Fort Lewis College Men's Football

Recruiting Areas: Colorado, Arizona Johnny Cox, one of Fort Lewis College’s all-time greats, looks to maintain the Skyhawks upward trend in his fourth season in the fall of 2025. Hired as the 16th head coach in program history, Cox returned to Durango on Jan. 10, 2022, to rebuild his alma mater into a quality program within the daunting Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.    The 2024 season was a turning point for Fort Lewis as Cox guided the program to a 3-8 overall record and a 2-7 mark against RMAC competition and snapped the then-longest losing streak in college football at 40 games. The Skyhawks got back on track with a win over Arizona Christian (Sept. 14) before later handling Adams State (Nov. 2) and New Mexico Highlands (Nov. 9) on back-to-back weekends to earn the program’s first conference wins since 2019. In addition, Fort Lewis finished in seventh place in the RMAC among ten conference teams.   Since his arrival, Cox has emphasized student-athlete success both on and off the field and saw 18 Skyhawks named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll and 24 Skyhawks to the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter (NFFCC) Academic All-Colorado team in 2024. Four players then advanced to earn College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors. On the gridiron, however, Fort Lewis boasted two Second-Team All-RMAC selections in Jacob Penney (LB) and Orlando Guevara (KR). Penney finished fifth in NCAA Division II with 122 total tackles (11.1 tackles per game), while Guevara finished second in the RMAC and 34th in DII with 536 return yards and owned one of nine 99+ yard kickoff returns for a touchdown in the nation. The duo later earned First-Team All-Colorado honors from the NFFCC. Jacob LaCroix (OL), Cheilotam Udengwu (OL), Kalib Davis (FS), and Hunter Villavicenio (P) were all named Honorable Mention All-RMAC as well.   In his second season with Fort Lewis in 2023, the Skyhawks improved in various statistical categories across the board including rushing yards per game (+21.7), passing yards per game (+52.31), total offense (+74.1), posted six games with 300+ yards of total offense for the first time since 2016, and scored the most points in a single season since 2018 with 146.  Cox coached two-year Skyhawk Braden Wingle (QB) to one of the most statistically significant careers at Fort Lewis as Wingle hung up his cleats ranking eighth all-time in career passing yards (3,724), first in average yards per pass (9.7), second in career completion percentage (59.5%), sixth in completions (384), and seventh in attempts (645).  Fort Lewis saw Villavicencio (P) capture Second-Team All-National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter honors: he's the first to secure any such honor since 2018. Villavicenio was also named Second-Team All-RMAC, while Peyton Monson (WR) and Lacroix (OL) each earned an All-RMAC honorable mention. In addition, nine Skyhawks were tabbed with RMAC Academic Honor Roll nods, while Julio Romo (OL) and Tristen Williams (LB) were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.  In 2022, Fort Lewis improved its total offense by 42.9 yards per game under the direction of Cox and his new coaching staff's offensive scheme. Most notably, Max Hyson (DE) – a First-Team Academic All-RMAC selection – was named the NFFCC All-Colorado Scholar-Athlete of the Year over Colorado football athletes across the Division I and Division II landscape, including 2022 Harlon Hill Award Winner John Matocha from Colorado School of Mines.  17 additional Skyhawks earned Academic All-Colorado honors in 2022 alongside Hyson. Fort Lewis also captured three All-RMAC Honorable Mentions through the regular season, including Ryan Barkley (OL), Dylan Holt (WR), and Zach Russell (TE). Three additional Skyhawks were named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll: Barkley, Williams, and Matthew Waid (P).  A 28-year coaching veteran, Cox is a 1994 graduate and two-time All-American at FLC. He rejoins the Skyhawks after spending eight seasons at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, an NCAA Division II program competing in the Mountain East Conference. Inducted into the FLC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999, Cox was a four-year star for FLC at the wide receiver position from 1990-93. Cox earned First Team All-American honors in 1992 and 1993 while being named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Player of the Year for the 1993 season. Cox still owns FLC school records in receiving yards (3,611) and receiving touchdowns (33), while his 220 career catches are the second most in program history. His dominance on the field made him a two-time finalist for the Harlan Hill Trophy, which is awarded to the best player in NCAA Division II football. He continued his playing career in 1994-95 when he was invited to training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 1994. Cox also played one season with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League in 1995. It was during that time when Cox also got his coaching career off the ground as he served as the defensive backs coach at FLC in 1994. After earning his master's degree and serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas from 1997-99, Cox returned to FLC to serve as the offensive coordinator in 1999 and interim head coach in 2000. Following a four-year stint as an assistant coach at North Dakota State, Cox served four seasons (2000-03) as head coach at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Oregon, before making his return to the college ranks as special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Holy Cross for the 2007 season. Cox made his NFL coaching debut as a part of former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's defensive staff (quality control) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2008 season. He also spent time as both the wide receivers and offensive quality control coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio's staff from 2009-11. Following a two-year stop at North Carolina A&T as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, Cox began his time at UNC Pembroke in 2014 as the offensive coordinator and, most recently, as the Braves' associate head coach. The Braves made tremendous strides during Cox's tenure, going from a 2-8 overall record in 2014 to posting a record of 10-2 overall in 2016. UNCP set school records in wins, was ranked as high as No. 12 in the country, and won the program's first-ever playoff game that season en route to reaching the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.   Born February 5, 1972, Cox graduated from Fort Lewis College with his Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science before later completing his Master of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Texas in 2000.   COACHING EXPERIENCE 1994 Fort Lewis, Assistant Coach (Defensive Backs) 1995-96 Overland High School (Colo.), Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs) 1996-97 North Dakota State, Graduate Assistant (Wide Receivers/Running Backs) 1997-99 Texas, Graduate Assistant (Wide Receivers/Offensive Line) 1999 Fort Lewis, Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator) 2000 Fort Lewis, Interim Head Coach 2000-03 North Dakota State, Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers/Kickoff Returns) 2003-07 Rex Putnam High School (Ore.), Head Coach 2007-08 Holy Cross, Assistant Coach (Special Teams Coordinator/Wide Receivers) 2008-09 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Assistant Coach (Quality Control-Defense) 2009-11 Jacksonville Jaguars, Assistant Coach (Quality Control-Offense) 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars, Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers) 2012-13 North Carolina A&T, Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator) 2014-21 UNC Pembroke, Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator) 2022-Present Fort Lewis, Head Coach   PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1990-93 Fort Lewis, Wide Receiver, RMAC Player of the Year (1993), Two-Time Regional Finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Best Overall Player in Division II) 1994 Green Bay Packers Training Camp 1995 Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League

