A longtime SEC assistant joined Nick Rolovich’s technical team as the new Washington State special team coordinator.
On Friday, the Cougars announced the addition of Kyle Krantz, who arrives at Pac-12 after spending the past five years under Will Muschamp at the University of South Carolina, most recently as special team coordinator and assistant to defense.
The Cougars announced further additions and team changes on Friday, hiring three recruiting assistants – Josh Omura, Marco Regalado and Samie Parker – as well as strength and conditioning assistant Scott Salwasser.
Cornerback coach and recruitment coordinator John Richardson added the assistant coach to his title and offensive coordinator Brian Smith received the title of associate coach.
Despite the additions to the team, Rolovich is working with the same set of technical assistant salaries that he inherited in 2020 when he became a WSU coach.
Denver native Krantz is only 34, but has spent 12 years in the coaching profession, including 10 seasons on the SEC. His most recent move came with Gamecocks, where he started as a defensive analyst before moving on to a field position in 2018. Krantz was assistant to special teams while training nickel linebackers DBs and SAM for two seasons (2018-19) before be elevated to coordinator of special teams.
“Coach Krantz was extremely impressive throughout the interview process and his references spoke of him as a grinder on the recruiting trail and also a guy who loves to coach college football,” Rolovich said in a school statement. “He spent many years with some of the best college football coaches in the country and bringing those experiences here will benefit our program. He will fit perfectly with our philosophy here in Washington State and I am excited for him and his family to join the Pullman community. “
Krantz also worked alongside Muschamp in 2013 and 14 at the University of Florida, and again in 2015 as a defense analyst for Gus Malzahn in Auburn. His first stint at the SEC took place in 2011-12 as a graduate assistant at the University of Kentucky.
Krantz replaces Michael Ghobrial, who left the Cougars after a season for a position as assistant to special teams on the NFL’s New York Jets.
After previously working with Rolovich in Hawaii as Director of Recruitment and Operations, Omura joined the Cougars as Director of Recruitment for Transfer. Regalado most recently trained running backs and worked as a recruitment coordinator at VR Eaton High School in Texas, while Parker, a 2000-03 Oregon record wide receiver who spent four years in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, trained the receivers, tight end and returners for The Spring League Aviators in San Antonio. Salwassar arrives at WSU after working as an assistant strength and fitness coach for South Carolina in 2020.