Lance Leipold has finalized his first coaching staff as head coach of the UW-Whitewater Warhawks. Nelson Edmonds and John O’Connor are the latest additions to the staff. Edmonds returns to his former spot as the Warhawk’s running back’s coach.

Edmonds is certainly no stranger to the Warhawk football program. The Madison native was on the UW-Whitewater coaching staff for 11 years prior to accepting an academic advising position at the University of Wisconsin in Madison prior to the 2006 season. Following the just-completed academic year, Edmonds decided to return to Whitewater.

After graduating from Madison East High School, Edmonds took his substantial football talent to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to attend college at Northern Michigan University where he was an All-American running back.

When not coaching at UW-Whitewater, Edmonds focuses on his work as a counselor in the school’s academic advising and exploration center.

(In the adjacent photo, Edmonds and All-American running back Justin Beaver on the Perkins Stadium sideline in the Warhawk’s 2005 NCAA Division III semifinal victory over Wesley College)

With Edmonds back as UW-Whitewater’s running back’s coach, last year’s running back coach, Joe Parish, will coach the Warhawk wide receivers in this season.

Leipold has also hired John O’Connor as the Warhawk’s new tight end’s coach. The Portage, Wisconsin native has spent the past two seasons as the tight ends coach at Division II Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

O’Connor is a 2002 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran College with a degree in psychology. He began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Utah. The following year he served as a varsity assistant coach at Walled Lake Central High School in Michigan.

O’Connor was a defensive back while at Wisconsin Lutheran where he served as team captain as a senior.

Two recent graduates, Travis Reuland and Ryan Kleppe along with holdover Jake Davis will serve as graduate assistant coaches this fall.