As Dowell Loggains begins his second year as head coach, App State's roster is not the only part of the football program that looks different heading into the 2026 season. The Mountaineers have also made several changes to their coaching staff, adding new voices in key position groups and on special teams.
The most visible additions came in January, when App State announced four new assistant coaches over an eight-day period. Tyler Zielenske was hired as special teams coordinator, Tyler Kelley joined as running backs coach, Antonio James took over the defensive line and Justin Harper was named wide receivers coach.
Tyler Zielenske takes over special teams
Zielenske was the first of the January additions announced by App State, joining the Mountaineers as special teams coordinator.
He came to Boone after spending the 2025 season at Samford, where he served as special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator. Before that, he was special teams coordinator at Murray State.
Zielenske also has a previous connection with Loggains. He worked as a special teams analyst at South Carolina in 2023 while Loggains was on the Gamecocks' staff as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
At South Carolina, Zielenske assisted a special teams unit that ranked among the nation's top 25 in several categories, including blocked punts, total blocks and punt return defense, according to App State's announcement.
Tyler Kelley brings CFP experience
Kelley joined App State from Tulane, where he spent the previous two seasons on Jon Sumrall's staff.
During the 2025 season, Kelley worked as Tulane's assistant running backs coach and offensive recruiting specialist. The Green Wave finished 11-2, won the American Athletic Conference championship and reached the College Football Playoff.
Tulane averaged 166.3 rushing yards per game and scored 26 rushing touchdowns in 2025. A quarterback and two running backs each finished the season with more than 500 rushing yards.
Before Tulane, Kelley coached at Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech and began his coaching career at the high school level in Tennessee.
Antonio James takes over the defensive line
James joined the Mountaineers after spending the 2025 season as an assistant defensive line coach at Illinois.
James started his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan and later worked at Morgan State. His playing career included time at Illinois, where he helped the Illini reach the 2008 Rose Bowl.
His arrival gives App State another coach with experience on both sides of the college football landscape, including a recent stop in the Big Ten and previous coordinator responsibilities at the FCS level.
Justin Harper stays in the Sun Belt
Harper's move to App State came after two seasons as wide receivers coach at James Madison. A North Carolina native from nearby Catawba, Harper was a standout receiver at Virginia Tech before being selected in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played professionally from 2008 through 2013, including his first three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
At James Madison, Harper coached on a staff that won the 2025 Sun Belt championship. Four Dukes receivers recorded more than 25 catches that season, while the group combined to help JMU produce 26 touchdown receptions.
More than four new names
The four January hires are the clearest publicly announced additions, but the current App State football staff also includes several new or newly listed support roles.
Kevin Higgins is listed as chief of staff and pass game specialist, while the football support staff includes Macho Arza as assistant wide receivers coach and Devin Coleman as assistant secondary coach.
App State has brought in new coaches for special teams, running backs, defensive line and wide receivers while continuing to build out its support and personnel operation.
The results of those changes will not be known until the season begins. But with a new-look roster and several new members of the staff, the Mountaineers will enter Year Two under Loggains with a noticeably different football operation than the one that took the field in 2025.
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