NDSU head football coach Craig Bohl announced Kenni Burns has been named wide receivers’ coach, Brian Ward defensive backs’ coach and Nick Goeser defensive tackles’ coach. Bohl made the announcement March 11.
Burns spent the past two seasons as the tight ends’ coach at Southern Illinois University. SIU won a pair of conference championships during his tenure. A major portion of the Saluki offense evolved around the tight ends, and Burns helped to develop a two-time all-conference selection at that position.
A native of Springfield, Ill., Burns played a major role in SIU’s recruiting efforts. Previously, he was the running backs’ coach at NCAA Division II Millersville (Pa.) University in 2007. He played running back for four years at Indiana University, where he lettered three times for the Hoosiers.
Ward spent the past three seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, McPherson College in Kansas. His team won the program’s first berth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic Football Championship series in 2009, when he was selected College Fans Sports Network National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic Coach of the Year.
From 1998-2000, Ward was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Glendale (Ariz.) Community College, where the Gauchos won the 2000 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship. He also coached at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.; Missouri Southern State University; and Tulsa (Okla.) Union High School.
Ward earned a bachelor’s degree in history from McPherson College in 1997 and a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. He is working toward completion of an MBA.
Goeser comes from the University of Minnesota-Duluth program, where he was defensive line and outside linebackers’ coach. UMD won the 2008 NCAA Division II national championship. Goeser was an assistant coach in charge of the defensive ends at Augustana College (Ill.) in 2005-06. The Vikings won two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships. He previously was a defensive line coach at Marietta College in Ohio.
A native of Scandinavia, Wis., Goeser was a four-year starting defensive lineman at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2003. He earned his master’s degree in education from Marietta College two years later.
