Football Announces 2003 Coaching Staff

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Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2003

EAU CLAIRE - Head coach Todd Hoffner is proud to announce the UW-Eau Claire football coaching staff for the 2003 season.

Hoffner enters his fifth season with the Blugolds, going 24-16 including back-to-back 8-2 seasons and a WIAC championship in 2001.

Mark Sipple, Menomonie High School graduate, will be the defensive coordinator in his first season on the Blugold staff. Sipple will also act as the Blugolds outside linebacker and strength coach. Prior to arriving in Eau Claire Sipple had been the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee where he also served as the strength and conditioning coordinator and a physical education instructor. Sipple received his bachelor's degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1996 and his master's from the University of North Dakota in 1998.

Glenn Caruso will direct the Blugold offense as the offensive coordinator and will also be responsible for coaching the offensive line. Prior to Eau Claire Caruso had been an assistant coach at North Dakota State University where he was an offensive coordinator in addition to coaching running backs and tight ends. Caruso played at Ithaca College in New York where he was a National College Football Academic All-American.

Cary Osborn returns to the Blugold staff as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach. The 2003 season marks the sixth season Osborn has been a part of the Blugold staff. Osborn ranks third in the Blugold career record book with 3,262 rushing yards and 729 carries.

Ron Planz II enters his first season as a full-time assistant coach for the Blugolds after serving the previous two years as a graduate assistant coach. Planz coached defensive backs in 2001 and wide receivers in 2002. This season Planz will be the Blugolds recruiting coordinator and will also coach the defensive backs. Planz came to Eau Claire after competing in both football and track at Carthage College in Kenosha.

Stu Brown begins his first season with the Blugolds as he will coach the defensive line. Brown is currently the vice president-chief financial officer of RMED International, Inc. and the CEO-board president of Brown Dog, Inc. RMED is a baby diaper company and Brown Dog directs operations for Quizno's Subs in the stat of Wisconsin. Brown is a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and Eau Claire Regis High School.

Dave Decker enters his first season with the Blugolds and will coach inside linebackers. Decker comes to the Blugolds after being the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Menomonie High School where he was a part of the Indians' 1999 and 2002 state championship teams and state semifinalist in 2000 and 2001. Menomonie went 14-0 in 2002 and didn't allow a team to score more than 14 points in a game all season.

Other coaches on staff will include Matt Kender coaching tight ends, Mark Hargis coaching cornerbacks and Justin Miller will work with the wide receivers. Miller was a Second Team All-WIAC defensive back in 2002.