University of North Texas Athletics
Morris Completes On-Field Staffing, Adds DPP
1/4/2023 11:53:00 AM | Football
Adds final three on-field coaches and player personnel lead
DENTON, Texas – North Texas head coach Eric Morris announced Thursday his final three on-field coaches for 2023 along with a new director of player personnel.
The final three on-field additions are Jon Cooper (Offensive line), Demerick Gary (Defensive Line) and Clay Jennings (Safeties). Morris has also added longtime colleague Josh Kirkland as Director of Player Personnel.
A 2009 OU graduate, Cooper is a three-year NFL veteran with 10 years of coaching experience. He spent 2022 on staff at his alma mater assisting on offense. He was the offensive line coach at Western Carolina in 2021 after coaching tight ends at Arkansas in 2020 and UCF in 2018 and 2019.
He also had stints at Missouri (2016-17) and Utah State (2015) after two years as a GA at Oklahoma (2013-14) working under current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. He was a four-year letterman for the Sooners from 2005-08.
Dallas-native Gary, who was a standout defensive lineman at SMU from 2016-19, spent the 2022 season as a graduate assistant and assistant defensive line coach at Houston. The Cougars defense had 30 sacks and led The American with 94 tackles for loss.
Gary was a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 2021 and served on the coaching staff at North Crowley High School in 2020. He was named one of On3 Sports' Rising Stars in college football in 2022.
Jennings is a UNT alum and makes his return to the program for a third time after a stint as secondary coach from 2019-20. The veteran assistant spent 2022 at Texas State and in a more than 25 years as a coach has also had successful runs at Texas Tech, Houston, Texas, Arkansas, TCU and Baylor.
He tutored multiple All-Americans and NFL draft picks throughout his career. Jennings earned his degree from UNT in 1997.
Kirkland comes to UNT following three seasons a collegiate head coach where he engineered huge offensive jumps at both stops. He led Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2022 following a two-year stint as head coach at New Mexico Highlands from 2019-20.
Prior to his appointment at Highlands, Kirkland served as Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Incarnate Word under Morris. The Levelland, Texas native also coached the running backs and tight ends.
Kirkland also has experience at the high school level in Texas guiding Kyle Lehman (2017-18), El Paso Parkland (2015-17) and time as associate head coach at Daingerfield (2010-15). He earned his degree from West Texas A&M in 2010.
2023 On-Field Coaching Staff
Eric Morris, Head Coach
Drew Svoboda, Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
Chris Gilbert, Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends
Matt Caponi, Defensive Coordinator/Corners
Jordan Davis, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Sean Brophy, Assistant Coach/Quarterbacks
Patrick Cobbs, Assistant Coach/Running backs
Jon Cooper, Assistant Coach/Offensive Line
Demerick Gary, Assistant Coach/Defensive Line
Clay Jennings, Assistant Coach/Safeties
Colby Kratch, Assistant Coach/Linebackers
The final three on-field additions are Jon Cooper (Offensive line), Demerick Gary (Defensive Line) and Clay Jennings (Safeties). Morris has also added longtime colleague Josh Kirkland as Director of Player Personnel.
A 2009 OU graduate, Cooper is a three-year NFL veteran with 10 years of coaching experience. He spent 2022 on staff at his alma mater assisting on offense. He was the offensive line coach at Western Carolina in 2021 after coaching tight ends at Arkansas in 2020 and UCF in 2018 and 2019.
He also had stints at Missouri (2016-17) and Utah State (2015) after two years as a GA at Oklahoma (2013-14) working under current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. He was a four-year letterman for the Sooners from 2005-08.
Dallas-native Gary, who was a standout defensive lineman at SMU from 2016-19, spent the 2022 season as a graduate assistant and assistant defensive line coach at Houston. The Cougars defense had 30 sacks and led The American with 94 tackles for loss.
Gary was a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 2021 and served on the coaching staff at North Crowley High School in 2020. He was named one of On3 Sports' Rising Stars in college football in 2022.
Jennings is a UNT alum and makes his return to the program for a third time after a stint as secondary coach from 2019-20. The veteran assistant spent 2022 at Texas State and in a more than 25 years as a coach has also had successful runs at Texas Tech, Houston, Texas, Arkansas, TCU and Baylor.
He tutored multiple All-Americans and NFL draft picks throughout his career. Jennings earned his degree from UNT in 1997.
Kirkland comes to UNT following three seasons a collegiate head coach where he engineered huge offensive jumps at both stops. He led Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2022 following a two-year stint as head coach at New Mexico Highlands from 2019-20.
Prior to his appointment at Highlands, Kirkland served as Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Incarnate Word under Morris. The Levelland, Texas native also coached the running backs and tight ends.
Kirkland also has experience at the high school level in Texas guiding Kyle Lehman (2017-18), El Paso Parkland (2015-17) and time as associate head coach at Daingerfield (2010-15). He earned his degree from West Texas A&M in 2010.
2023 On-Field Coaching Staff
Eric Morris, Head Coach
Drew Svoboda, Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
Chris Gilbert, Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends
Matt Caponi, Defensive Coordinator/Corners
Jordan Davis, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Sean Brophy, Assistant Coach/Quarterbacks
Patrick Cobbs, Assistant Coach/Running backs
Jon Cooper, Assistant Coach/Offensive Line
Demerick Gary, Assistant Coach/Defensive Line
Clay Jennings, Assistant Coach/Safeties
Colby Kratch, Assistant Coach/Linebackers
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