Youngstown State University Football Camps
Defensive Coaching Staff
John Haneline
Assistant Football Coach - Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
John Haneline is in his third season as an assistant coach for Head Coach Doug Phillips. Haneline serves as the Penguins' Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach.
In 2023, he served as co-Defensive Coordinator for the Guins.
YSU had one of the best linebacker duos in the MVFC in 2023. The Penguins had a great amount of success during the year winning eight games and advancing to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
Alex Howard and Greg Benton Jr. finished as the Penguins' top tacklers for the campaign. Howard, an honorable-mention all-league pick, led the Guins with 76 total tackles, including a team-best 9.5 TFLs. Benton was second on the squad with 66 stops and 7.5 TFLs. The pair combined for six sacks as well.
The defense held nine opponents to 111-or-fewer yards rushing in a game throughout the year and four times YSU held an opponent to under 155 yards passing in a game. Overall, the unit allowed just 102.2 yards rushing per game. The lowest per game total since 2012 and the second lowest since 1998 and ranked 10th in the FCS in rushing defense (102.2 ypg).
On seven occasions, the Guins held opponents to three-or-less third-down conversions and held Indiana State to no conversions on 10 tries. The Guins held Southern Illinois and Duquesne to under 100 yards passing.
In 2022, YSU's linebacker group showed growth throughout the season. A deep position, the Guins were able to play at a high level behind Griffin Hoak, Benton Jr., Howard, Keon Freeman and Devin Johnson.
Benton registered 36 tackles while starting all 11 games after transferring from Western Illinois. Howard came on strong late in the season to finish with 34 tackles while making just three starts. He was named the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week following the Illinois State victory. Hoak continued his consist play posting 28 tackles making eight starts. Johnson added 26 stops while Freeman was credited with 21.
Before joining the YSU staff in February 2022, he was the defensive line coach at Western Illinois from 2018-21. In his final three years, his oversight broadened to include the defensive run game. At Western, Haneline had an All-MVFC selection in each of his four campaigns.
In his first year with the Leathernecks, he coached Khalen Saunders to first-team All-MVFC and All-American (Associated Press and STATS FCS) honors. The Kansas City Chiefs selected Saunders 84th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he became Western's first NFL draftee in 10 seasons.
In 2021, Hunter Mason was named an Honorable-Mention All-MVFC selection. During the spring campaign earlier in 2021, WIU's Eryk Preston was an MVFC Honorable-Mention pick. In 2019, LaCale London was an honorable-mention All-MVFC selection.
Haneline joined the Western Illinois staff after two seasons at Mississippi State, where he served in defensive quality control capacity in 2016 and 2017. In his role, he assisted in coaching the defensive line. In his first stint with the Bulldogs in 2014, he was a defensive graduate assistant working with the linebackers and was named interim linebackers coach ahead of the Orange Bowl (2015).
Haneline's coaching career also featured stops at Colorado School of Mines (linebackers in 2015) and Toledo (graduate assistant in 2013).
As a player, he suited up for the Bowling Green football team from 2004-09 and was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter. The Falcons were crowned the GMAC Bowl champions in 2004 and earned were Mid-American East co-champions in 2007.
A graduate of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from BGSU in 2009.
Pat Shepard
Assistant Football Coach - Special Teams Coordinator/OLBs
Pat Shepard is in his first season as an assistant football coach for the Penguins. He serves as Special Teams Coordinator and outside linebackers coach for Head Coach Doug Phillips.
Shepard joins the program with extensive FCS coaching experience. His previous coaching stops include Indiana State, Western Illinois and Robert Morris on the FCS level and he also spent a season in Wyoming.
He spent the previous two years on the staff at Indiana State.
In 2022, the Sycamore special teams featured one of the nation’s top punting units as ISU finished 14th nationally in punt return defense (3.2) and 35th in net punting (36.97). He also coached the tight ends during his two campaigns in Terre Haute.
Before joining the ISU staff, he served as Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator for Western Illinois.
He was also responsible for Western's tight ends, after previously serving the team's running backs from 2018-19. In his first two seasons at Western, Shepard coached fullback Clint Ratkovich to back-to-back First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors. The 2018 season also saw running back Steve McShane ranked 47th in the nation, third in the MVFC, in rushing yards per carry. McShane went on to earn a camp invite with the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) before signing a contract with the Houston Roughnecks (XFL).
