Football Coaching Staff

Erich Janousky is in his fourth season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach.

Janousky was head coach Lonnie Pries' first selection to the coaching staff shortly after Pries' arrival at Concordia in 2006. In the five years prior, the two had worked together at Milwaukee Lutheran High School where Janousky was a solid recruiter and the architect of a powerful passing game that produced two conference Players of the Year. In the time that Pries and Janousky have continued their working relationship at Concordia, the Cougars' offense has flourished, showing steady increases in numerous statistical categories. The 2008 Cougars finished first in the Northern Athletics Conference in passing offense with 208.8 yards per game, second in total offense with 329.5 yards per game, and third in points scored with 21 per game. In addition, the offense produced two first-team All-NAC stars in running back Khyree Copeland and wide receiver Jamal Thomas.

Janousky has also been instrumental in Concordia's recruiting efforts. Helped by a couple of talented classes of recruits from Janousky's home state of Florida, the Cougars averaged over 40 new players in each of the last three seasons, capped off by a sizeable class this year that brought the Cougars' Opening Day Roster to a new high of 94 players. "I believe strongly in Concordia's mission, and when I talk to a high school kid, I feel good about being able to promote the quality education and life experience that Concordia can offer, along with the opportunity to play football."

Janousky came to Concordia in 2006 with 11 years of coaching experience as an offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, beginning at St. John's Lutheran High School in Ocala, Florida (where he first worked with Cougar head coach Lonnie Pries) and including one year at Gainesville High School. He reunited with Pries in 2001 at Milwaukee Lutheran High School, where they would stay for five seasons and help the Red Knights to the first two playoff appearances (2002, 2005) in the school's history. Janousky is credited with helping develop one of the highest-rated passing attacks in Wisconsin prep football in the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

The past three years have shown Janousky to be a good fit for Concordia. He is happy to be a part of Concordia's football program, still working with his old friend and also enjoying life among the campus community. "Being on this campus feels very natural and very right to me," Janousky explains. "I have a great working relationship with Lonnie and Dan (Rohde, defensive coordinator); there is a lot of mutual respect between the three of us. I can't think of anything better than being a part of this - working with this staff, building relationships with the kids and working in a sport that I love."

A standout three-sport athlete at St. John's, Janousky earned all-state honors in football (as a wide receiver) and baseball while also competing in basketball. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Florida where he earned his bachelor's degree in business management.

 

Dan Rohde begins his third season as Concordia's defensive coordinator. He will coach the Cougars' defensive backs while overseeing the entire defensive unit.

When Rohde came to Concordia from Lutheran High School North in Macomb, Michigan in 2007, he inherited a defense that had allowed 399 yards per game in the previous season. Rohde's defense in that first season reduced that stat by more than 20 yards per game, but continued progress in 2008 was hampered by a series of obstacles including a string of injuries that hit the defensive line in the early season. This year, Rohde notes, "We are healthier, and our players have had a full season in which to mature. Our time together during spring ball will help our preparation, and I firmly believe that our guys will show that they are more talented than their stats may show."

Rohde's coaching career began at his alma mater of Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 2001 where he served as the assistant freshmen football coach. He then moved on to Lutheran North where he served five seasons as an assistant on the varsity level, serving as a defensive and a special teams coordinator and working at various times with defensive backs, offensive line, running backs and wide receivers. The Mustangs won conference titles in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, and Rohde's defensive unit finished second in the state of Michigan with 19 interceptions in 2006. His two years as defensive coordinator resulted in the Mustangs recording 36 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries. Lutheran North went to the state playoffs every year during Rohde's tenure.

Rohde played football and baseball at Milwaukee Lutheran, winning second-team All-Metro Conference honors on the gridiron on both offense and defense in his senior season of 1996. He was honored with MLHS' Christian Leadership award in 1995 for baseball. Rohde continued in football at long-time CUC rival Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin where he played safety and lettered for four seasons.

Rohde, much like Janousky, continues to value the experience of working on Pries' staff. "Lonnie values the opinions of his coaching staff, and every decision is made with the sole purpose of wanting what is best for the team." Rohde also values the other side of working with Pries whom he describes as "a great friend, someone with whom the staff and I have a lot of fun times."

Rohde graduated Concordia Wisconsin in 2002 with a B.S. in physical education (K-12) and a minor in coaching and health.

 

Charley Clark returns to his alma mater for the 2009 season, joining Concordia's staff as a running backs coach.

"It's a blessing to be back at Concordia and working with Lonnie," says Clark about his teammate from 1989 to 1992. "I'm very excited to be a part of Cougar football once again." Clark played four years as a running back and return man on special teams; his top season came in 1991 as he scored five touchdowns on a combined 637 yards rushing and receiving.

Clark returned to River Forest after serving 16 years at Luther High School South in Chicago as a football coach, assistant athletic director and dean of students. Clark was the Braves' head coach from 2002 until 2008; he coached a 1,000-yard running back in three straight seasons, and he helped turn the program around after a couple of winless seasons in the early part of the decade.

