KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Headlined by additions of Marvin Clecidor and David Denham to assistant coaching positions, Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester announced multiple alterations to the Bronco football staff Wednesday.
 
"We are excited to have Coach Clecidor and Coach Denham join us here at Western Michigan," Lester said. "Their experiences both as student-athletes and coaches will pay dividends within our program. I am confident they will make smooth transitions into our staff rooms and have positive impacts during our final weeks of spring practice."
 
Clecidor, who will coach the Bronco cornerbacks, comes to WMU after spending the last three seasons at Princeton University as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. In 2019, the Tigers posted an 8-2 record and went 5-2 in Ivy League competition. Under his watch, opponents scored just 18.1 points per game and were limited to 113.1 rushing yards per game. Individually, defensive back Delan Stallworth ranked third on the team with 60 tackles and paced the squad with four pass breakups en route to earning first team all-league honors. Clecidor helped linebacker Jeremiah Tyler receive unanimous first team all-Ivy accolades in 2019.
 
The 2018 campaign was a record breaker for Princeton as it turned in the second unbeaten season in program history at 10-0 and 7-0 in Ivy action. Clecidor helped the Tigers rank among the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (fourth, 13.0 points per game) and total defense (10th, 297.3 yards per game). He coached a trio of all-Ivy defensive backs during the season in TJ Floyd (first team), Stallworth (second team) and Ben Ellis (second team).
 
In his first season, Clecidor oversaw the development of a young defensive backfield that included two freshman starters, CJ Wall and Trevor Forbes. Wall was a two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week, while Forbes earned the Harland "Pink" Baker Award as the team's top defensive freshman.
 
Prior to Princeton, Clecidor spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons at William & Mary. With the Tribe, he coached one of the top FCS defensive backs in DeAndre Houston-Carson, who was the 2015 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-America. Houston-Carson was drafted in the sixth round by the Chicago Bears and played eight games for the Bears during his rookie season. Clecidor also guided cornerback Trey Reed to multiple All-CAA honors during his time at William & Mary.

Clecidor joined the William & Mary staff after serving as the secondary coach and director of player development and personnel at Monmouth University for three seasons (2012-14). During his tenure with the Hawks, he helped develop cornerback Tevrin Brandon, a New York Jets signee, as well as first-team all-conference safety Mike Basile.
 
During the 2011 season, Clecidor worked as a defensive graduate assistant at Rutgers and helped the Scarlet Knights post a 9-4 record, which ended with a win in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. During his time with Rutgers, he coached first-team All-Big East safety Duron Harmon and second-team All-Big East cornerback Logan Ryan.

Clecidor's other coaching stops include one-year stints at Wagner College (2010) and Wilkes University (2009). At Wagner, he coached cornerbacks and helped develop a pair of all-conference standouts as the Seahawks ranked 15th nationally in pass defense in 2010.

A three-year starter as a defensive back at Lafayette College (2005-09), Clecidor helped the Leopards earn back-to-back Patriot League championships in 2005 and 2006. The two-time all-conference selection (2007-08) finished his career with 114 tackles and four interceptions, while he ranked second in the league in pass breakups as a junior. Clecidor received his bachelor's degree from Lafayette in 2009 and earned a MBA from Wagner in 2012.
 

Denham will work with the Bronco defensive tackles and serve as an assistant special teams coordinator. He comes to WMU after spending the last two seasons at the University of Indianapolis as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. During Denham's time on staff, the program tallied a 19-4 record, including a pair of NCAA Division II playoff appearances. The Greyhounds earned a 38-27 triumph against No. 19 Fort Hays State in 2018 to mark the program's second postseason victory.

In 2018, all four of Denham's starting defensive lineman garnered All-Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) honors. Denham helped the 2019 squad to a final ranking of No. 17 in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 poll. This past fall, Denham guided defensive lineman Jacob Schmatz to his third consecutive All-GLVC first team selection while defensive lineman Jacob Jones also earned first team all-league accolades. Schmatz was tabbed the team's defensive lineman of the year.

Denham's work with the defensive line helped the team allow just 17.7 points per game in 2019, the best in the GLVC and 21st nationally. The Greyhounds finished second in the conference and 45th in the country in fewest sacks per game (2.55) while pacing the GLVC in fewest yards allowed per game (323.5).

Denham arrived at UIndy after five seasons at Wabash College, helping the Little Giants to a combined 47-8 record and two NCAA Division III playoff appearances.

Before Wabash, Denham spent five years coaching in Division II at now-defunct Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind. He wore many hats with the Pumas, including associate head coach, special teams coordinator, video coordinator and defensive line coach. He also mentored three consecutive GLVC Defensive Linemen of the Year, including two-time GLVC Player of the Year Anthony Rouba, and was named the 2011 GLVC Assistant Coach of the Year.

Denham began his coaching career at Division III Rose-Hulman in 2006 as a linebackers coach before taking over defensive line duties in 2007, helping Paul Spreen earn Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive MVP honors. Denham also planned team meals for road games and was responsible for national recruiting.

A native of Indianapolis, Denham served as a graduate assistant at Ball State University from March-July in 2007, where he helped with the breakdown of opposing teams' video, served as an academic liaison and aided in spring ball with the Cardinals' linebackers.

As a player, Denham was a standout athlete at Pike High School before moving on to a successful collegiate career. His post-prep journey started as a linebacker at Division II Tiffin University in 2001 before transferring to Ball State in 2003. He was one of nine game-day captains for the Cardinals and earned the 2005 Ray Louthen Senior Participation Award for his contributions to the team on and off the field. He graduated from Ball State in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree.

Denham and his wife, Rheannan, have three children, Anthony, Addison and Asher.
 

 
With Denham's arrival on staff, defensive coordinator Lou Esposito will focus solely on defensive ends and coordinator duties this fall while Joe Palcic will continue to oversee the Bronco special teams units and assumes additional duties as safeties coach.
 
Jake Moreland, who has served the past two seasons as WMU's offensive coordinator while coaching the offensive line, shifts to handling the tight end group. Bill Kenney, a member of the Bronco coaching staff since 2013, will transition back to coaching the offensive line. Kenney oversaw the Western Michigan offensive tackles from 2013-15 and was the offensive line coach at Penn State from 1989-2011.
 
Western Michigan finished the 2019 campaign with a 7-6 overall record and a trip to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The bowl game appearance marked the Broncos' sixth in the last nine seasons.
 
2020 Western Michigan Coaching Staff
Tim Lester (Western Michigan '00) – Head Coach
Jake Moreland (Western Michigan '00) – Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
Lou Esposito (Memphis '01) – Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Ends
Joe Palcic (Miami Ohio '98) – Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties
Eric Evans (DePauw '03) – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Trevor Andrews (Dayton '96) – Assistant Coach/Linebackers
Mike Bath (Miami Ohio '00) – Assistant Coach/Running Backs
Marvin Clecidor (Lafayette '09) – Assistant Coach/Cornerbacks
David Denham (Ball State, '06) – Assistant Coach/Defensive Tackles/Assistant Special Teams Coordinator
Greg Harbaugh Jr. (Averett '09) – Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers
Bill Kenney (Norwich '81) – Assistant Coach/Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator
 
#LetsRide