POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Marist head football coach Mike Willis has announced four hires to his coaching staff.
 
Kevin Johnson will serve as special teams coordinator/offensive assistant, Tom Biscardi will coach the Red Foxes' linebackers, Adam McGuire will mentor the defensive backs, and Owen Hartman will be the director of football operations.
 

Willis on Johnson

"I am excited to welcome Kevin and his fiancée Marisa to Marist College. Kevin has played and coached at the Division I level for his entire football career. He has been a key coach at championship programs, and his reference list was littered with some of the biggest names in college football. What was ultimately more impressive to me was how advanced Kevin's knowledge of special teams is; Kevin was excellent in our interview process. Kevin is ready to lead our special teams units and he also make meaningful contributions to the development of our offense. I can't wait to get to work with Kevin!"
 

Willis on Biscardi

"I am excited to welcome Tom to Marist College Football. It was evident to me in 2019 that Tom was going to have remarkable success as a coach; he showed aptitude and grit during our time at Princeton. He went on to thrive at Ithaca College. Tom earned a coordinator title at Ithaca while mentoring a conference MVP at his position. Tom is diligent in his approach and has a work ethic that will make us better. I am excited to see Tom develop our linebackers and watch him reach new heights here at Marist. I'm fired up to work with Tom!"
 

Willis on McGuire

"I am excited to welcome Adam and his wife Madison to Marist College. Adam is a proven teacher and elite recruiter with an impressive resume. He has been mentored by some of the best defensive coaches in the history of college football and has the intelligence to put his own spin on what he has learned. He knows how to develop elite student athletes in a high academic football environment. He has mentored great players at every stop in his journey. Adam also has a galvanizing presence that positively affects the players and coaches he works with; Adam is a leader. I am excited to watch him lead our defensive backs and work with him to help our program grow in all facets. I'm thrilled to get to work with Adam!"
 

Willis on Hartman

"I am excited to welcome Owen Hartman to Marist College. Owen has a bright future in football. He has quickly demonstrated grit, creativity, and authenticity that will serve Marist College Football well. Owen is a product of one of the best football programs in the country and was coached by TJ Weyl during that time. He is also a people person who has already helped me develop valuable relationships on and off campus. Owen is the engine of our operations here at Marist, and it is awesome to watch him solve complex problems on our behalf. He is an asset to me in every way. I'm enjoying working with Owen every day."
 
Johnson spent the 2023 season as a graduate assistant at Iowa. He worked with the Hawkeyes' wide receivers and helped the team with the Big 10 West Division title and advance to the Citrus Bowl. He previously worked at Florida Atlantic as a special teams analyst for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Johnson's coaching career began at Arkansas, where he worked with running backs and special teams in 2020.

Johnson played quarterback collegiately at Richmond (2015-18) and Western Illinois (2019). His first collegiate start came in the 2016 FCS playoffs, when he threw for 315 yards in a victory over North Carolina A&T. In the 2018 season, he threw for 1,302 yards and five touchdowns while making six starts. In four games at Western Illinois, he threw six touchdown passes.
 
"My fiancé and I are ecstatic to join Coach Willis and Marist football," Johnson said. "Coach Willis' early success and vision for the program contributed to our decision to join his staff. This is a great opportunity to leave a lasting impact on many college athletes' lives."
 
Biscardi joins the Red Foxes after having coached at Ithaca for the past three seasons. He most recently served as Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Linebackers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator. In Biscardi's time at Ithaca, the Bombers went 29-6 with two appearances in the Division III Tournament, and he coached the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023.
 
Prior to this time at Ithaca, Biscardi worked with Willis at Princeton, where he was the defensive quality control coach while also assisting with the defensive line and linebackers in 2019. The previous year, he worked at his alma mater, The College of New Jersey. There, he coached the team's outside linebackers, was the program's social media coordinator, and handled the program's alumni relations.
 
"I am thrilled to join Marist football and be a part of the Marist College community," Biscardi said. "The clear and defined vision for success presented by Coach Willis strongly resonated with me. I am excited to re-unite with Coach Willis, and I can't wait to get to work on building the premium student-athlete experience with our staff and players."
 
McGuire comes to Marist after two seasons of coaching defensive backs at Central Oklahoma, where he was also the program's academic liaison. In 2022, the Bronchos had three All-MIAA selections, including defensive backs Kobey Stephens and Dylan Buchheit, and had the program's first winning season since 2018.
 
McGuire was a graduate assistant (2020) and defensive analyst (2021) at TCU, where he assisted with recruiting and a Horned Frogs' secondary that placed four players in the NFL. McGuire coached the secondary and assisted with special teams at Trinity from 2017-19, and he helped lead the Tigers to a conference championship in 2019. He completed Bill Walsh Fellowships with the Minnesota Vikings (2019) and Carolina Panthers (2022).
 
"My wife Madison and I are beyond thrilled to be joining Coach Willis and the Marist College family," McGuire said. "We believe that Marist has the ability to become nationally recognized as an elite academic and football experience."
 
This is Hartman's first collegiate staff position after concluding his playing career as an offensive lineman at Johns Hopkins University. In his collegiate playing career, the Blue Jays posted a record of 32-4 and made two appearances in the Division III Tournament, including a quarterfinal berth in 2023. Hartman was a Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll honoree. As an undergraduate, he completed internships with the NFL Alumni Association and Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies in operations.
 
"I am excited to be a part of this new chapter of Marist football with Coach Willis and the rest of the staff," Hartman said. "We're looking forward to building a roster of foxhole guys."
 

About Marist Football

The Marist football program was founded in 1965 and attained varsity status in 1978. The Red Foxes joined the Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) ranks in 1993. Marist has competed in the Pioneer Football League since 2009. The Red Foxes have won conference championships in 1990, 1994, 2006, 2007, and 2013. Two Marist football players, Jason Myers and Terrence Fede, have competed in NFL games. Myers is currently the Seattle Seahawks' placekicker, and he is a nine-year NFL veteran who has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice.