Football
Sep 12 (Fri)
5:30 PM
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Vince Okruch is in his fifth season of his second stint at Colorado, as he returned with Gary Barnett to where he worked two seasons as a graduate assistant in the 1980s. He was named co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach shortly after Barnett was hired on Jan. 20, 1999. He came to CU from Northwestern, where he spent seven seasons on Barnett's staff, including the last two as co-defensive coordinator.
Prior to the 2002 season, CU switched defensive schemes, and he took over coaching the safeties. He also coaches the punt unit with Barnett on special teams.
He was named the sole defensive coordinator on June 24, 2002, as he assumed the entire coordinator responsibilities after his cohort for the first three seasons, Tom McMahon, passed away from complications due to cancer earlier that month.
Okruch, 48, tutored the running backs during his two years in Boulder (1983-84), as he worked directly with Barnett when he first joined Bill McCartney's staff. He moved on to the University of Minnesota, where he coached one more season as a grad assistant before being hired full-time. He coached the running backs for the Golden Gophers, both as a G.A. in 1985 and for his first two years as a full-fledged assistant, and then switched sides of the ball and coached the linebackers for the next four seasons (1988-91).
He made the move to Northwestern in 1992 when Barnett was hired as head coach, coaching the defensive line for five seasons (1992-96) before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 1997. He handled that role for the last two years, also coaching the inside linebackers.
He was a four-year letterman at Culver-Stockton College (Canton, Mo.), lettering twice at quarterback and two more times at tight end from 1973-76. He also lettered in four times in baseball.
Okruch graduated from Culver-Stockton in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, and earned his master's from the school in 1980. He broke into coaching as defensive backs coach at his alma mater in 1977, and then moved on to Northeast Missouri State for two years (1978-79) as a graduate assistant working with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. He returned to Culver-Stockton in 1980, where he was head coach for three seasons.
He was born Aug. 9, 1955 in Buffalo, N.Y., where he prepped at Cardinal O'Hara High School, earning all-city and honorable mention all-state honors at quarterback as a senior. He is married to the former Janet Hammons, and they have two children, daughter Taylor (18) and son Jordan (14).
