Over The Pylon

While the college football world now begins to collectively catch their breath after signing day, more Florida resignations and leaves of absence, and the NFL combines and institutional pro days begin to roll around, Ball State has announced one new addition and one promotion from within for the football Cardinals for next season.

Defensive Coordinator Hired!

Filling the vacancy left by Doug Graber’s retirement will be current Cardinal assistant Jay Hood. The move surprises virtually no one, as Hood brings not only a year experience in Muncie, but a wealth of experience in other locales. From the BSU release:

Jay Hood, who spent the 2009 season as the defensive ends coach for the Ball State University football team, has been promoted to defensive coordinator for the Cardinals, according to Ball State head coach Stan Parrish.

“Jay Hood is an outstanding young coach who is very deserving of this promotion,” Parrish says. “He is a tireless worker with a great attention to detail, but even more so is his outstanding ability to relate to the student-athletes in our program. Coach Hood has the ability to get the most out of our football players. His experience as a defensive coordinator at Miami University and helping them to two Mid-American Conference East Division Championships was a key factor in us hiring him at Ball State a year ago. We are looking forward to the continuity this promotion brings to the Ball State football family.”

Entering his 25th year as a football coach, Hood moves into the defensive coordinator position which became open with the retirement of Doug Graber earlier this month.

A 1986 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, Hood began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 1986 and 1987. From 1988-93, Hood was an assistant coach at Mesa State and Fort Hays State before serving as the head coach at Mesa State — an NCAA Division II program in Colorado — from 1994-97. From 1998-2004, Hood served stints as an assistant coach at Millikin and Fort Hays State.

In 2003, Hood became an assistant coach at Miami University, and spent the 2008 season as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the RedHawks. He helped Miami’s defense to lead the MAC in six different categories in 2007 plus helped the program to the 2005 MAC East Division Co-Championship and the 2007 MAC East Division title.

“I want to thank Coach Parrish and Ball State University for this opportunity,” Hood says. “My wife and I are excited and looking forward to continuing our time in the community. This is an outstanding university with a great football tradition, and the defensive staff is ready to build a championship level defense of which the fans can be proud. We are ready for spring football to begin in March as we continue preparations for the 2010 season.”

A native of Defiance, Ohio, Hood is married to the former Renee Schmidt. He graduated from Ada High School in Ada, Ohio, before becoming a three-time football team captain at Ohio Wesleyan. Hood was inducted into Ohio Wesleyan’s Hall of Fame in 2004. His father, Wally Hood, was a head coach at Ohio Northern, Otterbein and Fairmont State.

Give Me Offense or Give Me Death!

The offensive side of the sideline needs to make room for one more as well, as Patrick Henry has been hired as a Graduate Assistant assisting the offense. No word on if this particular Patrick Henry is an anti-federalist or passed the Virginia Stamp Act, but here’s hoping he can at least help passing the football. What say you, BSU release?

Patrick Henry, a 2005 graduate of Defiance College, has been named a graduate assistant football coach for the Ball State University football team and will assist with the offense, according to head coach Stan Parrish.

Henry spent the last three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Dayton where he helped the Flyers to a 27-6 three-year mark. Henry helped Dayton to an 11-1 record and the Pioneer Football League Championship in 2007, a 9-3 record in 2008 and an 8-2 record and a share of the PFL Championship last fall.

Prior to going to Dayton, Henry was a graduate assistant and the wide receivers coach at Clarion for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He earned a master’s degree in education in December of 2006 from Clarion.

From 2001-04, Henry served as a volunteer assistant coach at Avon High School in Avon, Ohio.

As a collegiate student-athlete, Henry earned three letters at quarterback for Defiance from 2002-04. He was a member of the team that won the 2001 Heartland Collegiate Conference Championship and qualified for the NCAA Division III Playoffs.

Henry is engaged to Carrie Wagner, an assistant athletic trainer at Urbana University, and the couple plans to get married in July.

All I know is that I can think of no better honeymoon than two a day practices and 20 hour days in gorgeous Muncie, Indiana. Good luck with that.

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