UCF announces football staff hires
Josh Heupel has laid the groundwork of his first UCF staff.
On Monday, several new hires were announced including Corey Bell (cornerbacks coach), Glen Elarbee (offensive line), Willie Martinez (assistant head coach, secondary), Kurt Schmidt (Director of Sports Performance), Billy Ray Johnson (Director of Football Operations) and Brandon Lawson (Director of Player Personnel).
Randy Shannon (defensive coordinator) was announced last Tuesday in conjunction with the hire of Heupel.
Bios provided by UCF Athletics:
Corey Bell – Cornerbacks Coach
Bell most recently coached at the University of Florida, where he tutored two Gators to Second Team All-Southeastern Conference honors following the 2017 season. Bell spent time earlier this year on the staff at USF.
From 2014-16, Bell served as Secondary Coach and Assistant Director of Player Personnel at FAU. Bell coached three Owls to four All-Conference USA honors (three honorable mention, one second team). One of Bell's protégés at FAU became just the sixth Owls player to be selected in the NFL Draft in 2015.
Bell has head coaching experience in the high school ranks. He led American High School in Miami from 2011-13, winning three straight district titles. He was also the head coach at Miami Edison from 1997-2007. He was the youngest head coach in the State of Florida when he assumed that role. Bell was the defensive backs coach at Edison in 1996. During his tenure at Edison, Bell coached 84 student-athletes to NCAA Division I scholarships and tutored six All-America performers.
Bell served as the Director of Football Operations at the University of Miami from 2007-10 under Shannon. He is a 1995 graduate of South Carolina and holds a master's degree from Nova (2000).
Glen Elarbee – Offensive Line
Elarbee comes to UCF after coaching the offensive line at Missouri for the past two seasons. His offensive line unit at Mizzou that helped the Tigers to 2017 national ranks of: No. 7 in total offense, No. 7 in sacks allowed, No. 10 in scoring offense, No. 14 in passing offense, No. 21 in first downs, No. 23 in red zone offense and No. 35 in rushing offense. Elarbee took over a Tiger offensive line in 2016 that had no returning starters and molded them into one of the top lines in the nation. In 2016, Missouri was No. 13 in total offense, No. 20 in passing offense, No. 38 in rushing offense and No. 48 in scoring offense after the Tigers were no higher than No. 113 in those categories the year before. His 2016 unit led the nation in tackles for-loss allowed and were No. 16 in sacks allowed.
Elarbee was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football, after the 2016 season. He was one of just three position coaches and the only offensive line coach nominated.
Elarbee coached successful offensive lines for six seasons at various programs prior to his stint at Mizzou. At Arkansas State from 2014-15, he also served as co-offensive coordinator. The Red Wolves were 8-0 in Sun Belt play in 2015, winning a conference title. Elarbee's ASU offensive line paved the way for the No. 12-ranked scoring offense and the No. 15-ranked rushing offense in the nation. He coached two First Team All-Sun Belt performers in his tenure with the Red Wolves. Elarbee coached the Houston offensive line in 2013, helping the Cougars to an 8-5 record and leading one Cougar to Second Team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He was at Middle Tennessee State in 2012, as the Blue Radiers' offensive line was No. 2 nationally in sacks allowed and featured an All-Sun Belt performer. Elarbee was also at West Georgia for two seasons, coaching the offensive line in 2010 and serving as offensive coordinator in 2011. At West Georgia, he coached an All-America wide receiver and a Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year.
Elarbee was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State in 2008 and 2009. He was also a graduate assistant with the 2007 LSU team that won a national championship. He coached the offensive line at East Central Community College in 2006. He as on the coaching staff for three years at his alma mater of Middle Tennessee State, one as tight ends coach and two as a graduate assistant.
Elarbee played 35 career games for the Blue Raiders, starting his final 23. He was a two-time all-conference performer and a four-year letterwinner, leading MTSU to its first Sun Belt Championship in 2001.
Willie Martinez – Assistant Head Coach/Secondary
Martinez is a veteran of more than 30 years of college football coaching, including a previous stop at UCF. He coached the cornerbacks at Cincinnati in 2017. Prior to his time at Cincinnati, he coached from 2013-16 at Tennessee. With the Volunteers, Martinez coached the safeties for one season, before being elevated to assistant head coach and leading the entire secondary.
Martinez also has collegiate experience at Auburn (secondary, 2012), Oklahoma (secondary, 2010-11), Georgia (defensive coordinator/secondary, 2005-09; secondary, 2001-04), Central Michigan (assistant head coach/secondary, 2000; secondary 1998-99; secondary, 1994), Eastern Michigan (secondary, 1997); UCF (defensive coordinator/secondary; 1995-96); Grand Valley State (defensive coordinator/secondary, 1992-93), Bethune-Cookman (quarterbacks/wide receivers, 1988) and Miami (graduate assistant, 1985-86). Martinez has also spent three seasons coaching high school football in Florida early in his career.
Martinez has coached or played in 19 bowl games, been a part of five conference championship teams and won a national championship as a student-athlete at Miami in 1983.
Over the last 15 seasons, Martinez has mentored 13 all-conference selections, six All-America performers and 16 NFL Draft picks. Fourteen players he coached were on NFL rosters in 2016. At Tennessee, his defensive backs averaged more than 13 interceptions per season, including the 2014 team that ranked No. 15 in the nation with 16 picks.
During his two seasons at Oklahoma Martinez helped the Sooners to a 23-5 record and a Big 12 title. During his tenure at Georgia, Martinez helped the Bulldogs to 90 victories, two Southeastern Conference titles, three division crowns, seven bowl victories and six Top 10 finishes. During the 2000 season, Martinez led a Central Michigan secondary that led the nation in passing defense.
Martinez is a 1985 graduate of Miami. He was an all-state selection and area defensive player of the year at Hollywood Hills High School.
Kurt Schmidt – Director of Sports Performance, Football
Schmidt comes to UCF after one season as Director of Applied Performance for Football at Missouri. He helped lead The Tigers to a 7-5 mark, including a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Schmidt spent four years prior to his stop at Mizzou as a strength, conditioning and nutrition assistant with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. With the 49ers, he was responsible for the training programs for quarterbacks and specialists, along with supervising the reconditioning program for athletes returning from injury.
Before joining the 49ers, Schmidt was an assistant strength coach at Memphis. He also worked on the Arkansas staff from 2008-12 and spent three seasons (2006-08) at Utah State. With the Aggies, he was promoted to interim head strength and conditioning coach.
Schmidt is NSCAA certified and holds a master's degree from Louisville, where he coached from 2004-06. He holds a bachelor's degree from Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he played linebacker for four seasons.
Billy Ray Johnson – Director of Football Operations
Johnson comes to UCF from Indiana, where he has worked in football operations for the past six seasons. Johnson's duties with the Hoosiers included serving as liaison between the football program and strength and conditioning, athletic training, academics and media relations. Johnson also oversees the football program budget and all off-field activities.
Prior to his time at IU, Johnson joined the staff at Oklahoma as assistant director of athletic housing in 1994, before becoming director of athletic housing in 2000. Johnson has a varied background in athletics, having worked in ticketing as well. He started at OU as assistant ticket manager. He was eventually promoted to director of ticket operations and later Assistant and Associate Athletic Director. During his time in the OU ticket office, he worked closely with the Sooner Club, marketing and promotions, media relations, event management and all coaches and athletic teams. Johnson played an integral role in more than 30 successful bids to host Big 12 and NCAA events from 2000-10. He was the sport supervisor for softball during his tenure at Oklahoma.
Johnson is a 1987 graduate of Massachusetts-Amerst.
Brandon Lawson – Director of Player Personnel
Lawson joins the Knights after two seasons as Director of Recruiting at Eastern Kentucky. In two seasons with the Colonels, he helped EKU pull in the No. 14-rated class in NCAA FCS in 2016 and a 2017 class that included 20 players with all-state honors.
Before going to EKU, Lawson was Director of Player Personnel at Middle Tennessee State in 2014 and 2015. With the Blue Raiders, he was responsible for a comprehensive recruiting and evaluation strategy, while also planning and executing all prospect visits to campus. He spent four years as the Football Personnel Administrator at Tennessee as well. With the Volunteers, he was charged with creating prospect databases, managing assistant coaches' recruiting operations and planning and executing visit events on campus.
Prior to his time at UT, Lawson served in the United States Marine Corps from 2004-10. From 2007-09, he was the Marine One Crew Chief during President George W. Bush's presidency. Marine One is the call sign of any Marine Corps aircraft carrying the President of the United States. Lawson was tasked with ensuring the mechanical integrity of the VH-60N Marine One helicopter and all in-flight operations. He also supervised the training of potential Marine One crew chiefs.
Lawson earned a bachelor's degree in logistics from Tennessee in 2013.
