Michigan State Football :: Official Athletic Site
Jan. 22, 1998
Cosh Named MSU Defensive Coordinator
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Chris Cosh, who served as Maryland's linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator in 1997, has been named defensive coordinator at Michigan State, according to an announcement made Thursday by Spartan head football coach Nick Saban. Cosh replaces Dean Pees, who was named head coach at Kent State University Dec. 17.
Cosh was the first assistant hired by Maryland first-year head coach Ron Vanderlinden last winter. His Terrapin linebacker corps produced two of the top tacklers in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Kendall Ogle (138 stops) and Eric Barton (134), who ranked second and third, respectively, in the league in tackles last season.
The 37-year-old Cosh came to Maryland following five seasons at Illinois (1992-96) where he coached under Lou Tepper. He served as the Fighting Illini's defensive coordinator in 1996. During his tenure as inside linebackers coach, Cosh tutored '94 Butkus Award winner Dana Howard.
"Chris Cosh is an outstanding young football coach with a great work ethic," Saban said. "He is quite familiar with the Big Ten after serving as an assistant coach in this league for six years. Chris spent five seasons at Illinois where he helped develop one of the toughest defenses in the Big Ten year in and year out. He has experience as a defensive coordinator so he's been in this position of responsibility before.
"Chris served as the recruiting coordinator at Maryland last year, and he has a proven track record as a recruiter in the Chicago area."
Cosh previously spent one year as defensive line coach at Minnesota (1991). His full-time coaching credits also include stops at UNLV (inside linebackers coach, 1990), Southeast Missouri State (defensive coordinator, 1989) and Wisconsin-Oshkosh (defensive coordinator, 1985-88). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Minnesota (1984) and his alma mater Virginia Tech (1983).
Cosh played linebacker for Coach Bill Dooley at Virginia Tech where he led the team in tackles as a junior. A recurring neck injury cut short his playing career.
As a prep player, Cosh earned Washington, D.C., metro player of the year honors as a senior at Bishop McNamara High School.
Cosh and his wife Mary have two sons, J.J. and Billy.