Richard Sweeney
Defensive Line/Special Teams Coach
Phone: 3981
Email:
rs308@humboldt.edu
With vast experience as a defensive coordinator and special teams coach, assistant coach Richard Sweeney should immediately impact the Humboldt State staff, head coach Rob Smith said.
Sweeney joined the Lumberjacks in 2010 following five seasons as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. At HSU, his primary responsibilities will include coaching the defensive line and special teams.
“I’ve known Coach Sweeney for 30 years,” Smith said. “It’s a tremendous coups for us to get Richard. He has 22 years on defensive side of the ball, and 14 years on special teams. He brings incredible enthusiasm and experience.”
Prior to his tenure at NSU, Sweeney served as the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology defensive coordinator for two seasons. His previous stops included Western Washington University in 1987 and 2001, St. Mary of the Plains from 1988 to 1991, Texas A&M Kingsville in 1992, Western State (CO) in 1993-2000 and Southwest Texas State in 2002.
"I was born and raised in San Francisco, and still have family here, so getting back to California is great," Sweeny said. "I have a lot of respect for Coach Smith and his staff, so a real motivator for me in taking this job is to be a part of a program that is run the right way."
In his collegiate career, Sweeney was a defensive back at Santa Clara University, earning a BA degree in English in 1978. He earned his Masters Degree in Secondary Education Administration from Western Washington University in 1988.
Sweeney and his wife, Karen, have been married for 20 years. Sweeney takes over for Solomona Tapasa, who left HSU earlier this spring to take the defensive coordinator position at Eastern Oregon.
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