John Skladany - Linebacker Coach - Staff Directory - Iowa State University Athletics

Staff Directory

John Skladany

Title:
Linebacker Coach
Email:
Phone:
(515) 294-7998

John Skladany has engineered major defensive reversals of fortune at Iowa State, a significant factor in the ISU football program’s five bowl appearances in the last six years. The facts speak for themselves. Most notably, Iowa State’s performance against the rush improved in each of Skladany’s initial six seasons in Ames. The season before Skladany’s arrival in Ames (1996), the Cyclones allowed 262 rushing yards per game. The figure stood at a post-World War II best 139.2 yards in 2004. The record was short-lived. Iowa State allowed only 102.7 rushing yards per game last season. Skladany’s charges allowed just 10 rushing touchdowns last season, a school-record low.

In 1997, Iowa State allowed 44.8 points per game. That total dropped to 21 points per game in 2001 and then to 19.2 points per game last season, the lowest Iowa State total since 1980. The 19.4 points allowed per conference game last season was an ISU best since 1981. Skladany’s makeover of ISU’s defensive schemes improved Iowa State’s total defense numbers from 484.0 ypg in 1996 to 329.4 ypg in 2004.

The stats say it all. It was no surprise that the Big 12 coaches voted nose guard Nick Leaders and cornerback LaMarcus Hicks first-team all-Big 12. Middle linebacker Tim Dobbins, the 2004 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, earned second-team honors along with defensive tackle Brent Curvey and safety Steve Paris. Dobbins was a fifth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers. Leaders and Paris signed contracts with the Baltimore Ravens and Hicks signed with the Detroit Lions. Defensive back Ellis Hobbs, who started for the New England Patriots in 2005, earned first-team all-conference honors and was the defensive MVP in Iowa State’s win over Miami University in the 2004 Independence Bowl.

The Cyclones ranked first among the Big 12 division in total defense last season for the fourth time in five years. Skladany’s aggressive style of defense forced 23 turnovers in 2000, 26 turnovers in 2001, 25 in 2004 and a Big 12-leading 35 last season. Iowa State, which ranked 108th nationally in turnover margin in 1999, improved to 34th nationally in 2000 and then to eighth in the country in 2001. The Cyclones ranked second in the Big 12 and 12th nationally in turnover margin in 2004. Last season, they led the conference in that category and ranked seventh nationally.

The Cyclones set a school record for sacks (32) in 1998. Among Skladany’s 2000 defenders was defensive end Reggie Hayward, who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars in his sixth NFL season. Hayward has made 27 1/2 NFL sacks over the last three seasons. Another member of that Insight.com Bowl defensive front was tackle James Reed. Reed is now in his sixth NFL season. He now plays in the defensive line for the Kansas City Chiefs after making a career-high 65 tackles for the New York Jets in 2005.

Despite losing seven starters from that 2000 unit, Skladany’s 2001 Iowa State defenders posted ISU’s best total defensive numbers since 1992, dropping its yards allowed per contest by 60 in one season. Iowa State recorded a pair of shutouts in a single campaign for the first time since 1978. Defensive tackle Jordan Carstens, who had 35 tackles and four sacks last season for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, earned all-Big 12 honors in 2001. Carstens repeated as an all-league choice in 2002, joining strong safety JaMaine Billups. In 2003, defensive end Jason Berryman was the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Skladany played a key role on the Colorado State coaching staff that turned the Ram defense into a unit that led the Western Athletic Conference. With Skladany coaching the defensive line, Colorado State won WAC team titles in 1994 and 1995. Among Skladany’s top performers at CSU was 1995 WAC Defensive Player of the Year Brady Smith. The defensive lineman led the nation in sacks and tackles that season. Smith was joined on that defensive front by Sean Moran, who earned first-team all-WAC honors. Smith has played 10 NFL seasons, the last six for the Atlanta Falcons. Moran played eight years in the NFL. Defensive end Clark Haggans, who also played for Skladany at CSU, plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Colorado State made Holiday Bowl appearances in 1994 and 1995 under head coach Sonny Lubick. The Rams won 25 games over the last three seasons of Skladany’s term at CSU.

Skladany played football at Central Connecticut State, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1972. The Haverhill, Mass., native had NFL free agent tryouts as a defensive lineman with the New England Patriots in 1972 and the Washington Redskins in 1973. He played for the WFL’s Birmingham Americans in 1974 and spent the 1975 exhibition season with the Ottawa Roughriders of the CFL.

Skladany came to Colorado State after serving two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Northern Arizona (1990-92) and one campaign coaching the Lumberjack defensive line.

The 58-year-old Skladany coached at Ohio University from 1985-89, as secondary coach (1985-87) and then as defensive coordinator (1988-89). He began his coaching career at Ohio as a graduate assistant (1976-77). Skladany owns a master’s degree from Ohio. He also coached at Maine (1981-84) and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1980) after a two-year stint at Utica (Ohio) High School. Skladany and his wife Sharon have two daughters (Laura, Stephanie).