Matt Middleton's priority as Kansas Wesleyan's new head football coach was to assemble a quality staff as quickly as possible.
Mission accomplished.
Middleton previously announced the hirings of offensive coordinator Robert "Boomer" Cunningham and defensive coordinator Greg Parker. The rest of the slots have been filled except for two graduate assistants who will be added this spring.
Middleton, who came to KWU from Harding College (Ark.), has announced the hiring of three new members and the return of two coaches from last year's staff.
- Ben Blahauvietz follows Middleton from Harding and will coach safeties and coordinate the special teams.
- Dylan Teague comes from Southern Arkansas and will coach linebackers, serve as equipment manager and supervise student assistants and managers.
- Tycen Gray is a graduate assistant after finishing his playing career at Delta State (Miss.) and will work with the offense.
- Chris Snyder and David Leonard have been retained after serving as co-head interim coaches last fall. Snyder will coach the quarterbacks and is recruiting coordinator while Leonard will coach the secondary and coordinate community service projects.
"It's been good and we're excited," Middleton said. "I think the biggest thing for a head coach is to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you in a lot of ways and also have strengths that you don't have."
Middleton coached quarterbacks and fullbacks at Harding while helping the Bisons compile a 27-2 record for the last two seasons.
"(Blahauvietz) worked with special teams at Harding, was very influential in working with those guys and the success we had," Middleton said. "I spent time coaching with Ben, and he is an absolute go getter. He brings a lot of that coaching experience even though he's been in a GA role and now he is in a full-time role. (Gray) is going to be a really good one. Tycen is not far removed from playing and it's been amazing to watch him. He's going to be an absolute hammer one day.
"One thing I can tell you about Ben and Tycen is they are super hungry recruiters. They've done a great job. Those are two guys that have hit the ground running and done really well."
Blahauvietz and Gray joined the staff in January while Teague is a recent arrival.
"Dylan just got here. He has been the linebackers coach the last two years at Southern Arkansas and is a coach's kid, so he understands it. He grew up doing that," Middleton said.
Snyder and Leonard led the Coyotes to a 5-0 record, the Kansas Conference's Gene Bissell Division title and a berth in the NAIA playoffs as co-interim head coaches.
"Chris and David have been real instrumental with retention and have given us an opportunity to build relationships and those things," Middleton said. "It's been a clean slate too where they helped us early but now, we've moved on into 2025. I think it has been a breath of fresh air for them to be able to just go back and coach ball again, be assistant coaches."
Cunningham came to KWU after three seasons at Delta State where he coached running backs and tight ends. Prior to that he was offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern Arkansas for seven seasons.
Parker was defensive line coach at Thomas (Florida) last fall after coaching the defensive line and outside linebackers for two seasons at Division I Bucknell.
Middleton and his staff will take the field with their athletes for the first time when spring practice begins March 31. The Coyotes will have 13 practice sessions at JRI Hospitality Stadium and Graves Family Sports Complex before the spring scrimmage on April 26