New San Diego State football coach Sean Lewis’ staff is quickly taking shape.
Lewis has already hired five assistant coaches, along with some other key positions, the Union-Tribune has learned.
According to sources, Lewis has hired three coaches who were members of his Kent State staff — offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle, quarterbacks coach Matt Johnson and special teams coordinator Zac Barton.
O’Boyle, who followed Lewis from Kent State to Colorado for the 2023 season, will also hold the title running game coordinator. Barton will be SDSU’s associate head coach.
Lewis, who was hired last week, will also retain three members of Brady Hoke’s final SDSU staff.
Bojay Filimoeatu is back as defensive line coach and Demetrius Sumler will stay on as cornerbacks coach. Ryan Lindley, who had one year remaining on his contract as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, will remain on staff in a capacity that is still being determined. Lindley and Sumler are both San Diego natives, having played at El Capitan High School and Cathedral Catholic High School, respectively. Lindley is San Diego State’s all-time leading passer.
All of the offensive roles have not been worked out, but it would not be surprising for Lewis to serve as SDSU’s offensive coordinator and call the plays for the offense.
A new defensive coordinator still needs to be hired. Kurt Mattix has one more year remaining on his contract, but will not be retained.
Lewis is expected to hire the rest of his staff by the end of the week. He also needs to identify position coaches at wide receiver and tight end on offense as well as linebacker and safety on defense.
One of the defensive positions also could be the responsibility of the defensive coordinator.
Jeff Sobol, Kent State’s football sports performance coach, is joining the staff with the title head of football performance. Longtime SDSU football strength and conditioning coach Adam Hall will be reassigned to another area within strength and conditioning.
Ruben Pena will remain in his role as SDSU’s director of football operations.
Among the new hires, the 60-year-old O’Boyle has the longest coaching resume. He began as an offensive line coach in 1987 at Division II Chadron State in Nebraska. O’Boyle worked at Southern Illinois and South Dakota before joining Lewis in 2018 at Kent State.
Johnson also served on Kent State’s staff throughout Lewis’ tenure, joining the Golden Flashes as a quality control coach in 2018 before becoming running backs coach two years later.
The move to quarterbacks coach for the Aztecs is a natural one for Johnson, who was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this season at Kent State.
Johnson, 31, graduated in 2016 from Bowling Green, where he set several school passing records as the Falcons’ QB and earned 2015 MAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Barton, 42, was Kent State special teams coordinator all five seasons Lewis was there. He worked this season at Kansas as a special teams analyst.
Barton’s association with Lewis dates back to 2010, when both were on the staff at Nebraska-Omaha.
