Football Coaching Staff

Mike Hallett

Head Coach
(419) 448-2627
mhallett@heidelberg.edu

 
The enthusiasm and commitment to Heidelberg football is at a all-time high under the guidance of head coach Mike Hallett. Hallett enters his second season at the helm of the program in 2008 and the expectation levels of all those involved are greatly increased following the most successful season at the Berg since 1999.

On December 16, 2006 Mike Hallett was named the 33rd head coach in the history of the program that dates back to 1892. Last year he led Heidelberg to an overall record of 4-6 and a 3-6 Ohio Athletic Conference mark. The Berg opened the year with a 37-26 win over Oberlin College to snap a 36-game skid, and added a 42-20 victory over nationally-ranked Baldwin-Wallace, along with end of the year wins over Wilmington College and Muskingum College.

The Berg offense ranked in the top-five in the league in 12 different offensive categories highlighted by its scoring offense (25.1) and pass efficiency (138.7), which ranked third. Overall, Heidelberg racked up 3,449 yards of total offense, with 1,342 yards coming on the ground. Heidelberg’s rushing game provided 15 touchdowns, which eclipsed its total rushing TD’s over the last five years combined. Through the air, Heidelberg had 2,107 yards and 14 touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, Heidelberg was equally impressive, limiting its opponent’s offense by nearly 1,000 yards from the previous season. Its defensive line provided a solid foundation that gave up 50 percent less scores on the ground as in 2006. For the year, Heidelberg recorded 23 sacks for a total of 141 yards, which stood tied for fifth in the league statistics.

For his efforts in restoring the winning tradition at Heidelberg, Hallett was tabbed the OAC Coach of the Year, as well as the North Region Coach of the Year according to D3football.com.

Hallett has over 16 years of coaching experience, including three as head coach at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky. from 2004-06 and five as an assistant coach at Thomas More as the team's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Hallett began at Thomas More following the 1998 season and helped to bring the Saints offense among the leaders in the nation. Hallett was instrumental in Thomas More’s second appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship in 2001, when the team set a new school record for wins with an 11-1 season.

As the team’s offensive coordinator, the Saints finished among the leaders in the NCAA final statistical rankings for rushing offense in four out of five seasons, including back-to-back top-20 finishes. Thomas More boasted the third-best rushing offense in Division III with an average of 301.2 yards per game in 2001 which followed an 18th place finish in 2000 with 233.6 yards per game.

Prior to his stint at Thomas More, Hallett served as the head coach at Wooster High School for the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Prior to Wooster, he was the assistant head coach at Akron Coventry High School from 1994-96. Before taking over the reigns at Akron Coventry, Hallett was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Orrville High School, from 1988-89.

An Orrville, Ohio, native, Hallett was a two-time All-American defensive lineman at Mount Union College and won a national championship in 1993.

Hallett and wife, Sandy, reside in Tiffin with their two children, TC (9) and Ryan (7).
 

Bryan Moore

  
Moore brings a wealth of coaching experience with him and will be working alongside head coach Mike Hallett for the second time. Prior to Heidelberg, Moore was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Emory and Henry College in 2006 and 2007. He also served as the academic supervisor.
 
From 2000-05 Moore worked with Hallett at Thomas More College. In his five years at Thomas More, he coached the quarterbacks and wide receivers and also served as the special team's coordinator and strength coach. Aside from his football coaching duties, Moore was the academic supervisor, as well as intramural director and head men’s tennis coach.
 
Moore began his coaching career as a defensive line graduate assistant in 1999 following a successful playing career at Hiram College. Moore was a two-time captain of the Terriers, while earning two Ohio Athletic Conference awards. Moore graduated from Hiram with his named inked throughout the record book. He holds the records for most receiving touchdowns in a season, most receiving yards in a game and is the only receiver in school history with two 50-catch seasons. Within the career record book, Moore is second in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
 
He originally hails from Brookfield, Ohio and graduated from Hiram in 1999 with a degree in elementary and special education. Currently Moore resides in Tiffin, Ohio and is engaged to Sheila Carpenter. Sheila and her three children River (8), Skye (5) and Landen (4) are natives of Northern Kentucky.

John Klein

 
Klein joins Heidelberg after spending the previous five seasons at nationally-ranked Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa. Klein served as the defensive coordinator of the Presidents, who won three Presidents Athletic Conference Championships and made four trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs during his time on campus.
 
At W&J Klein’s defense ranked among the nation in numerous categories. In 2007, the Presidents forced 31 turnovers, which helped the team finish in the top-five in the country in turnover margin for the second-straight season. Over the course of his tenure at W&J, its defense gave up on average18 or less points in a game, highlighted by allowing just 12.4 points in 2004.
 
Klein is a veteran coach with over 20 years of experience in western Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio. He has served as the defensive coordinator in eight seasons, while coordinating the offense in one season.
 
Prior to W&J, Klein served as the defensive line coach at Westminster College from 1999-2002. In 2002, the Titans led the Presidents Athletic Conference in sacks (27) and finished second in the league in scoring defense (20.5). Klein also has college coaching experience at Hiram College (1998), as well as high school experience coaching in the Youngstown, Ohio vicinity.
 
He is a graduate of Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education/mathematics.
 

Jason Bendekovic

 
Bringing 15 years of coaching experience to Heidelberg is Jason Bendekovic, who is in his third year on the sidelines. Bendekovic coaches the offensive line and serves as the recruiting coordinator.
 
He helped guide Heidelberg’s offense to a top-five ranking in 12 different categories in the Ohio Athletic Conference in 2007. Bendekovic’s offensive line paved the way for a scoring offense that stood third in the league. The offensive line was maintained by All-OAC performer James Blankenship.  
 

