NCAA DIVISION II PRE-SEASON POLLS

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1 coaching & Support Staff NCAA DIVISION II PRE-SEASON POLLS SPORTING NEWS 1. Grand Valley St. 2. California (Pa.) 3. Valdosta St. 4. Northwest Missouri St. 5. Abilene Christian 6. Tuskegee 7. North Alabama 8. Central Washington 9. Nebraska-Omaha 10. Mesa St. 11. West Texas A&M 12. Carson-Newman 13. Indiana (Pa.) 14. Delta St. 15. Winona St. 16. Ashland 17. Chadron St. 18. Pittsburg St. 19. Catawba 20. Shepherd 21. Southern Conn. 22. Harding 23. Hillsdale 24. Virginia Union 25. Tarleton St. USA TODAY 1. Grand Valley St. 2. North Alabama 3. Nebraska-Omaha 4. Northwest Missouri St. 5. Valdosta St. 6. California (Pa.) 7. Carson-Newman 8. Delta St. 9. West Texas A&M 10. Pittsburg St. 11. Catawba 12. Central Washington 13. Abilene Christian 14. Ashland 15. Indiana (Pa.) 16. Minnesota-Duluth 17. Washburn 18. Shepherd 19. Tarleton St. 20. Chadron St. 21. Central Missouri 22. Saginaw Valley St. 23. Tuskegee 24. Mesa St. 25. Minnesota St.-Mankato

2 Don Carthel Head Coach Fourth Season Eastern New Mexico west texas a&m football coaching staff To say that Don Carthel has elevated the West Texas A&M football to that of national prominence would be an understatement. What Carthel has accomplished in his first three seasons at WTAMU is simply amazing, having taken a program that had won just seven games over the previous four years combined and guide it to three-consecutive Lone Star Conference Championships as well as three successive NCAA Division-II playoff appearances - to go along with 33 victories. During his first season in Canyon, Carthel and the Buffs surprised everyone, having been picked to finish last in the LSC preseason poll, as they registered a 10-1 regular season record and captured the school s first Lone Star Conference Championship in 19 years. Excitement about Carthel s program was evident as attendance soared with a regular-season average of over 14,000 fans a game at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. In addition to garnering local praise from alumni and area media outlets, Carthel was honored by his peers by being named 2005 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year. Following that breakout campaign there was still work to be done as Carthel and the Buffs set out in 2006 to let the Lone Star Conference and the rest of NCAA Division II know that WTAMU was once again a consistent gridiron force, and that 2005 s success was no fluke. The Buffs left little doubt as they posted an 11-2 season and became the first squad in school history to claim back-to-back outright conference championships. In addition, WTAMU put another mark in the school record book as it claimed the program s first ever NCAA Division II playoff victory with a overtime victory over Abilene Christian. After leading the country in Division II average attendance the previous year, Buff fans again came out in droves to support the team, helping WTAMU rank first nationally in total attendance. And that only set the stage for what was to come during the 2007 campaign, as the Buffs confidently went about amassing the school s first-ever undefeated regular season, going 11-0, claiming a third-straight Lone Star Conference championship and advancing two rounds into the post-season playoffs. But this isn t the first taste of success for the Friona, Texas, native, as he has enjoyed several successful coaching stops during his career, including time at LSC-rival Eastern New Mexico, the University of Texas-El Paso and the University of Dubuque. Carthel graduated from ENMU with a bachelor s degree in physical education and a minor in mathematics in 1974, then went on to get his master s in physical education in He played center for the Greyhounds from , helping ENMU to a No. 17 NAIA ranking his senior season. In addition to his efforts on the gridiron, Carthel also threw discus for ENMU s 1974 national champion squad. In 1975, Carthel began his coaching career at Floydada I ve always loved coming to WT to watch sports... It s a great privilege to be a part of the rich WT tradition." Don Carthel High School, serving as the defensive coordinator under legendary Hall of Fame coach L.G. Wilson. He helped lead Floydada to the district championship in both 1975 and In 1977, Carthel moved up to the collegiate ranks, beginning at NCAA Division-III Dubuque University (Iowa). He was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator for the Spartans from and helped turn around a program that had won just three games in the previous