Steven Koch joined the Lobo family in January of 2025, and he serves as a special teams analyst. He previously served in a similar position with Texas State for two seasons, working with current Lobo special teams coach Daniel Da Prato. In 2024, he was promoted to Assistant Special Teams.
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.
Last year punt returner Beau Sparks was all over the Sun Belt and Texas State record books, setting marks for highest single-game punt return average, most return yards in a game and single-game punt return yards as he had a pair of punt return touchdowns in a 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 were also 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.
The field goal accuracy was powered by Mason Shipley, who 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, which is 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 was the Special Teams Analyst at South Florida for the 2022 season and worked alongside Da Prato there as well. At USF, Koch helped coordinate all special teams units and assisted in the recruitment process of specialists. When Daniel Da Prato was promoted to Interim Head Coach, Koch was promoted on the field 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 and Lou Groza Award Semifinalist and current member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Spencer Shrader. In 2022, USF lead 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).
Prior to 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 and was also a special teams assistant. In the Spring of 2019 he served a defensive internship at Colorado.
In 2018, Koch was Outside Linebackers Coach for his first stint with Dickinson State and 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.