Rice University Football

Scott Abell was named the new Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach at Rice on November 26, 2024, becoming the 20 th head football coach in school history. Abe...

Alex Shields joined the Owls in the spring of 2025 as the Assistant Recruiting and Football Operations Coordinator and was named Director of Recruiting/Assistant Director of Football Operations in July of the same year. He came to South Main from Davidson, where he served as Scott Abell's Director of Football Operations for the previous two years. He first came to Davidson in March of 2020 as the coordinator of football development for the Davidson Athletic Fund where he was responsible for fundraising and alumni engagement for the program and continuing the growth of the Davidson Gridiron Club. Shields first worked under Abell as a student assistant for the Washington and Lee football program during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, assisting with scouting/analytics, recruiting, and film for the Generals. The Wyomissing, Pa. native transferred to the University of Pittsburgh in 2017, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance in 2019. While at Pitt, Shields worked with the Panther Club, Pitt's athletic development arm, as a student intern. His main duties included developing donor relations, processing gifts, and assisting donors. He also served as a media relations volunteer for Pitt's men's and women's basketball programs. After graduation, Shields served as an associate consultant at Newry Corp. in Cleveland. He worked with Fortune 500 materials science and technology companies and advised high-level executives on corporate strategy and product innovation strategies.

Austin Eisenhofer followed Scott Abell to Rice in December of 2024 after seven seasons at Davidson and will coach the Owls’ inside receivers and coordinate the Rice running game. After serving as tight ends coach in his first two campaigns at Davidon, Eisenhofer was reassigned to Assistant Special Teams Coordinator, Video Coordinator, and slots coach in the spring of 2020 and was named the Player Development Coordinator in the Summer of 2021 to go along with his duties as the slots coach. In all five seasons directing the slots, Eisenhofer helped Davidson to FCS top-five finishes in rushing offense including being the nation's leader four times (spring 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024). In his first season, Eisenhofer was an integral part of a Wildcat offense that led the FCS in total offense (561.9) and rushing offense (442.9). Eisenhofer joined the Davidson football staff after two years at Pioneer Football League foe, Jacksonville University. As an offensive graduate assistant, Eisenhofer coached the Dolphins’ quarterbacks and b-backs. While at Jacksonville, he helped Jared Morris earn All-PFL honorable mention, and Keenan Simpson earn All-PFL second-team honors. The Dolphin offense also set program records for rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns during his tenure. Before Jacksonville, Eisenhofer began his coaching career at the University of Minnesota-Morris, where he coached the wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. A 2015 graduate of Washington and Lee University,

Brian Brown joined Scott Abell’s staff in January of 2025 as the Owls’ wide receivers’ coach. Brown was a record-setting receiver at Richmond from 2013-16 and spent three seasons on NFL practice squads with Dallas and Detroit before embarking on his coaching career. He was a two-time All-American selection at Richmond while setting Spiders’ career records with 247 receptions, 4,203 receiving yards, and 23 touchdowns and leading the Spiders to three consecutive FCS Playoff appearances, including a semifinal berth in 2015. His 4,203 yards were ranked 10th all-time at the FCS level heading into the 2024 season. Brown joined the Owls after serving as a defensive assistant and secondary coach at Davidson from 2022-24. Prior to Davidson, Brown served as an Athletic Skills Trainer and assistant football coach at Hermitage High School. Brown held the title of passing game coordinator while also coaching the safeties and wide receivers. Brown received his bachelor's degree in sociology and history from Richmond in 2017.

Chad Johnson joined Scott Abell’s staff in the spring of 2025 as the Owls’ Director of Player Personnel and High School Relations after directing UTEP’s recr...

