Andy Gibbons, Head Coach & Defensive Coordinator
Years at Knox: 1991 to present

Education
M.S., 1994, Sport Management, Western Illinois University
B.A., 1990, Culver-Stockton College

Experience
Andy Gibbons has been the head football coach of the Prairie Fire since 1996. He is the second-winningest coach in program history.

Gibbons has coached at Knox since 1991, when he was hired as an assistant coach. He took over defensive coordinator duties in 1993 and was named head coach in 1996. Under Gibbons, Knox has had 115 All-Conference selections and nine All-American picks. The program has also set 46 school records during his tenure.

In 1998, Gibbons led the Prairie Fire to a fourth place finish in the Midwest Conference. His 1998 team featured the top-ranked defense in the league. Knox finished second in the old MWC South Division in 1997 and added a third-place divisional finish in 1996.

Gibbons, a 1990 graduate of Culver-Stockton College, earned a master's degree in sports management from Western Illinois University. A starter during his sophomore and junior seasons at Culver-Stockton, Gibbons was elected a team captain, although an ankle injury prevented him from playing during his senior season. Gibbons then joined the Culver-Stockton staff, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for one year before joining Knox.

Contact Information
309-341-7379
agibbons@knox.edu

Jami Isaacson, Special Teams Coordinator & Secondary Coach
Years at Knox: 2000 to present

Education
B.A., History, 1992, Knox College

Experience
Jami Isaacson joined the Prairie Fire football coaching staff in 2001. He has also been the head baseball coach at Knox since the 2000 season.

Isaacson earned his history degree from Knox College in 1992. He brings a wealth of experience to the Knox program, having spent five years as both an offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator at conference rival Illinois College. Isaacson was also the head baseball coach at Illinois College, winning the Midwest Conference in 1995.

Contact Information
309-341-7456
jwisaacs@knox.edu

Kevin Krausz, Offensive Coordinator & Wide Receivers Coach
Years at Knox: 2006 to present

Education
B.A., 2003, Knox College

Experience
Kevin Krausz has served as the offensive coordinator at Knox since 2006. Upon his arrival, he helped implement the spread option offense. Krausz will also coach the wide receivers in 2007.

A 2003 Knox graduate, Krausz originally arrived at Knox after beginning his career as a quarterback at North Central College. He played defensive back for the Prairie Fire for two seasons. After graduation, Krausz was an assistant coach at Knox working mainly with the safeties.

In 2004, he went to MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., where he mentored the running backs and receivers for one year each. During those two years, Krausz coached a First Team All-IBFC running back and receiver. Krausz returned to Knox in January 2006 to assume the offensive coordinator duties.

Contact Information
309-341-7282
kkrausz@knox.edu

Cory Bonstead, Offensive Line Coach
Years at Knox: 2004 to present

Education
B.A., 2004, Knox College

Experience
Cory Bonstead has coached the offensive line for the Prairie Fire since 2004. The 2004 graduate of Knox majored in secondary education with a specialization in social studies.

Bonstead was a four-year starting offensive lineman for the Prairie Fire where he was a three-year All-Midwest Conference selection as well as serving as captain during his senior season.

Bonstead also serves as recruiting coordinator for football and track and field.

Contact Information
309-341-7804
cbonstea@knox.edu

Dan Zierfuss, Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Years at Knox: 2007 to present

Education
B.A., 2005, Beloit College

Experience
Dan Zierfuss was named the co-head coach for indoor and outdoor track and field at Knox College in the summer of 2007. He also serves as an assistant coach with the Prairie Fire football team.

Zierfuss, who will primarily focus on coaching the throwing events, was a graduate assistant coach for the track and field teams at Carroll College in 2006-07. He coached the school record holders in both the men's and women's hammer throw at Carroll. In 2005-06, Zierfuss served as an assistant football and assistant track and field coach at Beloit College.

Zierfuss was a captain for both the football and track and field teams at Beloit College. He was named to the academic All-Midwest Conference team from 2002-05. Zierfuss earned his degree in Psychology from Beloit in 2005.

Contact Information
309-341-7198
dzierfus@knox.edu

Bill Allison, Running Backs Coach
Years at Knox: 1996 to present

Education
M.S., Western Illinois University
B.A., 1972, Knox College

Experience
Bill Allison, a 1972 Knox graduate, joined the Prairie Fire coaching staff in 1996 after serving 21 years in the Galesburg High School football program, where he was head coach for four years. Allison is also an English teacher at GHS.

Tom Buck, Quarterbacks Coach
Years at Knox: 2006 to present

Education
M.S., Education, 1986, Western Illinois University
B.A., Illinois State University

Experience
Tom Buck joined the Prairie Fire coaching staff in December 2006. He will serve as the quarterbacks coach starting in the 2007 season.

A highly-successful high school coach, Buck compiled a 98-47 career record and won the Illinois State 1A football championship with Kewanee Wethersfield High School in 2001. At Wethersfield from 1990-2001, he was 85-41 and his teams qualified for the playoffs nine times.

Buck got his coaching start at Galva High School as an assistant in 1977. He took the reins for two years, compiling a record of 13-6, and led his 1983 Galva team to the playoffs.

Buck, a Kewanee resident, has ties with Knox College having previously worked with Gibbons and former Knox head coach Randy Oberembt. At Wethersfield, Buck also coached Ryan Stuffelbeam, who went on to play at Knox.

Besides coaching, Buck taught biology and the sciences for nine years before moving into administration. He was the principal at Wethersfield High School from 1990-2002. Buck will retire from his current position as the Assistant Director at the Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling, Illinois, at the end of June 2007.

Dave McKillip, Linebackers Coach
Years at Knox: 2004 to present

Education
B.A., Economics, 1974, Knox College

Experience
Dave McKillip joined the Prairie Fire coaching staff as the linebackers coach in 2004. The 1974 graduate of Knox majored in economics while lettering three years in football and four years in wrestling. McKillip was a two-time All-Midwest Conference selection at linebacker. He was voted the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player and was the recipient of the Tom Dean Award during his senior season.

McKillip has coached football at various levels including at the division level of the Army and all grade school levels. Dave, his wife Dia and granddaughter Kalia live in Galesburg. Dave is a Senior Logistics Planner for the Army at the Rock Island, IL arsenal.

Student Assistants

Brendan Cameron	Andrew Warwick

Team Managers

Adam Erickson	Caleb Kotz	Samantha McDavid	Richard Thiemann