Head coach Jared Elliott welcomed Tom Anthony to his coaching staff in March of 2019. The former Texas Southern defensive coordinator (2016-18) will work in the same capacity at Western Illinois while also serving as the outside linebackers’ coach.
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With three seasons under his belt at TSU, Anthony helped architect one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s top defensive units. The Tigers finished the 2016 season ranked third in rush defense and fourth in scoring defense, and were tied for second in the SWAC in interceptions in 2018.
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Anthony is no stranger to guiding his team to league accomplishments as he also coached St. Ambrose (2014-15) to the top-rank rush defense in the conference -- the 12th best in the nation – with seven all-conference players. His previous stops included Lake Erie College, Baldwin-Wallace College, Miami of Ohio, Youngstown State, St. Francis and Augustana College.
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Anthony has coached two NFL players Brandian Ross (Oakland Raiders) and Dayonne Nunley (San Diego Chargers) and had a professional career of his own with a stint in the Arena Football League with the New York Dragons, the Albany Quest, and the Quad City Steamwheelers.
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He received his bachelor’s degree in political science at Augustana and a Master’s of Science in Management at Joliet. He earned first-team All-American recognition in 2005, leading the NCAA in interceptions (13). Â
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Anthony and his wife Kelsey have two children, Becca and Michael.
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