four years combined. Carthel helped lead Dubuque to back-to-back Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) championships in 1978 and 1979, as well as the NCAA playoffs. During 1979, DU was undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the country. Carthel returned to the high school ranks in 1980, serving as defensive coordinator at Fort Worth s Boswell High School. One season later, at the age of 28, Carthel became the youngest head coach in the country when he took over at Lubbock Christian College (now Lubbock Christian University), a position he held from Carthel then moved on to become an assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) from before returning to his alma mater to serve as head coach from While head coach at ENMU, Carthel helped the Greyhounds make the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, as they became one the top programs in the LSC. In 1985, during Carthel s first year at the helm, the Greyhounds faced powerhouse Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) in the season finale for a share of the LSC title. Despite narrowly losing that game, 21-17, the Greyhounds surged to the top of the LSC, claiming the conference crown in 1991 and becoming the first team outside of Texas to win the LSC championship in the conference s 59 years of football. Carthel compiled a (.610) ledger in his seven years at ENMU, winning seven or more games in five of his seven seasons, including opening the 1987 season with a 9-0 record and tying the school record for victories in a season. In five of Carthel s seven years, the Greyhounds were ranked in the Division II Top 20 Poll. In 2001, Carthel was honored with the induction into the ENMU Hall of Fame. In January, 1992, Carthel resigned from coaching to return to Friona, where he farmed, raised his family and served on the Friona school board for nine years. However, Carthel could not stay away from coaching and became a volunteer coach for Abilene Christian. During that time, his son, Colby, was a standout linebacker at Angelo State University, leading the Rams to the LSC South title in The younger Carthel would join the ACU staff in 2000 as the recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach. In Abilene, father and son enjoyed their Carthel s Coaching File Coaching History Floydada High School Defensive Coord University of Dubuque (Iowa) Asst. Head Coach/Def. Coord Ft. Worth Boswell High School Defensive Coord Lubbock Christian College Head Coach University of Texas at El Paso Offensive Line/Special Teams Eastern New Mexico University Head Coach Retired/Farming/Friona School Board Abilene Christian University Volunteer Coach Amarillo Dusters Head Coach/General Manager West Texas A&M University Head Coach Collegiate Head Coaching Record 1981 Lubbock Christian (NAIA) Lubbock Christian (NAIA) Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico LSC Champions 2004 Amarillo Dusters IFL Champions 2005 West Texas A&M LSC Champions 2006 West Texas A&M LSC Champions 2007 West Texas A&M LSC Champions Career NCAA Coaching Record Lone Star Conference Champions

3 first coaching stint on the same sideline, a scenario that would repeat itself in 2006 when Colby joined the WTAMU football staff as the Buffs defensive coordinator. The elder Carthel coached at ACU until 2004, when he was named the head coach and general manager of the Amarillo Dusters in their inaugural season in the Intense Football League. Amarillo posted a 15-3 record under Carthel and won the IFL Championship that year. The Dusters joined AFL2 in April of 2005 and had a 2-1 record when Carthel resigned to take the reins at West Texas A&M. Carthel was born in Dimmitt, Texas and raised in Friona, where as a child, he and his brothers found rides to Can- I ve always loved coming to WT to watch sports. I remember coming to basketball games to watch Mike Mitchell and Maurice Cheeks, and I fondly remember football games. I began watching WT when Pistol Pete Pedro played and then Duane Thomas and through the Joe Kerbel era. It was always a highlight to come from Friona to WT games. Now, it s a privilege to be a part of the rich WT tradition. Carthel and his wife, the former Cindy Phillips, of Farwell, Texas, have been married for 36 years, and have two adult children, Colby and Courtney. Colby continues to accompany his father on the sidelines as WTAMU s defensive coordinator and is married to Sarah (Butler) Carthel, an All-American volleyball player for the WTAMU Lady Buffs and current assistant for the WTAMU volleyball program. Courtney is married to Andrew Burgoon, an assistant principal in the Canyon ISD, and they have twin 4-year-old daughters, Kylie and Kyler, and a one-year-old son, Kelton. 