TicketsDec. 29, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio--University of Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly will fill the vacant spots and complete his coaching staff with four former assistants from Central Michigan. Joining Kelly in the move to Cincinnati will be Jeff Quinn, Keith Gilmore, Ernest Jones and Charley Molnar.
"Jeff, Keith, Ernest and Charley allow us to establish continuity and loyalty and those are two components you must have on a coaching staff," stated Kelly. "We have worked together, enjoyed success, and plan to share that with the University of Cincinnati."
| Jeff Quinn |
Quinn is coming off a 31-14 win as interim head coach for Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl. A veteran of 23 years as a collegiate coach, he has spent the last 16 alongside Kelly.
Quinn served as the associate head coach at Central Michigan the last three seasons. While continuing his duties working with the offensive line, he added the responsibilities of offensive coordinator prior to the 2006 campaign. With Quinn as the offensive playcaller, CMU ranked 24th in scoring offense and 31st in total offense.
Quinn mentored an offensive front that has helped CMU average 164.4 yards per game on the ground in his first two seasons. He prepared Eric Ghiaciuc and Adam Kieft to be NFL draft picks in 2005 and has coached a total of six offensive linemen who have gone on to play professionally.
In 2006, Quinn's clinic presentation on "Six-Man Pass Protection and Tunnel Screen" was published in the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic Football Manual. Quinn's presentation was one of 36 selected for the manual.
Quinn arrived at CMU after 15 seasons at Grand Valley State. He spent the final 13 as an assistant to Kelly and was part of a staff that led the Lakers to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. Quinn mentored offensive lines at Grand Valley that paved the way for 12 players to rush for 1,000 yards and Curt Anes, the 2002 Harlon Hill Trophy winner as the nation's top Division II player. The 2001 Laker offense averaged 600.8 yards per game and set an NCAA Division II record by averaging 58.4 points per game.
A two-sport standout at Elmhurst College, Quinn was a four-year letterman and three-year starter on the gridiron, serving as a co-captain as a senior in 1984. A two-time all-conference selection, Quinn also earned third team All-America honors. Quinn was a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Division III national tournament as a heavyweight wrestler.
He launched his coaching career at DePauw University as an assistant football and wrestling coach from August 1984 to May 1986 before going to Ohio Northern University as head wrestling coach and an assistant football coach from June 1986 until December 1988.
| Keith Gilmore |
Gilmore, who recently completed his fifth year as a part of Kelly's staff, has wide range of coaching experience, having served at seven different programs. Gilmore coached two defensive linemen to All-MAC honors in his only season at Central Michigan.
Gilmore came to CMU in 2006, following four seasons as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Howard University. He also was the defensive line coach for the Bison, who led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in total defense in 2004 (297.5 ypg) and 2005 (255.7 ypg).
Prior to his time at Howard, Gilmore spent the 1998-2001 seasons at Norfolk State. He was the special teams coordinator and also coached the defensive line and running backs.
A two-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honoree at Wayne State (1979-80), Gilmore began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1985. From there, he served stints at Michigan State (1988), Northern Michigan (1989-90), Grand Valley (1991-93), Wayne State (1994) and at Eastern Michigan (1995-97).
| Ernest Jones |
Jones served the past two seasons under Kelly at Central Michigan. In 2005, he mentored the cornerbacks. He moved to the offensive side to work with the running backs in 2006 and helped develop a rushing attack that averaged 127.9 rushing yards per game.
Prior to the 2006 season, Jones was one of 25 coaches nationwide selected to participate in the NCAA Expert Coaches Academy, a program designed to assist coaches with career advancement, networking and exposure opportunities, and to raise awareness regarding the substantial pool of talented and qualified minority coaching candidates.
Jones arrived at CMU from Oberlin College where he served as the defensive coordinator and backfield coach in 2004. He served the 2003 campaign at Kentucky State. After playing five years of professional football, Jones began his coaching career at Concordia University (Minn.) where he tutored the defensive backs from 2000-02.
| Charley Molnar |
Molnar, who has compiled 23 seasons of experience coaching on offense, spent the 2006 campaign directing CMU's passing game and tutoring the team's wide receivers and quarterbacks.
Molnar has 12 years of experience as an offensive coordinator. He spent the 2005 campaign as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Indiana State University. Molnar also served as offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers coach for four seasons at Illinois State (1990-93) and held the same responsibilities at Kent State for seven years (1994-2000). He also has coached at Western Michigan (2003-04), Eastern Michigan (2002), and Western Carolina (1989).
A 1984 graduate of Lock Haven University, Molnar began his coaching career at his alma mater that same year. He spent three seasons at Lock Haven, during which he coached receivers, tight ends, running backs, and kickers.
He went on to serve as a graduate assistant at Virginia. Molnar aided in the instruction of the quarterbacks and receivers during the 1987-88 seasons.
Quinn, Gilmore, Jones and Molnar join defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, tackles and tight ends coach, and recruiting coordinator Mike Elston, quarterbacks coach Greg Forest, and linebackers coach Tim Hinton and defensive coordinator Joe Tresey, all of whom were named in the past two weeks.
In all, seven members of Kelly's staff from CMU made the move to Cincinnati, Hinton stayed at UC where he worked the past three years, and Coombs is a newcomer to the college ranks. The immediate football staff also includes assistant athletics director/director of football operations John Widecan.
The Bearcats continue preparing for their Jan. 6, 2007 game vs. Western Michigan in the International Bowl. Kelly and staff conclude workouts at Nippert Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 30 and depart for Toronto, Ont. on Tuesday, Jan. 2.