I have been fortunate to have been involved in this great game of football for 52 years. I have coached for 41 of those years. I started as a student assistant coach for my alma mater, The University of Wyoming. I then got the opportunity to be a graduate assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso. My first full-time job was at Scottsdale Community College, and then I got to go to Coffeyville Community College (where we won a National Championship)! I then became the Offensive Line coach at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. I was blessed after 5 years to reunite with Willie Fritz (currently the Head Coach at the University of Houston) at the University of Central Missouri. Coach Fritz and I worked together at Coffeyville, Sam Houston and UCM, and I consider him a mentor and great friend. I decided to make a slight career change as I became the Head Football Coach at Warrensburg HS in Warrensburg, Missouri. After 6 years, I was hired by Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado to be the Head Football Coach in 2016. In January of 2024, I made another coaching move, returning to the college ranks as the Defensive Line Coach at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and I am currently in that position. People ask me what it is about the game that I love so much. I must say that it is building and keeping the great relationships with players and coaches that this game provides. It is the lessons that apply not just on the field of play, but also in life: dealing with adversity, overcoming obstacles, focusing on the process and not the result, and being unselfish, just to name a few. I also believe that I am so fortunate to have had the opportunities to make a difference in people's lives in a positive way. Coach Grinde

Recruiting Areas: Colorado, Arizona Emmanuel Jordan Bible enters his third season as an assistant coach for Fort Lewis College football in 2023. Bible came to Durango in 2021 after five seasons as the Defensive Coordinator at Vista Peak Prep in Aurora, Colorado. During that time, he was also completing his Master's degree in Sports Psychology with an emphasis on sport coaching from the University of Denver. Under Bible's tutelage, Vista Peak Prep was a top-5 scoring defensive in Class 4A twice during his five seasons and top-3 in defensive takeaways in three different seasons. The Bison posted an overall record of 23-6 during that time. Bible's additional coaching stops included Augustana College as a graduate assistant from 2014-15 and one season as the Defensive Backs Coach at Western New England University in 2015. A native of Aurora, Bible starred at Cherokee Trail High School before playing NCAA Division I football at the University of Northern Colorado from 2008-2012. He played in 33 career games for the Bears as a safety, earning All-Conference honors in the Big Sky as a senior in 2012 after finishing with 70 total tackles, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble. He also shined in the classroom as he earned All-Academic honors three times and graduated from UNC with a 3.5 GPA majoring in Criminal Law. His performance as a senior at UNC earned him the "Mr. Reliable" award for the 2012 season.   

