Frank Espy enters his first year as defensive coordinator at Arkansas Tech.
Prior to coming to Tech, Espy was a member of the defensive coaching staff at his alma mater, Ouachita Baptist, under the direction of current Tech head coach Roy Thompson. That connection was an extension of the initial one made between Espy and Thompson back in 2007 as Espy played two his final two collegiate seasons at Ouachita with Thompson as his position coach.
As a player at Ouachita, Espy racked up a total of 60 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. As a coach from 2023-2024, Espy served as the defensive backs coach for the Tigers. In that role, Espy helped mentor a unit that allowed just nine passing touchdowns against in 2024, which ranked sixth-best in Division II.
Over his two-year stint at Ouachita, Espy coached six all-conference players, two all-region honorees and one All-American. The All-American was current Wonder Boy football graduate assistant coach, Josiah Johnson. Johnson would be a two-time All-American under Espy’s tutelage, and in 2024, he was lauded with the Cliff Harris Award for Division II, tabbing Johnson as the best defensive player in the nation.
Before his return to Ouachita, Espy spent a season at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. where he was the defensive line coach. In his one season with the WSU Warriors, Espy coached two honorable mention All-GLIAC recipients, as well as the team’s leader in sacks and tackles for loss. WSU’s defense was tied for first in conference and sixth nationally with 13 fumble recoveries.
A native of Vallejo, Calif., Espy started his collegiate playing career in the junior college ranks at Mendocino Community College in California. There, Espy earned All-Bay Valley recognition and was named the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year while helping lead the Eagles to a Northern California Football Conference title that same year.
Espy went back to Mendocino in 2012. He would coach there through the 2016 season and held roles as defensive backs coach, defensive coordinator and in 2014, Espy became one of the youngest head coaches in the nation when he took the helm for his alma mater at the age of 29. The 2016 MCC Eagles led the nation with 51 takeaways under Espy’s leadership.
Espy’s next stop was as the offensive coordinator for Cabrillo Community College in Aptos, Calif. in 2017. In Espy’s first season with at CCC, he helped lead the Seahawks to a 7-3 record with an offense that put out 419 yards and 35 points per game. The 2019 Seahawks team posted an 8-3 record and made a bowl game appearance while averaging 435 yards per game and scored almost 33 points per game.
