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Eastern Illinois football head coach Chris Wilkerson has completed his coaching staff for the 2024 season with the hiring of assistant coaches Tino Smith II, Andrew Strobel and Carlif Taylor.
 
Smith will coach the Panthers wide receivers and joins the Panthers staff after a stint as a graduate assistant coach at Michigan State University during the 2023 season.   Prior to his one season on staff at MSU, Smith was the wide receivers coach at Albion College for five seasons including serving as the assistant head coach in 2022.   During his time at Albion he coached two Conference MVP's, five All-Conference wide receivers and Division III All-American Justin Thomas who ended his playing career with two seasons at Eastern Illinois.
 
Strobel will coach the Panthers safeties and joins the Panthers after six seasons on staff at Morehead State University, the last three as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator.  This past season he coached a unit that ranked fourth in the FCS in interceptions and sixth in the FCS in tackles for loss.  He coached three All-Americans at Morehead State including a Buck Buchanan Award finalist in 2021.  Strobel has additional college coaching stops at Alma College, Alfred State and Culver-Stockton with his defensive groups at each level ranked among the NCAA leaders each season.
 
Taylor will coach the Panthers defensive line and joins the Panthers after coaching the last two seasons at the University of Chicago.  While at the University of Chicago, Taylor served as the defensive line coach in addition to the strength and condition coach for the entire department.  A four-year player in the National Football League for both the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, Taylor began his coaching career at the high school level in his native New York City.   He coached two seasons at Fordham Prep School and two seasons at Pope John XXIII High School.  
 
EIU posted an 8-3 record last season and was ranked No. 24 in the final FCS Coaches poll.   EIU will open spring practice in late March and the 2024 season opener is slated for August 31 at Illinois.