Steven Koch joined the Lobo family in January 2025 and serves as a special teams analyst. He previously served in a similar position at Texas State for two seasons, working with current Lobo special teams coach Daniel DaPrato. He was promoted in 2024 to Assistant Special Teams coach.
In his two seasons with Texas State. In 2024, the Bobcats finished third nationally in total punt return yards, fourth nationally in punt return average, and fifth nationally in touchbacks. He coached returner Ismail Mahdi, who was second in the Sun Belt in all-purpose yardage a year after leading the league in that same category, earning All-America honors.
Also in 2024, punt returner Beau Sparks dominated the Sun Belt and Texas State record books, setting marks for the highest single-game punt return average, most return yards in a game, and single-game punt return yards, as he achieved a pair of punt return touchdowns in the same game.
In his first season with the Bobcats in 2023. Texas State led the entire country in total kick return yards with 1,017 and was fifth in the nation in yards per kick return at 26.1 yards. The Bobcats tied with Auburn for the nation’s best field goal percentage, as Texas State didn’t miss a kick during the year.
The Bobcats, who improved 105 spots in the national rankings in kick return average from 2022 to 2023, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, which was a first for the program since 2013. Texas State had a total of seven kickoffs returned for 30+ yards during the season.
Kicker Mason Shipley was a perfect 15-of-15 in field goals. The first-year starter set the program record for most field goals made in a season and was one of only two kickers in the country to make all his field goals (min. 10 attempts).
Shipley was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top placekicker. Koch has coached two All-Americans in his career (Shipley and Mahdi), and he coached the nation’s leader in all-purpose yards in 2023 and 2024.
Before joining the Bobcats, Koch served as the Special Teams Analyst at South Florida for the 2022 season, working alongside Da Prato as well. At USF, Koch helped coordinate all special teams units and assisted in the recruitment process of specialists. When Daniel Da Prato was named Interim Head Coach, Koch moved to Interim Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Assistant. Koch helped mentor Brian Battie, who was the nation’s leader in all-purpose yards and an All-American at returner, a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist, and a current member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Spencer Shrader. In 2022, USF led the country in kick return yards.
Koch was the Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends and Fullbacks coach at Dickinson State from 2020-2022, which was his second stint as a coach at his alma mater. In addition to overseeing all special teams units, he helped lead Dickinson State to an undefeated 2020 season and back-to-back conference championships in 2020 and 2021. He mentored all-conference selections Isaiah Kludt (punt returner), Jeremiah Paine (punter), Jace Johnson (kicker), and Galen Brantley (tight end).
Before his second coaching stint at Dickinson State, Koch was the Outside Linebackers coach at Chadron State College (NE) for the 2019 season. He worked closely with the defensive coordinator on game planning, serving as a special teams assistant. In the Spring of 2019, he served a defensive internship at Colorado.
In 2018, Koch served as Outside Linebackers Coach for his first stint with Dickinson State. At Dickinson, he helped the team win a conference title in 2018 and reach the second round of the NAIA National Playoffs.
As a collegiate player, Koch played four seasons at Dickinson State (2014-17) as an outside linebacker. He was a three-time conference champion and helped lead the team to top-15 national finishes in three seasons. He played in 44 career games.
Koch earned a bachelor’s degree in University Studies from Dickinson State in 2018 and a Master’s in Organizational Management from Chadron State in 2021.
He is married to the former Nicole Thramer.