Rounding out the incoming coaches is assistant coach Kenneth Eboh who first coached with Austin form 2005-2007 at The University of Dubuque. Eboh was a member of the 1999 DII National Championship team and four MIAA conference titles as an offensive lineman for Northwest Missouri State University.

   Eboh’s focus will be with the offensive on the field, but will also bridge the gap between the faculty and athletics off the field to show the unity and importance both academics and athletics can provide. “We want to build a bridge with the faculty and athletics,” Eboh said. “Our job is to establish a presence both on-field and off to build better relationships with our community.”

   Austin and his coaches have already begun this process as well as making themselves visible to the campus. They have attended baseball games, ate lunch in the CC and Austin as well as Ross even participated in the “Race to the Point” marathon. Spring Practice has also started.

   “I was looking for support and want to rebuild the program with the right people,” Austin said. “They [Ross, Eboh and Velasquez] are real examples for student athletes and the success of the team will be based in their experience, knowledge and people skills.”

   On the defensive side, Tom Ross comes of three seasons as the head coach of the Stuttgart Scorpions in German Football League. He also coached at St. Olaf College and Carlton College before making his way to Hanover with Austin. Ross, a free safety in his four years at Augsburg College, where he received his bachelor’s degree, coached at his alma mater where he served as defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator in three separate stints with the college.

   Ross acknowledged that this upcoming season’s roster is a young one, but believes they can be competitive early on in the season. As for his Hanover experience so far, it has been a positive one.

   “It is everything we expected it to be, “Ross said. “There are good aesthetics, good academics. It’s nicer than we thought.”

    There are many changes occurring in the Hanover Athletic Department, particularly in the football program. With the addition of the head coach Joe Austin, he has brought with him three assistants to round out the coaching staff.

    The Panthers’ offense will be headed by Roger Velasquez, a long time colleague and friend of Austin. A head injury brought on by concussions during his high school career prevented Velasquez from playing in college. Instead, he turned to coaching high school while earning his degree from Concordia University. Velasquez has also served as offensive coordinator at Augsburg College and for the Lansberg Express in the German League in 1999. Before arriving at Hanover, Velasquez spent a year as the defensive line coach at Concordia University, where he met Austin.

    As the associate offensive head coach, Velasquez has plans for the panthers to control the game more offensively while maintain the spread, hurry-up offense that has proven successful for Hanover in past seasons.

    “It’s going to be tough for a young crew," Velasquez said. “But we’ll also be more dominant at the line of scrimmage.”