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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois head football coach Chris Wilkerson has completed his first coaching staff which will include three coaches on staff when he was hired in January, one former EIU player, one coach from his University of Chicago staff and a mixture of experience on both sides of the football.
 
Returning on the Panthers staff from last season are defensive coaches Adam Gristick and Adam Morris.  Gristick coached the linebackers and will be entering his fifth season on the Panthers coaching staff.  A former EIU linebacker himself, Gristick has been elevated to the Panthers new defensive coordinator.  Morris coached the EIU defensive line last season as that unit helped EIU rank first in the OVC in team tackles for loss.  In addition Morris will serve as the Panthers recruiting coordinator.  The other returning coach for EIU will be Joe Davis who was hired in late December as the Panthers new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  Davis served as the offensive coordinator at FCS program UAlbany last season.
 
The new faces on the EIU coaching staff for next season will be Kyle Derickson (Associate HC/Wide Receivers/Special Teams), Gunnard Twyner (Tight Ends), Turner Pugh (Running Backs), John Cannova (Offensive Line), Clay Bignell (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Safeties), Collin Geier (Outside Linebackers) and former Panther DJ Bland (Corners).  In addition former EIU offensive lineman Cole Hoover will work as the offensive graduate assistant coach while Andrew Brady will work as the defensive graduate assistant coach.
 
"I couldn't be more excited about the direction of our program with these new staff additions and role changes.  The proven track record of successes and vast experiences each coach brings to our Panther Football Family are unprecedented," said Wilkerson.  "The combination of energy, enthusiasm, experience and expertise will be evident to our players, prospects and stakeholders of our program.  Each are outstanding educators and football coaches but even better people.  They work tirelessly to help our collegiate athletes be the best versions of themselves.  I look forward to working alongside them as we continue our journey."
 
Derickson was a member of Wilkerson's University of Chicago staff last season serving as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers coach.  His offensive unit last season set nine school records and featured the nation's leading rusher.  Derickson has also been the offensive coordinator at Allegheny College and Elmhurst College.  He worked four seasons as the Director of Player Personnel and Special Teams quality control at Western Michigan before joining Wilkerson's staff last season. 
 
Twyner joins the Panthers staff with coaching experience at all levels of football from earning High School Coach of the Year honors in Maryland to working on the NFL staff of the Indianapolis Colts.  Twyner is a former All-American wide receiver at Western Illinois with professional playing experience in both the NFL and Arena Football League.  He has college coaching stops at Western Illinois, Dodge City CC and Lafayette. 
 
Pugh comes to EIU following a stint coaching at Christopher Newport University. A former player at Northern Illinois, Pugh has coaching stops at North Central College, Indiana State, Fordham, Georgia State and Marietta. 
 
Cannova comes to EIU after three seasons as an offensive graduate assistant working with the offensive line at Texas Tech.  The Red Raiders capped this past season with an appearance in the Liberty Bowl.  Cannova helped coach nine All-Big 12 offensive lineman and served as the offensive line coach for two games in 2020 due to COVID protocols.  He has additional stops as a graduate assistant coach at Utah State and as the offensive line coach at St. Ambrose. At Utah State he helped coach six All-Mountain West selections as the Aggies made back-to-back bowl game appearances. 
 
Bignell was former standout linebacker at Montana State during his playing days before a ten year stint in the coaching ranks.  Bignell has worked the past two seasons as a senior defensive analyst at Vanderbilt and East Carolina.  Prior to that he spent three years on the staff at Notre Dame as a defensive analyst and defensive graduate assistant.  During that time Notre Dame made three bowl game appearances including playing in the 2018 College Football Playoff semifinals.  Bignell has additional coaching stops as graduate assistant coach at Northwestern and Montana State.
 
Geier returns to Charleston where he was a two-year graduate assistant coach for the Panthers defense in 2019 and 2020.  This past season he worked as a defensive analyst at Arkansas as the Razorbacks capped the season with an appearance in the Outback Bowl.  Geier has additional coaching stops as a graduate assistant at Central Methodist University and as a student assistant coach at Mizzou.
 
Bland, a former EIU defensive back on the Panthers OVC Championship teams in 2012 and 2013, returns to Charleston after a successful stint as the defensive coordinator and corners coach at Missouri University of Science and Technology.  Bland helped the defense rank in the top five in the nation in four different categories during the 2021 season.  He has additional coaching stops at Rose-Hulman, St. Norbert College and Palm Harbor HS. 
 
Wilkerson has also announced that both Jesse Walton and Derek Stein will remain on staff.  Walton is the Panthers Director of Football Operations and Player Development.  Stein is EIU's Director of Football Performance.