Arkansas Tech University Athletics

Kendrick Van Ackeren enters into his second season at Tech and continues to serve as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

In his first year leading the Wonder Boys defensive efforts, Van Ackeren made great strides in improving the unit from top to bottom. Statistically, Van Ackeren's initial defense at Tech lowered their scoring average (-8.6 ppg), rushing defense (-40.0 ypg), passing defense (-42.4 ypg) and total defense (-82.3 ypg) numbers from the year prior while also registering the most sacks as a team since 2018 with 22 in 2023. 

That defensive turnaround spearheaded by Van Ackeren was led on the field by a pair of All-GAC honorees in Braxton Johnson and Vershaud Richardson. Both were named to the honorable mention team and combined for 105 total tackles, 24.0 for lost yardage, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

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.