Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel has promoted two veteran members of his coaching staff – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Dave Steckel and Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach/Recruiting Coordinator David Yost – each to the new status of assistant head coach.
Steckel was in charge of the most improved defense in the Big 12 Conference in 2010, as the Tigers led the league and ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 16.1 points per game. Mizzou was also third in the league in total defense (300.2 ypg) in 2010.
Yost has been a major reason why Mizzou has become known as one of the top spread offensive attacks in the nation in recent years, and each of his last three quarterback pupils are playing in the NFL – Brad Smith (Buffalo Bills), Chase Daniel (New Orleans Saints) and Blaine Gabbert (Jacksonville Jaguars).
“I’m really pleased to be able to do this for both coaches,” said Pinkel. “They’ve earned this, I think the results on the field show that. Both guys are very good at what they do, and they are class individuals who represent our program, our families, the University, our fans, and everyone associated with Mizzou, in the right way,” he said.
Both Steckel and Yost have been with Pinkel for his entire tenure at Mizzou, and are entering their 11th seasons at MU. Yost began coaching with Pinkel as a graduate assistant at Toledo in 1996, and has served continuously as Pinkel’s recruiting coordinator since 1997, the year he began coaching quarterbacks for the Rockets. He’s been on Pinkel’s staff ever since, and the 2011 season will mark his 16th in all with Pinkel. He took over as offensive coordinator in 2009.
Steckel will be in his 15th year with Pinkel, as he previously spent the 1992-95 seasons as the defensive line coach at Toledo. After a five-year stint on the defensive staff at Rutgers (1996-2000), Steckel rejoined Pinkel at Mizzou in 2001 as his linebackers coach. He later was named defensive coordinator prior to the 2009 season.
