Media release...
Ohio Stateās Matt Guerrieri named defensive coordinator, former Oklahoma State coaches Michael Hunter Jr. and Koy McFarland join staff
TULSA, Okla. āā University of Tulsa first-year head football coach Kevin Wilson officially announced today the appointment of three defensive staff members to the Golden Hurricane coaching staff.
Matt Guerrieri (gurr-AIR-ee) will step into the defensive coordinator role, as well as coaching safeties, while Michael Hunter Jr. will coach the cornerbacks and Koy McFarland will serve as linebackers coach.
Guerrieri and McFarland follow Wilson from The Ohio State University, while Hunter played for Wilson at Indiana University.
"I'm excited for these guys to join our coaching staff. I am very familiar with each of them, having coached together with Matt and Koy at Ohio State, and then having the opportunity to coach Michael at Indiana. First, they are tremendous individuals as well as excellent football coaches with bright futures ahead of them. They each possess the skill-sets to be outstanding recruiters and teachers of our young men."
Matt Guerrieri spent the 2022 season in the role of senior advisor and analyst at Ohio State.
Before his stint at OSU, Guerrieri spent 10 years at Duke University (2012-21) including his final four seasons as co-defensive coordinator. He coached under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and then moved into the role of co-defensive coordinator upon Knowles' departure to Oklahoma State following the 2017 season.
He also served as the Blue Devils defensive recruiting coordinator from 2017-20.
Guerrieri was a graduate assistant at Duke for three seasons before taking over as safeties coach prior to the 2015 campaign. He coached safeties for the next seven seasons, in addition to his co-defensive coordinator responsibilities for four years. Guerrieri tutored Duke All-American safety Jeremy Cash and another five all-Atlantic Coast Conference performers.
Guerrieri was named one of three finalists for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) assistant coach of the year award in 2020.
Before joining the Blue Devils, Guerrieri served as a defensive graduate assistant coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2011, helping coach the secondary and the outside linebackers. He assisted in guiding the Bears to the 2011 South Atlantic Conference championship
Guerrieri was a three-year letterman at Davidson College, where he started at safety. He served as senior captain for the Wildcats and was a three-time All-Pioneer Football League Honor Roll selection.
He graduated from Davidson in 2011 with a degree in sociology and earned his master's degree in Christian studies from Duke in 2014.
A native of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, Guerrieri and his wife, Alex, have one son, James.
Following a four-year NFL career, Michael Hunter Jr. comes to Tulsa from Oklahoma State where he served two seasons as the Cowboys' assistant defensive secondary coach.
Hunter played collegiately, first, at Indiana under Kevin Wilson and then finished his college career in 2015 at Oklahoma State.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Hunter spent time with six NFL teams ā New York Giants, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs ā from 2016-19. He was first signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft.
At Indiana, Hunter totaled 91 tackles, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions in three seasons. He played his true freshman season of 2011 before redshirting in 2012. He returned to start all 12 games in each of his sophomore and junior seasons. Hunter was a two-time Academic All-Big-Ten selection.
In his lone season with the Cowboys, Hunter tallied 20 tackles, including 18 solos, two interceptions and one pass breakup.
A native of West Monroe, La., Hunter earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Indiana in 2015 and received his master's degree in sport psychology in 2019
Hunter and his wife Elise, have two children: son, Michael III, and daughter, Emma.
Koy McFarland joined the defensive coaching staff at Ohio State in January of 2022 as a graduate assistant coach working with the Buckeye linebackers. Before that, McFarland spent three seasons (2019-21) as the assistant linebackers coach at Oklahoma State.
When Cowboys' defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Jim Knowles left to join Ohio State's staff prior to the Fiesta Bowl game against Notre Dame in January 2022, McFarland took over full-time linebacker coaching duties.
Prior to joining Oklahoma State, McFarland was a defensive graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech for three seasons (2016-18), as he assisted with coaching the defensive secondary.
McFarland began his coaching career in the spring season of 2016 as an offensive graduate assistant, coaching running backs, at his alma mater, the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
A native of Nacogdoches, Texas, McFarland began his playing career at Copiah Lincoln Community College before finishing at Arkansas-Monticello. He played wide receiver and was a team captain for both programs.
