AUBURN, Ala.—Auburn football has promoted wide receivers coach Eric Kiesau to offensive coordinator and defensive analyst Roc Bellatoni to edge linebackers coach and special teams coordinator, head coach Bryan Harsin announced Friday. The two have a combined 44 years of coaching experience, including 22 years of serving as coordinators. Harsin also has promoted secondary coach Zac Etheridge to Associate Head Coach.
"One of the biggest things our players and program needs going from year one to year two with us is consistency - consistency with the system, the coaches and our plan for success," Harsin said. "Coach Kiesau and Coach Bellantoni are excellent football coaches and teachers of the game with 44 years of Division I experience between them, including 22 combined years in coordinator roles. Both have been part of the relationship building process over this past year here at Auburn, with the team and staff. They understand fully and are bought in on our goal and process."
Kiesau was named wide receivers coach at Auburn in September 2021 after serving as a senior offensive analyst since February 2021. Prior to joining the Auburn football program, Kiesau spent four seasons at Boise State.
The 2020 campaign at Boise State marked his first as the program's sole offensive coordinator after serving as co-offensive coordinator in 2019. Kiesau work with the Bronco quarterbacks in 2020 after overseeing the wide receiver corps from 2017-19. In Kiesau's first season helping oversee the team's offensive effort, the Broncos had eight members of the offensive earn All-Mountain West honors.
Prior to joining Boise State, Kiesau spent the 2016 season as offensive coordinator at Fresno State and was the Bulldogs' interim head coach over the final four games of the season. Before joining the Bulldogs, Kiesau served as an analyst for Alabama during a 2015 season that culminated in the Crimson Tide winning the national championship.
Kiesau previously coached wide receivers at Kansas (2014), California (2002-05; 2011), Colorado (2006-08) and Utah State (2001). He also served as the Jayhawks' interim offensive coordinator over the final five games of the 2014 season, served as offensive coordinator for both Washington (2012-13) and the Buffaloes (2009-10) and was the Golden Bears' passing game coordinator in 2011. He began his career as an assistant coach in 2000, working with Utah State's running backs.
"I've been fortunate enough to work with some really good coaches in my career, but very few have the offensive mind, the attention to detail and the overall plan for execution like Coach Harsin," said Kiesau. "I'm fired up to work in a collaborative offensive environment like we have, from the head coach to the coordinator and position coaches to the analysts and all the way down to the graduate assistants. This gives you an opportunity to be successful, and our players feel that chemistry."
Throughout his career, Kiesau has overseen prolific offenses and helped develop national award winners that went on to play in the National Football League. In his debut season as a wide receivers coach, he mentored the national leader in receptions at Utah State (Kevin Curtis, 100).
Between his two stints at California, Kiesau worked with future NFL All-Pro DeSean Jackson and future NFL Rookie of the Year Keenan Allen. He also mentored Marvin Jones, a fifth-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, Lavelle Hawkins, a fourth-round selection (2008), and Geoff McArthur, who established the Golden Bears' career receptions record (202), a mark that was later broken by Allen.
As Washington's offensive coordinator, the Huskies produced a John Mackey Award winner (Austin Saferian-Jenkins), given to the nation's top tight end, and an All-American running back (Bishop Sankey) that went on to be the first player drafted at his position. The Washington offense also ranked amongst the nation's elite in both total offense (13th; 499.3 yards per game) and scoring offense (18th; 37.9 points per game).
Bellantoni has 28 years of coaching experience, including 15 years as a defensive coordinator and another four years as a special teams coordinator. Over his career, Bellantoni has coached the defensive line and linebackers, served as defensive coordinator at three different stops, and reached the FCS playoffs seven different times, to go with two bowl appearances (Buffalo, 2018, Washington State, 2019). He has mentored 16 players who played professionally, including three NFL Draft picks.
"Auburn football has had a long tradition of impact pass rushers and relentless outside linebacker and edge play," said Bellantoni. "The opportunity to teach and mentor these young men who want to add to that legacy is truly an honor. That same relentless approach is what we expect from our special teams unit as well. This phase determines the outcome of many games, and exactly why we need an all-in mentality from every player and coach when it comes to special teams. We want to be the best in the country with those units and want guys who are possessed to make a game changing play as part of a special teams unit."
Prior to coming to Auburn in 2021, Bellantoni was the special teams coordinator and defensive assistant at Utah State in 2020. During his tenure with the Aggies he served as interim defensive coordinator for two games. He spent the 2019 season as the interim defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Washington State, where he helped the Cougars to an appearance in the Cheez-It Bowl. At WSU, two of his players earned all-Pac 12 honors in junior Jahad Woods and freshman Travion Brown. Woods finished the regular season ninth in the country and second in the Pac-12 with 121 tackles, most by a Cougar since 1996.
Bellantoni spent two seasons at Buffalo, where he served as special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach in 2018 and director of player personnel in 2017. The Bulls' defense ranked second in the MAC under his guidance and played in the 2018 Dollar General Bowl.
Bellantoni arrived at Buffalo from Florida Atlantic, where he spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2014-16. At FAU, Bellantoni coached Trey Hendrickson, currently a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints. Hendrickson ended his storied career, three seasons of which came under Bellantoni, as the program's all-time leader in sacks, tackles for loss, quarterback hurries and forced fumbles.
Prior to FAU, he coached the defensive line and special teams at Villanova. The 2013 Villanova team finished the season ranked No. 6 in the NCAA SRS rankings and the 2012 squad won the Colonial Athletic Association title and made a FCS playoffs appearance.
A graduate of Iona, Bellantoni gained his most coaching experience at Eastern Illinois. He was with the Panthers from 2001-11, serving as defensive line coach, defensive coordinator (2007-11), and finally, associate head coach (2007-11). Bellantoni helped Eastern Illinois win five Ohio Valley Conference Championships (2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, and 2001) and make six NCAA playoff appearances.
Bellantoni also served as the acting head coach at Eastern Illinois for the final two games of the 2007 season, which included its FCS playoff appearance. Bellantoni also had coaching stints at Drake and Buena Vista University. He started his coaching career at Mamaroneck High School.
A member of the 2010 Auburn National Championship team, Etheridge is in his second year at Auburn after spending two years at Houston coaching defensive backs. The Troy, Ala., native was recently named one of college football's top 25 recruiters for the 2022 cycle by 247Sports.