Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Associated Press
AMES, Iowa
Iowa State has hired former Toledo defensive coordinator Jon Heacock to run the Cyclones defense.
First-year coach Matt Campbell announced Tuesday that Heacock, a former head coach at Youngstown State and an assistant of Campbell’s with the Rockets, will be Iowa State’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Heacock was Indiana’s defensive coordinator from 1997-99 and assumed the top job with Youngstown State in 2001. Heacock was with YSU until 2009. He later spent two years running the defense at Kent State.
The Rockets topped the Mid-American Conference at just 20.8 points allowed last season under Heacock’s leadership. Toledo also led the league in rushing defense at 114 yards per game.
Heacock served as Campbell’s assistant head coach the past two seasons, helping Toledo win 19 games and reach a pair of bowl games. He also spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator at YSU under future Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.
“It’s simple to sum up what Jon will bring to our defense; experience and passion,” Campbell said. “If you see what he did in building Kent State’s defense and what he did at Toledo, you know the quality of a defensive coordinator we are getting.”