A year later, Shepard laid claim to one of the best kick returners in the nation. Justin Hall not only garnered Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-American Fourth Team recognition, but he also ranked 20th in the FCS, with a Valley-leading, 706 combined return yards. As the Leathernecks' special teams coordinator, Shepard also guided Adam Fellner to the 18th-best average in yards per punt (42.5).
Shepard went to Macomb after a stint at Wyoming, where he was responsible for assisting quarterbacks and special teams. Shepard helped with the development of quarterback Josh Allen, the seventh overall selection in the 2018 National Football League Draft, and also guided the Cowboys to the top kickoff return unit in the nation. The team led the Mountain West Conference in three categories in 2017 (kickoff return defense, punt return defense, and kickoff return average).
As an assistant coach at Robert Morris, Shepard coached tight ends from 2010-12, and was the wide receivers and pass game coordinator until 2016. The program won a Northeast Conference championship in 2010, where Shepard also guided tight end Shadrae King to First Team FCS AP All-American honors.
Shepard was a three-year letter winner at tight end at Miami (Ohio). He earned a Bachelor's in History with a minor in Coaching in 2009 and a Master's in Informational Systems and Communication from RMU in 2011.
Christian Dukes
Assistant Football Coach - Cornerbacks/Recruiting Coordinator
Christian Dukes is in his third season with the Youngstown State coaching staff. Dukes coaches the cornerbacks for the Penguins and Head Coach Doug Phillips. He also severs as YSU's recruiting coordinator.
The Guins won eight games in 2023 and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
Veteran cornerback Troy Jakubec had the best season of his YSU career and earned second-team All-MVFC honors in 2023. Jakubec led the team with four interceptions which were the most for a Penguin since 2016. He also added seven pass breakups and 34 tackles. The emergence of Jaylen Castleberry was a big help to the unit. Castleberry started the final seven games and finished with 27 tackles.
YSU's defense was one of the best in the country on third downs limiting teams to just 42 conversions in 142 attempts (29 percent). On seven occasions, the Guins held opponents to three-or-less third-down conversions and held Indiana State to no conversions on 10 tries. The Guins held Southern Illinois and Duquesne to under 100 yards passing.
In his first season at YSU, the corners had an all-around strong season for the Penguins. Jordan Trowers tied for the team lead with 51 total tackles while Jakubec and Amarian Robinson split starting roles at the other spot. The trio combined to make 85 tackles on the season. Jakubec led the unit with a pair of interceptions and eight passes defended.
Prior to joining the YSU staff in March 2022, Dukes spent two seasons at Tiffin. Following his second year with the Dragons he was promoted to the role of co-Defensive Coordinator and cornerbacks coach. During his first two seasons with the program he coached the defensive backs and last year was the Special Teams Coordinator.
The 2021 season was one of the best in TU’s history as the team posted an 8-3 record while holding its highest mid-season ranking in school history at No. 12 in the country. During the season Dukes’ continued to elevate the level of play of the defensive backs. Tiffin’s pass defense ranked amongst the best in the conference in multiple categories, ranking first in the GMAC in Pass Defensive Efficiency (112.8), and first in the GMAC in Fewest Passing Touchdowns allowed (16). Tiffin also ranked second in the GMAC, only giving up 200 ypg in the air.
Dukes returned to Tiffin in January of 2020. In his first season back at Tiffin University Dukes served as the Defensive Pass Coordinator – Defensive Backs coach. Dukes mentored three defensive backs who earned All-GMAC recognition. The GMAC crown is just the fourth conference championship in program history, and second as a member of Division II.
Dukes returned to Tiffin after a season at North Park University. During Dukes’ tenure at NPU he served as the Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs coach. While coordinating the defense, the Vikings improved from the 2018 season. During the 2019 season under Dukes, the Viking defense finished Top five in the conference in interceptions after finishing next to last the previous season. While coaching at North Park, Dukes mentored an all-conference selection.
Prior to North Park, Dukes began his collegiate coaching journey at Tiffin University where he worked with the defensive backs as a Graduate Assistant. During his first stop at Tiffin, he helped the Dragons to the second most successful season since 2006, as the team was ranked as high as 15th in Division II. Dukes also mentored four all-conference defensive backs that year and, additionally, a Don Hansen All-American.
Prior to Tiffin, Dukes worked with defensive backs at both Walnut Hills and Anderson High Schools in Cincinnati.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Dukes graduated from the University of Toledo in 2015 with a degree in Sports Management with a Minor in Counseling. While at Toledo, Dukes was a four-year starter as a defensive back, receiving honorable-mention all-conference honors in 2014. He had a standout prep career at Colerain High School.