Clay Davie joined Scott Abell’s staff in February of 2025 as the Owls’ assistant offensive line coach. Davie came to South Main from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where he coached the offensive line and served as the Run Game Coordinator at one of the most storied D3 programs in the country which ranks second all-time in wins. Before joining the Wittenberg staff, Davie was the offensive quality control coach at Colorado State University under head coach Steve Addazio. He worked with the Rams' offensive line in addition to assisting with offensive game planning, recruiting, and the creation of advanced football teaching materials. Davie coached at New Mexico from 2012-19, first joining the staff as a graduate assistant coaching the offensive line from 2012-15 and then as the tight ends coach from 2015-19. The 2015 season saw the Lobos post a winning season and earn their first bowl berth in eight years behind a top-ten rushing attack. The following year, New Mexico earned consecutive bowl appearances for only the fourth time in school history while leading the nation in rushing. The Lobos capped the season with a win in the New Mexico Bowl, their second bowl victory in the last 50 years and the first since 2007. He began his coaching career at Arizona State as a graduate assistant after playing for the Sun Devils as a walk-on from 2007-09. He was a member of Arizona State’s squad that earned a share of the PAC-12 Championship in 2007. He was a Dean’s List recipien

Colin Belvin joined the Owls as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach in January of 2024 after one season at Charlotte under Lewis Caralla. In addition to his coaching duties, Belvin also oversaw the 49ers’ sport science & data analytics programs in addition to coordinating their intern program. Belvin joined the staff at Charlotte from SouthLake Christian Academy, where he served as the head strength & conditioning coach for one year. Belvin graduated from Anderson University in Anderson, S.C. in 2023 with a degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in strength & conditioning while also playing baseball. He began his coaching career as a summer intern with Georgia Tech football from June through August of 2022.

Coy Williams joined the Owls as an Offensive Quality Control coach in January of 2024. The native of Lumberton, Texas returned to the state from Davidson College where he served as an offensive assistant the past two seasons after a standout playing career for coach Scott Abell. In his two seasons seasons, Williams was instrumental in the Wildcats’ leading the nation in rushing and ranking first and 11th in scoring. This past season, All-conference running back Mari Adams led the conference in every major rushing statistical category, while ranking among FCS national leaders in rushing yards (1,137 / 10th), rushing yards per game (113.7 / 5th), yards per carry (6.85 / 6th) and rushing touchdowns (14 / 6th). In addition to a league-best seven games with at least 100 yards on the ground, Adams is just the fourth player in program history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons. A three-time all-conference selection during his playing career, Williams finished his standout career ranked among the school’s all-time leaders in rushing yards (2,319 / 6th), yards per carry (5.8 / 2nd) and rushing touchdowns 36 / 2nd). In addition to helping Davidson to back-to-back Pioneer Football League titles and three straight consecutive FCS Playoff appearances, Williams was twice selected to Phil Steele’s Postseason All-American team, while earning a spot on the league’s Academic Honor Roll four times. A native of Lumberton, Texas, Williams was a multi-sport star at Evadale High School, earning All-S

FootballSkip AdRasheed , Eli Abell, Porter Abell, Scott Bell, CoreyBelvin , Colin Brown, Brian Caralla, Lew Cooks, Kerry Davie, ClayDumont, LavelEisenhofer, Austin Floyd, Izeya Gambrell, Gage Hogan , Mark Kay, Jon Lineburg, Wayne Madison, TevinMangana Jr. , Mario McIntire, Justin Munch , Vince Persons , Kyle Rasheed , Eli Sauer, TaylorSchrage , NickTurner Jr, Eli Williams, CoyWilson , Johnathan

Eli Turner Jr. joined Scott Abell’s initial coaching staff in February of 2025 as an offensive graduate assistant, reuniting with coach Abell after serving as a co-captain and earning four letters at Davidson from 2018-21. Turner comes to Rice after coaching at the NFL Academy’s campus in Loughborough, UK, for two years, where he coached running backs and served in a quality control position. The NFL Academy is a major global initiative by the NFL to provide full-time high-school education alongside intensive training in American football. Turner joined the staff in 2023 while completing work on a master’s degree in Sport Business Management at Leeds Beckett University. He also assisted with a number of NFL UK events, including the NFL International Combine in 2022 and NFL FLAG UK regional tournaments and the national championship in 2023. Turner totaled 2,090 career all-purpose yards and scored 16 touchdowns in 39 career games while playing slot receiver at Davidson and helping lead the Wildcats to their first two appearances in the FCS playoffs. He is the older brother of graduate transfer slot receiver Aaron Turner.