Recruiting Areas: Utah, New Mexico, Southern California Justin MacArthur enters his first season with the Skyhawks in 2025, joining the staff for spring camp after spending three years with the Leopards at the University of La Verne, anchoring the defensive line as both a player from 2022-24 and as a coach from 2024-25.  During his time at La Verne, MacArthur was a team captain, led the defensive line statistically in his senior season, and then served as the defensive line coach after graduation. He played a key role in player development, opponent scouting, and defensive line game-planning during his time in La Verne, California.  Prior to La Verne, MacArthur coached the defensive line for the Panthers National Club Football Association team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where in 2021 he helped lead the Panthers from a one-win season to the program's first conference championship appearance, first undefeated regular season, and first ranked scoring defense in school history. Before coaching, MacArthur had a successful career in the private sector, working as a project management consultant and data analyst for a Fortune 500 company. A veteran, MacArthur actively served in the United States Marine Corps infantry as a corporal and squad leader, leading a heavy-weapons squad. In 2017, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, he earned the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (NAVCOM) for events on September 4th, 2016. MacArthur graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2019, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems before going on to earn his Master of Business Administration in Management and Leadership from the University of La Verne in 2024. 

Recruiting Areas: Colorado, Arizona John Grinde is heading into his fourth season as the offensive coordinator for Fort Lewis College in 2025. Grinde joined the Skyhawks in 2022 after spending two seasons as the Offensive Coordinator at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska.   Skyhawks football turned a corner in 2024, as the program earned a 3-8 overall record and a 2-7 mark against RMAC competition. Fort Lewis got back on track with a win over Arizona Christian (Sept. 14) before later handling Adams State (Nov. 2) and New Mexico Highlands (Nov. 9) on back-to-back weekends to earn the program’s first conference wins since 2019. In addition, Fort Lewis finished in seventh place in the RMAC among ten conference teams.   The offense took a more balanced approach last year, improving its rushing game to 125.8 yards/game from its 65.5 yards/game the year prior. While the passing game supplied 154.6 yards/game, down 68.3 yards from the year before, the balanced approach maintained 280.5 yards of offense per game, leading to 201 total points (18.27 pts/game), the most for the program since 2018. Senior Jacob LaCroix (OL) and sophomore Cheilotam Udengwu (OL) were key figures up front for Fort Lewis, and the duo were rewarded with their second and first nods, respectively, to the All-RMAC Honorable Mention teams.   Fort Lewis' offense showed glimpses of its old self in 2023 as the Skyhawks tallied 300 or more yards of offense on six occasions for the first time since 2016 and scored the most points in a season since 2018 with 146. At the line of scrimmage, FLC improved in key offense metrics, including rushing yards per game (+21.7), passing yards per game (+52.31), and yards of total offense per game (+74.1).   Grinde's guidance in the trenches lifted LaCroix to his first All-RMAC Honorable Mention on the offensive line after losing three-year conference veteran and 2022 All-RMAC Honorable Mention Ryan Barkley. In addition, senior Peyton Monson (WR) also received an All-RMAC Honorable Mention nod. With Grinde's protection at the line, senior Braden Wingle (QB) was able to throw for the fifth-most yards (2,276) and completions (207) in the league.   Senior Julio Romo (OL) was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team; Romo – alongside linebacker Tristen Williams – was not only the Skyhawks first All-District honoree since 2011 but the first offensive lineman since 2003 to earn any Academic All-District/Region honor.   In 2022, Grinde's offense helped Fort Lewis improve its total offense by 42.9 yards per game and provided all three of the Skyhawks' All-RMAC Honorable Mention award winners: Zach Russell (TE), Ryan Barkley (OL), and Dylan Holt (WR).   Grinde has previous working experience with FLC head football coach Johnny Cox from their time together at UNC Pembroke (2016-2020). During his time with UNC Pembroke, Grinde coached seven All-Conference Academic Honor Roll recipients, an All-American while helping guide the team to the 2016 NCAA DII playoffs, making it to the second round.   As a graduate assistant at the University of Central Missouri, where he helped coach the offensive line, tight ends, and running backs over three years, he saw plenty of success with an appearance in the Live United Texarkana Bowl, along with coaching two All-Region and All-American performers.   Grinde brings a wealth of experience, having coached four different positions while also competing in the NCAA DII playoffs as a wide receiver at the University of Central Missouri. He knows the game very well and also comes from a quality football background as his father is a former college offensive line coach and is currently the Head Football Coach at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, CO.   A four-year dean’s list honoree, Grinde earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Central Missouri and went on to earn his master’s degree in Kinesiology from UCM in 2015.

