Ball State University Athletics
Football Finalizes Staff with Three Additions
June 14, 2011 | Football
Ball State head football coach Pete Lembo has finalized his staff for the 2011 season with the addition of three graduate assistants in the program.
Thad Bogardus will join the program as graduate assistant of football operations, Tim Kelly will become the defensive graduate assistant coach and Brett McQuilkin will serve as the strength and conditioning graduate assistant.
"We are pleased to complete our football staff for the coming year," Lembo says. "We are excited to welcome these quality young professionals to Ball State. Tim, Brett and Thad have the personality and values to be an asset both within the Fisher Complex and in promoting the program on campus. The summer will be an excellent time for them to get acclimated and get to know our student-athletes before the season begins."
Bogardus is a 2011 graduate of Elon University, where he served as a student assistant in 2009 and 2010. He also spent from 2007-10 as the assistant video coordinator, while earning his undergraduate degree in finance. Bogardus also served as an accounting intern at D.L. Ryan Companies in Connecticut last summer.
Kelly earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois in 2008 and a master's from Illinois State in 2010. He served the 2010 season as recruiting coordinator, defensive line coach and defensive coordinator at Minnesota State Moorhead. Kelly spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant coach at Illinois Wesleyan where he assisted with coaching the defensive line. A defensive tackle at Eastern Illinois, Kelly started all 48 games in his collegiate career and was the team's captain in 2007. He was named to the Capital One Academic All-District V Team in 2006 and 2007.
McQuilkin earned his bachelor's degree from Elon in May 2011 after serving from January to May as a student assistant coach and working with the linebackers. Last summer, he served an internship at Shropshire Sports Training working with athletes on various strength and conditioning exercise programs. A four-year member of the Elon football team, McQuilkin played safety and on special teams. He was named to the 2010 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and was Elon's 2010 Special Teams Player of the Year.
The Cardinals will open the 2011 season vs. Indiana in a game played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
