Morgan steps down to become the defensive tackles coach at the premier FCS powerhouse.
A tumultuous offseason for Kent State’s coaching staff just got more chaotic.
In mid-April, the program fired head coach Kenni Burns after a lengthy investigation by the university, which determined Burns took over $100,000 in loans from a school vendor. Kent State subsequently promoted offensive coordinator Mark Carney to the interim head coach role, which he will maintain through the 2025 season.
Less than three months later, Kent State is now without its defensive coordinator. Kody Morgan, who served as a safeties coach and co-special teams coordinator in 2023 and defensive coordinator in 2024, accepted a position at North Dakota State. He will now serve as the defensive tackles coach for the FCS powerhouse. Morgan previously worked at North Dakota State from 2018-22, holding positions as a cornerbacks coach, safeties coach, and special teams coordinator during that 5-year span. He won four FCS national championships on NDSU’s staff before landing at Kent State.
The search for Kent State’s next defensive coordinator begins. Similar to Carney’s promotion after Burns’ firing, it is likely the Golden Flashes promote a defensive assistant to the coordinator role — especially given the late timing of Morgan’s departure.
Rush ends coach Malcolm Robinson and defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck are the longest tenured members of the defensive staff, both onboarding with the Golden Flashes in early 2024. Other defensive assistants include linebackers coach Kevin Snyder and cornerbacks coach Cherokee Valeria.
The new defensive coordinator will be moving on the fly in fall camp, especially considering Kent State’s mass transfer exodus in April. The Golden Flashes lost a multitude of their top defensive contributors during spring football after Burns’ firing, including defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Oliver Billotte, linebacker Jayden Studio, and safety Armahn Hale, in addition to the talent they lost pre-April.
In less than 60 days, Kent State opens its 2025 season on Aug. 30 against Merrimack of the FCS, hoping to undo an FBS-high 21-game losing streak with a reconstructed coaching staff.