Tim Rucks, Head Coach

Tim Rucks (69-58-1, 13 years at Carthage/78-91-4, 18 years overall) begins his 14th season at Carthage in 2008.  He was named American Football Coaches Association North Region “Coach of the Year” in 2004, as well as College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin “Bob Reade Football Coach of the Year” with an 11-2 conference-championship team that reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship.  From 1990 to 1994, Rucks was the head coach at North Park University, also in the College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin.  In five years at North Park, he increased the size of the football squad from 21 to 91 players, and his 1993 team’s 4-4-1 record was North Park’s best finish in 25 years. 

Rucks is a native of Waukegan, Ill., attended Waukegan West High School and played four years of football at Carthage under head coach Art Keller (177-87-7, 31 years).  As a senior in 1982, Rucks was named first-team All-CCIW offensive tackle.  He graduated in 1983 with a double major in English and political science.  Rucks was selected in the third round by the Denver Gold in the inaugural United States Football League draft before signing as a free agent with the National Football League’s New York Jets.  He played with the Jets during the 1983 season.

From 1986-88, Rucks served as an assistant football coach at Niles North High School in suburban Chicago.  He was named an assistant football coach at North Park in 1989 before the college promoted him to head coach prior to the 1990 season.  Rucks received his master’s in college administration from Northeastern Illinois University in 1994.  Since 1993, Rucks has served as a member of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Committee.

Telephone: 262-551-5929

E-Mail: trucks@carthage.edu

Bob Bedore, Graduate Assistant Coach

Bob Bedore begins his first year as a graduate assistant coach in 2008 after a four-year playing career with the Red Men.  A native of Tinley Park, Ill., Bedore was a defensive lineman for the 2004-07 Carthage teams.  He graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s in history.

Glen Brittich, Strength and Conditioning/Defensive Backs/Special Teams Coordinator

Glen Brittich begins his third year as an assistant coach/strength and conditioning coach in 2008.  Brittich also works with the defensive backs and serves as special teams coordinator.  A native of Croswell, Mich., Brittich graduated from Albion College in 2004 with a bachelors’ in history.  A four-year starter for the Britons as both a linebacker and a defensive lineman, Brittich was named a third-team CoSIDA All-American in 2003, as well as first-team All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and MIAA “Football Defensive MVP.”  He received his master’s in health and physical education from Adams State College in 2005, where he also assisted with the football team.  He was a graduate assistant coach at Grand Valley State University for the 2005 season.

Telephone: 262-551-6659

E-Mail: gbrittich@carthage.edu

C.J. Finn, Student Assistant Coach

C.J. Finn begins his first year as a student assistant coach in 2008.  A native of DeKalb, Ill., Finn played on the 2006 Red Men junior varsity team but missed the 2007 season with an injury,  He is a junior and an exercise and sport science major.

Terry Peebles, Offensive Coordinator

Terry Peebles begins his first year as offensive coordinator in 2008.  A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Peebles was the offensive coordinator at Hanover College from 2003 to 2007, where also served as the head men’s tennis coach in 2004 and 2005 and an assistant baseball coach.  Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator at Waynesburg College in 2002, the offensive coordinator at Benedictine University (Ill.) in 1999 and 2000, an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University in 1997 and 1998 and an assistant at DePauw University in 1996. 

Peebles graduated from Hanover in 1996 with a bachelor’s in physical education, and he is completing work on a master’s educational technology at Waynesburg.  He was a quarterback at Hanover from 1992 to 1995.  Peebles was named the Indiana Conference “Football Player of the Year” in both 1994 and 1995 and first-team CoSIDA/Hewlett-Packard All-America in 1995.  He set or tied seven NCAA Division III single-season passing records in 1995 and set an NCAA Division III Football Championship game record with 67 pass attempts against Mount Union College.  Following graduation, Peebles played for the 1997 Wolfsburg Blue Wings in the German Professional League and the 1998 Legnano Frogs in the Italian Golden League.

Johh Sedeska, Defensive Coordinator

John Sedeska begins his first year as defensive coordinator in 2008 after a four-year playing career as the Red Men’s middle linebacker from 1995 to 1998.  A native of Racine, Wis., Sedeska completed his Carthage playing career in 1998 as the Red Men’s second-leading all-time tackle with 373 over four years.  He was named All-CCIW on three occasions, first team in both 1997 and 1998 and second team in 1995.  Sedeska graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s in exercise and sport science.  He received his master’s in education from National-Louis University in 2006.  Sedeska, who served as a part-time Carthage assistant for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, was the head football coach at J.I. Case High School in Racine from 2001 through 2007. 

