Meet the Coaches

Al Logan
Head Coach

Al Logan, the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference Football Coach of the Year, is entering his fifth year as head coach for the Muskie football team.

Logan, a 1982 Muskingum graduate and a former Muskingum All-American and member of the Muskingum Athletic Hall of Fame, has rewritten Muskingum’s offensive records with his spread-option offense in his first four years at the helm of the program. The Muskies have set new school marks for most passing attempts in a season, most touchdown passes in a season, most passing yards in a season, most pass completions in a season, most first downs passing in a season, most passing attempts for a game and best average passing yards per game. Quarterback Jake Burns, a two-time All-OAC honoree, ended his tenure under Logan’s guidance as the all-time career leader at Muskingum in passing yards (5,170) and total offense (6,265 yards).

Logan served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Muskies from 2006-2007. Prior to arriving in New Concord, Logan served as Wittenberg University’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach from 2004-2006. During his tenure, he installed the spread option offense that averaged 38 points and 432 yards of offense per game, ranking among the best in the North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III. A total of 15 Tigers were honored with all-conference recognition on the offensive side of the ball under Logan’s tutelage.

In 1998, he coached at Davidson College, where he implemented the spread option offense that helped Davidson to a school-record five straight winning seasons (1998-2002) and a country-best winning streak of 18 consecutive victories from 1998-2000. He helped guide the 2000 squad to the school’s first-ever 10-0 season, was offensive coordinator for two seasons and recruiting coordinator from 2000-03.

From 1984-98, Logan coached at The University of the South, serving as head coach of the football, wrestling and track and field teams at various times. He was defensive coordinator for teams that won conference titles in 1990 and 1992, while ranking in the top 10 nationally in total defense. Additionally, Logan coached seven NCAA track and field qualifiers, three of whom went on to earn All-American honors, and 76 all-conference athletes. He was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Track Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992. Logan started his coaching career at Miami University (Ohio) in 1982 as an assistant wrestling coach. After earning a master’s degree in physical education from Miami, he served as defensive backs coach, strength coach and assistant track and field coach at John Carroll University in 1983-84.

Logan was a four-year letterwinner (1978-82) for Muskingum College, in football as an offensive lineman and in wrestling, and he was team captain in both sports. As a wrestler, Logan won more than 100 matches in his career and won the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship in 1981 and 1982. He was selected Outstanding Wrestler of the 1982 OAC Championship Meet and was a two-time All-American in the sport. Logan garnered the William G. Moore Award for “Outstanding Senior Athlete” in 1981-1982 and was inducted into the Muskingum Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.

Logan is married to Muskingum alumna Patti Gallagher. The couple has two college-age sons, Nick and Cameron.

Shap Boyd
Defensive Coordinator

Shap Boyd is entering his fifth season as defensive coordinator for the Fighting Muskie program.
Since arriving in New Concord, Boyd has changed the face of the Muskie defense with his aggressive 4-3 scheme. Under Boyd’s guidance, the Muskies have climbed into the upper tier of the Ohio Athletic Conference in defensive rankings.

Boyd came to New Concord from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was defensive coordinator from 2004-06. Under his guidance, the Bears’ defense ranked third in NCAA Division III in total defense and 10th in rushing defense. Furthermore, both of his defensive squads in 2004 and 2005 were among the best in the nation in total defense. Under his tutelage, three Bears garnered All-American accolades, including Drew Wethington, who led the country in tackles for loss.

Prior to his tenure at Washington University, Boyd spent five seasons at Jacksonville University, a Division I-AA non-scholarship program in Jacksonville, Fla. He served as the defensive coordinator and associate head coach while at Jacksonville, where he helped lead the Dolphins to the Southern Division Championship of the Pioneer Football League.

Boyd, with more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience and membership on the Program Committee of the American Football Coaches Association, brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fighting Muskie program. His previous coaching stints include stops at Middle Tennessee State, University of Kentucky, Lock Haven University, Lycoming College and the University of the South (Sewanee). Additionally, Boyd spent two years coaching high school football at Lake Highland Prep in Orlando, Fla.

Boyd graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of the South in 1985 after a four-year playing career at free safety, where he played for Coach Logan. The two-time All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection was voted team captain as a senior and helped lead Sewanee to a conference championship in 1983.

Boyd received his master’s degree in health, physical education, recreation and safety in 1987 from Middle Tennessee State. Boyd and his wife, Elizabeth, who is the vice president of the American Football Coaches Wives Association, have three children, E’lee, Ashleigh and Quint.

