A slow start plagued the Illinois Wesleyan University football team in a 59-14 loss to Washington University in St. Louis Saturday, Oct. 8, at Francis Olympic Field. (Photo by Kodiak Creative/Jimmy Naprstek)

Kodiak Creative

Football Bolsters Staff Ahead of Williamson’s First Season

Titans begin 2025 season at home, Sept. 6

8/7/2025 12:40:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With less than a week until student-athletes report to campus, Illinois Wesleyan University head football coach Jared Williamson announced the hiring of three assistant coaches Thursday, Aug. 7. Joining Williamson's staff in his inaugural season at the helm are Kyle Koelblinger, Jacob Viccari, and Owen Brown.

The group joins Williamson's staff which also includes associate head coach and defensive coordinator, Mike Murray, Tyler Holte (recruiting coordinator / quarterbacks), Thomas Flood (defensive line), Eli Kosanovich (offensive coordinator / offensive line), Andres Mestre (running backs), Adrian Robbins (kickers/punters & assistant defensive line), and Robbie Pulliam (offensive line).

The additional positions were made possible by the Titan Football Legacy Group, and more specifically the fundraising effort captained by John Billhorn '83, a former teammate of current IWU associate head coach and defensive coordinator Mike Murray. Billhorn led the "I WILL MATCH YOU DRIVE" alongside former teammates Rick Hanna '81, Craig Farmer '82, and Dave O'Neill '83.

Koelblinger's focus will be with the defensive backs. A 2024 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, he previously served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater during the most recent spring season. A three-time All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection at defensive back, Koelblinger was voted the WIAC's Newcomer of the Year in 2021. That same season, he helped lead the Warhawks to a national runner-up finish. A team captain in his final season, he graduated with a degree in marketing in 2024 and is currently pursuing his graduate degree in business administration.

Viccari, who will work with IWU's wide receivers, comes to Bloomington as he returns to the coaching ranks. He most recently coached at the Sewanee: University of the South from 2021 until 2022. There, he worked with running backs while also serving as a volunteer firefighter. A wide receiver and punt returner during his playing days, he graduated from Sewanee in 2022. A native of Roswell, Ga., Viccari earned his degree in economics and later went on to work in the financial and real estate industries.

No stranger to the CCIW, Brown joins Williamson's staff following a four-year career at Augustana College. An offensive lineman for the Vikings, Brown was a four-year letterwinner during his time in Rock Island. He previously served as an offensive analyst for the Quad City Steamwheelers of the Indoor Football League, assisting primarily the offensive line.

The Titans begin the 2025 season at home Saturday, Sept. 6, against Central College (Iowa). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. inside Tucci Stadium.

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