Richard Gunnels is in his second year at Fort Hays State as a graduate assistant coach. He will coach the cornerbacks for the second straight year in 2013.
Gunnels came to Fort Hays State after serving as the linebackers coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 2011, where he had one player earn all-conference honors. In 2012 at Fort Hays State, Gunnels coached All-MIAA cornerback Keke Paul.
Prior to coaching at NWOSU, Gunnels was a three-year starter at linebacker for the Rangers, earning an all-conference selection twice. As a senior in 2010, Gunnels anchored a defense that ranked second in the Central States Football League in total defense and led the conference in rushing defense after allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground. He was named the CSFL Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 6, 2010 after making eight tackles and recording the only interception of his career against Southern Nazarene. Gunnels finished his four-year career with 112 tackles, including 17 for loss, and he was twice named the Rangers’ Black Cloud defensive player of the year.
Gunnels, a native of Lovelady, Texas, graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State in December 2011 with bachelor’s degree in Health and Sports Science and a minor in Sports Psychology. He is now working on his master’s degree in Sports Administration at Fort Hays State.
