Football makes staff additions
3/5/2019 2:36:00 PM | Football
HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State head football coach K.C. Keeler has made a pair of additions to his coaching staff for the upcoming 2019 season, adding Tim Daoust as defensive line coach while Parker Whiteman joins as the team's new strength and conditioning coach.
Daoust comes to the Bearkats after two years as defensive coordinator at Western Michigan, while Whiteman comes to Huntsville as the team's first exclusive strength and conditioning coach with a resume that includes stops with West Virginia and Arizona football.
“Adding Tim and Parker is big for our program because we are adding two guys who have done this at a high level and we are excited to have them both here at Sam Houston,” Keeler said. “Tim is experienced in a number of areas of coaching, and having a football-only strength and conditioning coach is a major thing for our program as well. We have seen such a positive change and growth with our team just in the short time Parker has been here.”
Daoust's latest time at Western Michigan was his second stint with the Broncos after coaching the defensive line and secondary from 2006-09. Prior to his most-recent stint in Kalamazoo, he was at Ball State where he was the Cardinals' defensive coordinator for the 2016 season.
“Tim was a great hire because not only has he coached the defensive line very successfully at a high level, but he's also been a coordinator,” Keeler said. “He has coached the back end of defenses as well. He brings a tremendous energy, is a great teacher and is able to contribute to the entire body of work as a defensive staff.”
Western Michigan had two linebackers and two defensive backs pick up All-MAC honors in 2017. Cornerback Darius Phillips was a first team selection, while cornerback Sam Beal and linebacker Robert Spillane were second team selections. Linebacker Asantay Brown was a third team recognition.
Both Phillips and Beal were taken in the NFL Draft, as Phillips went in the fifth round to the Cincinnati Bengals and Beal was a third-round pick in the supplemental draft by the New York Giants. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) and Spillane (Tennessee Titans) were each picked up as undrafted free agents.
In the 2017 season-opener at No. 4 ranked USC, WMU's defense had two interceptions and two sacks against Trojan quarterback and No. 3 overall NFL draft pick Sam Darnold. In game four of the season, the Broncos recorded 13 tackles for a loss against Wagner, the most in a game for WMU since 2003. Eleven different Broncos recorded a TFL, totaling 45 yards.
During the 2016 season Daoust's defense at Ball State had its best single-game performance in 10 years when it sacked Eastern Kentucky eight times. In that game, Ball State allowed just three rushing yards, the fewest since Nov. 24, 2007. For the season, the Cardinals created pressure, finishing in the top-30 in the FBS and second in the MAC in both sacks and tackles for loss.
Prior to going to Muncie, Daoust was at Syracuse from 2011-15, serving as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. While there he helped the Orange win two bowl games, the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl and 2013 Texas Bowl, and capture a share of the 2012 Big East Championship.
He coached two Orange players who were later drafted in the NFL Draft - defensive lineman Jason Bromley in the third round of the 2013 draft by the N.Y. Giants and defensive lineman Chandler Jones in the first round of the 2012 draft by the New England Patriots. He also mentored the No. 2 ranked punt returner in the nation in 2015, Brisly Estime, who averaged 18.1 yards per return. In 2015, Syracuse's defense scored the most non-offensive touchdowns in the ACC in 2015 (six).
In his first stint in Kalamazoo, Daoust was part of a Bronco staff that set the previous high for most wins in a season in 2008 with nine, before being broken in 2016. His 2006 squad led the nation in both interceptions (24) and sacks (46).
During his coaching career he has also spent time at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Illinois State and Northern Illinois.
Daoust played four years of collegiate football at Wittenberg as a defensive end (1998-01). While there, he posted 27.5 career sacks, second most in school history. He was a two-time captain and had a four-year record of 45-5 with four league titles and four appearances in NCAA Division III national playoffs.
Meanwhile, Whiteman joins SHSU after a short stint as a strength and conditioning coach with Barwis Methods Training Center in Michigan, but previously spent six seasons as Director of Skill Development and assistant strength and conditioning coach with Arizona football. He served in a similar capacity with Rich Rodriguez's teams at Michigan (2008-10) and West Virginia.
“With Parker being exclusive to us, it allows our guys to have extra work on speed and body control, while also having someone who has the availability of being able to work with guys who need to add and lose weight. It's been a great spring and he's only been here less than a month,” Keeler said. We also love his experience working with up-tempo teams like ours. He understands specificity of training and how to train each position to fit what it is what we do here at Sam Houston.”
Whiteman was appointed a full-time assistant strength coach at West Virginia in 2007 after working as a graduate assistant in 2006. Prior to that, he spent two years as an assistant strength coach with the Baltimore Ravens and worked as a performance coach for Velocity Sports Performance.
He received his bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Shepherd University (W.V.), where he played football, in 2006. Whiteman completed a master's degree in exercise science from McDaniel College. He is a native of Keyser, W.V.
