Kevin Verdugo
Head Coach

Kevin Verdugo is in his third season as head coach at Fort Hays State University. Verdugo will guide the Tigers into their second year of play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2007.

Verdugo came to the Tiger program from the University of Akron, where he served as an assistant coach for the Zips. Prior to Akron, he was the head coach at Fort Scott Community College for three seasons. Verdugo was tabbed the 2001 Kansas Jayhawk Conference Coach of the Year while at FSCC. He led Fort Scott to a 5-4 record that season, including a victory over top-ranked Garden City Community College.

Under Verdugo’s offense, quarterback Bill Whittemore was named Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and went on to sign with Kansas where he was the Big XII Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2002.

Verdugo was the quarterbacks coach at Southern Illinois for the 2000 season and spent two seasons (1997-98) as offensive coordinator/running backs coach at Northern Michigan.

From 1994-96, Verdugo served as the quarterbacks (1994-96) and wide receiver coach (1996) at Southeast Missouri State. In 1994, he coached Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year Fred Hosten, and as recruiting coordinator, he covered the states of Florida, California, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

A former college quarterback, Verdugo began his career at Kansas (1987) before finishing up at Colorado State (1988-91). He spent two training camps (1992-93) with the New Orleans Saints and the 1994 preseason camp with the Shreveport Pirates of the CFL.

Verdugo and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Kaleb and Jackson.

Doug McFadden
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Secondary

Assistant Head Coach Doug McFadden is in his third season with the Tiger football program. McFadden also serves as defensive secondary and special teams coach.

McFadden, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, came to the Tiger football program after serving as the special teams coordinator and secondary coach for two years at South Dakota State University.

McFadden served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Langston University in 2002. He served in the same capacity at Hutchinson Community College in 2001 and was secondary coach for the Blue Dragons from 1999 to 2000.

McFadden was a four-year letterwinner at Southwest Baptist University. He was a NCAA II All-Star in 1999 and a second team All-MIAA selection in 1998. He played professionally for the Wichita Warlords in 2000.

McFadden acquired his bachelor’s degree in Organization Managment and Leadership from Friends University in 2001. Doug is married to the former Susan Cochran and they have two daughters, Olivia and Gabrielle.

Shawn Mennenga
Defensive Coordinator

Assistant Coach Shawn Mennenga is in his third year as the defensive coordinator for the Tigers.

Mennenga spent three seasons as the head coach of Culver-Stockton from 2002 to 2004. He served as defensive coordinator for one season prior to his head coaching stint. Prior to his work at Culver-Stockton, he served as defensive coordinator at Hutchinson Community College. He has also spent time as outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky University and as defensive backs coach at Southwest Baptist University. Mennenga played football for the University of Missouri, where he lettered one season.

The native of Melbourne, Iowa, Mennenga graduated from the University of Missouri in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies with an emphasis in Exercise Science. He acquired his master’s degree at Southwest Baptist University in 1998.

Mennenga is married to the former Christie Thomas, of Colo, Iowa. Shawn and Christie have two children, Garrett and Ashley.

A.J. Blazek
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line

Offensive Coordinator A.J. Blazek is in his third season with the Tiger program. The 2007 season will be his second as offensive coordinator.

In Blazek’s two seasons as offensive line coach, he has guided two linemen to all-conference awards. In 2005, Tiger center Cameron McDade (Sr.) was a 2nd team All-RMAC selection at offensive line. In 2006, Ryan Taillon (Jr.) was selected Honorable Mention All-MIAA. It was the Tigers first year in the MIAA.

Blazek was part of a two-time Big Ten Champion coaching staff at the University of Iowa. In his first season as a graduate assistant, Blazek helped with the Hawkeye secondary and coached the likes of Bob Sanders (Colts), Sean Considine (Eagles), and Derek Pagel (Jets). In 2002, he assisted with an Iowa defense that was ranked fifth nationally in rush defense. He returned to the offensive line for his final two seasons with the Iowa staff. He helped coach the likes of Robert Gallery (Raiders), Eric Steinbach (Bengals), Bruce Nelson (Panthers), Ben Sobieski (Bills), David Porter (Packers), Pete Traynor (Packers), Pete McMahon (Raiders), Brian Ferentz (Falcons), and Mike Jones (2007 NFL Draft). Blazek coached in four different bowl games while at Iowa, Alamo (2001), Orange (2003), Outback (2004), and the Capitol One (2005).

As a player, Blazek was a team captain in 2000 and earned All-Big Ten honors during his senior season. He also received the team Hustle Award and Iron Hawk Award his senior season. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection his junior and senior seasons. Blazek played all but one offensive down during his senior campaign. He lettered two years at Iowa, serving as the team’s center on the offensive line. He played at Butler County Community College prior to his days at Iowa earning All-American and Academic All-American honors. He also served as the Grizzlies team captain in 1998. Following his college career, Blazek played for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League in 2001 and 2002. He earned the Walter Payton Award for community service in the Chicago area in 2001.

Blazek, a native of Wichita, Kansas, earned his bachelor’s degree in Health Promotions from the University of Iowa in 2001. He obtained his master’s from the University of Iowa in 2004 in Sports Administration. He is married to the former Kyla Fetter of Toledo, Iowa. A.J. and Kyla have two children, Cooper (2) and Macey (1).

Phil Ockinga
Wide Receivers

Assistant coach Phil Ockinga is in his fourth season as a member of the Tiger coaching staff. He will work with the wide receivers in 2007.

Prior to his stint at Fort Hays State, Ockinga was a member of the coaching staff at Hastings College (Neb.) from 2002-03. He coached the running backs in 2003 and the linebackers the previous year. Ockinga played from 1999-2001 at Hastings College after transferring from Wyoming University, where he played from 1997-98.

Ockinga earned bachelor’s degrees in Physical Education and History in 2002 and a master’s degree in Social Science in 2003 from Hastings College. He earned a second master’s degree from Fort Hays State University in 2006 in Sports Administration.

Greg Bryant
Defensive Line

Graduate Assistant Greg Bryant is in his second season as a member of the Tiger coaching staff. He will work with the defensive line in 2007. Bryant comes to the program from Western Michigan University where he played football for two years. Prior to his time at WMU, Bryant played at Merced College in California for two years. Bryant played the defensive tackle position all throughout college.

Bryant earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in Student Integrated Curriculum. The native of Edmond, Okla., is working towards a master’s degree in Secondary Education/Physical Education at Fort Hays State.

Connor Jostes
Quarterbacks

Graduate Assistant Connor Jostes is in his second season as a member of the Tiger coaching staff. He will work with the quarterbacks in 2007. Before arriving at Fort Hays State, Jostes started for three years at quarterback for Drake University. He was an all-conference selection and Division I-AA Academic All-American at Drake.

Jostes earned a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in Secondary Education with the emphasis in History. Jostes is a native of Iowa City, Iowa.

Brent O'Brien
Safeties

Graduate Assistant Brent O'Brien is in his first season as a member of the Tiger coaching staff. He will work with the safeties for the 2007 season. Before coming to FHSU, O'Brien was an assistant coach at Hastings College in 2005, where he helped coach the linebackers. Prior to that, O'Brien played middle linebacker from 2001-2004 for Hastings College. While playing, he earned Honorable Mention All-Conference his senior season.

O'Brien earned a bachelor's degree in Sports and Business Management in 2005 from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, began work on a master's degree in January 2007 in Sports Administration from FHSU. He is a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado.