Carthage College Men's Football

Carthage Athletics proudly welcomes Matt Popino as the new head coach for the Firebirds' football team in 2024. Popino brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to the Carthage College program. During his five seasons on the coaching staff at Endicott College, an NCAA Division III program in Massachusetts, Popino played a pivotal role in the Gulls' football excellence. In that span, Endicott secured three straight Commonwealth Coast Conference championships (2021 through 2023) and reached the NCAA tournament each time. Under his stewardship as defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, the Gulls secured impressive national rankings. Endicott gave up the second-fewest points in the country (7.5 per game) in 2022 and the third-fewest (9.7) in 2023. His unit also made the top 10 in total defense, sacks, and turnovers. "I am excited to welcome Matt Popino and his wife, Leanne, to the Carthage and Kenosha communities," said Ryan Kane, director of athletics. "As we embark on this exciting journey to elevate our football program, we as a committee looked for a strong leader who has an exceptional understanding of the game and has experienced tremendous success at the NCAA Division III level but also embodies the values and commitment to excellence that define our institution. In Coach Popino, we have found that leader whose passion for football is matched only by his dedication to cultivating character, discipline, and brotherhood. We are poised to achieve new heights on and off the field, setting a new standard of excellence that reflects the proud tradition of our athletic department." Popino contributed to an impressive 43-12 overall record (.782) in his time at Endicott, including 27-3 in conference play (.900). The Gulls won the New England Bowl, a regional championship series, in 2019. As coordinator, "Coach Pop" developed 25 all-conference honorees (including two CCC Defensive Players of the Year), 16 all-region award winners, and two All-Americans. He earned regional and national recognition, most notably as D-III Defensive Coordinator of the Year this past year by Hansen Ratings. Popino came to Endicott as the linebackers coach in 2019, and he most recently added the role of associate head coach. Before that, he spent three noteworthy years at Rutgers University, a Division I program in New Jersey that competes in the Big Ten Conference. Originally from Metuchen, New Jersey, Popino has a bachelor's degree in communication from Worcester State University and a master's in applied communications from Fitchburg State University. He began his coaching career with positions at both D-III football programs.

Will Flaherty is the defensive graduate assistant at Carthage College, where he works closely with the head coach and defensive coordinator in implementing coverages and game plans. He currently serves as the cornerbacks coach while also overseeing all aspects of special teams. His responsibilities include running positional meetings, developing opponent scouting reports, managing the scout offense, and leading individual drills that emphasize tackling and turnover circuits. On gameday, Flaherty communicates directly with the defensive coordinator from the coaching box, charting opponent personnel, formations, and tendencies. He is also actively involved in recruiting, covering regions in Illinois (Chicago/Bloomington), northwestern Wisconsin, California, Arizona, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Before joining Carthage, Flaherty gained valuable experience as an assistant defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at East Lyme High School (Conn.), where he implemented weekly coverages, ran defensive film sessions, and managed all special teams. He also interned with Yale University’s strength and conditioning staff, working hands-on with cutting-edge performance technology such as TeamBuildr, Catapult GPS, Hawkin Dynamics force plates, 1080 Motion, and Perch. While at Yale, he supported workouts for the Ivy League champion football team and the nationally ranked men’s lacrosse program, also traveling with the lacrosse team. Flaherty continues to build his coaching career through a strong foundation in defensive strategy, player development, and performance training.

The addition of Adam Weber to Carthage football coaching staff brings a wealth of experience in football coaching, Weber's proven track record includes recent roles at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Rutgers University, showcasing his versatility and dedication to team success. Weber's responsibilities at Fairleigh Dickinson University as SPTC/Defensive Backs Coach and Linebackers Coach highlighted his expertise in game day, practice, office, and recruiting tasks. His contributions to identifying opponent schemes, making in-game adjustments, and playbook creation demonstrated his commitment to excellence. Prior to his time at Fairleigh Dickinson, Weber played a crucial role at Rutgers University as an Offensive Quality Control Coach, contributing to in-game decision-making, practice organization, and scout team activities. His attention to detail and utilization of advanced tools like XOS and Pro Football Focus showcased his dedication to enhancing team performance. Weber's coaching journey also includes valuable experiences at Ohio State University and impactful contributions at the high school level. Carthage Athletics looks forward to benefiting from Adam Weber's extensive background and dedication as we continue to strive for excellence on and off the field.  

Jose Ramirez was a member of the Carthage College football team from 2017 to 2019. Following his playing career, he coached multiple varsity sports at St. Catherine’s High School from 2019 to 2024, where he led the defense to a WIAA Division 4 state championship in 2025 with a perfect 14-0 record, allowing just 6.2 points per game. Ramirez is currently a part-time assistant linebackers coach for Carthage College.

Rob Kruse, a former student-athlete at Wartburg College, brings a unique perspective as a student-athlete and coach. His experience as an Offensive Line Intern and JV Offensive Line Coach and his success on the field make him a valuable asset to Carthage Football's offensive strategy.

Connor Gibson joins the coaching staff with a proven track record in strength and conditioning from his roles at the University of Kentucky and Hanover College. As a Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Kentucky, Gibson played a pivotal role in designing and implementing training programs for various sports teams, showcasing his versatility and dedication to athletic development.

Jeff Duvendeck joins the Carthage Staff with 23 years of experience coaching, recruiting and developing young men at the college level. He has a track record of championship success including a DII National Championship and GLIAC Championship (1st for Grand Valley State University), Big Ten Championship (1st in 20 years for Michigan State University), 1st ever GLIAC Championship and playoff appearance for Michigan Technological University, and Pioneer League Conference Championship (1st FCS championship for St, Thomas) He brings nine years experience as a head coach and 12 years as an offensive coordinator. Jeff has coached 12 All-Americans and 37 all-conference players. Eight players who have gone on to play in the NFL. Jeff has coached the Oline player of the year 5 times and coached a center who was league MVP. Prior to joining Carthage he was Offensive line coach at St. Thomas University MN 2021 – 2023 seasons and helped them transition from DIII to FCS and win the Pioneer League Championship in 2022. He also was coordinator of the Career Development Program and alumni events coordinator. In the 2020 fall season, Jeff served as a Sr. Offensive Analyst at Eastern Michigan University under Chris Creighton. Duvendeck led the reboot of football at Lawrence Technological University from 2017 through 2019. This involved starting the football program from scratch after a 70-year hiatus. In their first season of play, 2018 they went 5-3 with all freshmen. Jeff was head coach at Culver-Stockton College in Missouri from 2011-2016 in the NAIA. Under his leadership the Wildcats saw significant improvements. 2014 brought their first winning season in more than a decade (6-5). In 2014 the CSC passing offense was ranked 23rd in the country with 236.2 yards per game and defense held opponents to 119 rushing yards per game, ranking 14th in the nation. Over Jeff’s tenure at Culver, total offense improved from 174.5 yards per game to 411.8 yards per game. Scoring offense improved by 73% to 26 points per game. In 2016 Culver set school records of 3,877 total passing yards and 352.5 yards passing per game, ranking second in total passing yards and third in passing yards per game nationally. Prior to Culver-Stockton, Duvendeck was an offensive graduate assistant at Michigan State University under coach Mark Dantonio. He worked with the wide receivers and fullbacks in the fall, and the offensive line and tight ends in the spring under the tutelage of Dan Roushar O-Line coach. Duvendeck helped lead the Spartans to the Big Ten Conference title and a berth in the Capital One Bowl in 2010. Before joining the staff at MSU, Duvendeck spent four years at Northern Michigan University as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Under his direction, the Wildcats averaged 415.7 yards per game and 28.2 points per game in 2007, and 31.6 points per game in 2009 - an improvement of 8.5 points per game over his tenure. NMU’s rushing attack improved by 64 yards per game and third down conversions improved from 33-percent to 44-percent. During his time at NMU he was tutored by Carl “Buck” Nystrom who was a 1994 inductee into North Dakota State Athletic Hall of Fame and a 2014 inductee into Michigan State Athletic Hall of Fame. Duvendeck served as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan Technological University from 2003-05. He helped the Huskies win the 2004 GLIAC conference title and advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in program history. During the 2002 season, he served as a graduate assistant at Grand Valley State under Brian Kelly. As a Laker, he worked with the offensive line under the tutelage of Jeff Quinn O-Line coach and helped guide GVSU to a GLIAC conference title and the program’s first NCAA Division II National Championship. Duvendeck began his football coaching career in the 2001 season as a graduate assistant at Tiffin University where he worked with the running backs. Duvendeck worked as a student assistant strength coach at Central Michigan in 2001. A native of Flushing, Mich., Duvendeck was a running back at Central Michigan University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health promotion and rehabilitation. He earned his master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University in 2016. He is married to Breanne and they have 3 children Isaiah (8), Kinzie (7) and Caleb (3)