Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) head football coach Scotty Walden bolstered his coaching and support staff with the addition of six new members before the start of fall camp.
Michael Gehl joins the Governors coaching staff as assistant offensive line coach while former Govs punter Devin Stuart will serve as the team’s director of creative content. John Lang joins the Austin Peay football program as the recruiting coordinator and Chase King will work as a recruiting assistant.
Joining the APSU Govs in two new positions, Dayven Coleman will serve as the transfer portal coordinator and a defensive assistant while Cameron Coppock will be a football data analyst.
Gehl, a native of Winfield, Illinois, most recently served as an assistant coach, working with cornerbacks, at Gallatin High School. Before working at Gallatin, Gehl played tight end at Wheaton College, where he appeared in 20 games over three seasons. Gehl recorded five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown during his career while helping the Thunder go 38-6 during his four-year career.
During his time at Wheaton, Gehl served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Gehl earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in communications from Wheaton College in December 2021.
A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Stuart holds the Austin Peay State University single-season punting average record (41.48 yards per punt) and ranks second in career punting average (39.26 yards per punt). Stuart was a member of the Governors 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Championship team.
Stuart earned his bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in sports broadcasting from Austin Peay in December 2019.
A Nashville native, Lang joins Austin Peay State University after spending a year as the recruiting and operations graduate assistant at Tennessee State. Before his time with the Tigers, Lang spent a year as a recruiting intern for the Kansas football program. Lang began his career in college football by working as a scout and writer for PrepRedzone after working as the recruiting coordinator for Sound Mind Sound Body.
Lang earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management with a minor in business from Kansas in May 2022.
Also joining the recruiting staff, King worked as a gameday experience intern at Memphis after starting as a football operations intern for the Tigers in 2018. King began his collegiate career at East Texas Baptist, where he played defensive end for two seasons.
King earned his bachelor’s degree in Sport and Leisure Management from Memphis in December 2022.
After playing linebacker at Arizona and Stephen F. Austin, Coleman began working in college football as a recruiting intern at Southern Methodist in March 2023. A Dallas native, Coleman appeared in 16 games for the Wildcats over two seasons, recording 21 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss. In his final college season at SFA, Coleman racked up 35 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and four pass breakups in eight games.
Coleman earned his bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from Stephen F. Austin in December 2022.
Finally, Coppock joins the APSU Govs after working at North Pole Engineering, Inc. as an accounting analyst intern. Coppock played defensive back at the University of Northwestern for five seasons while also competing on the Eagles track and field team. A native of Evergreen, Colorado, Coppock earned NCCAA Football Scholar-Athlete honors in three-straight seasons from 2020-22.
Coppock earned his bachelor’s degree with a double major in data analytics and Biblical studies from the University of Northwestern in December 2022.
Austin Peay State University football kicks off the 2023 season against Southern Illinois on September 2nd, at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The game begins at 6:00pm
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