STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The national search for the next UW-Stevens Point head football coach has been narrowed to four candidates.  The finalists are Kelly Bills, Assistant Coach/Quarterback at Weber State University; Greg Breitbach, former Head Coach at Millersville University; Brandon Novak, Co-Defensive Coordinator at Saint John's University; and David Taynor, Head Coach at Lock Haven University. All four candidates will visit campus over the next two weeks.
 
Community Open Forum Dates/Times
Brandon Novak – Wednesday, June 6 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center, Room 101
Kelly Bills – Friday, June 8 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center, Room 101
David Taynor – Thursday, June 14 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center, Room 116
Greg Breitbach -  Friday, June 15 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center, Room 116

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Novak has spent all 18 seasons on his coaching career at Saint John's University.  He was the co-defensive coordinator in 2017.  His first 11 seasons with the Johnnies were spent coaching the linebacking corp.  In 2012, he transitioned to the offensive side as running backs coach, before returning to the defensive side of the ball a season later.  Novak also served as head wrestling coach for 10 years at SJU.  Novak is a national champion at 197 pounds in 2001 and was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches' Association Hall of Fame in 2017.

The community is invited to an informal open forum with Novak on Wednesday, June 6 from 3-4 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center (HEC) Room 101.

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Bills has been at Weber State University the last two seasons as an assistant coach, primarily coaching the Wildcats' quarterbacks.  While at WSU, he helped the Wildcats to the program's best season in 2017 with an 11-3 record and the team reached the third round of the FCS playoffs.  Prior to Weber State, Bills spent the 2015 season at Utah State as an offensive graduate assistant coach.  He also coached at Willamette University and his alma mater, Brigham Young University.  Bills was a player at Southern Utah as a quarterback before landing at BYU as a running back and special teams player for two seasons.

The community is invited to an informal open forum with Bills on Friday, June 8 from 2-3 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center (HEC) Room 101.

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Taynor has been the head coach at Lock Haven University for the last three seasons.  He had four wins at LHU in 2016, the most wins for the program since 2002.  That season, five of his players were recognized as All-Americans and his team set program records for offensive yards, points and touchdowns.  Prior to LHU, he was the head coach at his alma mater, Urbana University, for seven seasons.  He was the offensive coordinator at Tiffin University for three seasons and was an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point in 2004 and 2005.  He has also spent stints coaching at Culver-Stockton and as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville.

The community is invited to an informal open forum with Taynor on Thursday, June 14 from 2-3 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center (HEC) Room 116.

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Breitbach was the head coach at Millersville University for the last five seasons.  His best season at MU was in 2017 when the Marauders went 4-7, the highest win total in 10 seasons.  In his first season at Millersville, he produced the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in seven seasons.  Prior to taking the reins at MU, he was the offensive coordinator for five years at the University of North Dakota.  From 2003 to 2006, Breitbach was the offensive coordinator at UW-Stevens Point.  He has also coached at Lewis & Clark College, his alma mater, Montana-Western, and Wolf Point High School. 

The community is invited to an informal open forum with Breitbach on Friday, June 15 from 2-3 p.m. in the Health Enhancement Center (HEC) Room 116.