Football
Gush, Jim
Jim Gush
- Title:
- Co-Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
- Email:
- UNTFootball@unt.edu
- Alma Mater:
- Bucknell, 1981
Jim Gush was named North Texas’ linebackers coach and director of defensive recruiting in January 2021. Prior to the 2022 season, Gush was promoted to co-defensive coordinator.
The stint at UNT marks Gush’s fifth working with Mean Green defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. The pair have spent 19 seasons together in stops at Baylor, SMU, Kansas State and Iowa State.
In 2021, Gush mentored UNT’s linebacker unit that was a key cog in a much-improved defense that included first team All-CUSA performer KD Davis.
Gush most recently served as McNeese State’s defensive coordinator in 2019 directing a defense that held opponents to 25.9 points per game. Prior to his arrival at McNeese, Gush spent his previous two seasons at Navarro College, the second as head coach (in 2018), when he led Navarro to a 6-5 finish and an appearance in the Salt City Bowl.
Prior to Navarro College, Gush, a nearly 40-year coaching veteran, coached six seasons at Baylor (2011-16), where he was linebackers coach and defensive recruiting coordinator. In his time with the Bears, Gush helped the program to a pair of Big 12 Championships in 2013-14, six bowl appearances and mentored 10 All-Big 12 players.
Gush arrived in Waco from Stony Brook where he spent two seasons as assistant head coach for defense. As defensive coordinator at Stony Brook, his 2010 defense led the Big South in interceptions (17) and turnovers forced (26). In 2009, Stony Brook led the Big South in scoring defense, allowing a conference-low 15 touchdowns in six games. Senior linebacker Tyler Santucci was named 2009 Big South Defensive Player of the Year and Gush had six all-conference players in his two seasons.
Prior to Stony Brook, Gush spent six seasons (2002-07) as SMU’s defensive coordinator working under Bennett. In addition to his coordinator duties, he also served as the position coach with the linebackers for one year and defensive backs for five seasons. He had three all-conference players during his time at SMU.
He coached from 1999 to 2001 at Kansas State, where he served as linebackers coach and the Wildcats ranked among the nation’s top four in total defense all three seasons and made three bowl appearances. During the 1999 season, Gush coached Butkus Award runner-up and consensus All-American Mark Simoneau, who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Prior to Kansas State, Gush spent 12 seasons at Garden City Community College in Kansas, three as head coach and nine as defensive coordinator. He compiled a 29-7 win-loss record in three seasons as head coach and led Garden City to top 10 finishes each year. In 1997, Gush led GCCC to a Jayhawk Conference championship and a berth in the Red River Bowl, the national championship game. Garden City CC produced a first-team JC All-American every season Gush was a coach there and played in the Jayhawk Conference Championship game in 10 of his 12 seasons with the Broncbusters.
Gush began his collegiate coaching career at Albany in 1983 where he coached defensive backs. He moved to Iowa State in 1984 as a graduate assistant on Bennett’s defensive staff.
A 1981 graduate of Bucknell University with a B.S. in economics, Gush was a four-year starter for the Bison and also served as a student assistant. He earned his master’s degree in higher education from Iowa State in 1986.
A native of Elmira, N.Y., he and his wife, Anne, have two adult children, Stephanie and Jordan.
COACHING HISTORY
1983: Albany, defensive backs
1984-86: Iowa State, graduate assistant/special teams/defensive backs
1987-95: Garden City CC, defensive coordinator
1996-98: Garden City CC, head coach
1999-01: Kansas State, linebackers
2002-07: SMU, defensive coordinator
2008: Irving (Texas)?HS, defensive coordinator
2009-10: Stony Brook, assistant head coach/defensive coordinator
2011-16: Baylor, linebackers
2017: Navarro College, defensive coordinator
2018: Navarro College, head coach
2019: McNeese State, defensive coordinator
2021-current: UNT, linebackers
The stint at UNT marks Gush’s fifth working with Mean Green defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. The pair have spent 19 seasons together in stops at Baylor, SMU, Kansas State and Iowa State.
In 2021, Gush mentored UNT’s linebacker unit that was a key cog in a much-improved defense that included first team All-CUSA performer KD Davis.
Gush most recently served as McNeese State’s defensive coordinator in 2019 directing a defense that held opponents to 25.9 points per game. Prior to his arrival at McNeese, Gush spent his previous two seasons at Navarro College, the second as head coach (in 2018), when he led Navarro to a 6-5 finish and an appearance in the Salt City Bowl.
Prior to Navarro College, Gush, a nearly 40-year coaching veteran, coached six seasons at Baylor (2011-16), where he was linebackers coach and defensive recruiting coordinator. In his time with the Bears, Gush helped the program to a pair of Big 12 Championships in 2013-14, six bowl appearances and mentored 10 All-Big 12 players.
Gush arrived in Waco from Stony Brook where he spent two seasons as assistant head coach for defense. As defensive coordinator at Stony Brook, his 2010 defense led the Big South in interceptions (17) and turnovers forced (26). In 2009, Stony Brook led the Big South in scoring defense, allowing a conference-low 15 touchdowns in six games. Senior linebacker Tyler Santucci was named 2009 Big South Defensive Player of the Year and Gush had six all-conference players in his two seasons.
Prior to Stony Brook, Gush spent six seasons (2002-07) as SMU’s defensive coordinator working under Bennett. In addition to his coordinator duties, he also served as the position coach with the linebackers for one year and defensive backs for five seasons. He had three all-conference players during his time at SMU.
He coached from 1999 to 2001 at Kansas State, where he served as linebackers coach and the Wildcats ranked among the nation’s top four in total defense all three seasons and made three bowl appearances. During the 1999 season, Gush coached Butkus Award runner-up and consensus All-American Mark Simoneau, who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Prior to Kansas State, Gush spent 12 seasons at Garden City Community College in Kansas, three as head coach and nine as defensive coordinator. He compiled a 29-7 win-loss record in three seasons as head coach and led Garden City to top 10 finishes each year. In 1997, Gush led GCCC to a Jayhawk Conference championship and a berth in the Red River Bowl, the national championship game. Garden City CC produced a first-team JC All-American every season Gush was a coach there and played in the Jayhawk Conference Championship game in 10 of his 12 seasons with the Broncbusters.
Gush began his collegiate coaching career at Albany in 1983 where he coached defensive backs. He moved to Iowa State in 1984 as a graduate assistant on Bennett’s defensive staff.
A 1981 graduate of Bucknell University with a B.S. in economics, Gush was a four-year starter for the Bison and also served as a student assistant. He earned his master’s degree in higher education from Iowa State in 1986.
A native of Elmira, N.Y., he and his wife, Anne, have two adult children, Stephanie and Jordan.
COACHING HISTORY
1983: Albany, defensive backs
1984-86: Iowa State, graduate assistant/special teams/defensive backs
1987-95: Garden City CC, defensive coordinator
1996-98: Garden City CC, head coach
1999-01: Kansas State, linebackers
2002-07: SMU, defensive coordinator
2008: Irving (Texas)?HS, defensive coordinator
2009-10: Stony Brook, assistant head coach/defensive coordinator
2011-16: Baylor, linebackers
2017: Navarro College, defensive coordinator
2018: Navarro College, head coach
2019: McNeese State, defensive coordinator
2021-current: UNT, linebackers
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