SMU hires new assistant coach, director of on-campus recruit

[PonyPride]

From the SMU athletic department:

DALLAS – SMU Head Coach Phil Bennett announced the addition of two new members to his staff on Thursday. Flint Risien was named an Assistant Coach, while Steve Stigall came aboard as the Director of On-Campus Recruiting.

In his role, Risien will work with the Mustangs’ offensive tackles and tight ends. Risien comes to SMU after a long career in the prep ranks. Risien had tenures as head football coach and athletic director at both Lakeview Centennial (1999-2005) and Rockwall (1989-1995) and was an assistant at Newman Smith, Greenville, San Antonio Roosevelt and South Garland. A Texas A&M graduate (B.S. ’84, M.E. ’86), Risien played offensive guard for the Aggies and went on to serve as their graduate assistant in 1985 and 1986. In his time as a coach, Risien has led teams to two Southwest Conference championships, two Cotton Bowl appearances, a 5A state championship, a 4A state finalist and two- district championships. He is the brother of two-time Pro-Bowler and 10-year NFL veteran Cody Risien of the Cleveland Browns.

In keeping with NCAA rules, Jerry Bennett will now serve as a full-time Director of High School Relations to make room for Risien on the SMU staff.

Stigall comes to the Hilltop from Texas, where he served two years in the Longhorns’ Football Operations office. A UT graduate, Stigall was a three-year letterwinner and was named the team’s special teams MVP in 2004. He was also a four-time member of the Big 12 Honor Roll and was a nominee for the 2004 Bobby Bowden Award. At SMU, he will handle all aspects of on-campus recruiting including the arrangement of lodging, meals, travel and visit itineraries. He will also handle correspondence and will assign and monitor a recruiting management program for the SMU staff. His official start day at SMU will be March 19.

“We’re thrilled to add Coach Risien and Steve to our staff,” said Bennett. “Flint has worked our camps for years and I know what a wealth of knowledge he brings to our program. While Steve is relatively new to the profession, he really impressed me with his knowledge and his drive to succeed. I know both of these men will help us tremendously.”

Also joining the SMU staff are two new graduate assistants, Tolu Lasaki and Reed Heim. Lasaki will assist the defensive staff, while Heim will work on the offensive side of the ball. Lasaki is in his third year on the Hilltop after spending the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the video G.A. He previously coached cornerbacks at Colorado School of Mines in 2002 and 2003, where he guided two corners to Division II All-West Region honors. Heim was a two-time All-American Southwest Conference linebacker at Austin College, where he graduated in 2000. Heim then spent a season on the Austin College staff before moving on to Louisiana College for another season. He was most recently a linebackers and defensive ends coach at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, V.A., where he has spent three seasons. He has also served as a video coordinator and has recruited Dallas and the state of Texas at both Austin College and VMI.

SMU continues spring practice through the end of the month and will cap the session with the annual Red & Blue Scrimmage on March 31 at 2 p.m. in Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

[Mustang98]

Does anyone know Steve Stigall's background? Can he relate to low income recruits? It's important that our recruiting staff make kids coming from lower socioeconomic environments comfortable when they visit our campus. Often many of our recruits are intimidated and cannot relate to the "country club" atmosphere on campus. Therefore it's important to have a recruiting coordinator/liason that can "bridge the gap" so to speak.

[Dement-ed]

I doubt he'll do a lot of the actual recruiting - maybe none of it. Sounds to me like he's more of an administrative guy in the whole recruiting process. It's up to the coaches to recruit, the way I read it.

[mrydel]

Isn't Steven Stigall the guy that does all the martial arts action movies? I would sign up if I was a young recruit.

[Bergermeister]

From the SMU athletic department:

In keeping with NCAA rules, Jerry Bennett will now serve as a full-time Director of High School Relations to make room for Risien on the SMU staff.

Thank goodness we've still got this going for us. I'd hate to lose the stronghold on that East Texas pipeline that has been so productive.

[SMUguy]

Agreed - I'll take another Jonathan Lindley, Cedrick Dorsey, Justin Rogers, David Haynes, Jessie Henderson, Jamey Harper, Jamell Kennedy, Tony Hawkins, Brandon Bonds (is Cooper in East Texas?), and guys like that any day.

Welcome to SMU, Coach Risien.

[that's great raplh]

what does the move mean for Jerry?

[SMUtrojanFAN]

Why don't they hire a Special Teams coach?

[PonyPride]

As Director of High School Relations, Jerry Bennett doesn't have to coach the current Ponies, and he will not recruit players. His role will be focused largely around building and maintaining relationships with high schools and high school coaches, and organizing things along with the new guy, Stigall.

[Bergermeister]

Jerry Bennett doesn't have to coach .

Guess they had a drawing amongst the staff and he won!