Steven Koch is in his first season as Illinois' assistant special teams coach in 2026. Koch joined the Illini from New Mexico, where he was a special teams analyst in 2025.
Koch has helped coach some of the top special teams units in the nation during his career. He has been on staff for special teams units that have produced two All-Americans (Texas State’s Ismail Mahdi and USF’s Brian Battie), the nation’s leader in all-purpose yards in 2023 and 2024, and two Lou Groza Award semifinalists.
During Koch’s stop at New Mexico in 2025, the Lobos excelled in special teams on their way to nine wins and an appearance in the Rate Bowl. New Mexico kicker Luke Drzewiecki tied for the FBS lead in field goal percentage (94.7%) and the team set a program record for net punting at 43.3 yards with Ray Guy Award semifinalist Daniel Hughes. New Mexico also excelled in the return game, as the team had a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown in the same season for the first time since 1996. Damon Bankston was named an All-Mountain West First Team kick returner after tying for the nation lead with two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
Prior to New Mexico, Koch spent two seasons at Texas State, first as a special teams analyst in 2023 before being promoted to assistant special teams coach in 2024. He helped Texas State to 16 wins during his two seasons, including victories in the 2023 and 2024 SERVPRO First Responder Bowls, with some of the best special teams performers in FBS.
In 2024, the Bobcats finished third nationally in total punt return yards, fourth nationally in punt return average, and fifth nationally in touchbacks, and had two of the top return men in the nation in Ismail Mahdi and Beau Sparks. Mahdi, who was second in the Sun Belt in all-purpose yardage a year after leading the league in that same category, to First All-America honors by CBS/247Sports and Second Team All-America honors by ESPN, the FWAA, The Athletic, and Phil Steele. 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 Texas State in 2023, the Bobcats led the nation in total kick return yards (1,017) and finished fifth in the nation in kick return average (26.1 yards). The Bobcats tied with Auburn for the nation’s best field goal percentage, as Texas State did not 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). He was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top kicker.
Before joining the Bobcats, Koch served as the special teams analyst at South Florida in 2022 and helped the Bulls lead the nation in kick return yards. He helped mentor Brian Battie, who was the nation’s leader in all-purpose yards and an All-American returner, and Spencer Shrader, who was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Koch was the special teams coordinator/tight ends and fullbacks coach at Dickinson State from 2020-21, his second stint on staff at his alma mater. He helped lead Dickinson State to an undefeated 2020 season and back-to-back conference championships in 2020 and 2021. Dickinson State’s special teams featured all-conference selections at punter, kicker, and punt returner, while Koch also coached all-conference selection Galen Brantley at tight end.
Koch was the outside linebackers coach at Chadron State College (Neb.) in 2019 between stints at Dickinson State. He started his coaching career at Dickinson State in 2018 as the team’s outside linebackers coach, helping the program to a conference title and a win in the first round of the NAIA National Playoffs.
Koch played 44 games in four seasons as an outside linebacker at Dickinson State from 2014-17. He was a three-time conference champion and helped lead the team to three top-15 national finishes.
Koch earned a bachelor’s degree in university studies from Dickinson State University in 2018 and completed a master’s degree in organizational management from Chadron State College in 2021.
Koch is married to the former Nicole Thramer.