Recruiting Areas: Colorado, Arizona Jones embarks on his first season with the Skyhawks in the fall of 2023.  A native of Wilmington, N.C., and brother of current Fort Lewis redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Jones, Jones joins the Skyhawks after being released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.   Prior to attending camp after signing with the Blue Bombers following the 2023 National Football League Draft, Jones had a record-breaking five-year career with the Braves at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where he spent four of his five seasons under the tutelage of Coach Cox.   During his tenure at UNC Pembroke, Jones played in 46 games at quarterback racking up 10,148 yards on 923 completions with 70 touchdowns. On the ground, Jones rushed for an additional 478 yards and 17 touchdowns. As of March of 2023, Jones stands as the program’s all-time leader in passing, total offense, and ranks 11th in scoring.    Jones was a two-time All-Mountain East Conference Honorable Mention in 2021 and 2022 while also earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in 2022.  

Recruiting Areas: Colorado, Arizona Spencer Brown is heading into his fourth season as defensive coordinator for Fort Lewis in the fall of 2025. Brown joined the Skyhawks in 2022 after spending three years at Southern Illinois University as the Defensive Run Game Coordinator and Linebackers Coach.    Brown’s defensive scheme made its biggest improvement in 2024, cutting down 126.5 yards of offense and 11.91 points per game off of its opponents’ averages. The difference helped the Skyhawks top Arizona Christian in the second game of the season to end the program’s 40-game losing streak. It also led to a pair of back-to-back conference wins later in the season, including a 27-17 victory over Adams State (Nov. 2) in the inaugural Clash for the Pass rivalry game, and a 44-22 thumping over New Mexico Highlands (Nov. 9), in the home finale.   Fort Lewis’ defense was led by standout inside linebacker Jacob Penney, who Brown brought in back in 2022. With 122 tackles on the season, and an average of 11.1 per game, Penney finished 5th in NCAA Division II in both categories, leading the RMAC as well. In addition, through his three seasons, Penney already owns 202 career tackles, just 66 shy of cracking the program’s all-time top 10 list. For his efforts on the season, Penney was named Second-Team All-RMAC and First-Team All-Colorado by the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter (NFFCC), marking him as one of the best linebackers in the state across the NCAA Division II and Division I levels.   Penney wasn’t the only all-conference selection, however, as Brown also aided in the development of free safety Kalib Davis, who also earned an Honorable Mention All-RMAC distinction. Davis racked up 69 tackles, the second-most on the roster, while also hauling in four interceptions, breaking up two passes, forcing one fumble, forcing one quarterback hurry, and picking up a fumble as well.   The defense made steady progress under Brown’s tutelage in his first two seasons, shaving off yards of total offense and points per game from its opponents over both seasons. With Brown’s schemes in place, the Skyhawks steadily came closer to getting back into ballgames, coming within roughly two scores of their opponents on five occasions. While at Southern Illinois, Brown helped the Salukis defense hold opponents to just 154 rushing yards per game, a 67-yard improvement from previous seasons. Additionally, the Salukis held the No. 1 Kickoff return defense in the Missouri Valley Conference and No. 3 Kickoff return defense in all of the FCS in 2019. Prior to Southern Illinois, Brown had stops at North Carolina State University as Senior Defensive Analyst and at The University of South Dakota as a Linebackers Coach and Video Coordinator. While at NC State, Brown helped coordinate the Top 25-rated defense that included former National Football League players Dravious Wright and Shawn Boone.  Brown completed his Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of North Texas while serving as a graduate assistant for the football team. While assisting the Green, Brown helped coach future NFL athletes Zach Orr and Derek Akunne.  Brown earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in 2010.   

Hold Hill will embark on his first season with Skyhawks football in the fall of 2025.  Hill made his way to Durango following a short stint as an assistant groundskeeper for the Colorado Rockies professional baseball team after spending two seasons as a football operations assistant at the University of Northern Colorado.   While with the Rockies, Hill assisted in various duties related to game day field preparations, in-game and postgame field maintenance, and assisted the team in piloting drones during team practices.   Hill began his career in athletics with UNC from 2023-24 before graduating in December with his Bachelor’s of Sport and Exercise Science with an emphasis in Sport Administration. He also minored in business administration and digital marketing.   With the Bears up in Greeley, Colo., Hill assisted the coaching staff across the board, taking on tasks such as meals for players and referees, travel arrangements for the team, drafting itineraries and schedules while on the road, and helping throughout the recruiting process with visits, photo shoots, and high school camps. A Colorado native, Hill graduated from Highlands Ranch High School back in 2021.