Hilltopper football coaching carousel ramps up

Cole Scott,

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – This past weekend saw WKU football close in on talks for an extension with head coach Tyson Helton, and Tuesday, the program’s coaching carousel gained even more traction, with a few spots being filled and one member of the staff heading south.

ESPN Insider Pete Thamel shared that Hilltopper co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Drew Hollingshead will be leaving the program to take on the offensive coordinator role at Coastal Carolina.

Hollingshead joined the WKU staff in January of 2023 following three years spent at Mississippi State and has helped to expand the explosive offense on the Hill, coaching quarterbacks Austin Reed and Caden Veltkamp, among a handful of others.

Reed finished 2023 as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, and Veltkamp finished 2024 winning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.

The vacancy at the quarterback coaching position was not empty for long, however, as another report by Thamel revealed that Rick Bowie, former offensive coordinator at Abeline Christian, will be taking on the role for the Tops in 2025.

Bowie spent just one season with the Wildcats, but his effect on starting quarterback Maverick McIvor was evident.

In his third season of action with Abeline Christian, McIvor saw his best passing numbers of his career under Bowie, passing for 3828 yards and 30 touchdowns.

McIvor, since the end of regular season play, has entered into the transfer portal and taken a visit to WKU, and the Tops have already extended an offer to the graduate student, who has just one year of eligibility remaining.

Over on the defensive side of the football, the team saw defensive coordinator Tyson Summers head to Colorado State to fill the same position, but Tuesday, CBS Sports college football reporter Matt Zenitz revealed the Hilltoppers will be elevating two current coaches on staff to become co-defensive coordinators.

Da’Von Brown has spent the last two seasons on the Hill as the defensive backs coach, following two years coaching at Ole Miss, one year coaching at Geneva College, and four seasons as a player at Florida Atlantic University.

Davis Merritt has spent the last two seasons at WKU as the inside linebackers coach, after two years coaching at Georgia, one year coaching at Ole Miss, three years coaching at Florida Atlantic University, and various other stints at Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

The WKU defense has been a force on the field under Summers the past couple of seasons, ranking nationally in the turnover category, and with the promotion of Brown and Merritt, the Tops will look to continue that dominance having a pair of coaches who are familiar with the schemes and style of play.

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