Kevin Cosgrove enters his fifth season as UNM’s defensive coordinator, and his sixth as linebackers coach at New Mexico. His first three seasons he was the inside linebackers coach, but he has overseen the entire corps since 2015 when UNM went to the 3-3-5.
The 2017 Lobos once again held opponents to under 400 yards per game, marking the first back-to-back seasons of allowing fewer than 400 yards since the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The highlight of the season defensively was UNM’s 16-13 win over Tulsa, holding the high flying Golden Hurricanes to their second-lowest scoring output of the of the Phillip Montgomery era, behind Ohio State, which allowed just three points. In that game, a late interception set up UNM’s game-winning walk-off field goal.
The Lobo defense scored twice in 2017 including a 91-yard touchdown in the season opener by captain Jake Rothschiller, which earned him Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors, the sixth player so honored in the last five seasons under Cosgrove.
The Lobo defense was a veteran group in 2016 that came up big time and time again when called upon. The Lobo defense in 2016 was led by Dakota Cox, who became the first player UNM history, and just the 14th in the history of the FBS, to lead his team in tackles for four straight seasons.
Perhaps the biggest moment of the season for UNM’s defense came outside of the continental United States. In a 21-21 game with Hawai’i, Daniel Henry forced a fumble behind the line of scrimmage, and Lee Crosby scooped and scored for what was the game-winning touchdown in a 28-21 road win. The defense also came up big after that score, stopping a fourth-and-one inside the 10-yard line to seal the win.
That was the first of two times in which UNM’s defense basically won a game on a goal line stand. The other came in front of a national audience on ESPN2, against Utah State. With the game tied at 21-21, Utah State has second and goal from the UNM 2-yard line. Three straight run stops, including a stop just inches short of the goal line gave the ball back to UNM, setting up a drive for a winning field goal and a 24-21 win.
Overall, UNM’s defense is one of 14 that has scored at least three times in each of the last two seasons, and allowed just 398.4 yards per game, good for 56th nationally, an improvement of 124.2 yards and 71 places in the NCAA rankings from just two seasons ago.
Four players earned All-Conference honors and four were invited to NFL camps after the season.
UNM’s defense was of particular importance in UNM’s 2015 season as the Lobos earned their first bowl appearance since 2007 with a trip to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
Defensively, UNM ranked as the fourth-most improved defense in the nation in terms of yards allowed, shaving off 81.6 yards per game from 2014. UNM also shaved 7.5 points per game off their 2014 scoring defense, and that was the 15th most improved in the NCAA. UNM’s rushing defense was the nation’s third-most improved in terms of yards per game (76.3 yards per game less than 2014) and it was fourth in terms of yards per carry (1.29 yards per carry less than 2014).
In addition, linebacker Dakota Cox led the team in tackles for a third straight season earning All-Conference accolades. The Lobos spent much of the year in the national top 20 in terms of sacks and tackles for loss as the Lobos displayed an aggressive, attacking defense. The defense also scored three touchdowns and a safety during the season.
The 2014 Lobos improved on the defensive side of the ball with Cosgrove calling the plays. UNM’s scoring defense improved 6.9 points per game, and against non-ranked teams UNM improved a whopping 14.5 points per game. The Lobos picked off seven more passes than in 2013 and had eight more sacks as well.
Two Lobos earned all-conference honors, including first team All-MW honors for Dakota Cox and honorable mention honors for David Guthrie. Cox and freshman Kimmie Carson both earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors.
Cosgrove guided a pair of Lobos to postseason accolades in 2013. True freshman middle linebacker Dakota Cox, the first freshman to lead UNM in tackles (99) since Blake Irwin in 1994, earned Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America honors. And senior inside linebacker Dallas Bollema, who finished his career at No. 20 on the school’s all-time tackles list, was named honorable mention All-MW for the second straight year.
During his first year at UNM, Cosgrove helped the Lobo defense improve 42 spots in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards allowed per game (119th in 2011 to 77th in 2012) and 21 spots in total yards allowed (118th in 2011 to 97th in 2012).
