2011 WEBER STATE FOOTBALL - Weber State University Athletics

Matt HammerAssistant Head CoachOffensive CoordinatorWide Receivers • 6th seasonWILDCATCOACHESJake CookusCo-Defensive CoordinatorSafeties/Special Teams7th seasonMatt Hammer enters his sixth season with the Wildcats coachingstaff. The 2011 season will be his third season as Assistant HeadCoach and Offensive Coordinator for the Wildcats. He also coachesthe wide receivers.Hammer came to Weber State in the spring of 2006. During the2006 season he assisted Kevin Clune, working with the linebackersas a graduate assistant before being elevated to full-time statusin 2007. Hammer was the WSU Recruiting Coordinator for threeseasons with the Wildcats.Since joining the staff he coached several Wildcats to prominence.He was instrumental in the development of running backTrevyn Smith, who became the first player in WSU history to rushfor 1,000 yards or more for four straight seasons. Smith led theBig Sky in rushing three seasons and became just the third playerin Big Sky Conference history to earn First Team All-Conferencehonors four times.Hammer also coached fullback Marcus Mailei who was a twotimeAll-Big Sky First Team member and won a Super Bowl ringwith the New Orleans Saints in 2010.In 2010 Hammer coached the wide receiving group that includedJoe Collins and Mike Phillips. Collins earned All-American honorsin 2010.Hammer graduated from Southern Utah in 2006, where heearned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education with a minor inCriminal Justice. He played both receiver and defensive back atSouthern Utah under coaches Ray Gregory, current Utah Statehead coach Gary Anderson, and Wes Meier in his four seasonswith the Thunderbirds.He was a standout prep star at Clearfield High School where heearned two varsity letters in football and three in baseball.Hammer and his wife Sheena are the parents of two children,Jagger and Skylee.2011 WEBER STATE FOOTBALL10Jake Cookus begins his 7th season on the Wildcat coaching staffand his third year as the Co-Defensive Coordinator. He will onceagain oversee the successful Wildcat special teams and coach thesafeties.Cookus came to Weber State in 2005, the first year for WSU headcoach Ron McBride. Under Cookus’ tutelage, WSU return specialistBryant Eteuati became the most prolific kick return specialistin the WSU and Big Sky Conference history. Eteuati earned FirstTeam All-Big Sky honors in 2007 as a Return Specialist and wasSecond Team All-Big Sky as a Special Teams players serving asthe holder on place kicks. In 2007 Eteuati led the nation in allpurposeyards averaging 207.5 per game. Eteuati left WSU as theBig Sky and WSU career leader in Punt Returns (117) and KickoffReturns (100). Cookus also coached Beau Hadley and returnersTim Toone and Bo Bolen, who all earned All-Big Sky honors.Cookus came to Weber State after spending two seasons as agraduate assistant coach on the University of Kentucky staff underhead coach Rick Brooks, and coaching along side coach McBrideat Kentucky. While with the Wildcats, Cookus coached the Wildcatdefensive backs and worked on a master’s in Sports Administration.A native of Roseburg, Oregon, Cookus was a three-sport standoutin football, basketball and baseball. On the gridiron, he playedquarterback and defensive back. His senior season he threw for1,449 yards and 18 touchdowns, and rushed for 943 yards and 17more touchdowns. He led his team to a perfect 28-0 record and twostate titles his junior and senior seasons. He was named the 1996Oregon Player of the Year his senior season by USA Today.After high school, he attended the Air Force Academy in ColoradoSprings, Colorado, playing quarterback for one season beforetransferring to Oregon State, where he joined the team as a walkonin 1998. Playing mainly on special teams for the Beavers, hehad four tackles and one recovered fumble. Because of his dedicationand persistence, coach Dennis Erickson awarded Cookusa scholarship his sophomore season. He helped the Beavers to a7-5 record and an appearance in the Oahu Bowl. It was OSU’s firstbowl appearance since 1964. He saw action in all 12 games ofhis junior season and was a starter in the last three. Against archrivalOregon, he intercepted three passes from Heisman Trophycandidate Joey Harrington, helping the Beavers to a 23-13 victory.Oregon State went on to defeat 10th ranked Notre Dame, 41-9, inthe Fiesta Bowl. He graduated from OSU in 2001 with a degree inbusiness finance and a minor in athletic administration.Following his playing days at OSU, he accepted a position at SouthernOregon University in Ashland where he coached linebackers forcoach Jeff Olson. The Raiders advanced to the 2002 NAIA playoffswith an 8-3 record. SOC was ranked 3rd in the nation at one timeduring the season, the highest ranking in school history.WEBERSTATESPORTS.COM