Football Coaching Staff
North Central Last Chance Meet @ Naperville, IL
Erich Janousky is in his second season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach.
Janousky's first season at Concordia saw him revamp and revitalize the Cougars' offense with a multiple receiver passing game. The Cougars' three top receivers all averaged over 10 yards per catch, and Jason Weeks recorded the most yards of total offense for a Cougar quarterback since Jeff Braun totaled -- in 1992. These efforts contributed to the team putting up consecutive games with 41 points, their most since scoring 44 in a 1992 game. In addition, seven of his starters on offense were honored in the all-conference voting by the Illini-Badger Conference coaches.
Janousky has also been instrumental in Concordia's recruiting efforts. Helped by a solid class of recruits from Janousky's home state of Florida, the Cougars brought in over 40 new players last season, and early projections for the incoming freshman/transfer class look to be well beyond that number. "I believe strongly in Concordia's mission, and when I talk to a high school kid, I feel good about being able to promote the quality education and life experience that Concordia can offer, along with the opportunity to play football."
Janousky came to Concordia in 2006 with 11 years of coaching experience as an offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, beginning at St. John's Lutheran High School in Ocala, Florida (where he first worked with Cougar head coach Lonie Pries) and including one year at Gainesville High School. He reunited with Pries in 2001 at Milwaukee Lutheran High School, where they would stay for five seasons and help the Red Knights to the first two playoff appearances (2002, 2005) in the school's history. Janousky is credited with helping develop one of the highest-rated passing attacks in Wisconsin prep football in the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Janousky's and Pries' history together made it only fitting that Janousky became Pries' first addition to the Concordia coaching staff in early 2006. "Lonnie and I work well together and complement each other, and I share and support his vision for Cougar football. I think that a good, solid foundation was put in place here last year, and all of us are very excited about what is going to happen this year."
A standout three-sport athlete at St. John's, Janousky earned all-state honors in football (as a wide receiver) and baseball while also competing in basketball. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Florida where he earned his bachelor's degree in business management.
Dan Rohde is the newest member of the Cougar coaching staff, beginning his position as Concordia's defensive coordinator in March of 2007.
"I am happy to be joining the Cougar football program at this point in their history," says Rohde. "Lonnie and his staff have already accomplished a lot in a short space of time, setting the foundation for a successful program over the next several years. I'm looking forward to helping them work towards that goal and also coaching a lot of fine, young student-athletes who are excited about becoming part of something special."
Rohde's coaching career began at his alma mater of Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 2001 where he served as the assistant freshmen football coach. He then moved on to Lutheran High School North in Macomb, Michigan where he served five seasons as an assistant on the varsity level, serving as a defensive and a special teams coordinator and working at various times with defensive backs, offensive line, running backs and wide receivers. The Mustangs won conference titles in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, and Rohde's defensive unit finished second in the state of Michigan with 19 interceptions in 2006. His two years as defensive coordinator resulted in the Mustangs recording 36 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries. Lutheran North went to the state playoffs every year during Rohde's tenure.
Rohde played football and baseball at Milwaukee Lutheran, winning second-team All-Metro Conference honors on both offense and defense in his senior season of 1996. He was honored with MLHS' Christian Leadership award in 1995 for baseball. Rohde continued in football at Illini-Badger rival school Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin where he played safety and lettered for four seasons.
Rohde graduated Concordia Wisconsin in 2002 with a B.S. in physical education (K-12) and a minor in coaching and health.
Scott Ernst begins his second season coaching the Cougars' outside linebackers. He will also serve as the special teams' coordinator this year.
Ernst played his collegiate ball at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin as a defensive lineman and linebacker. He was part of a program that went 36-6, won four Midwest Conference titles and made three NCAA III playoff appearances. Ernst claimed individual honors during his career too, earning membership on the Midwest Conference All-Academic Football team in 2001 and 2002.
Ernst returned to the Chicago area after graduation and coached for two years at nearby Oak Park-River Forest High School. His primary experience was as a linebackers coach, but his coaching experience also included offensive line, defensive line and wide receivers. Ernst was part of a coaching staff that led the Huskies to a 6-3 record and an IHSA playoff appearance in 2005.
Ernst graduated St. Norbert in 2003 with a degree in history and minor in political science. He currently teaches history and math (grades 5-8) at St. Odilo Middle School in Berwyn.
Jordan Hopman will complete the transition from player to coach as he joins the Cougars' staff this season.
Hopman will serve as the defensive backs coach and assist with the special teams. He will also function as the main assistant to defensive coordinator Dan Rohde in the areas of video scouting and game planning, and he will have a role in many of the game-day operations.
Hopman, from south suburban Tinley Park, played in 27 games as a linebacker, defensive back and special teams player for the Cougars between 2003 and 2005. He made 20 solo tackles and 16 tackle assists, along with a couple of minus-yards tackles. Hopman served as a student assistant for Coach Pries during the 2006 season, and he has also helped out with youth summer camps at his alma mater of Tinley Park High School.
