LEWISTON, Maine -- New Bates football head coach Matt Coyne has finalized his coaching staff for the upcoming 2022 season.
Coyne (Twitter: @Cats_CoachCoyne) was named the program's 22nd head coach in its 127-year history on February 8. His coaching staff includes four new faces and two familiar names for Bates fans.
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Mitchell Thompson (Twitter: @coachmcthompson) joins the coaching staff as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
He spent the last five seasons at Amherst as an assistant coach, working primarily with the wide receivers and special teams. Four of the eighteen total All-Conference Receivers in the NESCAC from 2017-2019 were from Amherst.
"Coach Thompson brings great energy and experience within the league," Coyne said. "He is an elite recruiter and a person who is going to bring great value to our offense and team culture. Coach has already made a significant impact on our program."
Thompson recruited all over the country with the Mammoths and created individual graphics and videos for all recruits for both social media and mailing. He was responsible for scheduling and running all Official Recruiting Weekends, Junior Days, and individual visits for top recruits, which included campus/athletic tours, photo shoots, and delivering the prospective student-athletes to their hosts.
Thompson previously worked with coach Coyne in 2016 as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at Oberlin College.
Thompson appeared in 41 games at defensive back for Washington and Lee University before graduating in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in European History. Racking up 152 total tackles, the Memphis, Tenn. native finished his collegiate career with eight tackles for loss, three interceptions and 15 pass deflections and was a two-time all-conference selection.
Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
Owen Watrous (Twitter: @CoachWatrous) joins the coaching staff as the team's offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
Coach Watrous comes to Bates after one season at Middlebury where he coached the running backs and tight ends. He came to the Panther squad after serving as the running backs coach at NESCAC rival Amherst since 2017.
"Coach Watrous was a key piece in constructing our staff," Coyne said. "He is a great offensive line coach and his understanding of the run game will allow us to have success moving forward. His energy and toughness resonate with our players and is a mentality we will embody this fall."
During his time with the Mammoths, Watrous helped guide the team to back-to-back NESCAC runner-up finishes (2017 and 2018). In 2018, Amherst captured the Little Three Title, a tradition with Wesleyan and Williams dating back to 1910. Watrous coached the running backs and defensive line throughout his time with the Mammoths, coaching several All-NESCAC selections.
Watrous graduated from Ithaca College in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in business management. He was a four-year member of the Bombers' offensive line, helping the team capture a pair of Empire 8 Championships and advance to the NCAA Tournament twice.
Wide Receivers/Pass Game Coordinator/Social Media Coordinator
James Mayden (Twitter: @JamesMayden) joins the coaching staff as the team's wide receivers coach, pass game coordinator, and social media coordinator.
He comes to the Bobcats from Amherst where he served as the team's running backs coach and social media coordinator in 2021.
"Coach Mayden brings a wealth of experience from all levels," Coyne said. "His experience as a player at the Division I level and coaching at high academic Division III institutions will add great value to our program. Coach is a diligent worker and we are fortunate to have him."
Mayden spent two years on the coaching staff at Oberlin, coaching wide receivers in 2019 and defensive backs in 2020.
He started his college playing career at Rice University where he played wide receiver for the Owls for three seasons before transferring to New Mexico Highlands University in 2017.
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in health and performance in sport with a minor in coaching, Mayden stayed at NMHU as a graduate assistant for marketing in the Cowboys athletics department while earning his master's degree in business administration with a concentration in management in May 2019.
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Ryan Jirgl (Twitter: @CoachJirgl) joins the Bates football coaching staff as the team's defensive coordinator in 2022. He comes to Bates from Oberlin College where Jirgl served as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2021.
"Coach Jirgl is another coach that provides great energy and attention to detail," Coyne said. "He is driven to provide a great experience for his players and truly values the relationships you can create at high academic institutions. I am excited to see coach develop our players on the defensive side of the ball."
Jirgl came to Oberlin after spending the previous four seasons at Whittier College (CA). As the associate head coach and defensive coordinator, Jirgl was influential in the rebuild and rebirth of the Poet's program. He helped the program reach new heights in wins in a season, recruiting, retention and academic success. As the academic coordinator, he implemented and built a team committed to being successful in the classroom which resulted in the best overall team GPA in seven years.
Jirgl arrived at Whittier after spending the 2015 season with Division I Florida International University (FIU) where he worked with the linebackers. He was responsible for organizing and executing all day-to-day tasks and responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball, while working hand in hand with the defensive coordinator and secondary coach. Defensively, Jirgl saw five defensive players earn All-Conference USA selections and five seniors sign NFL free agent contracts.
Prior to arriving at FIU, Jirgl spent one season at the University of South Dakota (I-AA) where he coached the safeties. While with the Coyotes, Jirgl tutored Tyson Graham, the #3 ranked safety in the FCS 2017 draft class.
Before joining the Coyotes' staff, Jirgl coached the linebackers and special teams for two seasons at Albright College, a Division III program in Pennsylvania. He helped Albright to back-to-back 8-3 seasons and two postseason appearances while one of his linebackers earned all-conference honors in each of his two seasons with the Lions.
A 2010 graduate of Winona State University, Jirgl was a two-year starter at strong safety for the Warriors. A Division II program in Minnesota, Jirgl was a part of back-to-back Northern Sun Conference championship teams in 2009 and 2010. He earned all-conference honors after a senior season in which he led his team in tackles (75), interceptions (four), forced fumbles (two) and recovered fumbles (two).
Jirgl graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from Winona State in 2010 and received his master's degree in education and sport management from the University of South Dakota in 2015.
Defensive Line
Defensive line coach Tom Radulski (Twitter: @CoachRadulski) returns for his second season with the Bobcats. He brings head coaching experience to the table, having led the UMass-Lowell program from 1993-1996 and Sacred Heart University from 1997-1999. He also brings significant NESCAC experience to the Bobcats. Radulski served as the defensive coordinator and director of football operations at Bowdoin from 2000-2011.
"Coach Radulski will return on staff and work with our defensive line," Coyne said. "Coach did a tremendous job recruiting last season and provides a wealth of experience coaching all positions. He has strong recruiting ties in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and I look forward to working with him."
Most recently, Radulski was the head football coach at Hebron Academy, just down the road from Bates. Radulski graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1979 and served as a student coach with the Wildcats while in college.
Defensive Backs/Special Teams
Defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator Alphonso Belnavis (Twitter: @C0ACH_AB) joins the Bates football coaching staff for a second go-around in 2022 after spending the past two years at Amherst as a defensive assistant.
"Coach Belnavis returns to Bates with valuable experience," Coyne said. "He provides an understanding and appreciation for Bates that is crucial. Coach is a diligent worker and has already provided improvements in our defensive backs room."
Belnavis previously worked at Bates in 2019 as the Bobcats' first coach dedicated to quality control. He was also the assistant receivers coach and served as the Director of Football Operations.
A 2017 graduate of Husson University, Coach Belnavis played four years of football at cornerback for the Eagles under head coach Gabby Price. The Eagles won conference titles in 2014 and 2016, with the 2016 squad ranking first in the nation in total defense. Belnavis earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and got his master's degree in athletic administration from Husson in 2020.
Coach Belnavis has also coached wide receivers and defensive backs at Poland Regional High School.
A native of Auburn, Maine, Coach Belnavis was a Class A Pine Tree All-Conference wide receiver and Schmidlin Trophy Finalist at Edward Little High School. He was a team captain as a senior and played in the Maine Shriners Lobster Bowl.
The Bobcats wrapped up spring practice earlier this month and open the 2022 season at Wesleyan on September 17. Fans can follow Bates football on Twitter and Instagram.