7 Don and Cindy Carthel Top-10 Buffalo Coaches By Victories (min. of 20 games coached) Wins Years 1. Joe E. Kerbel Coach Overall Record Frank Kimbrough Alfred Baggett Don Carthel Pres Bill Yung Stan McGarvey Gene Mayfield Samuel D. Burton , Bill Kelly W.A. Gus Miller Top-10 Buffalo Coaches By winning pct. (min. of 20 games coached) Coach Years Dates Record Win % 1. Don Carthel Pres Jack C. Curtice Joe E. Kerbel Bill Kelly Alfred Baggett Frank Kimbrough Bill Yung Morris Stone Douglas A. Shirley Stan McGarvey Carthel was named 2007 Regional Coach of the Year and has compiled a 33-5 record with three consecutive LSC Championships in his first three years at WTAMU w w w. g o b u f f s g o. c o m 2008 we st texas a&m football coaching staff Carthel received honors from the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame after the Buffs sensational 2005 season. In addition, Carthel has garnered the Coach of the Year award from the IFL, as well as being named to the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 for leading the Dusters to the IFL crown. That honor accompanies his 1991 Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame Honor for leading the ENMU football program to the LSC Championship. yon to watch both WT football and basketball games.

4 assistant coaches we st texas a&m football coaching staff colby carthel scott parr Defensive Coordinator Recruiting Area: San Antonio Offensive Coordinator Recruiting Area: North Houston Now in his third season with the WTAMU football staff, defensive coordinator Colby Carthel has overseen the development of a Buffalo defensive unit that held two opponents scoreless and three teams to three points or less in Individually, lineman Brandon Swain earned first-team Little all-america honors, as well as being named LSC Defensive Lineman of the Year, while linebacker Jared Brock earned LSC Linebacker of the Year and second-team all-america accolades. No stranger to the LSC, Carthel joined the Buffs coaching staff after spending the previous six seasons as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at LSC-rival Abilene Christian University. During his time in Abilene, Carthel enjoyed his first stint coaching alongside his father, WTAMU head coach Don Carthel, when the elder Carthel served as a volunteer coach for the Wildcats from During that time, Carthel s defensive linemen earned numerous honors, including 13 All-Lone Star Conference and four All-Region selections. Clayton Farrell excelled under Carthel at ACU; he nabbed All-LSC honors three times, in addition to being selected as an All-American and LSC Defensive Lineman of the Year twice. Another player personally recruited to ACU by Carthel, Danieal Manning, was a three-time All-American at the school and was recently drafted as the Chicago Bears No. 1 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. Prior to his coaching career at ACU, Carthel was a standout player at Angelo State University, where he started at middle linebacker. As a senior in 1999, Carthel helped lead the Rams to the Lone Star Conference South Championship by recording 59 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery. At ASU, Carthel earned Lone Star Conference Player of the Week honors once in addition to being selected Academic All-LSC on three occasions. He also competed in the discus as a four-year track and field letterwinner at Angelo State, finishing fourth at the LSC meet in the event as a senior. A standout in both football and track at Friona High School, Carthel helped guide Friona to its first district football title in 29 years as a senior. As a senior, Carthel finished fourth at the state meet with a school-record throw of , a record previously held by his father. He graduated from Angelo State in 2000 with his bachelor s degree in biology. Carthel married former West Texas A&M All-American volleyball player Sarah Butler in June Returning for his second season as the offensive coordinator is Scott Parr. Parr, who is now in his third season with the West Texas football program, initially joined the Buff staff in 2006, splitting coordinating duties that season. In 2007, Parr s offensive unit set numerous offensive records, including the WT record for most yards passing in a single-season (5,155). Additionally, the Buffs set several Lone Star conference marks, including most single-game completions (44), season-completions (446), season-yards