Thunder Football Coaching Staff
Head CoachMatt Land Matt Land became the head coach in 2006. Coach Land and his staff have turned the Thunder program into contenders in the MIAA after a 2-8 season their first year. Under Land's leadership, Trine improved to a 6-4 record the next season and a fourth place finish in the MIAA. In 2010, the Thunder claimed a third-straight MIAA crown as well as finishing 10-0, 6-0 in the conference. The Thunder were ranked No. 8 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 14 in the D3football.com poll. In 2009, Trine captured its second consecutive MIAA title, finishing 6-0. The Thunder also advanced to the Division III playoffs. In 2008, the Thunder finished 10-1 and earned their first-ever NCAA Division III playoff berth. They finished 10-0 in the regular season, claiming their first MIAA championship. They finished 19th in the America Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll and 20th in the D3Football.com Poll. That season, Land shared the AFCA’s Division III Region Four Coach of the Year honors with Larry Kehres of perennial national power Mount Union College. He also was D3Football.com’s North Region Coach of the Year. In 2005, Coach Land was named Coach of the Year twice. He led perennial powerhouse South Side High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to an 11-3 record, a berth in the state's final four, and was recognized as the Summit Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. During his four years at South Side, Coach Land compiled a 29-19 record, leading his team twice into the Indiana 4A sweet 16 and once to the state semifinals. Coach Land earned his second Coach of the Year award at the helm of the United Indoor Football (UIF) League's Fort Wayne Freedom. In his first year with the Freedom, the team averaged 267 yards per game, third best in the league, and finished with a franchise-best 14-3 record to go along with a playoff berth. The UIF rewarded him with the honor of Coach of the Year. Land returned to coach the Freedom in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, the Freedom battled the Chicago Slaughter in the CIFL championship game. |
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Associate Head CoachMike Lazusky Mike Lazusky returned to the Thunder program in 2007 for his third stint as a member of the football staff where he now serves as the defensive tackles coach. Lazusky previously served as an assistant football coach at TSU in 1996-1997 and 2002. From 2004-2006, he served as the head football coach at Hiram College. He made other stops in his coaching career at Hillsdale College, Defiance College, Shippensburg University, and Bremen (Ind.) High School. Lazusky is a professor and academic advisor at Trine in the Department of Sport and Hospitality Management. He and his wife, Kellie, reside in Angola, with their son Dylan. Lazusky received his bachelor’s degree in business education and his master’s degree in education from Shippensburg University. |
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Assistant CoachTroy Abbs Troy Abbs joined the Thunder coaching staff in 2006 and is the defensive coordinator. Before joining the Thunder, Coach Abbs worked with the Fort Wayne Freedom as the defensive line coach. Prior to his time with the Freedom, Abbs coached for eight years at Fort Wayne Carroll High School and one year at East Noble High School. Coach Abbs was a member of both the baseball and football teams while working on his bachelor degree at Hanover College and earned a Scholar Athlete Award in 1998. In 2006, Abbs earned his Masters of Science in educational leadership from Indiana University. |
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Assistant CoachJacob Kinsey Jacob Kinsey joined the Thunder in 2005 and is in charge of the wide recievers and is the Pass Game Coordinator. Kinsey earned his undergraduate degree from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill. He received a Bachelor of Arts in sport management with minors in business administration and psychology in 2004. While at MacMurray, Kinsey lettered in football receiving First Team All-Conference. He was also a member of two conference championship teams. After graduation from MacMurray, Kinsey was a graduate assistant at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. His primary duty was coaching the linebackers. Kinsey received his master’s degree in sports administration in July of 2005. |
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Assistant CoachEric Ravellette Eric Ravellette was hired in January of 2012 as the Thunder's offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Ravellette previously spent four seasons at Division II Ferris State where oversaw the Bulldogs’ offensive line and strength and conditioning. Prior to Ferris, Ravellette spent two seasons as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Division I Southeast Missouri State University. Ravellette, a Vincennes, Ind. Native, graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2003 where he was a starter for the 2002 team that won the Division I-AA national championship. Ravellette also spent two seasons at WKU where he worked the 2003 and 2005 seasons coaching the tight ends. Between stints, Ravellette served as a graduate assistant at New Mexico State. Coach Ravellette earned his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Western Kentucky.