Under Cosgrove’s tutelage, junior LB Dallas Bollema earned All-Mountain West honorable mention honors after leading the team with 83 tackles (16th in the Mountain West) with two interceptions, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Cosgrove has 38 years’ experience coaching on the defensive side of the ball, including 22 years as a coordinator. He has coached in 18 bowl games, including four appearances in the Rose Bowl.
Cosgrove is a member of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2008. In 2006, he was recognized by CBS College Sports Network analyst Tom Lemming as one of the nation’s top recruiters, and in 2002 was named the top coordinator in the Big Ten by The Sporting News. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. identified Cosgrove as one of the top coordinators in the country in 1999.
Cosgrove has spent 25 seasons coaching Big Ten football. Most recently, he was defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota from 2009-10, during which time he oversaw a unit that improved its pass defense from 93rd nationally in 2008 to 55th in 2009 and 33rd in 2010. Three of his linebackers – Lee Campbell, Simoni Lawrence and Nate Triplett – earned invites to the 2009 NFL Combine.
From 2004-07, Cosgrove was defensive coordinator at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers ranked 11th nationally in rushing defense in 2004, led the nation in sacks (50, 4.17 per game) and tackles for loss (124, 10.33 per game) in 2005, while also ranking in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense in 2005 and 2006. He helped the program to a Big 12 North Division Championship in 2006 and appearances in the 2005 Alamo and 2007 Cotton Bowls. In his four seasons, Cosgrove mentored seven first- or second-team All-Big 12 defenders.
Prior to his time at Nebraska, he spent 14 seasons (1990-2003) at Wisconsin under head coach Barry Alvarez and coordinated the Badger defense from 1995-2003. During that span, UW won Big Ten titles in 1993, 1998 and 1999, following each with a victory in the Rose Bowl. During Cosgrove’s tenure in Madison, the program posted a 7-2 record in bowl games. Cosgrove also coached the linebackers at Wisconsin (1990-94), tutoring three who led the conference in tackles in three different seasons. Included in that trio is the program’s all-time leading tackler, Pete Monty, whom Cosgrove also recruited.
Cosgrove served as defensive coordinator at the University of Akron in 2011. He also coached in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game.
A native of Chicago, he coached linebackers at Colorado State in 1989, was defensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri State in 1988 and linebackers coach at Illinois (1983-87) and Morehead State (1983). He served as graduate assistant at Illinois from 1980-83.
Cosgrove competed collegiately at Benedictine College (Ill.) in 1974 and at Wisconsin-Oshkosh from 1976-78, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 1980.
He and his wife Shelly have two sons, Clint and Connor, and one daughter, Shannon.
The Cosgrove File
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Birthdate: Dec. 27, 1955
Family: wife Shelly; sons Clint, Connor; daughter Shannon
Education: B.S., physical education – Wisconsin Oshkosh, ’80
Coaching experience:
2015-18: New Mexico (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2014: New Mexico (Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers)
2012-13: New Mexico (Inside Linebackers)
2011: Akron (Defensive Coordinator)
2009-10: Minnesota (Co-Defensive Coordinator)
2004-07: Nebraska (Defensive Coordinator)
1995-2003: Wisconsin (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
1990-94: Wisconsin (Linebackers)
1989: Colorado State (Linebackers)
1988: Southeast Missouri State (Defensive Coordinator)
1983-87: Illinois (Linebackers)
1983: Morehead State (Linebackers)
1980-83: Illinois (Graduate Assistant)
Bowl games: 2016 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, 2015 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, 2009 Insight Bowl, 2007 Cotton Bowl, 2005 Alamo Bowl, 2003 Music City Bowl, 2002 Alamo Bowl, 2000 Sun Bowl, 2000 Rose Bowl (1999 season), 1999 Rose Bowl (1998 season), 1997 Outback Bowl, 1996 Copper Bowl, 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl, 1995 Blue-Gray Bowl, 1994 Rose Bowl (1993 season), 1985 Peach Bowl, 1984 Rose Bowl (1983 season), 1982 Liberty Bowl