per game (396.5) and total passing yards gained (5,155). One year prior, Parr helped to direct the Buff offense to another spectacular season, as the unit ranked second nationally in team passing yards by averaging per game. In addition, 10 WTAMU offensive players earned AllLone Star Conference South honors, including receiver Charly Martin, who also captured numerous All-American accolades. Parr came to WTAMU from Lone Star Conference member, Tarleton State, where he coached the Texans wide receivers for one season. Prior to Tarleton, Parr served as a graduate assistant for two seasons at Baylor, working with the team s tight ends. During his time in Waco, Parr earned his master s in education in Before moving on to Baylor, Parr was the wide receivers coach at another LSC foe, Abilene Christian University, for three seasons. While at ACU, he coached alongside current West Texas A&M head coach Don Carthel. During his time at ACU, the Wildcats won a share of the LSC South title in 2002, leading the conference in passing offense. Prior to ACU, Parr served a stint as running backs coach at Sam Houston State for two seasons, including the 1999 campaign in which SHSU led the Southland Conference in total offense. While at Sam Houston State, Parr earned his master s degree in Kinesiology. Parr earned his bachelor s degree in Exercise Sport Science from Hardin-Simmons University in He began his coaching career there in 1997 as a student assistant, working with HSU s quarterbacks. During his playing days, Parr was a wide receiver at Hardin-Simmons and was a key element on three Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship teams. Both Parr and his wife, the former Kyla Flippo, are natives of Plainview, Texas. Scott and Kyla Parr Carthel with his wife, former West Texas A&M all-america volleyball player Sarah (Butler) Carthel L o n e S ta r C o n f e r e n c e C h a m p i o n s

5 assistant coaches justin deason Offensive Line Recruiting Area: Central Texas/Mississippi Juco s Linebackers/Special Teams Recruiting Area: South Houston/Mississippi and Kansas Juco s Billy Best, now in his third season with the Buffalo coaching staff, will again oversee development of the team s offensive line. During 2007, the Buffalo offensive line provided protection for a unit that led the nation in passing while ranking third, nationally, in total offense. The Buffs also allowed just 18 QB sacks in 672 passing attempts. Individually, lineman Pat Schwenke earned all-lone Star Conference honors under Best s guidance, while the 2006 season saw Best assist in the production of three All-Lone Star Conference offensive linemen. Prior to joining WTAMU, the Rayville, La., native spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Ranger College in Ranger, Texas, where he also handled recruiting duties. As recruiting coordinator at Ranger, Best oversaw the transition of new players into the program and many outbound players into the systems of four-year institutions. Best has also coached at the high school level in Louisiana, spending time at Farmerville, Bolton and Delhi High Schools. Best played collegiate football at Millsaps College and the University of Louisiana-Monroe, earning his bachelor s degree in health and human performance from ULM in He received his master s from WTAMU in Best and his wife, Jennifer, a registered nurse, reside in Canyon with their dogs, Boudreaux and Rocky. Justin Deason returns for his third season on WTAMU staff, working with the team s outside linebackers and serving as special teams coordinator. Under his tutelage, the Buff linebacking and special teams corps have enjoyed national prominence. In 2007, kicker Jon Roberts set two school and one Lone Star Conference record, while return specialist Wayne McKnight led the nation in return average. As a unit, the WT specialty teams ranked 13th in kickoff defense. Linebacker Jared Brock earned all-southwest Region, thirdteam all-america honors and was named LSC Linebacker of the Year. During 2006, the WTAMU special teams again ranked among the top-two units in the country while a pair of return specialists garnering All-LSC honors. Linebacker Brock, meanwhile, earned three separate all-america honors. Prior to coming to West Texas, Deason coached for two seasons at East Central University, were he worked with the team s linebackers and served as special teams coordinator. During his tenure at ECU, five linebackers were named as all-lsc performers and the team was continually ranked among the top special teams units in both the LSC and the nation. Deason