Western Illinois University Men's Football

RECRUITING AREAS: Northern Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas Linebackers/Associate Head Coach Coach Kreczmer is a familiar name to Western Illinois. He has been linebacker coach at WIU since 2022 and served as interim head coach before Joe Davis was named as head coach.   "Coach Kreczmer bleeds purple and gold.  His dedication to the university, investment in student athletes and success as a state champion High school coach make him a great fit for our staff,” Coach Davis said.   Prior to coming to Western Illinois, Kreczmer served as head coach at Sterling Newman, guiding the Comets to a 23-6 record and a 2019 Class 2A state championship.   He began coaching at Sterling Newman in 2013, serving as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. He was also the head girls track and field coach.   He began his coaching career as a linebacker coach at Illinois College.   During his playing days, Kreczmer starred at linebacker for the Leathernecks.  

RECRUITING AREAS: DuPage, Kane, Will, and Kendall Counties (Illinois), Eastern Iowa Coach Brad Wilson comes to Western Illinois after having coached at the University of Indianapolis from 2017-present as the offensive line coach, offensive coordinator and run-game coordinator. While at UIndy, Wilson was part of five Great Lake Valley Conference championships and five postseason appearances, all while compiling a 58-13 record over six seasons. Wilson coached 25 All Conference GLVC Offensive Lineman, 16 being named first team and six All-Region selections and Two All-American selections. During the 2022 season, Wilson’s offense averaged 35 points per game, after scoring 37 in 2021 and 45 in 2020. Prior to coaching at Indianapolis, Wilson served as Offensive Line Coach/Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at North Central College from 2014-2016. While at North Central, Wilson coached two First-Team All-America Offensive Linemen and seven College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin performers (five being named First-Team). Wilson also served as Offensive Line Coach at Defiance College (2014), Eastern Michigan (2013) and Fort Lewis College (2010-2012). Wilson also was the Offensive Graduate Assistant at San Diego State (2009) and Ball State (2007-2008). "Coach Wilson has a proven track record of coordinating high powered offenses and developing the offensive line position at an elite level,” Coach Davis said. “Most importantly he is known as a high character coach that is very invested in the lives of his players.”  

Horton joins the Leathernecks as director of football operations after gaining extensive experience at the NCAA Division I level. Horton recently worked with Yale University football as an intern with the Bulldogs’ operations and recruiting staffs, assisting with film analysis, prospect evaluation, practice logistics, and game day technology including CoachComms, DVSport and GameStrat. Horton also served as a recruiter and football operations student manager at Sacred Heart University, where she helped identify and sign more than 30 student-athletes over a three-year span. Her responsibilities included film evaluation, managing prospect databases, coordinating official visits, and supporting game day operations.  A lifelong athlete and sports management major, Horton received her bachelors from Sacred Heart University.    

