McKendree Football Camps
Coaching Staff
Nick Miller | Assistant Head Football Coach / Offensive Coordinator / Quarterback CoachNick Miller is entering his third season at McKendree and will serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 2022 season. The past two season, Miller served as McKendree's quarterbacks coach.
Miller arrived in Lebanon after spending the 2019 season as a graduate assistant working with the offense at Eastern Michigan. In 2018, Miller assisted with the offense at Wisconsin-Whitewater. UWW went 13-1, including a perfect 7-0 mark en route to a conference title. UWW advanced to the semifinals of the Division III playoffs while averaging 41.6 points per contest.
Prior to that, Miller worked three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He coached the Eagles' wide receivers for two season after working with the defensive backs in 2015.
Originally from Watertown, Wis., Miller graduated in 2018 with a degree in physical education from UWL. He was a two-year (2013-14) member of the football team playing safety.
Nick Holeton | Assistant Coach/Offensive Line
Nick Holeton enters his first season as an assistant football coach for McKendree University. Holeton will serve as the Bearcats’ offensive line coach
Holeton arrives at McKendree after spending the 2021 season as the offensive line coach at Berry College, which is an NCAA Division III school in Mount Berry, Ga. Berry posted a 6-4 overall record in his one season with the Vikings.
Prior to working at Berry College, Holeton spent two seasons (2019-21) as a graduate assistant coac working with the offensive line on Chris Creighton’s staff at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich. In his two seasons with the Eagles, EMU went 8-11 overall and 5-9 in the Mid-American Conference, including playing in the Quick Lane Bowl against Pittsburgh in 2019.
Holeton came to Eastern Michigan after spending two years on the coaching staff at Lawrence Technological University from 2017-19. At Lawrence Tech, Holeton served as the offensive line coach as a graduate assistant, along with acting as the team’s community service coordinator. In 2018, Lawrence posted a 5-3 record as an NAIA Independent in the program’s first year back playing football since 1946.
Before joining Lawrence Tech, Holeton spent three seasons at Loras College (2014-16) on Coach Steve Helminiak’s staff. He worked with Loras’ running backs, tight ends and hybrids.
Holeton played offensive line at Loras College from 2009-12. In his time with the Duhawks, Holeton started 30 games and served as a team captain as a senior and was also a member of Loras’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He earned Second-Team All-Conference honors in 2012 and was selected to play in the Tazon de Estrella All-Star Game, which was an All-Star Game that pitted NCAA Division III All-Stars against a team of All-Stars from Mexico. The D-III All-Stars won the game, 32-15.
He began his coaching career as a defensive coordinator for the freshman and sophomore football teams at Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville, Iowa, in 2013.
The Pecatonica, Ill., native earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Science from Loras College in 2012 and earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Lawrence Tech in 2019.
D'Andre Hicks | Assistant Coach/Running Backs
Zahneer Shuler | Football Recruiting Coordinator / Wide Receivers
After spending two-plus years at Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio, Zahneer Shuler comes to Lebanon with great knowledge for the Wide Receivers. In his two seasons with the Falcons, they went a combined 16-6 and made the Division II Playoffs in 2022. Shuler helped to mentor a First Team All-MEC (Mountain East Conference) and Second Team All-MEC receiver, along with a Third Team All-MEC Returner in 2022.
Aside from the accolades and in-game success, Coach Shuler helped to create scouting reports, while focusing on different passing game concepts. He also had involvement with special teams, specifically helping the returners and gunners.
Before going to NDC, Coach Shuler was the Recruiting Coordinator and Wide Receivers coach for Lackawanna College, a junior college in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His receivers during the 2021 season caught 176 passes for 2,733 yards. Four of his receivers caught 20 or more passes, including his top receiver catching 34 for 730 yards. Two of the receivers were named 2nd Team All-American following their 7-3 season. Shuler mentored four receivers that signed scholarships at four-year institutions.
His playing experience consists of one season with the Albany Empire in the Arena Football League. Before turning professional, he was an All-Region running back with the University of New Mexico. He transferred to UNM from Lackawanna College where he picked up All-Conference accolades.
Jake Crogan | Assistant Coach / Tight Ends
Jackson Hall | Assistant Coach / Linebackers coach.
Jerrell Taylor | Assistant Coach/ Defensive Backs
Opetaia Tuiava | Assistant Coach / DL
Opetaia Tuiava is entering his second season as an assistant football coach at McKendree and he will continue to work with the Bearcats' defensive line.
Tuiava came to McKendree McKendree after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. Tuiava coached linebackers in 2019 and spent the 2020 season coaching the defensive line and serving as the recruiting coordinator.
Prior to returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach, Tuiava spent one season as the outside linebackers coach at NCAA Division II Colorado School of the Mines. While at Mines, he set up practice plans, presentations, defensive scouting reports and updated depth charts. He also served as the Assistant Academic Coordinator and Assistant Youth Camp Director.
In addition to working at Colorado Mines, Tuiava served as the Bill Walsh Minority Intern with the Houston Texans and assisted with the defensive line.
In 2017, Tuiava was a graduate assistant football coach at Lindenwood University-Belleville in Belleville, Ill. While working with the Lynx, Tuiava was the defensive line coach and assistant defensive backs coach and he worked as an assistant position coach for the Falcon School District in Colorado Springs, Colo., from 2014-17.
As a student-athlete at the University of Saint Mary, Tuiava was a Second-Team All-KCAC honoree in 2011 and also earned All-KCAC Honorable Mention honors in 2012. He was also the team’s Champions of Character nominee in 2012.
Tuiava earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saint Mary in 2013.
