Kansas State names Chris Cosh linebackers coach, Joe Bob Clements to assume recruiting coordinator duties
Feb 18, 2004 | Football
"We are pleased to have Chris in our program,” Snyder said. “He is an accomplished coach, an excellent teacher and brings a wealth of experience, having coordinated defenses for several highly-respected coaches. Chris has a genuine concern for young people in all aspects of their lives.
“We are also pleased to have Joe Bob Clements assume the role of recruiting coordinator. He has proven himself to be a diligent and dedicated worker. He carried a great deal of the responsibility for the success we had recruiting in the state of
One of the most respected linebacker coaches in the nation, the 44-year-old Cosh brings an impressive resume to Kansas State after serving a five-year stint on Lou Holtz's staff at the University of South Carolina, where he served as the Gamecocks' defensive coordinator during the 2003 campaign.
During his stay in
In 1999, Cosh's first season at USC, he coached John Abraham to All-SEC honors. Abraham went on to be the No. 1 pick of the New York Jets (13th overall) in the 2000 draft and was selected to play in the 2002 and 2003 Pro Bowls.
More recently, Cosh mentored the SEC's top freshman linebacker, Lance Laurey, who was a freshman All-American in 2002, and team captain Jeremiah Garrison, who averaged nearly 10 tackles per game and recorded a team-leading 101 stops in 11 contests during 2003.
Prior to his tenure at
Cosh coached linebackers at
From 1992-1996, Cosh mentored three of the top linebackers of the 1990s while at Illinois as Dana Howard (1994) and Kevin Hardy (1995) won back to back Butkus Awards. Cosh also coached consensus All-America Simeon Rice, who was a defensive standout for the 2003 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 1995, Cosh was promoted to defensive coordinator after serving the 1994 campaign as assistant head coach.
Cosh received his coach start as a student assistant at his alma mater Virginia Tech in 1983. He worked as a graduate assistant under Holtz at
During his career, Cosh has been a part of five bowl squads, helping guide Virginia Tech to the 1983 Peach Bowl,
A native of
The Cosh File
Personal
Birthdate:
Wife: Mary
Children: James Joseph (15), Billy (11)
Education: Virginia Tech, 1983
College Football Playing Experience: Virginia Tech (linebacker, 1977-81)
High School: Bishop McNamara (
Coaching Resume
1983 Virginia Tech (student assistant)
1984
1985-88 Wisconsin-Oshkosh (defensive coordinator)
1989
1990 UNLV (linebackers)
1991
1992-93
1994
1995-96
1997
1998
1999-2002 South Carolina (linebackers)
2003
