Veteran coach Bob Valesente will serve as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Ethan Horton will guide the running backs, Kevin Patullo will have the wide receivers, the offensive line will be led by Donnie Woods, John Bock will have the defensive line and Matt Hartle, who coaches locally at Northwood Academy, will be responsible for quality control.

“Coach Chan Gailey has assembled an outstanding group of both experienced veteran coaches and rising young stars of the profession,” said Brian Woods, the game’s executive director. “The guys will enjoy playing for these outstanding coaches.”

Valesente, who currently lives in Hilton Head, served as the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks from 1986-87. He also served as an assistant coach in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts (secondary and special teams, 1982–83), Pittsburgh Steelers (linebackers, 1990–91), Green Bay Packers (linebackers, 1992–94; defensive backs, 1995–98), and Carolina Panthers (defensive backs, 1999).

Horton, a native of Kannapolis, NC, played one season for the Kansas City Chiefs (1985), and seven seasons as a tight end for the Los Angeles Raiders (1987, 1989–1993), and the Washington Redskins (1994). He starred at the University of North Carolina, where he was an all-Atlantic Coast Conference running back and 1984 ACC Player of the Year. In 1981, he was named the co-MVP of the Gator Bowl when the Tar Heels defeated Arkansas.

Patullo spent the 2007-08 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive assistant working primarily in quality control and served in the same capacity under Gailey with the Buffalo Bills. Patullo began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Mike Stoops at the University of Arizona (2004-06).

Woods, who started for three years as a guard at the University of Maryland (2003-06) and who played for Coach Ralph Friedgen – the coach of the Medal of Honor Game’s American Team – participated in the Gator and Champs Bowls, winning both. He is currently the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the Reivers recorded a 23-1 record over the past two seasons including a No. 1 final ranking and a NJCAA National Championship in 2012 and rated second in 2013.

Bock is a former NFL offensive lineman who played one year for the New York Jets (1995) and five seasons with the Miami Dolphins (1996-00). He played collegiately at Louisville and Indiana State, and is a former assistant coach at Florida Atlantic University.

Hartle, who coaches at Northwood Academy in Charleston, will also assist with the wide receivers and tight ends. From 2011-13, he served as an assistant coach and was assistant recruiting coordinator at Northwestern State University (LA). Since August, he has been working with Northwood Academy and coaches the running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. He graduated from University of Texas-Austin in 2008 with a degree in Kinesiology.

While Gailey has yet to announce his defensive backs coach, he stated that he would personally serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“Coach Gailey is a very serious competitor and has been earnest in assembling a top staff, one that could orchestrate a very fine NFL caliber team,” noted Tommy McQueeney, the bowl’s chairman. “His history of demanding performance has resulted in his career success.”

Set for 2 pm on Saturday, January 11 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, the Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Tickets may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.MOHbowl.com. They will also be available at www.Etix.com and charge by phone at 800/514-ETIX (3849).

For more information, please refer to www.mohbowl.com, Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Medal of Honor Bowl

About the Game

The Medal of Honor Bowl is a premier all-star game featuring the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information about the game and to find out how you can become a supporter, visit www.MOHbowl.com.

About the Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is America’s highest military honor and is awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress to US military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version.

Primary Contacts:

Brian Woods, Executive Director
917/257-5801
bwoods@MOHbowl.com

Tommy McQueeney, Bowl Chairman
843/297-5555
tommymcqueeney@me.com

Andy Solomon, Media Relations
843/209-4723
andy.solomon@citadel.edu