Two new assistants, staff promotion announced
2/25/2016 4:39:00 PM | Football
Gary McGraw and Justin Roberts are joining Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler's football staff and assistant coach Kyle Segler has been named as the Bearkats' special teams coordinator. McGraw will coach the Bearkat cornerbacks while Roberts will tutor the defensive line. Segler also will continue to serve as Sam Houston's tight ends/offensive tackles coach.
“We're excited to welcome both Gary McGraw and Justin Roberts to Sam Houston and our staff,” Keeler said. “Kyle Segler has been instrumental in our efforts on special teams here and I know he will do a great job as our special teams coordinator. We wanted to get some more Texas blood on our staff for recruiting purposes and both Gary and Justin have had extensive experience here in the state. Also, both the new coaches have special teams backgrounds as coordinators and will give Kyle a lot of support with his new responsibilities.”
McGraw has served as defensive backs coach at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls since 2011. During his tenure there the Mustangs earned NCAA Division II playoff berths three times, won two Lone Star Conference championships, one Lone Star playoff title and rolled up a 42-12 record.
Last year's Midwestern squad went 10-2 with two of McGraw's defensive backs, cornerback Dominique Rouse and safety Marqui Christian, earned All-America honors.
Previously, McGraw was defensive backs coach at Ferris State in 2010 after working for nine years at Quincy (Ill.). He held positions at Quincy of defensive backs coach, special teams coordinator and co-linebackers coach prior to earning the promotion to defensive coordinator for the 2008 and 2009 campaigns.
McGraw began his coaching career on the prep level in Oregon where was the co-defensive coordinator and special teams coach at Marist (Ore.) High School in 2002 and 2003. While there, MHS compiled a 23-1 record and captured a state championship in 2003 with a 13-0 record.
A 2003 graduate of the University of Oregon, McGraw played safety for the Ducks in 2000 and 2001, helping the team win back-to-back PAC-10 championships. The Fremont, Calif. native was a member of the Ducks' 2001 squad that won the Fiesta Bowl and finished the year ranked second in the final Associated Press poll. He earned his master's degree in educational leadership from Quincy in 2010.
“We had the opportunity to work with Gary at our summer football camps,” Keeler said. “We were very impressed with him as a teacher and a mentor. He has coached in Texas a number of years and certainly will help us with recruiting.”
Roberts served as defensive line coach at Southern Mississippi last year, helping direct the Golden Eagles to a 9-4 record. He worked twice at Tennessee State as defensive line coach from 2006 through 2009 and as co-defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2014. The Tigers finished ranked among the top 15 nationally in FCS total defense in both 2013 and 2014 and led the Ohio Valley three years in a row.
Separating years with the Tigers, Roberts spent two seasons at Western Carolina as the school's defensive line coach before taking over coaching responsibilities for the linebackers.
His other college coaching experience include stints at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (1997-99), Oklahoma State (2000-01 and 2004), North Carolina (2002-2003) and Texas A&M-Commerce (2005-06).
Roberts' introduction to coaching came in 1997 at Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo., where he was assistant strength and conditioning and assistant offensive line coach.
The Hannibal, Mo., native played his collegiate career as a center at Missouri Southern State. He was a two-year letterman and helped lead the team to the 1993 MIAA conference championship. He earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from Missouri Southern in 1996.
“Justin brings a wealth of experience as a defensive line coach,” Keeler said. “He is a high energy coach who also has Texas ties having worked at A&M-Commerce and right across the border at Oklahoma State. I've known Justin for some time. We are blessed to have been able to secure such an outstanding coach this late.”
Segler has been a member of football staffs that have guided Sam Houston to a 62-24 record, three Southland Conference championships and five consecutive NCAA playoff appearances since 2010.
His first two seasons at Sam Houston with the offensive line, the Kats produced three All-Americans (Travis Watson, Chris Crockett and Kaleb Hopson) who led the way for an offense that broke 35 school records. As tight ends coach, he has tutored two All-Southland performers (T. J. Jones and Shane Young). He also coached the Bearkat tackles. Donald Jackson III earned All-America and All-Southland honors last fall.
Segler was an offensive lineman for Sam Houston's 2004 Southland Conference championship squad that reached the NCAA semifinals. He coached at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, helping start up a football program that had been shut down since 1945.
He holds two degrees from Sam Houston with his Bachelor's degree in kinesiology and his Master's degree in sports management.
“Kyle is a bright young coach who has been instrumental in our special teams efforts particularly with punt protection and kickoff return teams,” Keeler said. “All three of these coaches bring a lot to the table for us.”
Sam Houston will begin 2016 spring training on Wednesday, March 16. The annual Orange-White spring football game is scheduled for Friday April 8.
