Cecchini Adds Seven to Bucknell Football Staff

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell head football coach Dave Cecchini announced the addition of seven to his staff on Monday.

"This staff is comprised of coaches who are dedicated to the philosophy of maximizing our student-athletes' potential not only on the gridiron but in the classroom as well," Cecchini said. "It is an incredibly talented and experienced group. I'm really looking forward to working with this staff over the next couple months to reshape the Bucknell football program and develop our players for the 2019 season and beyond."

Cecchini previously named Jason Miran offensive coordinator and Ryan Manalac defensive coordinator on Feb. 15. He and the rest of his staff are on campus and are working to prepare the Bison for their 2019 campaign, which kicks off against Temple on Aug. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Kevin Bracken
Defensive Line

Following a successful playing career at Moravian University, Bracken spent his first two seasons in the coaching ranks at Franklin & Marshall College. Bracken, who worked with the Diplomat linebackers from 2016 to 2017, joined the Villanova University football staff as a defensive assistant ahead of the 2018 campaign.

During his final season at Franklin & Marshall, the Diplomats went 10-1 (8-1 Centennial Conference). The 2017 Franklin & Marshall squad was the eighth in program history that won at least nine games during a single campaign; the Diplomats also captured a share of the Centennial Conference championship for the first time since 2003.

A native of Wanaque, N.J., Bracken graduated from Moravian in 2015 with a degree in mathematics and political science. During his time on the Greyhound football team, he played in 39 games at linebacker, totaling 248 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He topped out at 107 tackles as a junior in 2013, an effort that netted him All-Centennial Conference honorable mention laurels.

Isaac Collins
Defensive Backs/Special Teams

Collins spent the past nine seasons as a head football coach, first at Widener University and then at Seton Hill University. From 2010 to 2012, Collins led Widener to national prominence, posting a combined record of 25-8. In 2012, the Pride went 11-1, captured a Mid-American Conference title and reached the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for the first time since 2001. For his role in Widener's success, Collins was recognized as the MAC Coach of the Year, the D3Football.com East Region Coach of the Year and the Maxwell Touchdown Club's Tri State Coach of the Year. The year before, bolstered by an explosive offense that averaged a nation's best 47.1 points per game, the Pride rolled to a 9-2 record, capped by a 48-27 victory over Waynesburg in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl.

Under Collins's watch, Widener rose to as high as No. 8 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 10 in the D3Football.com rankings. Eight members of the Pride captured First Team All-MAC honors, with two being named Second Team All-Americans by Beyond Sports College Network. In addition, quarterback Chris Haupt was voted as the 2012 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and ECAC South Offensive Player of the Year.

Collins spent six seasons at the helm of Seton Hill's program, helping the Griffins post their best overall record since 2008 in 2016. That season, Seton Hill paced the Division II ranks in passing offense and finished sixth in total offense. The year before, the Griffins stunned then No. 14 Slippery Rock, 41-38, in Greensburg; the Rock, the highest ranked opponent Seton Hill ever knocked off, finished that season with a 12-2 record and reached the NCAA quarterfinals.

From 2006 to 2009, Collins served as defensive coordinator at The Citadel. In 2007, his defense led the Southern Conference in total defense, helping the Bulldogs finish with their best record in 15 years. During his time in Charleston, which overlapped with Cecchini's three-year stint as Citadel's offensive coordinator, Collins mentored nine all-conference honorees.

Collins was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Delaware (2005), associate head coach and defensive coordinator at the College of the Holy Cross (2004), assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Lehigh University (2000 to 2003) and assistant coach at Columbia University (1998 to 2000). Collins broke into the coaching ranks at Hobart College, where he was an assistant coach from 1994 to 1998; there, he was elevated to defensive coordinator for his final season.

Collins participated in the National Football League Minority Fellowship Program as an assistant secondary coach with the New York Giants (1999) and Philadelphia Eagles (2001). Through the program, he helped install defensive systems, develop and implement practice plans for the defensive secondary and run special teams drills in practice.

During his collegiate playing days, Collins was a standout running back for the University of Rochester. A four-year letterwinner and 1993 team captain, he rushed for at least 100 yards 14 times over the course of his career. In 1992, he helped Rochester win a University Athletic Association championship; for his efforts, he was honored as the league's Co-Offensive Player of the Year. He graduated from Rochester with a degree in political science in 1994.

A 1990 alumnus of Geneva High School, Collins also had an impressive high school career. In 2012, he was inducted into both the University of Rochester Hall of Fame and Geneva Sports Hall of Fame.

Matt Ford
Tight Ends/Tackles

Ford spent the 2018 campaign as a tight ends coach at Lehigh, his alma mater. The year before, he served in the same capacity on Cecchini's staff at Valparaiso. Ford's tight ends played a key role in a Valparaiso offense that totaled 330 points and 4,398 yards, both good for second in school history. Valparaiso ultimately finished above .500, at 6-5, for the first time since 2003.

Ford's first coaching post was at Franklin & Marshall in 2016. There, he mentored the tight ends, helping the Diplomats finish 7-4.

During his playing days at Lehigh, Ford appeared in 30 games on the offensive line and started his final 22 at left guard. As a senior in 2015, he served as captain and captured All-Patriot League First Team accolades. A native of Wall, N.J., he graduated in 2016 with a degree in accounting.

