Roark named LU defensive line coach

Eric Roark has been named Lamar University defensive line coach announced head coach Ray Woodard Tuesday afternoon. Roark replaces John Blake who left LU to take a similar position with the Buffalo Bills.

“I really like the coaching experience that Eric brings to our staff,” said Woodard. “He has done a lot of recruiting in the state of Texas, and has coached with some colleagues of mine who I respect. I really believe he will be a great fit for Lamar University.

“The guys on our defensive line now have their coach in place and they know he will be here through the summer and into the new season. It’s been a tough offseason on our defensive linemen. They’ve had three different coaches this spring, but now they get some consistency and things will get better for them,” added Woodard.

Roark comes to the Golden Triangle after spending the previous seven year in the Alamo City serving as the defensive line coach at UTSA. One of Larry Coker’s original hires at UTSA, Roark helped build the Roadrunners program from the ground up. During Roark’s time in San Antonio, UTSA won 26 games while making the transition from FCS independent to an FBS contender in C-USA. The Roadrunners posted two above .500 seasons during that stretch including an 8-4 (.667) record during their inaugural season at the FBS level.

Roark’s line helped UTSA rank among the conference’s top-five in five different statistical categories, including rushing defense, while his linemen combined to record more than 300 tackles and 44 tackles for losses. In 2013, the Roadrunners posted a 7-5 (.583) record which included wins over two bowl teams.

Prior to his time in San Antonio, Roark spent six seasons as an assistant coach at SMU (2002-07). During that time, he worked with the Mustangs secondary and defensive ends, coordinated special teams and also served as recruiting coordinator for four seasons. Roark had several players selected in the NFL draft, and was named the fifth-best non-BCS recruiter in the country by Rivals.com (2005). Roark has also made coaching stops at Grand Prairie High School, Tennessee Tech, Middle Tennessee State, Murray State and Southeastern Oklahoma State during his career. He has also served as a graduate assistant at Tennessee, San Diego State and Iowa State.

Courtesy Photo - Jeff Huehn.