By ISU Sports Information

NORMAL – Illinois State football head coach Brock Spack has brought back another familiar face to join his staff, as former ISU assistant coach Harold Etheridge has been hired as the program’s offensive line coach.

A veteran coach with more than two decades of experience, Etheridge returns to Normal after previously spending nine seasons as the offensive line coach for the Redbirds in the late 1990s. During that time, Etheridge helped the Redbirds earn a spot in the NCAA FCS playoffs in 1998, before winning the Gateway Conference title and reaching the FCS semifinal game in 1999. In 2000, he moved with former ISU head coach Todd Berry to Army and coached the Black Knights’ offensive line for four seasons.

“Harold was exactly what we were looking for and is a consummate offensive line coach,” Spack stated. “His familiarity with this program and our league, from having coached for nine years at Illinois State in the late 90’s and later at Indiana State, is a big asset for our staff and players. He’s coached at the FBS level as well, so he understands our Division I mentality and culture here. We are very excited he agreed to come back to Illinois State and we can’t wait to get him working with our players.”

Most recently, Etheridge spent four seasons at Georgia State after joining head coach Trent Miles’ coaching staff in 2013 as the offensive line coach and assistant head coach. Etheridge previously worked with Miles for three seasons at Indiana State (2010-12), helping the Sycamores post three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 1960s.

While at Georgia State, Etheridge’s offensive front blocked for record-setting quarterback Nick Arbuckle the last two seasons, helping him lead the Sun Belt Conference in passing and rank in the top 15 nationally both years. Etheridge also helped develop offensive tackle Ulrick John into a NFL prospect. John was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

“I feel blessed that Coach Spack gave me the opportunity to come back to Illinois State,” Etheridge said. “It’s been 26 or 27 years and I have come full circle back to a place where I spent nine great years. I’ve always thought that Illinois State was a gold mine and I was part of that first championship team here in 1999. This program has grown so much more since that time under Coach Spack’s leadership, and I’m proud to be a part of it once again.”

At Indiana State, Etheridge served as Miles’ offensive coordinator the last two years and his offensive line coach for three seasons. In two years as the Sycamores’ offensive coordinator, Etheridge produced one of the nation’s top rushers in running back Shakir Bell. A first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2011, Bell led the nation in rushing with 151.8 yards per game and tied for second in voting for the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the FCS. In 2012, Bell ranked sixth nationally in rushing (134.1 ypg) while earning second-team All-America honors.

Before going to Indiana State, Etheridge spent the previous two years coaching the offensive line at Washington State (2008-09) and one year in the same role at Northern Illinois (2007). During a three-year stint as the offensive line coach at North Texas (2004-06), Etheridge produced an offensive line that blocked for the nation’s leading rusher in 2004 in Jamario Thomas, who ran for 180.1 yards per game. The Mean Green won the Sun Belt Conference title and earned a berth in the New Orleans Bowl.

Etheridge began his coaching career in the high school ranks, first at Gallup (N.M.) High School (1983-86) and then Ballard (Ky.) High School (1987-88). From there, he moved to a collegiate position at Kentucky, serving as a graduate assistant working with offensive tackles in 1989-90. He worked under GSU’s first head coach Bill Curry in his second season at UK.

A native of Gallup, N.M., Etheridge was a four-year starting offensive guard for Western New Mexico (1979-82). He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the school in 1982. Etheridge, who in 2001 published a book entitled “Coaching the Front Liners,” and his wife, Jeanne, are the parents of twins, Clayton and Eliza.