The 2012 season will be Jeff Schmedding’s eighth year on the Eastern Washington coaching staff. He will coach safeties for the second year after coaching linebackers the previous two seasons. He will also continue as coordinator of EWU special teams.

In 2010 and 2011, he coached All-America safety Matt Johnson, who earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors in both 2010 and 2011 before being drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. In the same time frame, Schmedding has also groomed a pair of talented safeties who return as seniors for the 2012 season – Jeff Minnerly (honorable mention All-Big Sky in 2010 and 2011) and Allen Brown. Schmedding also coached cornerbacks in 2011, a group which included first team All-Big Sky selection T.J. Lee. In 2010, Eastern led the NCAA Championship Subdivision in interceptions with 26 as EWU won the NCAA Division I title.

On special teams, punter Jake Miller earned Freshman All-America accolades in 2011 after finishing with a 44.26 average per kick, which nearly set a school record. Also, kick coverage specialist Darriell Beaumonte earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors in 2010 and second team recognition in 2011.

The linebackers Schmedding coached in 2009 included junior J.C. Sherritt, who was named to all six FCS All-America teams and was second in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the top defensive player in the FCS. He set school and Big Sky records with 170 total tackles as he led the FCS with an average of more than 14 stops per game. Sherritt would go on to win the Buck Buchanan Award in 2010.

Schmedding coached safeties in 2007 – including two-time All-Big Sky performer Bryan Jarrett. He previously worked with linebackers (2005) and the secondary (2004) as a graduate assistant in his first two seasons at EWU.

He graduated in 2002 from Eastern with his bachelor’s degree in health education and a minor in physical education/coaching. He was a health and fitness teacher at University High School in Spokane Valley for two years, and coached football. He was defensive coordinator and coached linebackers for the Titans in 2002 and 2003.

While he was an EWU undergraduate, he also did his student teaching at U-Hi in 2001 and coached football. In 1999 and 2000 he coached the defensive line, and in 2001 he coached linebackers. The Titans were Greater Spokane League champions in 2000. He also helped coach track and field from 2002-2004.

Schmedding graduated in 1996 from University High School where he was a standout wrestler and football player. He was the runner-up at the State 3A Wrestling Championships in the 215-pound division.

He and his wife Kristine were married in July 2006. Their son, Jack Conrad Schmedding, was born on Oct. 27, 2009 – conveniently between EWU’s victories over Montana State on Oct. 24 and Portland State on Oct. 31. A second son, Blake David Schmedding, was born on Jan. 27, 2012.