John Weiser, Radio "Voice of the Red Men and the Lady Reds"

John Weiser begins his eighth season in 2008-09 as the “Voice of the Red Men” and his fifth season as the “Voice of the Lady Reds” on WRJN-AM Radio in Racine, Wis.  Weiser is a familiar voice in the Kenosha-Racine sporting community, doing play-by-play for local high school football and basketball since 1990.  He’s been with WRJN-AM since 1999.  A native of Kenosha, Wis., and a graduate of St. Joseph High School, Weiser did cable access television play-by-play for the Midwest League Kenosha Twins from 1988-1992 and radio for the Kenosha Kroakers between 1994 and 1995.  He is also the host of All-Star Bowling on WPXE TV out in Milwaukee and has served as afternoon drive co-host on ESPN radio, also in Milwaukee.  In addition to his radio duties, Weiser is the recruitment coordinator for the Carthage College School of Professional Studies and coach of the school’s club bowling team.  Weiser received his bachelor’s in business administration from Marian College (Wis.) in 1992.  He and his wife, Gina, and their 12-year old daughter, Rebecca, reside in Waterford, Wis.

Jason Atanasoff, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Defensive Backs

Jason Atanasoff begins his third year as a part-time assistant coach in 2007.  A native of Kenosha, Wis., Atanasoff transferred to Carthage after his freshman year at Lakeland College and played linebacker for the Red Men from 2002 to 2004.  He graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s in exercise and sport science and  currently teaches physical education and health at the Prairie School in Racine, Wis.

Eric Corbett, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Defensive Line

Eric Corbett begins his eighth year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008 after a two-year playing career at Carthage from 1996 to 1997 as the starting quarterback.  A native of Portage, Wis., Corbett attended Waldorf College for two years before transferring to Carthage.  He served as a student assistant coach in 1998 and graduated from Carthage in 1999 with a bachelor’s in exercise and sport science.  Corbett teaches physical education and health at the Kenosha Unified School System’s Indian Trails Academy.  He coached freshman football at Kenosha Bradford High School in 1999 and served as Bradford’s varsity offensive coordinator for the 2000 season.

Kevin Einspahr, Part-Time Assistant Coach

Kevin Einspahr will serve as a graduate assistant coach in 2007 after a four-year playing career with the Red Men from 2003-06.  A native of Plymouth, Ind., Einspahr graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s in management information systems.

Brian Horensky, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Offensive Line

Brian Horensky begins his sixth year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008.  A native of Hollywood, Fla., Horensky was a four-year offensive lineman for the Redmen and graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s in criminal justice.  He served as the defensive coordinator at Waterford High School from 1991 to 1998 and as the defensive line coach at Westosha High School from 2000 to 2002.  Norensky works for the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department.

Erik Keil, Part-Time Assistant Coach

Erik Keil will serve as a student assistant coach in 2007 after a four-year playing career with the Red Men from 2003-06.  Keil was named a second-team All-CCIW center in 2006, and he will graduate in 2007 with a bachelor’s in mathematics.

Paul Michalak, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Defensive Line

Paul Michalak begins his second year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008 after serving as a student assistant coach in 2006.  A native of Carol Stream, Ill., Michalak was a four-year defensive lineman for the Red Men from 2002 to 2005.  He graduated in 2006 with a double major in business administration and marketing.

Dan Mortier, Part-Time Assistant Coach

Dan Mortier begins his first year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008.  A native of Moline, Ill., Mortier graduated from Illinois State University in 1972 with a bachelor’s in physical education and received his master’s from Northern Illinois University in 1979.  Mortier began his coaching career at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Ill. in 1977 and remained there until 1980.  He served as Illinois State’s offensive coordinator from 1981 to 1987 before returning to the high school ranks in 1988 at Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Ill.  After three years at Rock Island, Mortier moved on to New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill., where he compiled a 112-63 mark over 17 seasons from 1991 to 2007.  Mortier, who retired after the 2007 season, was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004.  He is the father of former Red Men linebacker Donny Mortier, who played at Carthage from 1998 to 2001.

Rick Mowen, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Running Backs

Rick Mowen begins his 14th year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008 after assisting Tim Rucks at North Park in 1994.  Mowen, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, received both his bachelor’s (1963) and his master’s (1968) in physical education from the University of Iowa before going on to coach at Spirit Lake High School and University High School in Iowa City.  From 1967 until he retired in 1994, Mowen was the chair of the physical education department, head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Waukegan High School, later Waukegan West High School.  He was Tim Rucks’ football coach while at Waukegan.  From 1995 to 2000, Mowen served as an assistant baseball coach at the College of Lake County.  He was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1991.

Jason Sonnenberg, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Outside Linebackers

Jason Sonnenberg begins his 10th year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008.  A native of Fond du Lac, Wis., Sonnenberg lettered four times as defensive back at Carthage from 1992 to 1995 and graduated in 1996 with a bachelor's in psychology.  He was named honorable mention All-CCIW in 1994.  In a 1993 game against North Central College, Sonnenberg set both Carthage and Art Keller Field records with a 91-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.   He currently teaches special education at Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wis.

Jeff Winden, Part-Time Assistant Coach: Linebackers

Jeff Winden begins his ninth year as a part-time assistant coach in 2008 after serving as a student assistant coach in 1999.  A native of Blanchardville, Wis., Winden played on the 1995 Carthage team and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s in geography.  He is beginning his this year of teaching social studies at Bullen Middle School in the Kenosha Unified School District.