From FootballScoop, the site that broke Sonny Dykes ending up at Cal.
Sources tell us LA Tech special teams coordinator Mark Tommerdahl will join the Cal staff in the same capacity footballscoop.com/the-scoop
— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) December 11, 2012
Louisiana Tech landed one of the top assistant coaches in the South when long-time special teams coach Mark Tommerdahl joined the Bulldog staff in 2009. He enters the 2012 season having coached two All-Americans in the past three seasons.
Coaching the inside receivers and serving as the special teams coordinator, Tommerdahl came to LA Tech with more than two decades of Division I coaching experience serving as an assistant coach on some of the top programs in the country. He has served as an assistant coach on 13 bowl teams as well as six league champions and two division champions.
Tommerdahl's special teams acumen was highlighted in 2011 when punter Ryan Allen won the Ray Guy Award. Allen became the first player from a non-BCS school to win the award for the nation's top punter and was the only player from a non-BCS school to win a national award in 2011. Allen consistently flipped the field for Tech's defense and led the nation with 39 punts inside the 20 with only five touchbacks the entire year.
His experience and game-planning on special teams helped Phillip Livas tie an NCAA record in 2010 with the return specialist's eighth career return for a touchdown. Livas ended his career with four punt returns and four kickoff returns for a score.
Tommerdahl's coaching helped Dennis Morris garner all-America honors as well as being named the Tight End of the Year by the College Football Performance Awards. Morris finished his senior year at LA Tech with 38 catches for 623 yards and he had a national-leading 12 receiving touchdowns among tight ends in 2009.
Prior to spending the 2008 season at UL-Monroe, Tommerdahl served as the tight end and special teams coach at Texas A&M for five years. During his tenure with the Aggies, Tommerdahl helped lead the program to the Cotton Bowl (2004), the Holiday Bowl (2006) and the Alamo Bowl (2007).
So that pretty much means almost the entire Louisiana Tech offensive staff that went number one in the country is on board. If you're counting, the rumored staff so far will be
- Tony Franklin: Offensive coordinator/probably quarterbacks
- Pierre Ingram: Running backs
- Rob Likens: Outside receivers
- Mark Tommerdahl: Special teams/maybe inside receivers
No word yet on a wide receivers coach, and you'd figure a defensive staff will be hired by the defensive coordinator. And we get a special teams coach to boot!