RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech University head football coach
Kyle Shipp has announced the finalization of his full-time coaching staff ahead of the 2023 season; his fifth at the helm of his alma mater.
Headlined among the additions to the staff are both coordinator positions with
Dom Mirocke assuming offensive coordinator duties and
Kendrick Van Ackeren taking over as defensive coordinator. Mirocke, who is also set to serve as assistant head coach, will lead the young and talented wide receiver corp. On the opposing end, Van Ackeren's position focus will be the defensive backs.
Joining Mirocke and Van Ackeren on the full-time staff are
Aaron Archie, Adam Dulka and
Shawn Schnabel. Archie will coach the linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator, Dulka will coach the tight ends and serve as equipment coordinator and Schnabel will coach the offensive line and coordinate the run game and recruiting.
"I am really excited to have this group of coaches in our program," said Shipp. "They all bring a new level of skill, knowledge and excitement and have already provided a positive jolt to our program. They are great coaches and will do a phenomenal job in continuing to develop our players on and off the field."
MIROCKE (@DomMirocke)
Mirocke comes to Tech most-recently from GAC-rival Henderson State where he spent six seasons on the offensive side of the ball. Filling roles as assistant head coach, passing game coordinator, wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Henderson, Mirocke was a critical component to the potent Reddie passing attack that finished in the top-three in the GAC each season he was on staff.
In his final season with Henderson in 2021, Mirocke's passing attack averaged 311.2 yards per game to rank first in the GAC and 11
th nationally. Overall, the Reddie offense averaged nearly 500 yards of total offense and scored 40.5 points per game to lead the GAC in each category and respectfully rank 4
th and 7
th nationally as well.
The keystone of the success in the passing attack that season was the dominance of wide receiver L'liot Curry. A unanimous All-America selection, Curry hauled in 91 catches for 1,297 yards and 16 TDs. An All-American as well in 2019, Curry's two seasons at Henderson under Mirocke saw him total 175 receptions, 2,464 receiving yards and 30 receiving TDs.
Prior to his time in Arkadelphia, Mirocke made several stops at the NCAA Division I level. He served two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Wyoming, and spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons as an offensive assistant and offensive quality control staff member with the South Dakota State Football program. During his time in Brookings, South Dakota, he was part of two NCAA FCS Playoff teams. South Dakota State concluded the 2012 season ranked No. 11 in the nation among FCS teams and finished the 2013 season ranked No. 13.
At SDSU, Mirocke assisted the offensive coordinator and worked with the quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends during practices. He provided the Jackrabbit offensive staff with weekly breakdowns of opponent tendencies and coordinated film breakdown on opponents. Mirocke also helped to develop game plans with the offensive coaching staff, and assisted in coordinating recruiting visits by coaches to high schools and official campus visits for recruits.
Before coaching at South Dakota State, Mirocke was the running backs/fullbacks coach and video coordinator at Southwest Minnesota State for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In addition to coaching the SMSU running backs and fullbacks, he also recruited the Minneapolis metro area and southern Minnesota.
In his college days, Mirocke was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at tight end for Emporia State University in Kansas from 2006-09. He received his bachelor's of integrated studies with an emphasis in physical and health education at Emporia State in 2010, and completed his master's degree in sports leadership at Southwest Minnesota State in 2012.
VAN ACKEREN (@CoachKVA)
An up-and-coming coach, Van Ackeren comes to Tech after spending the 2022 season as the defensive backs coach at Colorado State-Pueblo.
In that season, Van Ackeren's defensive backs led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in passing defense, allowing just 202.3 yards per game through the air and also led the league in interceptions with 19.
Van Ackeren's top ball-hawk that year was Daniel Bone. Bone would earn D2CCA First Team All-America honors after he led the RMAC in interceptions with six and totaled 68 total tackles with 39 being solo stops.
Prior to his stint at CSU-Pueblo, Van Ackeren was at Oregon State University for three seasons where he served as a graduate assistant, a defensive analyst, assistant director of recruiting and the interim outside linebackers coach. Before his time with the Beavers, Van Ackeren spent a season as a defensive intern at Montana State where he worked with the defensive line and the linebackers.
As a player, Van Ackeren was a standout linebacker at Montana for three seasons after originally starting his collegiate career at Hawai'i. While with the Grizzlies, Van Ackeren was twice selected to the Big Sky Conference second team and registered over 100 tackles in each of his final two seasons with the Griz.
ARCHIE (@CoachSirrArchie)
Archie makes his way to Tech after one season at Presbyterian College where he was the linebackers coach for the Blue Hose.
Prior to that, Archie spent four years at Florida Tech where he served as Co-Defensive Coordinator, inside linebackers, defensive assistant/linebackers and defensive line. At Florida Tech, Archie coordinated the team's run defense and developed talent and knowledge of the entire linebacker corp. through daily film study and drill work.
Before his time at Florida Tech, Archie spent four years as a defensive assistant working with the linebackers at his alma mater, Indiana State. While there, Archie helped lead the team to its first playoff berth in 30 years with an appearance in the FCS Playoffs in 2014.
As a player, Archie was a four-year linebacker at Indiana State and totaled 428 tackles to set a career record for the Sycamores. In each of his final two seasons, Archie was named First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).
DULKA (@Adam_Dulka)
Dulka comes to Tech after a brief stint at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa where he was set to serve as the program's offensive line and tight ends coach. Prior to that, Dulka spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Kent State University.
As a GA at Kent State, Dulka assisted in developing weekly game plans on offense and special teams. He also produced weekly opponent scouting reports and all film breakdown while also coordinating both defensive and special teams scout units. Dulka also ran meetings and drills with the tight ends room and assisted offensive line and tight ends coaches with developing position group technique.
Dulka got his start in coaching prior to that GA run at Kent State as he was the tight ends coach and assistant special teams coordinator at University School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
As a player, Dulka began his collegiate career at Syracuse University before transferring to Kent State. At Kent State, Dulka earned a scholarship after initially walking on and was a fixture on the special teams unit while also playing tight end/fullback for the Golden Flashes.
Dulka would play in 39 career games at Kent State and helped lead the Golden Flashes to their first-ever bowl win in 2019 and their second-ever MAC East title in 2021.
SCHNABEL (@CoachSchnabel)
Schnabel comes to Tech from Missouri Baptist University where he served as the offensive line coach, run game coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Spartans. Most recently, Schnabel was the offensive coordinator at MBU.
Prior to his time at MBU, Schnabel spent seven seasons in various roles at Black Hills State University. He began his stint at BHSU in 2013 as a graduate assistant coach along the offensive line. In 2014, Schnabel became the full-time o-line coach and held that role through 2019. In 2016, Schnabel picked up the title of recruiting coordinator and in 2019 assumed the role of run game coordinator.
At BHSU, Schnabel's offensive line paved the way for record-breaking offensive performances for the Yellow Jackets including single game, single season, and career rushing records.
Before his collegiate coaching career started, Schnabel spent three years at T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota, where he was a freshman football coach, weight room supervisor, and summer strength and conditioning coach.
During his playing days, Schnabel was an offensive lineman and three-time national champion at the University of Sioux Falls, winning the 2006, 2008, and 2009 NAIA crowns. The Cougars went 56-1 during his four years, with the lone loss coming in the 2007 national championship game. Off the field, Schnabel was twice named an Academic All-American.