Joshua Caraway returns as the special teams coordinator, tight ends coach, and recruiting coordinator for Leatherneck football. In his first year on staff, WIU football was able win more games in 2024 than the team had won in the last five years combined. That effort began with the Leatherneck offense. With Caraway’s assistance, the WIU offense led both the conference and nation in multiple categories. WIU finished the season ranking #1 in the conference in total offense, offensive touchdowns, first downs, 3rd down conversion, passing offense, and passing efficiency. The Leathernecks ranked nationally in passing offense (6th) and first downs (9th). Caraway coached tight end Brandon Lanier to a Phil Steele Big South-OVC All-Conference selection. On special teams, Caraway led the Leathernecks to finish 2nd in the conference in FG percentage (78.95%) in 2024. Kicker Antonio Chadha finished the season as the #2 point-scorer in the league (7.33 points per game) while he and running back Cameron Smith were able to earn spots on the Phil Steele Big South-OVC All-Conference team as special teams players. Before Western, Caraway brought seven years of championship FBS coaching experience to Macomb. In 2023, Caraway spent one year at Liberty University as the special teams analyst. Caraway helped bring Flames football to unprecedented heights during their inaugural season within Conference USA. Liberty entered bowl season with a perfect 13-0 record and was one of four undefeated teams in the country, joining Florida State, Washington and eventual national champion Michigan. Caraway helped the Flames to an unblemished 8-0 regular season record in CUSA and a 49-35 win over New Mexico State in the CUSA Football Championship game.       The team’s success positioned the Flames to receive their first-ever invitation to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game. Liberty squared off against No. 8 Oregon in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on January 1 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Under Caraway’s leadership, kicker Nick Brown set a school record with 65 extra points, while Conference USA all-conference first team kick return specialist Aaron Bedgood ranked No. 35 in the country in combined kick returns (463 yards). Liberty’s defense on special teams was tough in 2023. The Flames ranked No. 7 in the country in kickoff return defense (allowing 15.24 yards per return) and No. 21 in punt return defense (allowing 4.50 yards per return). Prior to coming to Liberty in 2023, Caraway served on the staff at Coastal Carolina for six seasons as the special teams analyst and as an offensive assistant (2017-22) while he helped foster the rapid growth of the Coastal Carolina football program at the FBS level and in the Sun Belt Conference. Caraway aided the Chanticleers in achieving first-place finishes in the Sun Belt Conference in 2020 and 2022 (tied for first in East) and a 31-6 record over his last three seasons at CCU. He helped Coastal Carolina secure its first three FBS bowl game appearances at the 2020 and 2021 Cure Bowl and at the 2022 Birmingham Bowl—including the Coastal’s first bowl win in program history over Northern Illinois, 47-41, in the 2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl. The Chanticleer special teams units thrived during Caraway’s six years at the Beach. In 2021 alone, Coastal was 1st in the nation in blocked punts (4), 5th in the nation in blocked kicks (5), and 1st in the nation in punt return defense (0.00 yards per return). Wide Receiver Jaivon Heiligh earned 3rd Team All-Conference honors as a return specialist. Other special teams accolades during his tenure in Conway include ranking 7th in the nation for punt returns in 2019 (15.25 yards per return) and 15th in the nation for blocked kicks in 2020 (2) while also mentoring Sunbelt All-Conference honorees such as CJ Marable (1st Team, All Purpose, 2019) and Massimo Biscardi (2nd Team, Kicker, 2020 / 3rd Team, 2018). Offensively, Caraway helped the Chants go from 5-7 in 2019 to 11-1 in 2020, 11-2 in 2021 and 9-4 in 2022. In each of his last four seasons, the offense has also ranked in the top-10 nationally in all of FBS in multiple statistical categories.        In 2021, the Coastal offense outscored all their opponents 532-281 on the season, including totaling 100-plus points in each quarter on the year.       Coastal Carolina was one of only four teams to rank in the top 25 in both total offense (5th) and total defense (25th), one of only seven teams nationally to rank in the top 30 in both most first downs on offense (25th) and fewest first downs allowed on defense (27th), and one of only eight teams to rank in the top-25 in both scoring offense (5th) and scoring defense (25th).           The offense also finished the season ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring offense (40.9 ppg) and was one of only five FBS schools to average over 40 points per game on the season. During Caraway’s time at Coastal, the Chanticleers were ranked in the top 25 Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls for a total of 22 consecutive weeks from Oct. 18, 2020, through Nov. 7, 2021. The Chanticleers were also ranked as high as No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings in 2020, which set a Sun Belt record. With their back-to-back double-digit wins total in 2020 (11-1) and 2021 (11-2), Coastal Carolina was one of six teams at the FBS level to post back-to-back double-digit win seasons during the two-year span. The Chanticleers (22-3) were one of 10 teams to win 20-plus games over the same period: Alabama (26-2), Louisiana (23-2), Cincinnati (22-2), Coastal Carolina (22-3), Notre Dame (21-4), BYU (21-4), Georgia (22-3), Oklahoma (20-4), Oklahoma State (20-5), and Clemson (20-5).        In 2020, the Chanticleers won the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference title, posted an 11-1 overall mark, including an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference record, and played in the program’s first-ever FBS postseason bowl game. The Chanticleers posted two wins over ranked FBS opponents, the first two such victories in program history, four wins over top 50 opponents. They were ranked as high as No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 11 in the Amway Coaches Poll, both Sun Belt Conference records.       The 2020 season marked Coastal Carolina’s first-ever undefeated regular season and the first time that the Chanticleers were ranked in either the Associated Press Top 25 Poll or the Amway Coaches Poll presented by USA Today Sports. Before his time coaching at the division one ranks, Caraway began coaching collegiately at NAIA Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. Working as a graduate assistant, Caraway coached the defensive line and assisted with special teams. Caraway helped oversee a turnaround at Midland that catapulted the Warriors from a 1-10 campaign in 2015 to a 6-4 finish in 2016. Caraway began his coaching career as a high school football coach in Tennessee. His first year of coaching was in 2011 at Chester County High School in Henderson, TN, before a three-year stint at Brighton High School in Brighton, TN, from 2012-2014. Caraway, who was a prep three-time state champion at Maryville High School in Maryville, TN, earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Secondary Education and English from Freed-Hardeman University in 2011 before earning his master’s in Educational Leadership from Midland University in 2016. Caraway is married to the former Sara Maki, and they currently reside in Macomb with their dog, Tuna.       Caraway at a Glance Coaching Experience: 2024-Current – Western Illinois (ST Coordinator | TE | Recruiting Coordinator) 2023 – Liberty (Special Teams Analyst) 2017-22 – Coastal Carolina (Special Teams Analyst | Offensive Analyst) 2015-16 – Midland University (Graduate Assistant) 2012-14 – Brighton High School (TN) (Assistant Coach) 2011 – Chester County High School (TN) (Assistant Coach)

