KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan head football coach Tim Lester has announced coaching changes for the 2018 season. Jake Moreland has been promoted from co-offensive coordinator to offensive coordinator and will continue to work with the offensive line. Eric Evans transitions from running backs coach to the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Assistant head coach Terry Malone will work with running backs. Joining the staff from Tennessee Tech as co-special teams coordinator and safeties coach is Dontae Wright.

"After evaluation of our staff heading into year two with the program, we wanted to keep as much continuity as possible as we continue to build towards MAC Championships," Lester said. "Following the departure of Kevin Johns, Coach Moreland was the right fit to step in and coordinate our offense.

 "Coach Evans is a talented, young offensive coach and has previous experience working with quarterbacks at Dayton and Northwestern. Coach Malone is an invaluable asset with NFL and NCAA championship experience and we are pleased that we are able to have him to mentor our running backs.

 "Coach Wright is a great addition to our staff and his experience as both a special teams and defensive coordinator will give us a tremendous amount of flexibility within his role. We are excited to welcome him to Kalamazoo."

The Broncos had the No. 25 ranked scoring offense in the season last year, averaging 33.9 points per game. Western Michigan also had the No. 21 ranked run attack, rushing for 224.8 yards per game. The WMU offensive line was one of 30 mid-season honorable mentions for the Joe Moore Award for the best o-line in the nation.

As a student-athlete, Moreland was an All-MAC tight end at Western Michigan, playing alongside Lester from 1996-99. He still holds some of the school's top marks for receptions (143), receiving yards (1,414) and touchdowns (13) by a tight end. Moreland previously coached at WMU from 2004-12 where he mentored tight ends and was an assistant to the offensive coordinator. Prior to his return to Western Michigan in 2017 he made coaching stops at Air Force (2012-14, 2016) and Syracuse (2015). Moreland worked under Lester as tight ends coach at Elmhurst College in 2003 and as special teams coordinator and offensive assistant for Saint Joseph's College in 2004.

The Western Michigan staff will get to work in their new coaching roles right away. The Broncos begin their annual spring ball practice on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The team is scheduled to practice three days a week the two weeks before and after WMU's spring break. The annual spring football game will be on Saturday, March 31.

Western Michigan has also made big waves on the recruiting front, signing the highest rated class in Mid-American Conference history over the past few months. During the December and February signing periods, the Broncos inked 21 National Letters of Intent, with an average rating of .8288 by 247Sports. WMU landed the highest rated recruit in school history, signing Muskegon, Mich., four-star offensive lineman Antwan "A.J." Reed.

 

QUICK LOOK AT DONTAE WRIGHT:
Wright is the newest member of the Western Michigan football staff.

Wright previously was an assistant on the Tennessee Tech staff in 2016 and 2017, overseeing special teams and defensive ends.

Before joining the Tennessee Tech staff, Wright spent the previous three seasons (2013-15) at Morehead State. He was the defensive coordinator for the 2015 season and also worked with the defensive line, special teams and was a recruiting coordinator during his tenure. As the defensive coordinator, he lowered MSU's points allowed per game by seven points, which was the second largest improvement for all Division I schools, FBS and FCS, from the year prior. The Eagles ranked in the top 10 in the FCS for interceptions (18) and turnovers (28) and in the top 20 for tackles for loss.

Wright also made a coaching stop at Centre College and spent two seasons (2010 & 2011) at North Alabama, where he helped coach the Lions to a combined 18-8 record and an NCAA Division II playoff appearance.

Wright was a graduate assistant at Kentucky from 2007 to 2009, working with the linebackers his first season and the defensive line the following two. The Wildcats went to two Music City Bowls and one Liberty Bowl in his three years.

As a player, Wright was a four-year letterwinner at Miami University (Ohio) from 2003-06 and was part of two Mid-American Conference East Division championship teams. The RedHawks won the conference outright in 2003 and played in the GMAC Bowl, then won a division crown in 2004 and participated in the Independence Bowl. Wright started at linebacker his senior year and also played on special teams. He was teammates with NFL star Ben Roethlisberger.

A native of Louisa, Ky., Wright earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Miami in 2007.