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Assistant CoachDan Simrell The Trine University football staff brings collegiate and professional coaching experience to the team with quarterback coach Dan Simrell. Coach Simrell became a member of the Thunder football staff in 2011. Over the summer, Coach Simrell served as head coach of the Bologna Warriors of the National Football League of Italy. He led the team to a 10-1 record and to an appearance in the Italian SuperBowl XXVIII. Coach Simrell arrived at Trine after serving as head football coach at NCAA Division II University of Findlay from 2000-2006. In 2002 he was named the Region 3 Division II Coach of the Year. Prior to coaching at Findlay, Simrell served as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at West Virginia. In his eight seasons at West Virginia, the Mountaineers made it to five bowl games and were the 1993 Big East Champions. Coach Simrell spent seven seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division I University of Toledo. The team earned a Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship under his leadership, and he was once named Ohio Coach of the Year and MAC Coach of the Year. In 1996, Toledo honored Simrell with an induction into the University of Toledo Hall of Fame. As a football player at Toledo, Simrell was named team captain and most valuable player in his senior season. After college he was taken in the National Football League draft by the Cleveland Browns. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Toledo.
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Assistant CoachJeff Aldrich II Jeff Aldrich II joined the Thunder coaching staff in 2009 as an offensive assistant. Aldrich now serves as the fullbacks coach for the Thunder. During his quest to join the Thunder Staff, Aldrich spent over 20 years in the Military where he retired as a Sergeant Major. After completing his last deployment in 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Aldrich earned his Bachelor Degree in criminal justice from Trine. While in High School, Aldrich was a highly successful 4-year starter in both football and baseball but decided to join the military after high school to serve his duty for his country. Aldrich is a proud a father to his son Trey.
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Assistant CoachMaury Waugh Maury Waugh joined the Trine coaching staff in 2010 and currently serves as the inside linebackers coach. Waugh brings over 30 years of football coaching experience to the Thunder football team. Prior to joining the Thunder, Coach Waugh spent five seasons at St. Francis (IN). While there Waugh spent time coaching the Inside Linebackers, Defensive Line, Punter and Kickers as well as serving four seasons as the Special Teams Coordinator. Waugh has spent time at all levels of college football including nine seasons at Northwestern where he spent time under former NFL head coach Dennis Green. After leaving the Big Ten school, Waugh became the head coach at Lake Forest College. Waugh has also served as head coach at the University of Dubuque and Simpson College. Waugh returned to the Division I level where he spent five seasons working at Western Carolina where he served as an Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line coach before being promoted to Defensive Coordinator. After leaving Western, Waugh spent three seasons at Division II Wayne State server in several capacities including Defensive Coordinator. In addition to college coaching, Waugh has spent five seasons coaching high school football in various capacities. Waugh received his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Dubuque and master’s degree in HPER from Indiana. Coach Waugh and his wife Sandra are the proud parents of four sons, Jordan, Tucker, Ethan, and Adam, in addition to seven grandchildren |
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Assistant CoachToney Bergman Toney Bergman joined the Trine football coaching staff prior to the 2010 season with 22 years of football coaching experience. Bergman serves as the defensive backs coach. Prior to his arrival at Trine, Bergman was the Head Football Coach at Bellmont High School for eight years where he led the Braves to the school’s first and only Class 3A Football State Championship in 2008. During his coaching tenure Bergman he has been named NHC Coach of the Year, GameNight Magazine Coach of the Year, Motorola 3A Coach of the Year, Colts Coach of the Week, Indiana Football Digest Griddy’s 3A Coach of the Year, Old Spice Coach of the Year, and a North All-Star Coach. Bergman also spent two years as an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Freedom. Bergman also served as an assistant wrestling coach at Bellmont High School and was part of the 1994 State Championship and the 1995 State Runner-Up Teams. A graduate of Purdue University, Bergman received his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a minor in Health. Bergman is also a certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. Bergman and his wife Deb have three children: Jacob, Aaron, and Emily. |
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Assistant CoachBryan Payton Bryan Payton joined the Thunder staff in the summer of 2012 and serves as the tight ends coach. Previously, Payton spent the spring of 2012 as a graduate assistant at Concord University in Athens, W.V., where he coached running backs. Payton then served as the running backs coach at Franklin College. A Fort Wayne native, Payton earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN in December 2009. There, he studied journalism, telecommunications, cultural studies, and spent time as a fashion design student. Also while at IU, Payton earned four letters as a running back for the Hoosiers and helping them earn their first Bowl bid in 13 years in the 2007 Insight Bowl. |
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Assistant CoachDerek Prather Derek Prather joined Trine University football staff in 2012 and working with the defensive ends and special teams coordinator. Prior to Trine, coach Prather spent two years as the defensive line and sports performance coordinator at Doane College in Nebraska where they finished 8-2. Prather also spent a season at Stanford University where he served as an assistant sports performance coach. Prather broke into the coaching ranks in 2010 at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne where he coached the defensive line in addition to coordinating the sports performance programs for the baseball, basketball and football programs. As a player, Prather was a part of three conference championship teams while playing defensive line at Saint Francis (IN) where he graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s in Health and Exercise Science. |
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