Ray Hunter
Assistant Football Coach - Defensive Line
Ray Hunter is entering his first season on the coaching staff at Youngstown State in 2024.
Hunter joined Head Coach Doug Phillips’ staff in March after spending the previous three seasons at Colgate.
At Colgate he was the defensive line coach all three years while serving as the Raiders’ recruiting coordinator in 2023.
Last season, standout defensive lineman Zack Pelland earned second-team All-Patriot League honors and was voted an FCS ADA Academic All-Star under Hunter’s leadership.
In 2022, Coleman Coco was honored with an All-League second-team selection as a defensive lineman, and K2 Dickens earned the same distinction the year prior in 2021.
Prior to Colgate, Hunter spent three seasons at Ohio Dominican, where he served as the defensive line coach and was named the team’s defensive coordinator for the 2020-21 campaign. Ohio Dominican posted a 4-2 spring record, which featured its first 3-0 start in six seasons. All 11 starters on defense were selected to the All-Conference team including five First Team selections.
Hunter coached 13 all-conference performers along the defensive line, including six first-team selections in his three seasons at ODU. In 2019, sophomore Jaylin Garner broke the program's all-time single season sack record and ranked 15th nationally in sacks per game. As a unit, the Panthers were among the top three in the Great Midwest in sacks and tackles for loss per game.
Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Hunter coached the defensive line while assisting with the special teams at Missouri Valley in 2017. The kickoff return team finished No. 15 in the nation with 22.4 yards per return and the punt team ranked second nationally in net punt yardage (42.8). Two of his linemen earned First Team All-Conference accolades.
Previously, Hunter helped coach defensive line, linebackers and special teams as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Central Missouri, from 2015-17.
Hunter was a four-year starter on the defensive line and team captain at Central Missouri. A standout in the trenches, he was named Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year, First Team All-MIAA, and Third Team All-Region during his senior campaign. He graduated from Central Missouri in 2014 with a degree in both business management and entrepreneurship.
Trent Voss
Assistant Football Coach - Safeties
Trent Voss is entering his first season on the coaching staff at Youngstown State in 2024.
Voss joined Head Coach Doug Phillips’ staff in February after spending the previous three campaigns at Ohio Dominican.
In 2023, ODU had an impressive seven defensive players earn All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference honors. The Panthers held opponents to fewer than 20 points per game while limiting teams under 100 yards a game on the ground. G-MAC Co-Player of the Year Eddie Miller-Garrett earned All-America honors and was a nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy.
Miller-Garrett made 60 tackles (4th on the team), 23.0 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 17 QB hurries. He led the G-MAC with TFL and sacks (7.5 TFL ahead of 2nd and 2.0 sacks ahead of 2nd) and finished as the ODU single-season leader for tackles for loss and sacks.
In 2022, the unit surrendered only 16.9 points per game allowing just 22 touchdowns in 10 games. The defense had 15 interceptions and held opposing offenses to just a 33 percent conversion rate on third down.
Jaylin Garner was named the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year as the Panthers had five first-team all-league selections. Three other members of the defense earned second-team all-conference laurels.
In 2021, Voss led one of the top scoring defense's in the Great Midwest, ranking second with an average of 20.9 points per game. The Panthers' mark also ranked among the top 35 nationally. Ohio Dominican was also top three in the conference in total defense, conceding 336.5 yards per game. ODU also enjoyed a 31-0 shutout win over Lake Erie, a game the defense set a new program sack record with 11. Eddie Miller-Garrett broke the single game individual sack record as well with 3.5.
Nine Panther defenders received all-GMAC awards in 2021, including three first team selections. Senior linebacker Dauson Dales became the first defensive player in G-MAC history to be named the Overall Player of the Year, and added two all-American honors. Under Voss' guidance, Dales broke the single season (122) and career (376) tackle records for ODU in 2021.
Previously he worked at John Carroll University (2020-21) where he was the Defensive Run Game Coordinator, Recruiting Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach.
As a Graduate Assistant at Toledo, Voss assisted in coaching Linebackers and Safeties and helped lead the University of Toledo to the 2017 MAC Championship. He also aided the Rockets as a Defensive Quality Control Analyst and advisor to their defensive coordinator.
Other positions Voss has held include Linebackers and Strength and Conditioning Coach at North Point High School.
Voss is a graduate of Toledo where he received both his undergraduate, B.A. degree in Business Management and Master’s in Recreation Administration. As a three-year starter on the Rockets football team, helped lead them to three bowl games and was an all-conference selection in 2015.