ARCATA — Two coaches with proven track records of success will join the Humboldt State football coaching staff this fall, head coach Rob Smith announced Thursday.
Bringing with him a broad range of skills rooted in Lumberjack tradition, former HSU football standout Mike Mari has been named offensive line coach. A former colleague of Smith's at Western Washington, Richard
Sweeney, comes aboard as the Jacks' new defensive line/special teams coach.
Mari, who was inducted into the HSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, has spent the past five seasons coaching at Mendocino College. He has served as defensive coordinator, strength and conditioning coach and a primary recruiter for the Eagles.
“Mike’s a Humboldt guy, and that was very important in the hiring process,” Smith said. “He played here with distinction. He has great passion for coaching and for Humboldt State.”
Prior to joining the Mendocino College staff, Mari guided St. Bernard's High School School to a 2003 North Coast Section Championship. Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Coach Mari was a standout player in the Arena League for the Oklahoma Wranglers.
“I’m excited to work for the university I represented as a player,” Mari said. “It’s an honor to be here and be a part of Coach Smith’s program.”
During his player career at HSU, Mari was a three-time all-conference performer and also earned Strength and Conditioning All-American honors following the 1998 season.
Mari earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology and a Masters degree in Education. He and his wife, Tara, are parents of a 9-month old daughter, Madeline.
With vast experience as a defensive coordinator and special teams coach, assistant coach Sweeney should immediately impact the Humboldt State staff, Smith said.
Sweeney joins the Lumberjacks 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 there, so getting back to California is great," Sweeny said. "I have a lot of respect for Coach Smith and his staff. A real motivator for me in taking this job is to be part of a program that is run the right way."
In his collegiate career, Sweeney was a defensive back at the University of 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 1998.
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.