New Southern Illinois defensive coordinator Antonio James (above) took over the job suddenly when former SIU assistant D.J. Vokolek left the program just before fall camp started. (Photo courtesy SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
College football coaches spend years building their resumes for an opportunity to be a coordinator.
For Antonio James, he had one day to prepare for becoming the defensive coordinator at Southern Illinois.
On Aug. 1, the SIU defensive line coach was promoted to the job when recent hire D.J. Vokolek left to take a defensive assistant job at Northwestern.
The change has left Southern head coach Nick Hill impressed with James, who previously coached the team’s defensive line.
“He’s done an outstanding job,” Hill said. “He’s as good as I’ve been around. For someone to get thrown into it the night before practice starts … he’s handled it.”
SIU’s players haven’t noticed a major shift, which is a credit to James.
“I don’t think it’s much of a big change for us,” senior safety Iverson Brown said. “He came in and you could see, as soon as he took the job, the confidence he had in himself. He’s been prepared for it. It didn’t seem like he was flustered at all.”
James previously served as defensive coordinator at FCS Morgan State from 2018 to 2021 before joining SIU.
The transition to the new role was an easy one for James, according to Hill and Brown, because of the rapport he has built with SIU’s players.
“If it was a guy they didn’t trust or that they hadn’t built a relationship with, I think it would be different and I wouldn’t be feeling the same way,” Hill said. “He’s so organized and he has a relationship with all of those players, not just the defensive line.”
James played four years at the University of Illinois as a defensive lineman before his coaching career, which provides another touchpoint for current players.
“He’s always interacting with us,” Brown said. “He can relate to us. He played.”
This week’s opponent
Austin Peay, a member of the new United Athletic Conference, won the Atlantic Sun Conference a year ago thanks to a high-powered offense. The Governors recorded more than 2,000 rushing yards and 2,000 passing yards in the same season for the first time in program history. “They have our full attention,” Hill said. “They bring back a ton of starters.” Leading the way is quarterback Mike Diliello, who had 2,477 passing yards and 21 TDs last fall. The Governors also return two of the top 10 rushers in the ASUN last year in CJ Evans Jr. (641 yards, 6 TDs) and Jevon Jackson (572 yards, 4 TDs). APSU also brings back all five starters on the offensive line.
(Kickoff: 6 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: CILFM.com)
Key matchup to watch
SIU QB Nic Baker vs. Austin Peay secondary: Baker, who needs two completions to take over the career record at SIU, is one of the top quarterbacks in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. He will face an APSU secondary with three new faces. The only returnee is cornerback Cedarius Doss, who started four games a year ago. Fellow starting cornerback Jevon McIver Jr. is a transfer from Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, while both safeties are transfers. Strong safety Xavier Smith redshirted at Colorado last season, while free safety Michael Ruttlen Jr. played the last four seasons at FCS Princeton, where he was All-Ivy League a year ago.
What’s at stake?
A good start to the season would be a big boost for SIU, which started slowly a year ago before winning at Northwestern. The Salukis face a gauntlet in the non-conference schedule with Austin Peay, FBS Northern Illinois and regional rival Southeast Missouri.
Quick hits
Hill said this week that the team was still waiting on a response from the NCAA on the status of transfer offensive lineman Noah Fenske. He is among a number of former Colorado players who have been ruled ineligible. Fenske is a two-time transfer (Iowa to Colorado and Colorado to SIU) who was hoping to be eligible immediately for the Salukis. The 6-foot-6, 292-pound offensive tackle played in seven games for Colorado last season. … SIU is 5-2 all-time against Austin Peay, winning the last five games in a row. The most recent meeting, though, was more than 30 years ago when Southern won, 37-7, in 1992. … SIU is hoping to turn around its late-game fortunes this season. In the final 10 games last season, SIU led in every fourth quarter but went 5-5 in those games. …. The 2023 season marks the 40th anniversary of SIU’s I-AA national title in 1983. … Every projected starter on this season’s offensive line started at least five games a year ago for the Salukis. Senior center Jacob Caughell started 10 times, which is the most.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
Find us on social media!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment