Dan Disch has completed his fourth season on the
University of Illinois football coaching staff, and second
serving as the co-defensive coordinator along with Curt
Mallory. He also oversees the linebacking corps. It also
marks his fifth year alongside head coach Ron Zook after
one season on his staff at the University of Florida.
In 2008, for the second straight season, Illinois' middle
linebacker led the Big Ten in tackles and was a first-team
All-Big Ten selection. After J Leman in 2007, Brit Miller
averaged 11.0 tackles per game. The Illini also led the Big
Ten in tackles for loss and sacks, in which Miller was also
the team leader.
Disch's 2007 Fighting Illini defense was one of the best in
the Big Ten, led by consensus All-American and first-team
All-Big Ten selection, Leman. Leman, the heart of the Illini
defense, finished sixth on the Illinois career tackles list and
ranked fifth in all-time tackles for loss.
In 2006, Disch's linebacker corps helped the Illini make a
large improvement in total and rushing defense. The team
bettered their numbers from the 2005 season by over 160
total yards, led mostly in part by the emergence of middle
linebacker Leman. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors
as well as honorable mention Sports Illlustrated All-America
honors. He led the Big Ten with 12.7 tackles per game and
ranked 10th in the nation in TFL per game.
As the special teams coach for the Illini in 2005, Disch
tutored All-Big Ten and All-American punter Steve
Weatherford, who with a 42.6 average, became the school's
all-time leader in punting average. Just one year later, more
special teams records were broken under Disch's watch as
running back Pierre Thomas set a new mark for kickoff
return yards in a career. He averaged 31.9 yards per return
in 2006 and ranks third on the school's all-time return
average list with a 25.3 mark.
In 2004 at the University of Florida, Disch rebuilt a
secondary that lost all four starters from the previous year,
yet his new group still recorded 16 interceptions. The
production came from a group that entered the season with
just four career picks. Safety Jarvis Herring ranked third in
the SEC in interceptions per game, while corner Dee Webb
was fourth in passes defended.
Prior to entering the collegiate ranks, Disch spent 22 years
coaching high school football in the Jacksonville, Fla., area,
including 16 seasons as the head coach of Ed White High
School, where he posted a record of 122-55 to become the
school's all-time winningest coach. While under Disch's
lead, Ed White made 11 playoff appearances, won seven
district and six conference championships, and reached the
state quarterfinals four times. Ed White also was ranked in
the Top-10 of the state's final football poll eight times.
Additionally, five of Disch's high school assistant coaches
went on to land head coaching jobs.
Disch is a 1981 graduate of Florida State University. He was
born in Jacksonville, Fla., and is married to the former Janet
Johnson. The couple has three daughters: Chandler, Erica
and Virginia.
