Nofri Adds Two Assistant Coaches to Staff
Former Pio Kevin Duke Returns, Napoleon Comes to SHU from Buffalo
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart University head coach Mark Nofri announced the hiring of two assistant coaches to the football staff. Joining the Pioneers is Kevin Duke ’18, MBA ‘19 and Brandon Napoleon. Duke will coach the outside linebackers while Napoleon will coach the cornerbacks.
“We look forward to welcoming Kevin and Brandon to our staff,” Nofri said. “I think both coaches bring something to our football program and fit into the overall culture of our football program.
“Kevin is an outstanding person that we know from his days as an all-conference quarterback here and is a great young coach, who earned the respect of his peers by his work ethic and knowledge of the game. Brandon is a young energetic coach, and we look forward to having his knowledge and expertise in our secondary.”
It’s a homecoming for Duke as he quarterbacked the Pioneers to the 2018 Northeast Conference Championship. That year he earned Second-Team All-NEC honors after throwing for 1,736 yards and 13 touchdowns. Six times he was named NEC Offensive Player of the Week during his junior and senior campaigns.
As well as he performed on the field, Duke was just as successful off it. A two-year team captain, he earned four spots on the NEC Academic Honor Roll. Duke was a member of the SHU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and collected All-America honors from the National Strength & Conditioning Association.
“It’s been incredible to get back to SHU and be a part of the football program in a different capacity,” Duke said. “To be able to be recruited by, play for, and now work alongside some of the coaches I learned from is a special privilege. It’s an honor to be back here coaching on the other side of the ball and to be able to learn the defense under Coach Cooke.”
Duke returns to SHU after a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Springfield College. Serving as special teams coordinator and safeties coach, he helped the Pride to a 7-4 record and a spot in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Under his direction, kicker Christian Hutra wasnamed NEWMAC Special Teams Athlete of the Year.
Duke graduated Sacred Heart in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He added a master’s in business administration the following year.
Napoleon comes to the Pioneers after serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Buffalo. Prior to that he was the defensive backs coach at Geneve College. During the 2019 campaign he helped Susquehanna to a 10-1 record and a victory in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series. There he mentored cornerbacks and kick returners.
“This is an amazing opportunity to come be a part of a great university, a great staff, with great men of character,” Napoleon said. “I look forward to continuing the strong tradition of a winning culture. The energy around the program is unmatched and I cannot wait until September 3rd to go for a third-straight conference championship.”
A star quarterback and defensive back at St. Peter’s Prep, he started his playing career at West Virginia University. He finished his career by playing 11 games at Kansas Wesleyan where he made 20 tackles and intercepted four passes, returning one for a touchdown.
Napoleon earned a communications degree from Kansas Wesleyan in 2018.
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