USD hires former Jackrabbit linebacker Billy Kirch as new defensive coordinator

Jan. 30—VERMILLION — Following Travis Johansen’s promotion to head coach for South Dakota football, the program announced that former Northwestern College (Iowa) defensive coordinator Billy Kirch would take over the same position in Vermillion.

Kirch joins Johansen’s staff after spending the last 10 seasons in Orange City, nine as defensive coordinator. In 2022, Footballscoop.com named him the NAIA Coordinator of the Year after helping to guide the Red Raiders to their first NAIA national title since 1983. He also coached four GPAC defensive player of the year award winners and 13 NAIA All-Americans.

As a player, he was a four-year linebacker at South Dakota State under John Stiegelmeier from 2002-05. He led the Jacks in tackles during his senior season.

“We’ve known each other for a long, long time. We’ve got a relationship outside of football, but it’s certainly not the reason why I’ve tried to get him here,” Johansen said. “He’s an excellent football coach, a national coordinator of the year, a national champion. We’re very like-minded in the game. We’ve spent the better part of the last 15 years talking defense, talking scheme and where we land in our schemes are very similar.”

Johansen said the plan is for him to leave play-calling duties to Kirch as he takes a more holistic role as the head coach.

“My plan is to try and be as beneficial across the program as I can,” Johansen said. “And if I lock myself in the defensive staff room for the amount of time I’m used to doing that, I might as well have been the defense coordinator. So I’m going to try and expand as much as I can allow myself to.”

In the same announcement, USD also said that defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator Miles Taylor had been promoted to co-defensive coordinator. Taylor has spent the last five seasons in Vermillion after…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/usd-hires-former-jackrabbit-linebacker-004700003.html

Author : The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.

Publish date : 2025-01-31 00:47:00

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