SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis has announced the hiring of Colin Ferrell as the defensive edges coach. Ferrell, who coached the defensive line the past two seasons at Rutgers, has almost 15 years of Division I experience.
In 2024, Ferrell helped the Scarlet Knights to a winning season and an invitation to the Rate Bowl. Defensive linemen Kyonte Hamilton and Aaron Lewis each garnered honorable-mention all-Big Ten accolades with Hamilton and Jordan Walker each logging a team-leading four sacks apiece. Hamilton was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. This past season, Ferrell coached Eric O’Neil, who led Rutgers in sacks (2.5), tackles for loss (9.5) and quarterback hurries (10).
Prior to his time at Rutgers, Ferrell spent 11 seasons at Kent State from 2013-23, including for all five that Lewis was the head coach from 2018-22. At different points in his tenure with the Golden Flashes, Ferrell coached the defensive line (2016-17 and 2019-23), outside linebackers (2018), interim head coach (2017) and graduate assistant (2013-15). He mentored third-team all-MAC defensive lineman CJ West in 2023 and third-team all-MAC defensive lineman Theo Magette in 2019. The 2019 squad had its first bowl win in program history with a 51-41 victory over Utah State in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.
Ferrell was promoted to a full-time assistant in 2016 after spending three seasons as a defensive graduate assistant. In 2017, nose tackle Jon Cunningham claimed all-MAC honors, while defensive end Terence Waugh was a first-team pick in 2016.
Ferrell also spent four seasons as a high school coach, including three at The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey, and one at Steinert in Hamilton, New Jersey.
Ferrell played four years on the defensive line at Kent State from 2004-07, where he was an all-MAC first-team selection and team captain as a senior. He is currently fifth in school history with 45.5 career tackles for loss.
San Diego State is coming off a 9-4 season in 2025.
SDSU Hires Colin Ferrell as Edges Coach
Ferrell comes to The Mesa after two seasons at Rutgers