Prior to Heidelberg, Bendekovic spent the 2005 season as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Bendekovic was the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Rochester from 2000-05.
 
Bendekovic also provided assistance as the offensive line coach at Rutgers University (1999), Union College (1997-1998) and Plymouth State College (1996) following his graduation from Allegheny College in 1995.
 
While at Allegheny, Bendekovic helped lead the Gators to a 38-6 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years. He earned all-conference offensive line accolades in 1993 and 1994.
 
Bendekovic graduated from Allegheny with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. He is a native of Monaca, Pa. and currently resides in Tiffin, Ohio.
 

Scott Donaldson

 
Returning for his fifth season with the Heidelberg football staff is Scott Donaldson. Donaldson serves as the co-defensive coordinator, with a focus on the linebackers, a position he has overseen since joining the program.
 
Under Donaldson’s guidance the linebacker core has paced the Berg defense. In each of Donaldson’s four seasons, a linebacker has led the way in tackles. More impressive is at least three of his linebackers have ranked in the top-five on the team in tackles every year. In 2007, linebackers Vaughn Klein, Matt Nero and Brian West all stood among the leaders in the OAC in total tackles.
 
Donaldson coached All-Ohio Athletic Conference performer Jeff Stiffler to his second-straight all-league honor in 2004.
 
Prior to joining the staff at the Berg, Donaldson was the State University of New York at Brockport linebackers and defensive backs assistant coach in 2003.
 
Donaldson was an outside linebacker for the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles, leading them to the NCAA Division III playoffs in three-straight seasons. 
 
Donaldson earned his bachelor of science degree in history and political science at SUNY Brockport in 2003 and a masters of arts in education from Heidelberg in 2006. He originally hails from Tonawanda, N.Y. and currently resides in Tiffin, Ohio with his finance Kelly Geib.

Corey Fillipovich

 
Embarking on his fifth season at Heidelberg is defensive line coach Corey Fillipovich. Fillipovich has coached on both sides of the ball over the course of his time at the Berg, taking over the defensive line in 2005.
 
A season ago the defensive line provided a solid foundation that gave up 50 percent less scores on the ground as in 2006. For the year, Heidelberg recorded 23 sacks for a total of 141 yards, which stood tied for fifth in the league statistics. Fillipovich oversaw the solid contributions put forth by defensive end Matt Grieves. Grieves not only led the defense in sacks with eight, but was an All-Ohio Athletic Conference performer both on the field and in the classroom. He also earned a spot on ESPN The Magazine District 4 Academic Second Team.
 
In his first season with the defensive line, Fillipovich coached all-league performer Joe Cox.
 
Fillipovich brings both Ohio Athletic Conference playing and coaching experience to the Berg coaching staff. A 2003 graduate of Muskingum College with a degree in history, he was a three-year letter winner with experience at multiple positions on both the offensive and defensive lines.
 
Fillipovich gained a year of coaching experience during the 2003 season as an assistant defensive line coach at Muskingum.
 
Fillipovich earned a master’s degree in education from Heidelberg in 2006. He is a native of Adena, Ohio and currently resides in Tiffin, Ohio.
 
 

Zach Hufford

 
Zach Hufford joins the Heidelberg coaching staff in 2008 as a graduate assistant coach. In his first season Hufford will help coach the defensive backs.
 
Prior to Heidelberg, Hufford was the co-defensive coordinator with Mohawk High School for the past three seasons. He focused closely on the development of Mohawk’s outside linebackers. Along the way he helped to guide Mohawk to the 2006 Midland Athletic League title and two appearances in the OHSAA playoffs.
 
Hufford also has volunteer coaching experience at Division II Tiffin University and Ashland University.
 
A 2008 Heidelberg graduate with a degree in health, physical education and recreation, along with sports management, Hufford originally hails from nearby Sycamore, Ohio and is a graduate of Mohawk.
 

Jeff Tibbs

 
Entering his first season as a graduate assistant coach is Jeff Tibbs. Tibbs will assist with the defensive line.
 
Prior to coming to Heidelberg Tibbs spent a season as the defensive line coach at the College of Wooster following a season as a student assistant coach at Muskingum College in 2006.
 
Aside from his collegiate coaching experience Tibbs coached the defensive and offensive lines at Mifflin and Beechcroft High Schools during the summers of 2003 and 2004.
 
Tibbs was a three-year starter at Muskingum, picking up All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors in 2004 and 2005 as a member of the Muskies defensive line. In 2005 he earned a spot on the All-North Region defensive line.
 
He graduated in 2007 from Muskingum with a degree in physical education and originally hails from Columbus, Ohio. Tibbs is currently pursuing his master’s degree in education at Heidelberg.
 

Branden Jakubcin

Student Assistant - Linebackers

Returning for his second season as a student assistant coach is Branden Jakubcin. Jakubcin will help coach the linebackers.
 
In his first season he worked alongside Scott Donaldson to develop Heidelberg’s linebacker core into some of the leading tacklers in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The linebacker trio of Vaughn Klein, Brian West and Matt Nero all finished in the top-five on the team in tackles in 2007.
 
Jakubcin joined the Heidelberg football program from Ohio Dominican University and earned a varsity letter in 2006 after appearing in six contests at defensive back. He earned a starting spot in the final five contests on the year, recording a career-best 12 tackles in his first start. Jakubcin finished fifth on the team in 2006 with 41 tackles.
 
Jakubcin is a native of Huron, Ohio and attended Huron High School.