Rice is promoting linebackers coach Jon Kay to defensive coordinator, sources told FootballScoop on Monday.
The promotion is among the first significant moves made by new head coach Scott Abell, hired away from Davidson on Nov. 26.
Kay joined the Owls' staff in 2023 after rising to become the top high school coach in the Greater Houston area. He went 117-18 at powerhouse North Shore in Galena Park with four Class 6A Division I state championships. As an assistant, he helped North Shore win its first state championship, a 2003 crown won, fatefully, at Rice Stadium.
This past season, five Owls linebackers collected at least 28 tackles on the season.
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