Gage Gambrell joined the Owls as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach in January of 2024 after three seasons at Charlotte. Gambrell joined the 49ers’ conditioning staff in the fall of 2022 as a graduate assistant before being promoted to a full-time role in June of 2024 after receiving his Master’s in Kinesiology in May, 2024. He graduated from Anderson University in Anderson, S.C. in May of 2022 with a degree in Kinesiology while also playing baseball. He began his coaching career as a strength & conditioning intern with the Clemson football program for the 2021-22 season. He worked as an assistant strength & conditioning coach at Providence Day School in 2023

Former Owls defensive lineman Izeya Floyd is in his first season as an offensive graduate assistant, working with the Owls' tight ends. Floyd made 40 career starts for the Owls from 2019-24, including 27 in a row to close out his career, and was a two-time team captain. He was named to the AAC All-Academic team and to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society. He signed with Rice out of Frisco Reedy High School, where he was an All-District 7-5A D2 selection as an offensive lineman for coach Chad Cole as the Lions captured the district title and advanced to the regional final. He also competed in powerlifting and finished third in the state as a junior and was an Academic All-State, second-team selection as a senior.

Johnathan Wilson joined Scott Abell’s staff in January of 2025 as the Owls’ running backs coach. Wilson came to Rice after two seasons at SFA when he tutored the Lumberjacks’ running backs, including Qualan Jones, who was fourth in the Southland with 779 yards and averaged 5.3 per carry. Jones’ rushing total was the highest at SFA since 2014. He moved to coaching at the collegiate level in 2024 after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Klein Forest. He moved into the head coach’s role in 2020 and in his first game leading the Golden Eagles, they snapped a 19-game losing streak with a 28-13 win over Goose Creek Memorial. Willson was a four-year letterman as a wide receiver at Kansas from 2007-10, where he caught 119 passes for 1,641 yards in his career. He was recruited to Kansas by future Rice offensive coordinator John Reagan. After graduation, he began his coaching career at Klein Oak in 2012, where the Panthers reached a pair of Region 2 semifinals in addition to the championship game in 2014 before moving to Klein Forest in 2020. He and wife Cheri have two children, Weston and Winter.

Jon Kay was named the Owls' linebacker coach in March, 2023 after a glittering high school career at Galena Park North Shore High School. In 2024, Kay had one of the Owls’ deepest position groups and five of them were credited with at least 28 tackles. True sophomore Ty Morris led the group and was second on the Owls with 56 tackles, followed by Andrew Awe who was tied for third on the team with 52, Blaise Tita who was credited with 37, three-year starter Myron Morrison with 34 and DJ Arkansas with 28. Kay joined the Owls after compiling a 117-18 record in nine seasons at North Shore High School. He led the Mustangs to four 6A state championships (2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021) and played for a fifth this past season. His 2018 squad was named national champion by Max Preps and Massey and second by USA Today and his 2022 team finished at No. 8 in USA Today's final rankings despite their loss in the state title game. His four state titles are the most for any Houston-area school during his tenure as head coach. Before taking the helm at North Shore, Kay helped head coach David Aymond develop the Mustangs into one of the top programs in the state, culminating with the school’s first state title in 2003 at Rice Stadium.

