Football
- Title:
- Defensive Line Coach
- Email:
- Football@kent.edu
Updated June 2026
Bill Teerlinck was named the defensive line coach in February of 2024.
In his second season with the Flashes, Teerlinck helped the Flashes finish with a 5-7 record and a five-game improvement, the second-largest turnaround in program history and the fourth-largest in the nation. In conference play, the Flashes went 4-4 for the first time since 2022. Teerlinck coached defensive end Jamond Mathis to earn 2nd Team All-MAC. Mathis finished the season with six sacks, six hurries, and eight tackles for loss. The Dark Side Defense saw improvements in third down defense, fourth down defense, first downs, interceptions, passing yards allowed, red zone defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, passing efficiency, sacks, tackles for loss, and total defense.
In his first season with the Flashes, Teerlinck led a defensive line group with one of the top sackers in the MAC, as Kameron Olds ranked seventh in the MAC and 63rd in the nation with six sacks. Olds also had seven tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, and an interception. Stephen Daley was also a major contributor to the defense from the defensive line. Daley led the team with nine tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Daley also finished sixth on the team with 51 tackles and added three breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Teerlinck came to Kent State with nearly 20 years of coaching experience across the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. He has previous college coaching stops at Virginia Tech, where he helped Amare' Barno successfully transition from linebacker to defensive line, where he ranked third in the Power 5 with 16.0 tackles for loss. He had similar success at Nevada, helping several defensive linemen to all-conference status.
On the professional level, Teerlinck coached for the Buffalo Bills (2017-19) and the Indianapolis Colts (2007-2011). In Indianapolis, he helped the Colts reach Super Bowl XLIV and worked specifically with defensive ends, developing Pro Bowlers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. With Buffalo, he was responsible for coaching the Bills’ defensive line, helping Buffalo rank in the top 5 in several defensive categories, including scoring defense, total defense, and sacks.
Teerlinck got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Indiana University before getting his first full-time position coaching the defensive line at Illinois State. He graduated from Chadron State in Nebraska as a star linebacker, leading Division II in sacks during his 2002 senior season.
