Chad Wilt has officially been named the Cincinnati Bearcats defensive line coach.
Per GoBearcats
University of Cincinnati Football Head Coach Luke Fickell named Chad Wilt as the Bearcats defensive line coach Monday.
Wilt, who joins the Bearcats after a three-year stint at Army West Point, has close to 20 years of experience in college football.
“Thrilled we could attract a coach of Chad Wilt’s caliber to our football staff,” Fickell said. “He’s shown to be an impressive teacher, motivator and coach. We are an offensive and defensive line driven program so this is a critical role for us. We are excited to keep developing what we have built here and continuing to progress this spring and into the 2019 season.”
Wilt’s time at Army was impactful as the Black Knights went 29-10 from 2016-18 with three wins over arch-rival Navy, three postseason bowl wins and a pair of Commander in Chief’s Trophy as the nation’s top service academy in football.
Army set a program record with 11 wins in 2018 and won the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s prestigious Lambert Trophy. The Black Knights were ranked first nationally in third down conversion percentage and fourth down conversion percentage while ranking No. 8 in total defense and No. 10 in scoring defense. They finished the year on a high note by tying an NCAA FBS record with 70 points in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Wilt was a part of a 2017 defensive unit that helped Army earn ECAC Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Team of the Year accolades. They finished third in the nation in red zone defense and 14th in passing defense in the country. The defensive squad held opponents to 22 points per game and recorded a 21-0 victory at Air Force, stopping the Falcons’ 306-game scoring streak. It was also the first shutout against a service-academy school for the Black Knights since 1969.
Wilt arrived at West Point after two seasons at the University of Maryland (2014-15) as defensive line coach with the Terrapins. Prior to Maryland, he spent three seasons as defensive line coach at Ball State (2011-13), single seasons at Richmond (2010) and Virginia (2009), a three-year stint at Liberty (2006-08) and two seasons at Virginia as a graduate assistant from 2004-05.
Wilt started his coaching career at Central Connecticut State where he coached the defensive line and served as special teams coordinator from 2001-03.
The native of Carlisle, Pa., was a three-time all-conference selection at Taylor University in Upland, Ind., and was a two-time NAIA All-American at defensive end and two-time academic all-conference selection.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Taylor University in 2000 and a master’s degree from Virginia in 2006.
Wilt and his wife, Megan, have two sons, Cooper and Maddox.
