MOUNT PLEASANT – New Iowa Wesleyan College Head Football Coach Kent Anderson has announced the addition of two new full-time members of his coaching staff, as well as new duties for several returning coaches.
Peter Jennings, Joe Stubbs, Brad Linares and David Lukens all have been announced as members of Anderson’s staff. Linares and Lukens are new as full-time coaches, while Jennings and Stubbs both are returnees to the staff.
Among the changes in the staff will be new duties for Jennings, who will be taking over as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator in this his third season with the program. Previously the Fort Madison, Iowa native and former Illinois College standout quarterback coached quarterbacks and wide receivers the last two years.
“He’s enthusiastic, he has a good offensive mind, and Peter deserves this opportunity,” Anderson said. “He’s done an outstanding job of recruiting, he knows the area and the school and knows our needs.”
Lukens is the newest member of the staff and comes to IWC from Davis County High School in Bloomfield, Iowa, where he was the head coach the past 16 years. Lukens took over a struggling Davis County program and made it one of the best in Southeast Iowa and a perennial playoff contender in the state. In all he has taught in high schools for 30 years and has been a head football coach at the high school level for 25 years.
“He has a great football mind,” Anderson said. “What I like is his sound approach to defensive football. He has leadership qualities and knows Southeast Iowa high school football inside and out and has been one of the top high school coaches in the state for many years. We are fortunate to have him on board.”
Linares will become a full-time member of the staff this year after serving as a volunteer assistant last year. He coached the team’s wide receivers this past season and will take over duties in charge of the offensive line this year. He also is a native of Fort Madison and played football with Jennings at Illinois College.
“Peter and Brad are Southeast Iowa guys,” Anderson said. “Brad has done a great job here in the offseason with our weight program, and he’ll give our offensive line the toughness we need at that position. That’s really what I liked about him, that he’s going to instill that toughness in a position where it’s very important.”
Stubbs is the senior member of the staff and will be entering his fourth year as an assistant with the program. A former player at IWC from 1998-2002 and a graduate of the college, the Georgia native has made his home in Mount Pleasant and will continue to coach the team’s defensive backs.
“I consider Joe another Southeast Iowa guy,” Anderson said. “He’s lived here the past ten years, he knows the school and he’s a great asset to have and also helps us to maintain continuity.”
Along with Anderson, who also is a native of Bloomfield, the staff gives IWC a heavy connection with the region east, west and south of the Mount Pleasant. The makeup of the staff also will allow Anderson the freedom to not specialize on one side of the ball, as many IWC head coaches typically have in the past, and instead oversee the entire team during practices and games.
“It’s important to have balance in the program,” Anderson said. “Offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, head coach, balance in the team. This staff allows us to do that.”
IWC is coming off a 2-9 season in 2009. The Tigers are scheduled to open their 2010 season on Sept. 4 against Coe College at home at Mapleleaf Community Stadium.
For more information regarding the IWC football program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics Web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
