WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army head coach Jeff Monken has announced that Sean Saturnio will take over the special teams unit. Saturnio coached the tight ends in 2018 and 2019. Offensive quality control coach Matt Drinkall has been elevated to tight ends coach.
"Having one of the most productive and aggressive special-teams units in the nation is a priority for us,” said Monken. “Coach Saturnio led those units as our coordinator in 2016 and 2017. We saw a tremendous improvement in the 2017 season after having to replace all of our veteran specialists in 2016. Coach Saturnio is one of the best teachers in the game and is beloved by our players. I am excited that he will, once again, be in a position to influence our entire football team in this role."
“Coach Drinkall, besides being a tremendous person and great relationship builder, has one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football,” said Monken. “When we hired him a year ago, I knew that we were only beating everyone else to the punch. He is tremendously respected in our profession and has brought a number of fresh ideas to our offensive scheme. I am excited that he is transitioning to an on-the-field role with our team.”
Saturnio just wrapped up his sixth season on the Black Knights’ coaching staff and his second season working with the tight ends. He originally came to Army with Monken and coached the fullbacks (2014-15) before taking over special teams the following two seasons.
He mentored punter Nick Schrage into a weapon for field position in 2017 as he was named a nominee for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. Schrage improved his average by over seven yards per kick and had six boots over 50 yards after just one in 2016.In 2016, Saturnio took over the special teams for the first time at West Point. He mentored Blake Wilson, Nick Schrage and J.D. Mote in the kicking game in their first full season. Rookie Malik McGue averaged eight yards per punt return and had a season-long 58-yard return at Wake Forest.
Drinkall joined the Army staff in 2019 and spent last season as the offensive quality control coach. He came to West Point after a very successful five-year stint as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan where the Coyotes were 42-17, including a 37-12 slate against KCAC opponents. His last four teams won 40 games (40-8) during the best four-year run in school history. He departed holding the fourth-highest win total in program history as well.
Drinkall began his career at St. Ambrose in 2008 and steadily moved through the offensive coaching ranks, starting with the wide receivers in 2009 before moving to offensive line in 2010. He was then elevated to offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Bees in 2012.
Before St. Ambrose, he spent two seasons at Western Illinois as the tight ends coach under Don Patterson. While there he helped develop the Leathernecks into one of the top rushing offenses
in the country at the time. He coached three seasons at his alma mater, Bettendorf (Iowa) High School, before arriving at Western Illinois, where he coached defensive backs and wide receivers, including former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Pat Angerer. Drinkall also served as a student-coach at the University of Iowa for three years after suffering a career ending injury as a wide receiver for the Hawkeyes.