RECRUITING AREAS: Cook County and Texas Walker comes to Western Illinois after most recently serving as Defensive Coordinator and co-Special Teams Coordinator at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. In his first season at Tyler Junior College, Walker IV ran the defense as well as helped on special teams. His defense anchored a team that went 5-4. Before coming to Tyler, Walker IV helped Saint Francis University capture an NEC title, posting numerous national top 25 finishes statistically. He helped guide a Red Flash defense that gave up 19.1 points per game and 182.3 passing yards per game, both top-four in the NEC. Walker also contributed to efforts that kept the Red Flash in the top 5 nationally in multiple statistical categories. Before coaching at St. Francis, Walker IV coached at Coe College, working as linebacker coach, special teams coordinator, and in other off-the-field roles that included the program's social media coordinator. Walker coached ARC Defensive Player of the Year and AFCA All-American Logan Rickard at the linebacker position and special teams All-American in A.J. Christensen. Coe led Division III in blocked punts as well as punts returned for touchdowns in 2019. Prior to his time at Coe, Walker IV worked as the defensive backs coach and punt return coordinator at Carroll University for the 2018 season. The punt return unit posted its best numbers in the program's history finishing No. 1 in the CCIW. Walker IV began his college coaching career at his alma mater, Eastern Illinois, as a defensive quality control coach and earned high school coaching experience at Lincoln-Way Central HS in Illinois. Walker, a native of Chicago, Illinois, was a two-sport student-athlete at Eastern Illinois in football and track, and graduated in 2017 with a degree in Kinesiology/Sport Management. He appeared in 38 career games with 52 total tackles, including 37 in his senior year. The Panthers qualified for the FCS playoffs twice in his tenure. On the track, Walker was a hurdler who scored in multiple OVC Championship meets and helped the Panthers to indoor championships in 2016 and 2017.  

RECRUITING AREAS: Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma Bonner enters his third season on the Western Illinois football staff and second as Outside Linebackers Coach, continuing to make an impact on the Leathernecks’ defensive development. In 2025, Bonner played a key role in mentoring a breakout true freshman who finished second on the team in sacks and third in tackles for loss, earning All-Conference recognition. His unit built on a strong foundation established in 2024, his first season leading the outside linebackers, when he developed a Phil Steele OVC–Big South Third Team All-Conference selection who led the team in both tackles and tackles for loss. Bonner began his collegiate coaching career at Western Illinois in 2023 as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs. During that season, he helped develop a corner back who went on to sign professionally with the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). A former standout at Arkansas State, Bonner brings a player’s perspective to his coaching approach. A versatile defensive back and linebacker, he was a three-time team captain and earned the program’s “Consistency in Performance” defensive award. Bonner was also named a College Football News Preseason Top 30 Sun Belt Conference player and earned All-Conference honors during his career. Starting as a true freshman, he helped lead the Red Wolves to three bowl game appearances.

Isaiah Washington is an experienced football coach with a proven track record in game planning, recruiting, and player development, particularly at the wide receiver position. He most recently served as an Offensive Graduate Assistant/Analyst at Texas A&M, continuing his work with wide receivers after a previous stint in the same role at New Mexico State. During his time at Texas A&M, Washington was part of the staff that led the SEC in scoring in conference games. He also played a key role in securing two of the top signing classes in the country, which included numerous highly touted wide receivers. While at New Mexico State, he was part of the staff that achieved two of the most successful seasons in school history in terms of wins, including the biggest win in program history with a victory over Auburn. In 2023, he helped guide the team to a conference championship appearance against Liberty. Washington has coached in three bowl games—the Quick Lane Bowl, the New Mexico Bowl, and the Las Vegas Bowl—gaining valuable postseason experience at the collegiate level. A former standout wide receiver, Washington played football at the University of Central Oklahoma, where he helped lead the Bronchos to two bowl game appearances. Before that, he was a key player for Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing a pivotal role in the Hornets’ 2011 State Championship victory. Washington began his coaching career on the staff at Tulsa Union High School. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in developing several Division I Wide Receivers. His leadership contributed to Union’s sustained success, including three state championship game appearances. In addition to his coaching experience, Washington holds a degree in Biology from the University of Central Oklahoma and a master’s degree in Education from New Mexico State University.