Fulse, Hampton Named to NEC Preseason Team/Seahawks Picked Fifth
Roster/Coaches I Schedule
Preseason Camp Schedule (PDF) (Dates, Times Tentative)
Staten Island, NY – With an eye towards the August 30 season opener vs. Bowie State, Wagner fourth-year head football coach
Jason Houghtaling welcomed more than 120 Seahawks who reported to preseason training camp on Tuesday, while announcing the completion of his coaching staff with the addition of four new assistant coaches.
The entire roster, including all returning Seahawks as well as newcomers, checked in at 10:00 a.m. Following a series of physicals and meetings, the Seahawks will prepare for their first practice of preseason training camp, set for Thursday, August 2 at 3:00 p.m.
"Report Day is always an exciting day," said Houghtaling. "It's great to see the veterans blending with our incoming guys for the first time. You can tell that all of our players and coaches are excited and eager to take the field for the first time. I'm really proud of the work that our guys put in during the developmental season and, as a staff, we just can't wait to get to work."
The four new Seahawk assistant coaches include
Junior Taylor (wide receivers), a former standout wide receiver himself at UCLA,
Louis DiRienzo (outside linebackers),
Daniel White (inside linebackers) and
Andrew Kolb (video coordinator/program analyst).
"All four of these young men are terrific additions to our staff and I know our players will benefit from the leadership they will provide and the experience they have to offer," said Houghtaling. "
Junior Taylor is a tremendous offensive mind, who was most recently the offensive coordinator at a national prep powerhouse in Mesa High School in Arizona, and who's held a host of other leadership positions in his career.
Louis Rienzo,
Daniel White, and
Andrew Kolb each bring something different to our program," Houghtaling added. "The one thing they all have in common is a true passion for the game of football and a desire to teach our players while, at the same time, grow in their respective careers. It's exciting to watch these four new additions interact and share ideas with our returning coaches. I'm fired up with the makeup of our entire staff."
During his collegiate playing career at UCLA, from 2002-06, Taylor played 45 games over five seasons, finishing his collegiate career with 1,372 receiving yards, 116 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns.
His talents attracted the attention of a host of NFL scouts but a series of serious knee injuries curtailed his professional playing career. After tryouts with the Carolina Panthers and the Buffalo Bills, followed by a short stint with the New York Sentinels of the United Football League, Taylor elected to put away his cleats for good.
He then pursued his dream of working at a sport-interest charter school, where became a district athletic director, and establishing an athletic training business, where he consistently focused on mentoring young student-athletes on academics and athletics.
In 2010, he began a two-year stint as a part-time coach for Mesa High, spending time helping the receivers and working with the quarterbacks. After being inducted into the Mesa High Hall of Fame in 2015, Taylor returned to Mesa, this time in the role of offensive coordinator.
At the controls of an intricate multiple formation offense, featuring a series of spread sets tailored to run-pass options, Taylor developed a host of players who became the best in the region and the state of Arizona. It culminated in a 2017 season, where the Jackrabbits produced had a 2,000-yard passer, 1,900-yard rusher and an 800-yard receiver.
Taylor, whose full name is Clinton Marcus Taylor, earned a bachelor's degree in arts history in 2006.
A native of Yonkers, NY, DiRienzo arrives on Grymes Hill following a two-year stint as a graduate assistant coach at Springfield College, where he served as co-special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2017 after coaching the Pride defensive backs in 2016.
Over the past two years, DiRienzo also provided coaching support at several camps throughout the northeast, including Rutgers, Stony Brook, Boston College, Temple, and Yale.
In 2015, DiRienzo earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Southern Connecticut State University, where he was a Division II scholarship athlete for the Owls. He also earned a masters of physical education degree from Springfield College in 2018.
DiRienzo is the son of Lou DiRienzo, Sr., the legendary 25-year head coach at New Rochelle High School.
Prior to becoming a collegiate student-athlete, DiRienzo was an All-State, All-County, All-Section and All-League performer for his father at New Rochelle High School. A team captain as a senior, DiRienzo was also named named Third-Team All-Decade.
In addition to his coaching duties, DiRienzo will pursue his MBA degree.
White is a 2013 graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), where he competed on the Blazers' football team, earning a spot on the 2009 Conference USA All-Freshman Team.
Prior to joining the Seahawk staff, White served as linebackers coach in 2017 at West Orange High School in his native Florida, where he was a scholastic standout at Apopka High School, where he was the nation's No. 43 prep school prospect before embarking on his collegiate career.
In addition to his coaching and playing experience, White has served as a coach/mentor/instructor for the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida. In addition to his coaching duties at Wagner, White will pursue his MBA degree.
Kolb arrives on Grymes Hill after serving one season as a defensive assistant at East Stroudsburg University where he worked primarily with the Warriors' defensive backs, in addition to running the scout team offense and assisting with recruiting and in developing weekly scouting reports.
Prior to taking on his duties at East Stroudsburg, Kolb served as an assistant coach at Bangor Area High School in Bangor, PA, where he was responsible for coaching the wide receiver and defensive back position groups as well as offensive play calling for the JV team.
In 2014, Kolb earned a bachelor's of science degree in education from Temple University. In addition to his duties with the Wagner football program, Kolb will pursue his MBA degree.
Wagner's preseason camp practices are open to the public. Please contact football operations director
Ryan Monaghan in advance at 718-420-4511.
Seahawk fans will have an opportunity to get their first glimpse of the 2018 squad in game-like conditions on Thursday, August 23 at 6:00 pm in the annual Green & White Game.
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