Justin McIntire joined the Owls in August of 2023 as a defensive graduate assistant and was promoted to assistant linebackers coach in February of 2025. McIntire came to Rice after one season at Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina where he served as the co-defensive coordinator and coached the defensive backs. The Landsharks reached the South Carolina 2A title game before falling to Abbeville, 35-20. McIntire was a four-year letterman at Charleston Southern as a linebacker and was named to second team All-Big South by Phil Steele at the conclusion of the 2021 season. He was a team captain and totaled 155 tackles in his career. He came to Charleston Southern after one season at East Los Angeles College. He was a two-time Big South All-Academic selection while majoring in Business Management/Sports Communication

Kerry Cooks was named the Owls’ safeties coach in December of 2024 after originally coming to Rice prior to the 2024 season as a defensive assistant. Cooks c...

FootballSkip AdPersons , Kyle Abell, Porter Abell, Scott Bell, CoreyBelvin , Colin Brown, Brian Caralla, Lew Cooks, Kerry Davie, ClayDumont, LavelEisenhofer, Austin Floyd, Izeya Gambrell, Gage Hogan , Mark Kay, Jon Lineburg, Wayne Madison, TevinMangana Jr. , Mario McIntire, Justin Munch , Vince Persons , Kyle Rasheed , Eli Sauer, TaylorSchrage , NickTurner Jr, Eli Williams, CoyWilson , Johnathan

Former Owls offensive lineman Lavel Dumont is in his third season assisting Owls coaches and his first with the outside linebackers as a student coach. He worked with the Owls' offensive line in his initial season before moving to the opposite side of the ball and assisting with the defensive line in his second year. Dumont came to South Main in 2023 as a graduate transfer from Toledo. He set career highs in games and starts (13) at right guard and compiled a career-best 829 snaps, and did not allow a sack in 509 pass attempts. Despite playing organized football for the first time in 2016, Dumont quickly developed into a three-star prospect according to Scout.com and 247 Sports and was named one of the 50 best players in the Tampa area prior to the 2017 season by the Tampa Bay Times.

Lewis Caralla was named the Owls head strength and conditioning coach in December of 2024 after two seasons as Charlotte’s Director of Strength and Conditioning. Caralla has directed the strength and conditioning programs at five FBS programs (Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Buffalo, Louisiana-Lafayette, and North Texas) and in 2023, he was one of 27 coaches to be named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA), the highest honor in the profession. He was named Football Scoop's 2018 Strength Coach of the Year during his time at Buffalo. Prior to coming to Charlotte, Caralla spent 2019-22 as the Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach at Georgia Tech. Before his time in Atlanta, Caralla was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Buffalo in 2018 following stints as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Louisiana-Lafayette (2016-17) and North Texas (2015). Caralla served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Michigan for three years (2012-14), at Mississippi State for one (2011) and at Georgia Tech. His career began with an internship at South Florida in 2007. He was an intern at Virginia in 2008 and became a graduate assistant at Mississippi State in 2009-10. Originally from Tarpon Springs, Fla., Caralla graduated with a bachelor's degree in wellness and corporate fitness from Defiance (Ohio) in 2008. He was a two-time all-conference running back and also earned academic all-conference ac

FootballSkip AdMangana Jr. , Mario Abell, Porter Abell, Scott Bell, CoreyBelvin , Colin Brown, Brian Caralla, Lew Cooks, Kerry Davie, ClayDumont, LavelEisenhofer, Austin Floyd, Izeya Gambrell, Gage Hogan , Mark Kay, Jon Lineburg, Wayne Madison, TevinMangana Jr. , Mario McIntire, Justin Munch , Vince Persons , Kyle Rasheed , Eli Sauer, TaylorSchrage , NickTurner Jr, Eli Williams, CoyWilson , Johnathan

