Aug. 2, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky University football coach Jack Harbaugh completed his staff for the upcoming season Thursday when he announced the hiring of Don Martindale as assistant coach and Steve Gortmaker as strength and conditioning coach.
Martindale replaces former defensive coordinator Andy Hendel -- who left to take a position at the University of Cincinnati -- and will work with inside linebackers. He comes to WKU from Western Illinois, where he served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 1999 -- the Leathernecks led the Gateway Football Conference in six statistical categories and were ranked in the top 20 in the nation in five categories that season. Among the players he coached was Edgerton Hartwell, the Gateway Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American in '99, who went on to earn those same honors while also winning the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best player in Division I-AA football, last year.
Prior to his work at WIU, he coached three seasons on the staff at Cincinnati, serving as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator the final two years after working as the defensive ends coach in his first year at the school. Martindale helped lead the Bearcats to the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl -- UC's first bowl appearance in 50 years -- as the defense was in the top five nationally both against the run and in turnovers forced, while the special teams unit led Conference USA in at least one category in both seasons he mentored the group. He also was responsible for recruiting in the Midwest, Arizona and California, and he organized UC's summer camps his final year at the school.
Martindale also coached for two years at Notre Dame as a defensive assistant, helping the Fighting Irish reach the 1995 Fiesta Bowl and '96 Orange Bowl, and was the defensive coordinator at Defiance (Ohio) College -- where he earned his bachelor's degree in business education -- in 1986 and '87. He also worked in the high school ranks for five years.
"It's highly unusual to gain a coach with Don's experience, especially at this time of year, at Western Kentucky," Harbaugh said. "He's worked in some outstanding programs with coaches including John Harbaugh, Rex Ryan (son of Buddy) and Kirk Doll at Notre Dame. We're very pleased that he's here -- I think he'll be very helpful to the defense and defensive coordinator David Elson."
Gortmaker comes to the Hill from Oklahoma, where he been involved with the football program since 1996. He was a player for the Sooners from 1996-99, lettering as a defensive back while earning Academic all-Big 12 Conference honors, before being hired as an assistant strength and conditioning coach following his graduation. Gortmaker assisted in developing both in-season and off-season workouts for the 2000 national and Big 12 champions, and also implemented training programs for a number of OU sports including baseball, basketball, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track, volleyball and wrestling.
Gortmaker graduated in 1998 from Oklahoma with a bachelor of arts and sciences degree in health and sport science.
"This is something we've lobbied for for a long time -- a person to take over strength and conditioning duties from an assistant coach," said Harbaugh. "We did a study that showed we were the only team in the Gateway without a strength and conditioning coach. Steve will be a welcome addition to our staff."
The Hilltoppers -- who begin their inaugural season in the Gateway Football Conference with a 6:30 p.m. (CDT) kickoff Thursday, Aug. 30, at defending league champion Western Illinois -- finished 11-2 in 2000 and were undefeated Ohio Valley Conference champions in their final year in the league. WKU reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the second time in the last four years and was fifth in the final Sports Network poll after finishing with its fifth consecutive winning season.
-- WKU --
