Houston Names Initial Hires to Staff, Including both Coordinators

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison head football coach Mike Houston on Thursday announced the initial pieces towards the composition of his coaching staff for the 2016 season with the hiring of Donnie Kirkpatrick and Bob Trott as offense and defensive coordinators, respectively. Two other coaching veterans will join the staff as position coaches in JMU alum Bryan Stinespring and Virginia All-American Byron Thweatt.

In addition to coordinating the offense, Kirkpatrick will also coach the quarterbacks while Trott will focus on the safeties on the defensive side of the ball. Stinespring will coach the tight ends and serve as the run-game coordinator while Thweatt will manage the inside linebackers. The four new hires join Houston's staff with current assistant coaches John Bowers and Jamal Powell.

"To be able to bring the experience that both Bob and Donnie have had at the highest level and the success they have had on the staffs they've been on is really a special combination," Houston said. "I think this says a lot about James Madison University and JMU football that we're able to attract two coaches of this caliber."

Donnie Kirkpatrick – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
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Kirkpatrick brings 32 years of collegiate coaching experience to Harrisonburg, including the previous 11 seasons on the staff at East Carolina.

"Donnie has been a part of some really good offenses at East Carolina and had a lot of success there. He's had a lot of success as a head coach and offensive coordinator at previous stops. I know him very well and have known him for some time. I know how he'll fit in with the rest of our staff. I know how he is with the kids and what kind of recruiter he is. I think he's a smart football coach who will use the talent we have on the roster right now and also the talent we have in the recruiting class, he'll use that talent the right way.

During his tenure managing the Pirate receivers from 2005-15, Kirkpatrick produced six First Team All-Conference (C-USA, AAC) selections, two All-Rookie Team choices, an Associated Press All-American, a league most valuable player award, an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision career record and three NFL draft picks.He helped lead ECU to back-to-back Conference USA championships in 2008-09 and eight bowl appearances, including wins in the 2007 Hawai'i Bowl against Boise State and the 2013 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl against Ohio.

In 2014, Kirkpatrick finished his final season coaching Justin Hardy, who set a NCAA career record with 387 career receptions on his way to being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Kirkpatrick coached Hardy, formerly a walk-on, to ECU rookie records of 64 receptions and 658 yards in 2011.

Other NFL draftees under Kirkpatrick included Aundrea Allison, his first 1000-yard receiver, and a fifth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2007 Draft, and 2010 C-USA MVP Dwayne Harris, who was a sixth-round draft choice in 2011 by the Dallas Cowboys.

Kirkpatrick possesses three years of head coaching experience as he led Chattanooga's football team from 2000-02. He was also offensive coordinator at UTC the two years before becoming head coach. He has had additional coaching stops at Louisville (1995-97), Eastern Michigan (1993-94), South Carolina (1989-92) and Appalachian State (1984-88).

Bob Trott – Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

Trott brings 40 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience to Harrisonburg, which includes nine years in the National Football League, working under the likes of Bill Parcells and Romeo Crennel, and 17 years at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, where he has been associated with Al Groh, Kevin Steele, Fred Goldsmith and Ken Hatfield.

"Bob has had success at every level and he's been at the highest level," Houston said "He is great at relating to kids and is a smart football coach who will take the talent we have and build on the strengths of the players who are in our program. He and I share the same philosophies and have shared ideas for many years. I know we will be on the same page and I trust him."

Trott spent the previous six seasons (2010-15) at Colonial Athletic Association rival Richmond, where he served the same role with the Spiders. In his final two seasons with the program, he helped UR to the NCAA FCS playoffs, including a berth in the 2015 semifinals.

In 2015, Trott's defense led the nation in interceptions (22) and ranked seventh nationally in total takeaways (30). He coached defensive back David Jones to All-America honors after he was one of the nation's top defensive players with 11 takeaways, including nine interceptions, which ranked third nationally. Four of Richmond's defensive players were named to All-CAA teams, including three on the First Team.

In total, Trott produced 24 All-CAA honorees defensively, including Eric McBride, who was the 2010 CAA co-Defensive Player of the Year. Richmond's defense yearly ranked among the nation's best in takeaway, including leading FCS in interceptions (24) and turnover margin (+24) in 2012. That same year, he coached defensive back Cooper Taylor to All-America honors by six separate media outlets. The Spider defense had a pair of players move on to the NFL after the 2010 season as Justin Rogers was drafted by the Buffalo Bills and Martin Parker signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Giants.