Hopman earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Concordia in December of 2006.
Andrew Prater returns for his second season of coaching Concordia's offensive linemen.
Prater, born and raised in Bluffton, Indiana, played his prep ball at Norwell High School, the Indiana state (class 3A) runner-up team in 1999. Prater anchored Norwell's line and earned first-team all-conference honors in his senior year of 2000.
Prater went on to play four years at Anderson University, serving as a team captain in his senior year. He would earn Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) honors as first-team center three times. Prater led an offensive line that accumulated over 600 yards in a game on four different occasions between 2001 and 2004 and set many school passing records during that time. The Ravens went 27-13 during his four years and won an HCAC title in 2001.
Prater coached the offensive line at Anderson in 2005. That season, the Ravens led the conference in total offense with 491.8 yards per game (229.7 passing, 190.1 rushing). Prater graduated Anderson in 2005 with degrees in history and political science.
Travis Reeb is the newest member of the Cougar coaching staff, joining in August of 2007. He will coach the wide receivers and work with the return men on special teams.
Reeb, a native of Denver, Colorado who played his prep ball at Denver Lutheran, played with the Cougars as a wide receiver from 2002 until 2005. His career numbers include 37 catches for 345 yards (9.3 avg.) and two touchdowns. Reeb also returned kickoffs and punts, averaging over 10 yards per punt return and, in 2005, over 20 yards per kick return. He earned Illini-Badger honorable mention all-conference honors in 2005 for his play on special teams and also was one of four Cougar players that year selected to the Illini-Badger Conference All-Academic team.
Reeb graduated Concordia in 2006 with a triple major in communications, management and marketing. Currently, he works in advertising for the David Group in Oak Brook.
Josh Schumacher brings his four-year experience as a Cougar player to the coaching staff this season. He will coach the running backs as a student assistant.
Schumacher's playing career was divided between defensive line, linebackers and special teams. He recorded 32 solo and 26 tackle assists in 2006 and finished with career totals of 86 solos and 69 assists.Schumacher also recorded 18 tackles for minus-yardage and 3.5 quarterback sacks. He served as a team captain, and his dedication to the team led Coach Pries to observe that "Josh is probably more passionate about Cougar football than anybody else on the team.:
Schumacher, who hails from Bristol, Connecticut, will graduate in December of 2007 with a bachelor's degree in Lutheran secondary education/physical education and a minor in math. He intends to pursue a coaching career with young players some day.
James "Big Cat" Williams brings his professional football experience to the Cougars as a first-year coach for the offensive line.
Williams is a 13-year veteran of the National Football League. He joined the Chicago Bears in 1991 as a free agent out of Cheyney State University as a defensive lineman but moved to the offensive line late in 1992. In 1994, he began a streak of 134 straight starts at right tackle that lasted until 2002. Williams spent his final NFL season in 2003 with the New England Patriots.
Williams was named as a starter to the NFC Pro Bowl team in 2001 and was also selected as an alternate in 1998. He was also selected by the Bears as the recipient of their Brian Piccolo Award in 2001, given to a player that best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor presonified by the late Bears' running back.
Williams has worked for the past two years as the radio color analyst for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League.
Erik Matth will serve as a graduate assistant for the Cougar coaching staff in 2007. He will work with the team's wide receivers.
Matth, a native of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is a 2007 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He worked as a student-coach for the Norse during the 2004-06 seasons. Matth's areas of responsibility were the running backs, tight ends and wide receivers, and he also worked with film breakdown, scouting and quality control of the offense.In 2006, Luther's offense finished fifth nationally in total offense, and the Norse's top receiver whom Matth coached broke school records for receptions, yardage and touchdown receptions.
Matth earned his bachelor's degree in history with a minor in secondary education and will pursue his Master's in American studies at Concordia. He intends to pursue a teaching/coaching profession.
Josh Moran joins the Cougar coaching staff as a graduate assistant for the 2007 season. He will coach the team's linebackers.
Moran, a Chicago native out of St. Laurence High School, is a 2006 graduate of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. He coached the defensive linemen at Cornell during the 2006 season and also assisted the team with recruiting, film breakdown, and the summer camps. Moran played four seasons (2002-05) for the Rams, winning the team's Golden Ram award 2004 for dedication, service and leadership to the team.
Moran played in all 10 of Cornell's games in 2005 and recorded 15 solo and 22 tackle assists, including 2.5 tackles for minus-yardage. That effort earned him the team's Most Improved Player distinction that season.
While at Cornell, he also participated in club volleyball, hockey and lacrosse.
Moran earned his bachelor's degree in economics, business and math. He will pursue a Master's in exercise science at Concordia.