Mark Hogan joined Scott Abell’s inaugural staff at Rice in December of 2024, reuniting with Abell after three seasons coaching the nickels at Charlotte. He will coach the Owls’ outside linebackers and also serve as special teams coordinator. He joined the Davidson coaching staff in 2018, coaching the Wildcats’ safeties and assisting with special teams. In his first season, he coached Dreylan Hines, the Pioneer Football League Co-Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and HERO Sports All-America freshman honorable mention honoree. in 2019, the Wildcats’ defense finished fourth in FCS in Total Defense, allowing 278.9 YPG, and 16th in Scoring Defense at 20.7 PPG. Both marks were top in the Pioneer Football League. Prior to Davidson, Hogan served as defensive coordinator at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte. He coached 3 defensive players who went on to see action in the NFL as rookies in 2024. A 2012 graduate of Georgia State, Hogan played three seasons as an outside linebacker for the Panthers, leading the team in tackles during his tenure. He also played two seasons as an outfielder on the Georgia State baseball team. Following graduation from Georgia State, Hogan played a graduate year at Charlotte in 2013 during the 49ers' first football season and scored the first touchdown in program history on an interception return. Hogan was the 49ers' recipient of the Charlotte Touchdown Club Bronko Nagurski Scholarship and named to the All-Independent first-team defense. He finished

Nick Baker joined the Owls in April 2025 as the On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Scout after two years at North Carolina, where he served as the Player Development and Football Operations GA. He is responsible for the organization and coordination of all official and unofficial visits for recruits and assists the General Manager and Director of Player Personnel in roster evaluation and management. Baker was a four-year letterman as a cornerback under Scott Abell at Davidson from 2018-21. He was a two-time member of the PFL Academic Honor Roll and was named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2022. He was also selected to participate in the NCAA's Career in Sports Forum. He graduated from Davidson in 2022 with a degree in Educational Policy and worked at Paul Quinn College from 2022-23 as a special assistant to the president. Baker earned his Master's in Sport Administration from North Carolina in the spring of 2025.

Nick Decker joined Scott Abell’s staff at Rice as the Chief of Staff in December of 2024. He comes to Rice from Davidson, where he served first as the Direct...

FootballSkip AdSchrage , NickAbell, Porter Abell, Scott Bell, CoreyBelvin , Colin Brown, Brian Caralla, Lew Cooks, Kerry Davie, ClayDumont, LavelEisenhofer, Austin Floyd, Izeya Gambrell, Gage Hogan , Mark Kay, Jon Lineburg, Wayne Madison, TevinMangana Jr. , Mario McIntire, Justin Munch , Vince Persons , Kyle Rasheed , Eli Sauer, TaylorSchrage , NickTurner Jr, Eli Williams, CoyWilson , Johnathan

Porter Abell joined the Owls’ coaching staff in December of 2024 and will coach the quarterbacks in addition to coordinating the passing game. He coached for seven seasons at Davidson, helping guide the Wildcats to three FCS playoff appearances and back-to-back conference championships in the spring of 2021 and the fall of 2021. In the spring of 2020, Abell assumed recruiting coordinator duties, as well as tight ends coach, while retaining his responsibilities with the wide receivers. Since 2018, nine of Abell’s wide receivers / tight ends have earned Pioneer Football League all-conference honors. Abell has also been an integral part of the Wildcats’ impressive offensive output that has led NCAA FCS in scoring offense (2023), total offense (2018), and rushing offense (2018, spring 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). He entered the coaching profession after a standout career at Richmond, appearing in 48 games for the Spiders at quarterback and running back, and eventually as a wide receiver. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Spiders and helped lead the team to a CAA Championship in 2015 and a national ranking of number three in the country. Prior to Richmond, Abell finished his high school career in 2012 and was named a finalist for the AA Virginia State Player of the Year and Regional and Roanoke Times Offensive Player of the Year. During the fall of 2017, Porter served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Collegiate School Athletic Department, breaking down game film. He is th

Ryan Haworth enters his second season on the Rice staff as the Assistant Video Coordinator/Production Specialist. He comes to Rice after one season at Oregon State University where he worked for the Video/Ideation Department. Haworth edited and produced video content for the entire athletic department. He joined the Beavers from Simpson College where spent two seasons with the Storm as a Volunteer Video Assistant. Haworth oversaw a student staff and produced highlights. A 2012 graduate of Simpson College, Haworth started as a student video assistant for football and also competed for the wrestling team. He graduated from Indianola High School in Indianola, Iowa. He is single and lives in Houston.