was a two-year letterwinner at Oklahoma State in , where he played linebacker and on special teams. Deason helped the Cowboys post numerous victories over nationally ranked opponents and win the 2002 Houston Bowl. Prior to transferring to OSU, Deason was an all-conference pick as a freshman at Cisco Junior College and spent one year at Butler County CC. The Norman, Okla., native received his bachelor s degree in education from Central Oklahoma in 2003 and received his master s in secondary education from East Central University in Deason has also been active in the Oklahoma Special Olympics and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He and his wife, Autumn, are active in their local church and have two children, Jaxon and Aubrey. Billy and Jennifer Best The Deason family w w w. g o b u f f s g o. c o m we st texas a&m football coaching staff billy best

6 assistant coaches we st texas a&m football coaching staff bobby king ryan leaf Defensive Line Recruiting Area: Dallas/Fort Worth Quarterbacks Recruiting Area: Fort Worth A familiar face around the Buffalo football program, Bobby King returns to the West Texas A&M football staff and will focus his talents on the Buffalo defensive line. King spent the past two seasons at Baylor, where he worked with the defensive tackles. King was previously with the Buffaloes in 2005, having coached the defensive line during the Buffaloes breakout campaign. During that season, King helped form a defensive unit that enabled WT to enjoy their most successful season in 55 years, clinch a Lone Star Conference championship and make the school s first-ever NCAA Division II Playoff appearance. King initially came to West Texas from St. Martha (Ky.) School, where he coached the defensive line. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Texas-El Paso, working with the defensive line from A three-year letterwinner ( ) and two-year starter with the Miners, King received his bachelors degree in criminal justice from UTEP in He later received his masters from Baylor in King is engaged to Elizabeth Ries. Now in his third season on the West Texas A&M football staff is Ryan Leaf. Leaf, who enjoyed a standout career at Washington State and a five-year career in the NFL, will again lend his talents towards working with the team s quarterbacks. Under his tutelage, Buff quarterbacks posted incredible numbers in 2007, gaining 5,155 passing yards, averaging yards passing per contest and tossing 51 TDs. The teams pass yardage and TDs were tops in the nation. In his initial season in Canyon, Leaf helped guide an offensive unit, led by quarterback Dalton Bell, to a spectacular season. The Buffs put up 5,139 yards of total offense and ranked second, nationally, with passing yards per contest. Individually, Bell threw for 3,998 yards and 32 touchdowns before signing a free agent contract with the NFL s Carolina Panthers. Before joining the coaching ranks, Leaf emerged as one of the nation s top collegiate quarterbacks as he passed for over 8,000 yards during his three-year career at WSU. His time in Pullman, Wash., culminated his junior year (1997) when he was named a first team All-American after throwing for a school-record 3,968 yards and 34 touchdowns in addition to leading the Cougars to the Rose Bowl for only the third time in school history. Leaf finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy at the end of that season, finishing behind award-winner Charles Woodson of Michigan and Tennessee s Peyton Manning. The Great Falls, Mont., native still ranks among WSU s all-time leaders in passing yardage, passing touchdowns and net yardage. During the 1998 NFL draft, Leaf was selected second overall by the San Diego Chargers. After three years with the Chargers, Leaf continued his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks before retiring from professional football in His best statistical season came in 2000 when he tossed 1,883 yards and 11 touchdowns for San Diego. In 2005, Leaf returned to school at Washington State where he earned his bachelor s degree in arts and humanities with a minor in psychology. Leaf currently resides in Amarillo. Bobby King and Elizabeth Ries L o n e S ta r C o n f e r e n c e C h a m p i o n s

