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Houston Hires Tesh

JMU has hired Roy Tesh to coach outside linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator.
JMU has hired Roy Tesh to coach outside linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator. (JMU Athletic Communications)

HARRISONBURG – When Mike Houston found out he’d have to make a quick hire in early June, the second-year James Madison coach had one man in mind.

Houston turned to Roy Tesh, who had previously worked with him at The Citadel, Lenoir-Rhyne and Brevard College. Tesh will serve as JMU’s special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach.

He replaces John Bowers, who left the program last week in order move near his son Ross – likely the starting quarterback at the University of California this fall.

“You always have to be prepared for any coach to leave, so you always have a short list,” Houston said Friday. “[Tesh] was on that short list.”

Following Bowers’ departure, Houston said the first call he made was to The Citadel coach Brent Thompson to let Thompson know that he wanted to speak with Tesh.

Dukes cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Tripp Weaver was the only assistant to follow Houston from The Citadel to Harrisonburg when he was initially hired by JMU last offseason.

“After that call, the process went through pretty quickly,” Houston said. “And in the end, he was heads and tails the unanimous best choice of all the applicants.

“He’s a great fit for our staff and will be great with our players.”

When JMU opens its 2017 campaign at East Carolina on Sept. 2, it’ll mark the start of the 10th season Houston and Tesh have shared the same sideline together.

Houston hired Tesh at The Citadel and said he even pushed one of his mentors, Fred Goldsmith, to hire Tesh at Lenoir-Rhyne.

Both Houston and JMU defensive coordinator Bob Trott have implemented the same defensive system they learned from Goldsmith. Tesh knows the system from having worked for Houston and Goldsmith.

“He’s coached everything in the front seven, so he knows the scheme very well,” Houston said. “And we’ve been doing the same basic things on special teams the entire time, so he knows the special teams schemes. There will be a seamless transition for our players.”

On the recruiting side, Houston said JMU would reshuffle where its coaches recruit. Bowers had strong ties with high schools in Maryland, D.C., and northern Virginia, but Tesh’s connections are all south of Harrisonburg.

“We’re going to get some of our coaches in the areas north of us that are maybe more familiar to them,” Houston said. “The one thing with Roy though is he’s such a hard worker in recruiting and he has great ties with the high school coaches in the Carolinas, so he’ll bring that strength to our staff.”

Tesh is second assistant coach that Houston has hired since JMU won the national championship in January.

During the spring former offensive line coach Jamal Powell left for the same position at Lamar, so Houston bumped Bryan Stinespring from tight ends coach to offensive line coach and then hired Delaware assistant Fontel Mines to coach tight ends and inside receivers.

Houston said Tesh will arrive and start on Sunday, when JMU hosts its first prospect camp of the summer.

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