Vinny Giacalone
Offensive Line

Giacalone spent the past five seasons on Cecchini's staff at Valparaiso as an offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. His offensive line helped pave the way for Valparaiso's offensive resurgence, allowing the fewest sacks per game (0.42) in the nation in 2014 and the 10th fewest sacks per game (0.91) in 2017. During the 2017 campaign, Valparaiso's offense put up 330 points and 4,398 yards, both good for second in school history. The team ultimately finished above .500, at 6-5, for the first time since 2003.

Under Giacalone's watch, Stuart Barkley, Tom Schofield and Jack Jarnigan captured All-Pioneer Football League accolades. In addition, Eric Rentschler was twice recognized on the Academic All-PFL Team for his performance on the field and in the classroom. During his time at Valparaiso, Giacalone also oversaw the team's travel, student managers and social media accounts.

A 2010 Carnegie Mellon graduate, Giacalone served as an assistant coach and co-recruiting coordinator at his alma mater for two seasons before moving on to Lehigh in 2012. That campaign, Giacalone's offensive line ceded the fifth-fewest sacks per game in the nation despite featuring four first-time starters; his charges' efforts helped the Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League in passing offense.

Steven King
Running Backs

King joined the Bucknell football staff as a wide receivers coach before spring practice in 2016. Under Cecchini, King will work with the Bison running backs.

In 2017 and 2018, King also served as Bucknell's special teams coordinator. In 2018, he mentored two specialists who ranked in the FCS's top five in their respective statistical categories. Punter Alex Pechin, who was named to five All-America teams, led the FCS in punting yards (3,606) and placed fourth in punting average (44.5). Meanwhile, return man Bryan Marine finished in a tie for third in punt return yards (296) and fourth in combined kick return yards (899). The year before, Pechin broke his own school record by three full yards with a 45.1 punting average, which was good for third in the FCS ranks.

King's wide receivers excelled in 2018, with senior Alan Butler making the All-Patriot League Second Team and freshman Brandon Sanders leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. One of King's most successful charges was Will Carter, who graduated in 2017 as Bucknell's record holder in receptions (195), receiving yards (2,744) and touchdown catches (18).

In 2017, King participated in the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship with the Oakland Raiders. During his time in the program, he worked with the Raider special teams.

Before joining the Bison staff, King spent two seasons at the University of Nevada, first as an offensive graduate assistant working with the wide receivers and then as a defensive graduate assistant working with the nickel position. During his time in Reno, the Wolf Pack played in the New Orleans Bowl and Arizona Bowl.

King spent the 2012 and 2013 campaigns at Wagner College, helping the Seahawks capture their first Northeast Conference title and NCAA playoff berth. There, he mentored running back Dominique Williams, a member of the 2012 College Sports Journal All-American team and a two-time All-NEC honoree. Williams spent two seasons with the New York Jets before moving on to the Canadian Football League.

In 2011, King served as a wide receiver coach at Nassau Community College on Long Island. There, he tutored wide receiver Mark Thomas, who went on to earn all-conference honors after leading the conference in receptions and receiving yards.

Before his time at Nassau, King served as the running backs and defensive backs coach at East Meadow (N.Y.) High School from 2007 to 2011. He developed two players who won the Thorpe Award, presented annually by Newsday to Long Island's Most Outstanding Player.

A native of Hempstead, N.Y., King was a four-year letter winner at the University at Buffalo, where he led the team in rushing touchdowns as a junior and senior.

King earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Buffalo in 2007 and a master's degree in business administration from Wagner in 2014. He added a second master's degree in educational leadership from Nevada in 2015.

Mark Kulbis
Strength & Conditioning

Kulbis comes to Bucknell from Dartmouth College, where he joined the strength & conditioning staff in January 2016. He was promoted to associate director of strength & conditioning in March 2018.

Before his time with the Big Green, Kulbis was a strength & conditioning intern for the Ohio State University football team. He arrived in Columbus following a stint as a strength & conditioning graduate assistant at Austin Peay State University, where he earned his master's in human health and performance.

A native of Euclid Ohio, Kulbis graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in exercise science. There, he walked on to the Falcon football team.

Kulbis holds certifications through the NSCA (CSCS), Sports Performance Coach (USAW), Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR Level 1).

Frank DeNick
Manager of Video Operations

DeNick, a former Bison football player, joined the Bucknell football staff as an administrative coordinator in February 2018. Under Cecchini, DeNick will serve as manager of video operations.

In his new role, DeNick will coordinate video editing and exchange as well as produce video for the team's social media channels. As administrative coordinator, DeNick was tasked with coordinating all types of team logistics, including team travel, video editing and exchange, recruiting and camps.

DeNick previously worked for Bucknell University in the human resources department from 2010 to 2012. He then spent five years in private business.

During his playing career, DeNick appeared in 30 games. After spending his first two seasons as a defensive back, he moved to wide receiver in 2010 and made an immediate impact. In 2010, he was one of only two Bison to catch at least one pass in every game, finishing the year with 423 yards on a team-high 38 receptions. A year later, he was the only Bison to catch at least one pass in every game, posting 554 yards on 42 catches. For his efforts, he was recognized on the All-Patriot League Second Team.

DeNick shared the 2011 Tom Gadd Coaches' Award with Josh Eden. He also captured the 2010 George L. McGaughey Memorial Award as the most outstanding player in the Lafayette game after recording 105 receiving yards, a total bolstered by a 79-yard touchdown catch.

DeNick earned a psychology degree from Bucknell in 2012. A native of Middlesex, N.J., he was a two-year starter at quarterback for Immaculata High School.

Bucknell University Athletics

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