7 assistant coaches mike nesbitt Outside Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator Second Season Recruiting Area: Texas Panhandle / New Mexico nick paremski Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Recruiting Area: Austin Area / California Juco; Trinity Valley CC; Navarro JC 2008 sees Mike Nesbitt entering his second season with the West Texas A&M Buffs where he will be again be coaching the team s outside wide receivers as well as take on duties as recruiting coordinator. In 2007, under Nesbitt s guidance, Charly Martin and A.J. Ruffins combined for 114 receptions 1,546 yards and 20 TDs. Additionally, Martin received all-america honors. No stranger to championship-caliber football, Nesbitt was the offensive/recruiting coordinator for Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. During his two seasons at Blinn, he helped the Buccaneers post an impressive 19-3 record that included the 2006 NJCAA National Championship. During that 2006 championship season, the Buccaneer offense finished 10th, nationally, in total offense, averaging yards per game. In his two years at Blinn, Nesbitt coached 10 players to all-conference honors and two to All-America accolades. Before his move to Brenham, Nesbitt was the offense line, running backs and kicking coach at Howard Payne University. During his four seasons with the Yellow Jackets, the team recorded a mark and its offense ranked among the top unit in both the American Southwest Conference and the country. Six players earn all-conference honors, while one of the team s kickers garnered All-American praise under Nesbitt s guidance at Howard Payne. His other coaching experience includes Western New Mexico, where he was the quarterbacks, wide receivers and special teams coach. In addition, Nesbitt has coached at both the New Mexico Class 5A and 4A levels. As a player, Nesbitt lettered for the University of New Mexico, where he served as punter from Among his playing accolades is a single-season punting average of 45.0, ranking third in the nation that year and placing second in the UNM record book. In addition, Nesbitt led the nation in net punting as a senior with an average of 41.9 yards per kick. For his on-and-off the field accomplishments, Nesbitt was honored as the The Nesbitt family 1993 Male Athlete of the Year by the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame, in addition to earning second team All-WAC attention. After concluding his collegiate career at UNM, Nesbitt spent time in the NFL as a punter with the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings organizations. He then returned to UNM where he received his bachelor s degree in Nesbitt and his wife, Camille, have one son, Gavin. Now in his third season with the West Texas A&M football program, Nick Paremski serves in the dual roles as both the team s assistant head coach as well as tutoring the defensive backs. Paremski s secondary unit led the Lone Star Conference in passing efficiency defense, and ranked 17th nationally. Individually, he helped develop the talents of Darnell Johnson, Arseel Shakoor, Bret Jones and Cashmin Thomas, all of whom garnered various post-season accolades. In 2005, Paremski helped a pair of Buff defensive backs garner All-Lone Star Conference honors as WTAMU claimed its second straight LSC Championship. Prior to arriving in Canyon, Paremski spent two seasons at Lone Star Conference rival Texas A&M-Kingsville, where he helped the Javelinas capture the 2004 LSC Championship and an NCAA Division II playoff berth. Under Paremski s tutelage, three TAMUK defensive backs earned All-LSC recognition including Michael Bragg, who captured first team All-LSC and Daktronics All-Southwest Region honors following the 2004 season. Bragg, who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, went on to sign a professional contract with the New York Giants. As a team, the Texas A&M-Kingsville secondary was impressive in they limited opponents to yards a game, ranking them second in the Lone Star Conference. Paremski has been associated with winning football throughout his career. Prior to his tenure at TAMUK, Paremski coached at Holmen High School and helped lead the defensive unit to a school record for interceptions in In addition, Paremski was a part of the successful coaching staff that won two consecutive Mississippi Valley Conference Championships in 2002 and Paremski earned his bachelor s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and holds a master s of business administration from Texas A&M- Kingsville. Nick and his wife, Krista, reside in Amarillo and are the parents of a son, Huston. Nick and Krista Paremski west texas a&m football coaching staff

8 assistant coaches will blaylock Offensive Line Second Season Recruiting Area: East Texas jared may Inside Receivers Second Season Recruiting Area: West Texas west texas a&m football coaching staff Will Blaylock is now in his second season with the West Texas A&M football staff, having made a successful transition into coaching following a solid playing career at Baylor University. He will again assist with the team s offensive line. Blaylock played for two seasons as an offensive lineman at Baylor, garnering honorable mention All-Big 12 status after his 2005 junior campaign. During his time at the Waco institution, Blaylock was also involved in the Community Outreach Program, mentoring students at various elementary schools. Blaylock began his collegiate playing career at Tulane University prior to transferring to Baylor. The Tyler, Texas, native graduated from Baylor in December, 2006 with his bachelor s degree in education. Blaylock and his wife, the former Amber Sims, are the parents of a newborn son. ray gates Defensive Line Recruiting Area: South Texas/Valley Ray Gates enters his third season on the WTAMU football staff and will again assist with the defensive line. A native of Shiner, Texas, Gates was a two-time all-lone Star Conference performer at Tarleton State. Additionally, he was selected to play in the 2005 Cactus Bowl. Gates also played two seasons as both a linebacker and defensive end at Cisco Junior College, earning pre-season all-america honor as a sophomore in Following graduation, Gates played professionally for three seasons with the Amarillo Dusters of the AF2. It was there that he initially teamed with current WT head coach Don Carthel. Gates was a standout prep prospect while Shiner High School, earning first-team all-state Class 1A honors as a running back as well as finalist for Player of the Year honors. Additionally, he was named MVP of the Down Under Bowl, an annual showcase for high school seniors. Gates earned his bachelor s degree from West Texas A&M in Now in his second season with the West Texas A&M staff, and again responsible for the team s inside receiving corps, is the personable Jared May. May came to WTAMU after serving coaching stints both at Hamlin High School and at his alma mater, Hardin-Simmons University, where he served as a graduate assistant. During his collegiate playing days, May was a twosport athlete at Hardin-Simmons, participating in both football and baseball for the Cowboys. On the gridiron, May was a standout receiver and return specialist, nabbing both All-Southwest Conference, All- Region and All-American accolades. A native of Hamlin, Texas, May earned his bachelor s degree in physical education from Hardin-Simmons in December of duncan mclean Offense Montana State 01 Duncan McLean is in his initial season on the WTAMU football coaching staff, having spent the past two years as a graduate assistant on the staff at the University of Mary (Bismarck, N.D.). While at U-Mary, he worked with the wide receiver corps. Prior to his stint at U-Mary, McLean coached at Carroll College (Helena, Mont.) from and was a member of the coaching staff for the 2002 NAIA National Championship-winning squad. A native of Creole, La., McLean was a three-year letterman at safety for Montana State, earning his bachelor s degree in history in Lone Star Conference Champions

9 assistant coaches william smith Offensive Line Second Season Recruiting Area: El Paso support staff cole gutierrez Offensive Line Now in his second season on the WTAMU football staff is William Smith. Smith will again be assisting with the team s offensive line unit. A native of Lubbock, Texas, Smith is a 2005 graduate of Texas Tech, where he received his bachelor s degree in communication studies. He is currently pursing his master s degree from the United States Sports Academy. He and his wife, Melissa, have three sons: Dustin, Brandon and Jason. jarrod hinton Secondary joel hinton Receivers ryan miller Defense west texas a&m football coaching staff colby huseman Defense brandon romero Defense jason whitfield Linebacker/Video Second Season jake willingham Running Backs