 

 

Scott Ernst begins his fourth season coaching the Cougars' inside linebackers and the special teams' unit.

Ernst is a native of northwest suburban DesPlaines and attended Maine West High School where he played linebacker and tight end. He was a member of the Warriors' IHSA playoff qualifying team in his senior year of 1998.

Ernst played his collegiate ball at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin as a defensive lineman and linebacker. He was part of a program that went 36-6, won four Midwest Conference titles and made three NCAA III playoff appearances. Ernst claimed individual honors during his career too, earning membership on the Midwest Conference All-Academic Football team in 2001 and 2002.

Ernst returned to the Chicago area after graduation and coached for two years at nearby Oak Park-River Forest High School. His primary experience was as a linebackers coach, but his coaching experience also included offensive line, defensive line and wide receivers. Ernst was part of a coaching staff that led the Huskies to a 6-3 record and an IHSA playoff appearance in 2005.

Ernst graduated St. Norbert in 2003 with a degree in history and minor in political science. Currently, he teaches history and math (grades 5-8) at St. Odilo Middle School in Berwyn. He and Katrina (Kramer, '07) are newly married as of August 2009.

 

Jordan Hopman begins his third year as an assistant for Cougar football. He will serve as the tight ends coach and assist with the special teams. He will also function as the main assistant to Erich Janousky in the areas of video scouting and game planning, and he will have a role in many of the game-day operations.

Hopman, from south suburban Tinley Park, played in 27 games as a linebacker, defensive back and special teams player for the Cougars between 2003 and 2005. He made 20 solo tackles and 16 tackle assists, along with a couple of minus-yards tackles. Hopman served as a student assistant for Coach Pries during the 2006 season, and he has also helped out with youth summer camps at his alma mater of Tinley Park High School.

Hopman earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Concordia in December of 2006. He is married to Suzanna (Cluver, '07).

 

Dan Meier begins his second season with the Cougars' coaching staff. The former four-year receiver will work with the Cougars' wide receivers.

Meyer, originally from Mayer, Minnesota and Mayer Lutheran High School, made 95 career catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. His two touchdown reception in an October 2007 win over MacMurray College earned him both Concordia and Illini-Badger Conference Player of the Week honors.

Meier was also a contributor on special teams during his career with numbers of 20 kick returns for 332 yards and six punt returns for 55 yards. He also took snaps under center as the team's emergency quarterback in the final game of the 2006 season at Greenville College and threw a touchdown pass to David McCants for the team's only score.

Meier graduated Concordia in 2008 with degrees in exercise science and secondary education/physical education.

 

Tom Miller joins the Cougar staff in 2009 as a volunteer assistant, working with different aspects of the program as needed.

Miller, a Chicago native and 2004 graduate of Holy Cross High School, played one year of football at Loras College before transferring to Ripon College in Wisconsin. He played two more years at Ripon in the secondary and served the following year as a student assistant, helping with the defensive line.

During his collegiate days, Miller coached summer football camps locally at Guerin High School. He credits this experience as fueling a desire to work in sports, and his work at Concordia this fall will be his first experience coaching collegians.

Miller served last year as the interim Sports Information Director for the Midwest Conference while finishing his studies at Ripon. His responsibilities included writing press releases and compiling statistics to post on the conference's web site.

Miller graduated Ripon in December of 2008 with a B.A. in exercise science.

 

Graduate Assistants

Clayton George begins his first year as an assistant for Cougar football. He will serve as the offensive line coach.

George is a 2008 graduate of Eastern Illinois University. He was a four-year letterman that played on the Panthers' Ohio Valley Conference championship teams of 2002, 2005 and 2006. During his freshman season, his list of teammates included Tony Romo, presently the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback.

George is originally from western Illinois where he was a three-sport athlete at Rock Island High School. He lettered four years in football and baseball, earning all-conference honors in each sport.

George earned his B.A. in physical education/exercise science from EIU, and he is pursuing a graduate degree in secondary education/PE at Concordia.

 

Steve Malok will make the transition from Cougar player to coach as he will work with the Cougars' outside linebackers beginning this season.

Malok, the team's only senior captain in 2008 and described by Pries as "the heart of our defense," was a four-year starter for the Cougars, playing both linebacker and defensive end. He finished his career with 164 total tackles (120 solo, 88 assisted) with highs of 49 solos and 34 assists in his senior year. Included in his career numbers were 24.5 tackles for minus-yards and 10.0 quarterback sacks.

Malok earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Concordia in May of 2009.

 

 

 

Student Assistant

Patrick Hill will serve as a student assistant coach for the Cougars for a second season.

Hill will have a multitude of responsibilities with the Cougars. A former defensive lineman who played for the Cougars in the 2006 season, he will assist Pries with that group. Hill will also work with the special teams and run one of the scout teams, and he will assist in the area of recruiting.

Hill, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, played four years on the defensive line for Southgate Anderson High School in Southgate, Michigan. He was a member of the 2005 team that went 9-3 and defeated Adrian and Allen Park to win the district title.

Hill is a senior at Concordia with a double major in sports management and sociology.