Ohio Stateās Matt Guerrieri named defensive coordinator, former Oklahoma State coaches Michael Hunter Jr. and Koy McFarland join staff
TULSA, Okla. āā University of Tulsa first-year head football coach Kevin Wilson officially announced today the appointment of three defensive staff members to the Golden Hurricane coaching staff.
Matt Guerrieri (gurr-AIR-ee) will step into the defensive coordinator role, as well as coaching safeties, while Michael Hunter Jr. will coach the cornerbacks and Koy McFarland will serve as linebackers coach.
Guerrieri and McFarland follow Wilson from The Ohio State University, while Hunter played for Wilson at Indiana University.
"I'm excited for these guys to join our coaching staff. I am very familiar with each of them, having coached together with Matt and Koy at Ohio State, and then having the opportunity to coach Michael at Indiana. First, they are tremendous individuals as well as excellent football coaches with bright futures ahead of them. They each possess the skill-sets to be outstanding recruiters and teachers of our young men."
Matt Guerrieri spent the 2022 season in the role of senior advisor and analyst at Ohio State.
Before his stint at OSU, Guerrieri spent 10 years at Duke University (2012-21) including his final four seasons as co-defensive coordinator. He coached under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and then moved into the role of co-defensive coordinator upon Knowles' departure to Oklahoma State following the 2017 season.
He also served as the Blue Devils defensive recruiting coordinator from 2017-20.
Guerrieri was a graduate assistant at Duke for three seasons before taking over as safeties coach prior to the 2015 campaign. He coached safeties for the next seven seasons, in addition to his co-defensive coordinator responsibilities for four years. Guerrieri tutored Duke All-American safety Jeremy Cash and another five all-Atlantic Coast Conference performers.
Guerrieri was named one of three finalists for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) assistant coach of the year award in 2020.
Before joining the Blue Devils, Guerrieri served as a defensive graduate assistant coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2011, helping coach the secondary and the outside linebackers. He assisted in guiding the Bears to the 2011 South Atlantic Conference championship
Guerrieri was a three-year letterman at Davidson College, where he started at safety. He served as senior captain for the Wildcats and was a three-time All-Pioneer Football League Honor Roll selection.
He graduated from Davidson in 2011 with a degree in sociology and earned his master's degree in Christian studies from Duke in 2014.
A native of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, Guerrieri and his wife, Alex, have one son, James.
Following a four-year NFL career, Michael Hunter Jr. comes to Tulsa from Oklahoma State where he served two seasons as the Cowboys' assistant defensive secondary coach.
Hunter played collegiately, first, at Indiana under Kevin Wilson and then finished his college career in 2015 at Oklahoma State.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Hunter spent time with six NFL teams ā New York Giants, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs ā from 2016-19. He was first signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft.
At Indiana, Hunter totaled 91 tackles, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions in three seasons. He played his true freshman season of 2011 before redshirting in 2012. He returned to start all 12 games in each of his sophomore and junior seasons. Hunter was a two-time Academic All-Big-Ten selection.
In his lone season with the Cowboys, Hunter tallied 20 tackles, including 18 solos, two interceptions and one pass breakup.
A native of West Monroe, La., Hunter earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Indiana in 2015 and received his master's degree in sport psychology in 2019
Hunter and his wife Elise, have two children: son, Michael III, and daughter, Emma.
Koy McFarland joined the defensive coaching staff at Ohio State in January of 2022 as a graduate assistant coach working with the Buckeye linebackers. Before that, McFarland spent three seasons (2019-21) as the assistant linebackers coach at Oklahoma State.
When Cowboys' defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Jim Knowles left to join Ohio State's staff prior to the Fiesta Bowl game against Notre Dame in January 2022, McFarland took over full-time linebacker coaching duties.
Prior to joining Oklahoma State, McFarland was a defensive graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech for three seasons (2016-18), as he assisted with coaching the defensive secondary.
McFarland began his coaching career in the spring season of 2016 as an offensive graduate assistant, coaching running backs, at his alma mater, the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
A native of Nacogdoches, Texas, McFarland began his playing career at Copiah Lincoln Community College before finishing at Arkansas-Monticello. He played wide receiver and was a team captain for both programs.