10 west texas a&m football coaching staff support staff sarah ramey Strength & Conditioning Second Year at West Texas A&M Now in her second season at WTAMU, Sarah Ramey spent the previous four years at the University of Colorado, where she served as an assistant strength and condition coach. In that capacity, she worked with the school s football, volleyball, women s soccer and alpine skiing squads. In addition, Ramey also is a registered yoga instructor and taught yoga classes at Colorado. Prior to her stint at Colorado, Ramey worked for one year as a graduate assistant coach at Kansas State, where she earned her master s degree in Kinesiology in August of Before attending KSU, Ramey took on a five-month internship with Mitch Boyle Strength and Conditional in Winchester, Mass. During her collegiate days, Ramey was a three-year volleyball letter winner at Wichita State where she played middle blocker and right side hitter for the Shockers. She earned the Missouri Valley Academic Excellence Award in 2000 and maintained a 3.83 GPA while graduating with a degree in Exercise Science in May of No stranger to the West Texas region, Ramey lived in Hereford, Texas, for five years and helped guide Hereford High School to the 1996 State Volleyball Championship, before graduating from Andover High School in Andover, Kan. dr. david rausch Faculty Athletic Representative 10th Year at West Texas A&M Rausch has served as WTAMU s Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) since January, 2003, promoting academic integrity in intercollegiate athletics and to promote institutional control of athletics. As FAR, Rausch represents the university at meetings of the NCAA and the Lone Star Conference. He joined the faculty in 1998 and teaches courses on American political institutions, state and local government, and social science research methods and statistics. A native of southeastern Pennsylvania, Rausch earned his bachelor s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1989, and his master s (1992) and Ph.D. (1995) from the University of Oklahoma, all in political science. He and his wife, Mary, a WTAMU librarian, reside in Canyon. ron hulsey Head Athletic Trainer Sixth Year at West Texas A&M Hulsey is in his second stint at WTAMU, having served as head athletic trainer from In 2002, Hulsey accepted a position with Sports Medicine Outreach and later was honored as Top of Texas Athletic Trainer of the Year in Prior to his first term at WTAMU\, Hulsey was a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the university for three years. During this time, he was an associate in the Justin Sports Medicine Program in addition to being the head athletic trainer for the Amarillo Dillas ( ). Hulsey earned his bachelor s degree in kinesiology in 1996 and his master s degree in sports and exercise science in 1999, both from WTAMU. Hulsey and his wife, Sharrise, reside in Canyon. Sharrise works in Amarillo as an Optometry Tech for Wolflin Vision Clinic and is a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer. stephanie sumpter Assistant Athletic Trainer Sixth Year at West Texas A&M Sumpter, MS, ATC, LAT, is in her third year with WTAMU Athletics as Assistant Athletic Trainer and her sixth season overal with the program. A Fritch, TX native, Sumpter joined WTAMU Athletics after serving three years as an instructor for the Sports and Exercise Sciences Department at WTAMU. During that time, she worked as a contracted Athletic Trainer to area high schools for Zach Thomas Physical Therapy and Barnhill Sports Medicine, both of Amarillo. Sumpter earned her bachelor s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University in sports and exercise sciences with a physical therapy emphasis in Sumpter earned her master s degree from WTAMU in sports and exercise sciences in She resides in Umbarger, Texas, with her husband, Brad, and son, Zane. seth naughton Assistant Athletic Trainer/Instructor Fourth Year at West Texas A&M Naughton is in his fourth year with WTAMU s Athletic Training department. He serves as an assistant to the Head Athletic Trainer in addition to being the Head Trainer for the football program. He graduated from Southwestern College (Kan.) in 2000 with a bachelor s degree in health & physical education and a sports medicine emphasis. Naughton then earned his master s degree in sports & exercise science from West Texas A&M in In , he served as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Lady Buff Basketball team. The following year, he was the head athletic trainer for volleyball and baseball. From , Naughton worked for Healthsouth Physical Therapy of Lubbock, specializing in High School Sports Medicine Outreach Program at Class 2A Slaton High School in Slaton, TX. Naughton spent 2004 as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Lubbock Lonestars Arena Football Team (IFL) then from he was the Clinical Outreach Athletic Trainer for Northwest Texas Sports Medicine Center in Amarillo. During that time, Naughton worked with Canyon High School, Wellington ISD, and Amarillo River Road High School. The Chanute, Kan. native resides in Amarillo with his wife, Kimberly, who is a 2004 graduate of WTAMU Lone Star Conference Champions