Wish I had known he was there!!!! (I must have been at the bar when he was introduced
) I would have given him a big Mustang/Bearkat welcome!!!! A coach from my alma mater - Sam Houston State - on the SMU coaching staff!!! I LOVE IT!
DALLAS (SMU) - Joe Tumpkin has joined the SMU football staff as linebackers coach, Head Coach Phil Bennett announced Thursday, Feb. 3.
“Joe is an excellent addition to our staff,†said Bennett. “He’s familiar with our system and has coached both linebackers and defensive backs, so he knows the defense from front to back.â€
Tumpkin arrives on the Hilltop from Sam Houston State where he spent the last three seasons as linebackers, secondary and special teams coach. During his tenure as a Bearkat, Tumpkin helped guide Sam Houston State to a share of the 2004 Southland Conference championship, middle linebacker T. J. Dibble to consecutive All-Conference honors and Paul Donelson to All-Conference and All-America accolades.
Before joining the Sam Houston staff, Tumpkin served two seasons as defensive coordinator at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wisc. Tumpkin coached linebackers and special teams and served as recruiting coordinator for the Division III Muskies. Lakeland ranked third in the Illinois-Badger Football Conference in 2001 in total defense, allowing just 312.2 yards per game. Tumpkin coached one NCAA Division III All-America defensive end, two All-Conference defensive linemen and one All-League linebacker.
Previously, Tumpkin served as linebackers coach at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., where he served as recruiting coordinator, video coordinator, and game-day signal caller for the defense.
Tumpkin served as a graduate assistant football coach at Lakeland in 1994, Northern Michigan in 1995 and Western Michigan in 1997 before becoming linebackers coach at Defiance College in 1996.
He played football at Michigan Tech in Houghton, Mich., where he was a National Dean's List student and earned his B.A. in May 1994. He was a four-year letterman for teams that rolled up a combined 26-13 record and was team co-captain of Michigan Tech's 6-4 squad in 1993.
Joe and his wife, Maria, are the parents of Christopher and Nikolas.
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:02 pm