Troy University Athletics
Defensive Coordinator Vic Koenning
11/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Vic Koenning is beginning his second season as Troy University's defensive coordinator.
The veteran coach made a strong impact in his first season with the Trojans, guiding the squad to a No. 6 national ranking in turnovers gained with 35. In addition, the Trojans finished the year ranked 26th nationally in rushing defense, 44th in pass efficiency defense and 39th in total defense. Those numbers came from a unit that returned just four starters from 2002.
Prior to joining the Trojans' staff, Koenning spent three seasons as the head coach at Wyoming. He served as the Cowboys' 29th head coach from 2000-2002 after working as the team's defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach from 1997-1999.
A native of Owasso, Okla., Koenning also worked at the University of Memphis, where he served as the defensive secondary coach for six seasons (1991-96). He spent 10 total seasons there in a variety of roles - graduate assistant, strength and conditioning coach for football and as an assistant coach.
A 1983 graduate of Kansas State University, Koenning is 44 years old (born Feb. 26, 1960). He was a three-year starter at linebacker for the Wildcats, and he served as captain of K-State's 1982 squad and led them to the school's first-ever bowl game, the Independence Bowl. Also in 1982, Koenning was the first recipient of the Paul Coffman Award, which is awarded each year to the KSU player who displays the most outstanding leadership on the team.
In Koenning's first season as Wyoming's defensive coordinator in 1997, his aggressive defense was among the most improved in the nation. The Cowboys ranked second in the nation in quarterback sacks, sixth in pass defense, 17th in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense. They also set a school record for interceptions with 24. In 1998, his defense was again among the nation's leaders, ranking 28th in the country in scoring defense.
In his first season as head coach of the Cowboys, Koenning's 2000 squad was hit hard by injuries, with Cowboy starters missing a total of 45 starts due to injury. His 2001 squad was among the most explosive offensive teams in the country, however, ranking No. 15 in the nation in passing offense (282.4 yards per game).
All total, 10 Cowboys he coached earned first-team all-conference honors and 12 were named second-team all-conference during his five seasons at Wyoming. During Koenning's tenure, the Cowboys also had two All-America selections (Brian Lee in 1997 and J.D. Wallum in 2001), two Academic All-Americas (Lee in 1997 and Brian Brown in 1998) and three Freshman All-Americas (Jeff Boyle in 1997, Rob Kellerman in 1999 and Ryan McGuffey in 2000, as selected by The Sporting News.
While at Memphis, Koenning and the Tigers enjoyed nothing but success defensively, starting with a 24-10 upset of 14th-ranked Southern California in the Coliseum in Los Angeles. In his second season with the Tigers, 1992, the Memphis defense ranked third in the nation in total defense and 15th in scoring defense.
The Tigers enjoyed another successful year on the defensive side of the ball in 1993, opening the season with a 45-35 win at No. 25 Mississippi State and finishing the season ranked 16th nationally in total defense. In 1994, the Tigers once again ranked third nationally in total defense and were eighth in scoring defense.
In Koenning's final season with the Tigers, he helped coach them to a monumental 21-17 upset over in-state rival Tennessee, the sixth-ranked team in the nation at the time.
In his six-year stay at Memphis, Koenning coached two players that earned All-America honors in defensive backs Jerome Woods and Ken Irvin. Woods was a second-team selection by the Associated Press and Football News in 1995, while Irvin earned honorable mention honors in 1994.
Koenning played professionally for the Denver Broncos in 1983, and then signed with the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL in 1984. He played two seasons with the Outlaws, finishing first on the team in tackles his first season and second the following season. After a stint with the Green Bay Packers in 1986, Koenning retired from professional football and entered the coaching profession.
Koenning is married to the former Tracey Templeton and has four children, Kimberly, Brady, Camden and Jackson.
