CHESTER, Pa. – Head Coach Mike Barainyak of the Widener University football team announced multiple additions to the coaching staff on Monday including Nathaniel Hogge as the offensive coordinator, Khalid Jones as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach, Nate Hinkle as the offensive line coach, and Andrew Pidgeon as the quarterbacks coach.
 
Hogge joins the Pride from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where he was a member of the national championship coaching staffs in 2016 and 2018 working as the running backs and offensive line coach as well as having heavy involvement in recruiting. During his time with the Cru, UMHB posted a record of 66-4 and he coached three D3football.com First Team All-Americans and two Associated Press First Team All-Americans.
 
"I am excited to work again with Nathaniel," said Barainyak. "He is a veteran coach who knows what it takes to be successful, having coached in the last three Stagg Bowls, winning two."
 
Prior to Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hogge was the offensive coordinator at Fork Union Military Academy. He also has Division I coaching experience as the receivers coach at the Citadel and as a graduate assistant at both the University of Oklahoma and the University of North Carolina. He holds a BA in communications from Elon, graduating in 2002.
 
Jones comes to Widener after a season at Division I Bucknell where he was a defensive backs coach, specializing in cornerbacks. He helped mentor the Bison to lead the conference in turnovers gained with 26 and finish second in interceptions with 11, while guiding one All-Conference performer. In addition to planning and scouting for Bucknell, he also recruited nationwide.
 
Barainyak said he is excited to bring Jones on board.
 
"We are thrilled to have KJ join our staff he is a high energy coach who brings expertise in defensive back play and special teams, and has proven it across multiple levels of college football."
 
A Delaware County native and graduate of Episcopal Academy, Jones also has coaching experience at Villanova and Susquehanna. In two seasons with the Riverhawks, he coached three All-Conference performers and was part of a coaching staff that guided the Susquehanna defense to lead the Centennial Conference in total defense, pass defense, and opponent first downs. Jones holds a bachelors in business management from Saint Francis University.
 
Hinkle is familiar with the MAC, joining the Blue and Gold following a season at King's where he was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. He mentored the Monarchs' first 1,000 yard rusher in more than a decade and coached two All-Conference performers.
 
"We are excited to have coach Hinkle join our staff at Widener," Barainyak commented. "His familiarity with our conference and ability to recruit will add instant value to our football program."
 
Before heading to King's, Hinkle made stops at both Millersville University and Reading High School, serving as the offensive coordinator in both locations. With Millersville, he also spent time as the special teams coordinator, running backs coach, and tight ends coach, while also organizing the Maurauders football camps. As a player, Hinkle appeared in 27 games for Millersville from 2009-12, starting all 22 games as a junior and senior. He made 45 tackles in his final two seasons with 4.0 TFL and a sack. He graduated from MU with a BA in history.
 
Pidgeon spent the past two seasons as a coach at Penncrest High School in Media where he helped three players advance to the college football ranks. Prior to that, he was the quarterbacks coach at Cardinal O'Hara, mentoring the Catholic League Player of the Year and guiding the team to a PCL Championship.
 
"We are excited to have Andrew join our staff working with our quarterbacks," Barainyak stated.  "Andrew has a great passion for the game and his ties to the area will add instant value in the recruitment of student-athletes."
 
Pidgeon has experience at the collegiate level as the assistant wide receivers coach at Kutztown from 2010-13 where he coached 16 All-Conference performers and was a part of the staff that won the 2011 PSAC Championship.