St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western head football coach Matt Williamson announced the hiring of Fred Wyatt as the Griffons new defensive line coach Thursday.
Wyatt comes to MWSU from Kansas State, where he was a defensive graduate assistant for the last two seasons.
"It was an extensive search, but we found our guy," said Coach Williamson in a release. "Coach Wyatt is a bright, young coach who has tremendous knowledge of the game. He played at a high level and has learned under great coaches. He's a first-class individual who will be a great defensive line coach and will make our program better. This is a huge win for Griffon football and I can't wait to get him connected with our team!"
Wyatt worked with the Wildcats' defensive backs alongside his father Buddy, who has spent 31 years as a defensive line coach in the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten and the AAC.
"I am thankful for the opportunity that Coach Williamson and Coach Richter have given me as the new Defensive Line coach here at Missouri Western," Coach Wyatt said. "I'm excited to get to work with a great staff at a great university. And I'm looking forward to working with the young men on the Defensive Line and helping them succeed not only on the field but off it as well."
Wyatt played collegiately at Northwestern University, playing defensive tackle for coach Pat Fitzgerald. He appeared in 40 games during his career, including 10 starts as a senior in 2018.
Wyatt helped the Wildcats win the Big Ten West title that season and he capped off his career with a win over No. 17 Utah in the Holiday Bowl. He had 28 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss as a senior. Wyatt finished his career with 57 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a pair of pass breakups and a blocked kick.
Wyatt was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Northwestern in 2018 and his masters in management studies from the Kellogg School of Management in 2019.
After graduation, Wyatt played professionally in Japan before joining the Kansas State staff.
Wyatt replaces Scorpio Horn, who stepped down as defensive line coach earlier this month to be the first head coach of the football program at KIPP KC school.
Missouri Western will kick off its 2021 season on Thursday, September 2 at Central Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. inside Wantland Stadium.
The Griffons' full 2021 schedule can be viewed here.