Tosches	Hogan
Chapman	Bennett

Gardner welcomes four new coaches heading into second season at helm 

EASTON, Mass. (April 6, 2017) – Stonehill College football head coach Eli Gardner has announced four additions to his coaching staff for the spring season in preparation for the upcoming 2017 season.

Casey Tosches will assist Gardner as tight ends and fullbacks coach, while also serving as video coordinator, while Jordan Hogan has been named wide receivers coach, Ben Chapman, will serve as defensive line coach and Stonehill also welcomes back football alum Tim Bennett '14 as defensive backs coach.

Tosches joins the coaching staff at Stonehill after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Springfield College. He was an offensive assistant for the Pride, operating as position coach with the wide receivers and fullbacks. Tosches was also the pass game coordinator during the 2016 season. His primary recruiting areas were Central and South New Jersey. Prior to his two years at Springfield, Tosches was the offensive quality control coach and wide receivers assistant at Princeton University in 2014.

"A coaches' son, Casey is a mature and bright young coach," said Gardner. "Having just completed a graduate assistantship at Springfield College, Casey brings a wealth of knowledge and grittiness to our program."

Hogan joins the Stonehill coaching staff after spending four seasons as wide receivers coach and junior varsity head coach at Buffalo State College in New York. He coached two receivers who earned All-Empire 8 honors with over 2000 combined yards in 2014 when the team posted an 8-3 record and competed in its first of two straight ECAC Division III Bowl Games. Hogan gained recruiting ties in Western New York and the Catholic schools in New York City. During the summer of 2016, Hogan participated in the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Buffalo Bills, assisting with the wide receiving group on and off the field. He was also selected as wide receivers coach for the US National Team developmental game in July 2016.

"Jordan is a passionate and intelligent football coach," said Gardner. "He is a hard worker and has a wealth of experience, having completed an internship with the Buffalo Bills as well as working camps all over the Northeast. He will definitely add energy and an edge to our program."

Chapman joins the Stonehill coaching staff after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Castleton University in Vermont, serving as inside linebackers coach. He coached four student-athletes that earned All-Eastern Collegiate Football Conference honors over his two seasons as the Spartans posted a combined 11-9 record, including 7-3 record in 2015. Chapman was the Spartans recruiting coordinator his second season after working as video coordinator his first year, while also calling the defensive plays for the junior varsity defense. He developed recruiting ties in Eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and Nassau and Suffolk countries in New York. Prior to his time at Castleton, Chapman was an assistant coach for two seasons at Stonington High School in Connecticut, a player/assistant coach with Monash Warriors Football Team in Australia and a student assistant at the University of Connecticut, his alma mater.

"Ben is a polished young coach who is extremely intelligent and passionate about the game of football," said Gardner. "He has a diverse knowledge of the game, having played offensive line at UConn and now coaching defense for the past two years at Castleton State.  Ben is a proven recruiter and a quality technician as a coach."

Bennett returns to his alma mater two years post-graduation, having gotten his coaching career started as defensive backs coach at Buena High School in his native California. He was a four year letterwinner for Stonehill, serving as captain his senior year. The NE10 All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman appeared in 42 games, starting the final 37 games of his career with the Skyhawks, totaling 210 tackles (124 solo), including 13.0 for a loss of 35 yards, with ten interceptions and 17 pass breakups. He finished ranked sixth all-time in program history for career interceptions and seventh for pass breakups.

"We are very excited to have former captain Tim Bennett return to our program in an assistant coaching role," said Gardner. "As an alum, Tim knows what Stonehill and our football program stand for and can easily relate his experience to that of our current student-athletes.  His passion for our program and our college are infectious."

Stonehill finished its first season under Gardner with a 5-6 record overall, including 4-5 in the NE10 to finish in sixth place, winning its last two games of the season and five of its last eight overall. The Skyhawks capped the season with a 38-21 triumph at rival Bentley University in the No. 5 vs. 6-seed game as part of the NE10's Championship Weekend.

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