Before UR, Trott spent one season at Virginia (2009) as linebackers coach. Prior to his one-year stint in Charlottesville, Trott spent four years (2005-08) on Romeo Crennel's Cleveland Browns staff as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach. His coaching resume also includes NFL stops with the New England Patriots (1993-95), where he coached under Bill Parcells and advanced to the 1994 NFL playoffs, and the New York Giants (1991-92).

Trott served as a defensive coordinator at five other institutions, including Louisiana Monroe (2003-04), Baylor (2002), Duke (1996-01), Clemson (1990) and Arkansas (1984-89). He was also a defensive assistant at Air Force (1978-83) and a graduate assistant at his alma mater, North Carolina (1976-77). During his career, he has been a part of 12 bowl games, both as a player and coach.

Bryan Stinespring – Tight Ends/Run-Game Coordinator

Stinespring returns home to his alma mater after spending the previous 26 years on Frank Beamer's coaching staff at Virginia Tech (1990-2015).

In his time with Tech, the program won seven conference championships and advanced to 23 consecutive bowl games. The Hokies earned invitations to eight BCS bowl games, including the national championship game in the 1999 season.

"We're bringing a guy in who wants to be at JMU and had a vested interest in the university as an alum," Houston said. "He's an outstanding recruiter in the state of Virginia and has that reputation from his time at Virginia Tech. He had great success as a position coach and a coordinator, so I believe he's a great asset to our program."

Stinespring spent the past three years serving as the recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach after an 11-year stint as offensive coordinator from 2002-12. He was primarily the team's tight ends coach for his final 10 seasons (2006-15).

The past two seasons, Stinespring guided Bucky Hodges to All-ACC accolades each year. In 2015, Hodges made 40 receptions for 530 yards and six touchdowns as he was named a Second Team All-ACC honoree by the coaches and Third Team member by the media while earning Freshman All-America status as a freshman after accumulating 45 catches for 526 yards and seven scores in 2014. The seven receiving scores set Virginia Tech's single-season record for TDs by a tight end.

While Stinespring was the offensive coordinator, David Wilson broke VT's single-season rushing record in 2011 en route to being named ACC Player of the Year and becoming a first-round draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. His offense that season featured the top two receivers in school history and Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipient Blake DeChristopher. In 2010, the offense flourished behind ACC Player of the Year Tyrod Taylor, who quarterbacked the Hokies to the ACC championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl before entering the NFL. The year prior, Ryan Williams was the key piece in Virginia Tech's 14th-ranked rushing offense nationally.

Byron Thweatt – Inside Linebackers

Thweatt comes to Harrisonburg from Virginia State, where he spent the previous season as head coach at the NCAA Division II program.

"Byron previously worked with Coach Trott at Richmond, so he brings an understanding of our scheme and the defense we want to run at JMU," Houston said. "He has a great reputation in the state as a recruiter and has the experience of being a head coach that will help our coaching staff."

Thweatt led the Trojans to a 6-4 record and a third-place finish in the CIAA Northern Division in his lone season with the team. VSU ranked seventh in Division II in blocked kicks (8) and 25th in defensive touchdowns (3). The defense was seventh nationally in rushing defense (90.8) and 19th in scoring defense (18.9), while also ranking 12th in red zone defense (.652) and 27th in interceptions (8).

Prior to VSU, Thweatt spent eight seasons at Richmond (2007-14), where he coached the inside linebackers and added additional duties as Director of High School Relations for the last two years. During his time with the linebackers, the Spiders had eight All-CAA recognitions from the linebacker corps. He coached Eric Wright to three All-CAA accolades and both Aaron Roane and Darius McMillan to two apiece. Thweatt also spent the 2010 season working as position coach for four-time All-CAA honoree Eric McBride, who was named CAA co-Defensive Player of the Year that season.

Thweatt was a two-year captain for the Cavaliers and started 47 games in his collegiate career (1996-00), a school record for most starts by linebacker. As a senior, the linebacker was a Football News Honorable Mention All-American. Thweatt was a four-time All-ACC selection, as he was named to the Second Team as a junior and senior while holding Honorable Mention status as a freshman and sophomore. His 387 career tackles ranks third all-time for the Cavaliers.