Elliott Announces Staffing Updates

Jared Elliott welcomed three new coaches while announcing role changes for the current staff.

MACOMB, Ill. – Jared Elliott and the Western Illinois football team are continually making strides toward the 2018 season. In February, the recently-named head coach announced the 21 commits that joined the program between the early and regular signing periods, and on Monday (March 19), he announced updates to his coaching staff.

Elliott welcomed three new faces in Josh Zidenberg (defensive backs), John Haneline (defensive line) and Mike Brown (wide receivers), while also announcing role changes for the current staff.

Ty Howle was named assistant head coach and will continue his work with the offensive line while adding co-offensive coordinator duties. The offensive staff also includes David Rocco as a co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and JP Boudreaux as a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

Defensively, Tyler Stockton will be charged as the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach while Deion Melvin will work with inside linebackers and coordinate the defensive run game.

Radmen Niven also joined the staff as a graduate assistant for video operations and player personnel.

"I love the guys on this staff. The first and most important thing to me is the quality and character of these coaches. They are all tremendous teachers of the game and have a passion for making an impact on the lives of young men. They bring energy and a positive outlook to our program daily," said Elliott.

"Our staff understands the rich tradition of Leatherneck football and take great pride in who we are. We are excited to tackle the challenges of the Missouri Valley [Football] Conference together."

Zidenberg spent the 2017 season coaching running backs at Lafayette College, where he developed scouting reports and game plans for the Leopards' run game, while also handling defensive breakdowns.

Prior to his time in Easton, Pa., he was a safeties and co-special teams coordinator at the Virginia Military Institute from 2015-17. During the 2016 season, he coached Greg Sanders to Second Team All-Southern Conference honors, and also helped the Keydets to top rankings in the country. As a punt unit, the team ranked 19th in total yards allowed per return, and on kickoff coverage, it ranked 12th in total yards allowed per return. VMI was also ranked 39th in red zone defense.

Zidenberg was also a graduate assistant at the University of Connecticut where he worked with the linebacker position.

He graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in anthropology, and later earned a Master in Education in Administration and Supervision. Zidenberg played football for the university from 2004-09, earning three varsity letters for offense and special teams.

Haneline joins Western after two seasons at Mississippi State University where he was charged with defensive quality control. In his role, he assisted in coaching the defensive line, completed all opponent and defensive breakdowns, and helped coordinate the scout offense. His first stint with the Bulldogs was as a defensive graduate assistant and interim linebackers coach.

Haneline's career has also featured stops at Colorado School of Mines, the University of Toledo and Ohio Northern University.

He suited up for the Bowling Green State University football team from 2004-09, and was a four-year letter winner and three-year starter. The Falcons were crowned the GMAC Bowl champions in 2004 and earned the Mid-American East co-champion title in 2007.

He received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in general business.

Brown is a former National Football League wide receiver and punt returner, who also boasts Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) experience.

He spent the 2017 season at the University of Delaware where he was responsible for the running backs unit, practice preparation and film breakdown, and joined the coaching ranks a year prior, serving under head coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan.

During his time with the Wolverines, Brown was an offensive analyst and running backs assistant.

He played at Liberty University from 2007-11, helping the Flames to four straight Big South Conference titles as both a quarterback and wide receiver. Brown was a three-year offensive captain for the Flames, and earned All-American and Big South Player of the Year honors as a receiver in 2009 and as a quarterback in 2010.

In the professional ranks, he spent three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and another with the Carolina Panthers.

Brown received a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance with a minor in coaching from Liberty in 2011.

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