This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Weber State has named defensive coordinator Jody Sears its interim head football coach to replace John L. Smith, who stepped down earlier this week to become the interim head coach at Arkansas.
Sears was hired by Smith to be the Wildcats' defensive coordinator on April 2.
"I am extremely honored by the opportunity to be in a position to be named interim head coach at Weber State," Sears said in a school news release. "We have some great things in place here at Weber State and I look forward to working with our team this season."
Sears, 44, spent the last three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator at Washington State before joining Smith's staff a few weeks ago.
He has extensive experience in the Big Sky Conference, having spent five seasons (2003-07) as the defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington.
He has also coached at Army (2000-2002).
"We are excited to welcome Jody as our interim head coach and are looking forward to the 2012 season under his leadership," said Weber State athletic director Jerry Bovee.
Sears played at Washington State as a wide receiver under former Weber State head coach Mike Price and graduated from WSU in 1991.
Sears and his wife, Molly, are the parents of five children.