallas, TX against Western Michigan on December 30, 2019 and won 23-20. WKU After Diddle left the football program to focus on coaching basketball, WKU football went through a series of instability in coaching but also a series of 9 winning seasons. In addition to that group, the Toppers are also bringing in multiple transfers from Power Five schools. Helton said his team is excited for the promotions within the current staff. Invalid password or account does not exist. Image. WKU Quarterback Legend, Willie Taggart, returned to his alma mater as head football coach in 2010 after leaving his position as Stanford running backs coach,[16] where he served under Jack Harbaugh's son Jim Harbaugh. coordinator but will also now coach the entire offensive line. "Coach Brumfield fits the profile of our entire staff as a veteran coach who develops student-athletes on and off the field, is a strong recruiter and brings championship experience to our program." As for Martin, he joined Baltimore's staff in 2021 as . | Tyson Heltons Record with Western Kentucky. All Rights Reserved. They were an I-AA football independent from 1982 through 1998 and again in 2007 and 2008 while transitioning from FCS to FBS. Obviously his relationship with Bailey and the opportunity to have one more game together, I think thats really, really special so Im glad thats going to happen.. The Hilltoppers won six Ohio Valley Conference championships between 1970 and 1980. during his first year at WKU in 2010. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Cincinnati football head coach Scott Satterfield announced on Wednesday the hires of Brad Glenn, Nate . Founded in 1906, WKU is the second largest undergraduate institution in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with approximately 15,035 students (29% first generation, 18% underrepresented minority, 1% international) and nearly 2,508 faculty and staff employees*. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. goes to parents or coaches without student's permission). Is Coach Philip Montgomery on the Hot Seat? ends, and Eric Mathies will coach the entire defensive line. WKU opens the 2012 regular season The Hilltoppers play their home games at Houchens IndustriesL. Get a yearly subscription for $99.95/year or $9.95/month. On November 26, 2018, WKU announced the hire of Tennessee offensive coordinator Tyson Helton as the new Hilltoppers head coach. [27] In their first season under Brohm and as members of Conference USA, WKU went 85. Low 36F. The official 2023 Football Roster for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. That reduction is still in effect. NFC North; NFC East; NFC South; . The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football program is a college football team that represents Western Kentucky University. Create a password that only you will remember. [33] Holt led the Hilltoppers to their 3rd straight bowl victory beating Memphis 5131 in the Boca Raton Bowl finishing the season 113. parents, coaches, professors and friends. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. The Hilltoppers ranked eighth among FBS teams in passing yards allowed, 28th in total yards allowed and 41st in points allowed. c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j In 1973, the Hilltoppers went undefeated in the regular season before competing in the first-year NCAA Division II championship playoffs. [40] They were NCAA Division 2 national runners-up in 1973 and 1975. Did a deep dive on Oahu this go-around & will hit the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai in the spring. 2023 Western Kentucky University. It wasn't until the following year, 2012, that the Hilltoppers were invited to their first FBS-level bowl game, the Little Caesar's Bowl. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. OTE0JmN2PTIuMCZjaj0xJmNzX3VjZnI9MCIgLz4KPC9ub3NjcmlwdD4KPCEt 1 0 obj endstream You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Defensive coordinator Nick Holt led WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl. VE0tTUY2UFhYQycpOwo8L3NjcmlwdD4KPG5vc2NyaXB0Pgo8aWZyYW1lIGhl coordinator after working as an offensive graduate assistant for Following his collegiate career, Davis had proopportunities with the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Blizzards before starting his coaching career. [30], In 2015, Brohm led WKU to a ten-win regular season, highlighted by an undefeated conference record, WKU's first appearance in the top 25, and a Conference USA Championship beating Southern Miss 4528. Your inbox approves The power couples . Jimmy Lindsey and Garrett Chachere. Having already made up his mind that he was not going to quit, he talked with his players left them a choice: accept defeat and leave, or fight to stay. Your account has an invalid email address. WKU lost every game that season, going 012, posting their worst record in school history. on Exposure", "Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football Future Schedules", Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, Western Kentucky University Heating Plant, List of Western Kentucky University people, Conference USA Football Championship Game, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_Kentucky_Hilltoppers_football&oldid=1142589614, American football teams established in 1908, Articles that may be too long from January 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, L.T. WKU has several historic rivalries that stem from its time in the Ohio Valley Conference. BOWLING GREEN, Ky. WKU Football has hired Tyson Summers as Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties coach, as well as Enrique Davis as Running Backs coach, it was announced Friday morning. Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. Western Kentucky University. University Website. Helton said former WKU co-offensive coordinator/inside receiver coach Bryan Ellis and former offensive line coach Stephen Hamby will not coach in the bowl game. [11] Elson's first four seasons as head coach were at the Division I-AA level (now FCS) where he picked up where Harbaugh left and posted four straight winning seasons, a record of 3017, and two playoff berths. Walt Wells will continue as running game 24 in AP poll", "Champs Again! Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. Dec. 14, 2021 5:14 p.m. Dan Lanning's $29.1 million contract spans six years, making him the conference's fifth highest paid coach A University of Oregon committee Tuesday approved a $29.1. cyUzQSUyRiUyRndrdS5yaXZhbHMuY29tJTJGbmV3cyUyRmNydW0taGFtYnkt Feix became the most successful and longest-tenured coach in Western Kentucky football history while leading the Hilltoppers in a transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS). In 1949, after losing the first two games to start the season, Clayton started a freshman quarterback by the name of Jimmy Feix winning 5 of the last 7 games that season. Menu. By 1952, with Feix now in his senior year, Clayton coached WKU to their first Ohio Valley Conference championship, tied the school record for wins, and the school's first bowl appearance, winning 3419 over Arkansas State in the Refrigerator Bowl, finishing the season 91. Keeler in his tenth year as head coach. Email: micheal.spurlock@wku.edu. Is Coach Ken Niumatalolo on the Hot Seat? 1089 days ago . Name. He then went on to Troy, Georgia and Georgia Southern over the next three seasons before coaching at UAB from 2007-11; Summers' time at UAB coincided with Tyson Helton, who was in Birmingham from 2007-12. In 2007, WKU initiated the transition to NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and became ineligible for any further playoff appearances. WKU starting offensive tackle Mason Brooks and starting wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley have both entered the transfer portal, but both will play to play in the Hilltoppers bowl game, Helton confirmed Thursday. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. X2Nvb2tpZXNfd2luPXgnIHN0eWxlPSdkaXNwbGF5Om5vbmU7dmlzaWJpbGl0 Would you like to receive a weekly digest of headlines & events from The Amplifier by email? I'm extremely honored to be in this position, and really excited just to work. bS9ucy5odG1sP2lkPUdUTS1NRjZQWFhDJmFtcDtndG1fYXV0aD1LaEg2aGVD Smith (19201921, Head Coach) Namesake of, Nick Denes (19571967, Head Coach) Namesake of, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 07:37. 2014 Western Kentucky (OC/QB Coach) 8-5 2013 Cincinnati (TE/ST Coach) 2012 UAB (RB Coach) 3-9. Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 859-622-8295 859-622-8295: Tyler Anderson: Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Bryant Bowen: Volunteer Assistant Coach . Despite the surprising 75 record in 2011, a season in which the Hilltoppers went 71 in their final eight games, they were not invited to a bowl game. Is Coach Ken Niumatalolo on the Hot Seat? In 1987 and 1988 Roberts took the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs coming up short to rival EKU both years. Spurlock joins the Hilltoppers after serving the 2022 season as a special teams assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers. Western Kentucky approves upgrade to I-A", "Western Kentucky fires coach amid 0-9 season", "W. Kentucky hires Stanford's Taggart as coach", "Western Kentucky hires Stanford assistant Willie Taggart as coach USATODAY.com", "Little Caesars Bowl: Western Kentucky gamble fails; Central Michigan wins", "Bobby Petrino hired as new Western Kentucky head coach", "Bobby Petrino is new WKU football coach", "Western Kentucky to Join Conference USA in 2014", "Kentucky Wildcats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Recap", "Louisville Cardinals hire Bobby Petrino as football coach", "Jeff Brohm hired as coach of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers", "After filling up stat sheet last year, Brandon Doughty focusing on championship", "Hilltoppers finish season ranked No.