Jim Kaser
Offensive Line Coach

Jim Kaser is in his 14th season on the Muskingum University football coaching staff. Kaser serves as offensive line coach.

Kaser’s offensive linemen helped Muskingum’s running attack average nearly 200 yards per game in 2005 and aided former running back Trevor Cooper to his 3,007 career yards, which ranks fourth all-time. In 2002, the offensive line opened the holes for Cooper to become the first Muskie in more than a decade to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season.

Thirteen offensive linemen have achieved All-Ohio Athletic Conference status under Kaser’s tutelage.
Kaser, a 1974 graduate of Muskingum College, returned to his alma mater following a 21-year stint as head football coach at Tri-Valley High School in Dresden, Ohio.

Kaser and his wife, Jackie, have three children, Kristi, Kortney and Karley. Karley was the 13th member of the Kaser family to attend Muskingum.

Matt Shaul
Wide Receivers Coach

Matt Shaul enters his sixth year for the Fighting Muskie football program. Shaul serves as wide receivers coach.

Shaul was a quarterback for the Muskies during his letterwinning career and graduated with a B.S. in mathematics from Muskingum in 2005. He completed his M.A.E. in adult education from Muskingum in 2007.

Joe Montgomery
Defensive End Coach

Joe Montgomery enters his fifth year as a defensive end coach on the Muskie staff.

Montgomery arrives in New Concord from Emory & Henry College where he had served as an assistant football coach. He attended Mount Union College where he competed in wrestling and football. He was a four-year member of the Mount Union football team that won four OAC Championships and two National Championships (2002, 2006).

Montgomery graduated from Mount Union with a B.A. in business management in 2006.

Matt Louis
Linebackers Coach

Matt Louis enters his third season as linebackers coach on the Muskie staff.

Louis, a former Muskingum defensive gridiron standout, was at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where he was outside linebackers coach. He helped guide the Engineers to a 7-3 overall record in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and served as academic coordinator and scout team coordinator in practice. Previously, Louis spent two seasons as assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, as an assistant to the head coach and football operations assistant. He also coordinated the Bearcats community service projects and assisted the defensive backs coach with practice and game preparations. Prior to the University of Cincinnati, Louis worked as a football operations assistant for the Cincinnati Bengals and was a graduate assistant football coach for defensive backs at the University of Buffalo.

As a player at Muskingum, Louis was tabbed first team All-Ohio Athletic Conference and second team All-North Region in 2002. He was also honored as the team’s Most Valuable Player. Louis ranks second all-time at Muskingum in interceptions in a game (3), fourth in interceptions in a season (7) and sixth in career interceptions (14).

Louis earned a B.A. in business at Muskingum in 2003. He completed a master’s degree in sports administration at Xavier University in 2005.

Andre Nash
Running Backs Coach

Andre Nash enters his second season as running backs coach on the Muskie staff.

Nash, a two-year starting quarterback for Muskingum, joins the coaching staff after spending the last two seasons as a Student Coach for the Fighting Muskies. He has assisted with both defensive backs and wide receivers, while also working in the box on game days. Nash has also assisted with recruiting and served as assistant coach on the Muskingum Junior Varsity squad.

As a player, Nash passed for 2,164 yards, which leaves him eighth all-time in the Muskingum record books.

He graduated in 2010 from Muskingum with a B.A. in Physcial Education and a minor in Psychology.

Nicholas Harding
Defensive Line Coach

Nicholas Harding enters his second year as defensive line coach on the Muskie staff.

Harding comes to New Concord after playing for Appalachian State and West Liberty University.

At Appalachain State, Harding was a member of two national title teams. During his playing days at West Liberty, Harding was a three-time First Team All-WVIAC linebacker, First Team All-Region, a Don Hansen Gazette All-Super Region linebacker and 2009 CDS Preseason All-American. Additionally, he was named team captain twice and led the WVIAC in 2008 with 115 tackles.

Harding graduated from West Liberty in 2009 with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology.

Matthew Deacon
Tight Ends Coach

Matthew Deacon enters his second year as tight ends coach on the Muskie staff.

Deacon was the head offensive line and defensive line coach at North Charleston High School in South Carolina.

Deacon was a four-year member and team captain of the Muskingum football squad. Following his playing days, he served as a student assistant coach for Muskingum, where he assisted the varsity offensive line coach and was head junior varsity offensive line coach. He also was responsible for scout cards, game day preparations, strength training and film analysis.

Deacon graduated from Muskingum in 2008 with a B.A. in education.