Steven Jackson joined the Owls staff in December of 2024 as General Manager after serving on Scott Abell’s Davidson staff since 2018. In his role with the Ow...

Taylor Sauer is in entering his fifth season with the Owls and his first coaching the Owls' rush ends. He first joined the staff in 2021 as a quality control coach, working eith the Owls’ safeties for a year before switching to linebackers. Sauer made the move to the collegiate ranks after seven seasons of coaching at the high school level as the Defensive Coordinator at his alma mater, St. Vincent de Paul HS in Perryville, Missouri.

FootballSkip AdMadison, TevinAbell, Porter Abell, Scott Bell, CoreyBelvin , Colin Brown, Brian Caralla, Lew Cooks, Kerry Davie, ClayDumont, LavelEisenhofer, Austin Floyd, Izeya Gambrell, Gage Hogan , Mark Kay, Jon Lineburg, Wayne Madison, TevinMangana Jr. , Mario McIntire, Justin Munch , Vince Persons , Kyle Rasheed , Eli Sauer, TaylorSchrage , NickTurner Jr, Eli Williams, CoyWilson , Johnathan

Tyler Calhoun joined the Owls in August of 2025 as the Coordinator of Football Scouting. Calhoun joined the Owls from UAB, where he served as the Blazers' Assistant Director of Player Personnel & Scouting. He also completed a three-month Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers from May to August of 2025. A 2024 graduate from TCU with a degree in Communications and Business Studies, he worked with the Horned Frogs' football program as an intern in player personnel and recruiting for three years while attending school. He also interned at the Air Force Academy in the summer of 2022, where his father, Troy, is the head coach.

Vince Munch joined the Owls in December of 2024 as the offensive coordinator in addition to coaching the offensive line. Munch came to Rice after seven seasons at Davidson where he coached the offensive line before adding the title of Run Game Coordinator in the spring of 2020. Munch was an integral part of a Wildcat offense that led NCAA FCS in scoring offense (2023), total offense (2018), and rushing offense (2018, spring 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). He has also coached Pioneer Football League All-Conference selections Zion Johnson, Ethan Steinbacher, Zach Hester, Beck Kipperman, Gilbert Deglau, Kyler Herring and Malik McDaniel. Munch joined the Wildcats staff after spending a year with the St. Andrews University Knights of the NAIA. He served as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the first-year program. Munch is a familiar member of Abell's former coaching arsenal, spending five seasons on the Generals staff from 2012-16. While at Washington and Lee, Munch assisted the program to two ODAC Championships (2012, '15) and produced three All-Conference performers. Munch got his start in coaching as tight ends coach in 2011 at Marietta College. Munch graduated from Ferrum College in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and a minor in exercise science. He was a four-year letter-winner at tight end for the Panthers. MUNCH YEAR-BY-YEAR: 2024-pr: Rice (Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line) 2018-2024.: Davidson (Offensive Line) 2017: St. Andrews (Run Gam

Wayne Lineburg joined Scott Abell’s staff in January of 2025 as the Owls’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach. Lineburg came to South Main after eight seasons at Wake Forest, coaching the tight ends and coordinating the Demon Deacons’ special teams. Over those eight seasons, he produced four All-ACC selections who contributed mightily to Wake Forest’s record-breaking offense. The Deacons established nearly 400 school records, including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs, and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs were the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year from 2017-22. That run ranks as the fourth longest in ACC history. In 2022, Demon Deacons tight ends combined for 33 receptions, 369 receiving yards, and five touchdown catches. QB Sam Hartman ended his Demon Deacons career as the ACC leader in career passing touchdowns (110) in part because of the positive role that Lineburg’s tight ends play in Wake Forest’s offense. In 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg. That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became the 20th ACC team in the modern college football era (Post-WWII) to surpass the milestone of scoring 500 points in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. Wake Forest capped