GREENVILLE, Pa. (March 21) -- Thiel College Head Football Coach Sam Bauman has announced the hiring of Greg Polis to be the teams offensive coordinator, Tom Keane to head up the squads wide receivers and special teams and Jon Bevier to be linebackers coach.

"Greg, Tom and Jon bring great experience and excitement to our program," Bauman, who will be entering his fourth year at the helm of the Thiel program in 2025, said.

Polis comes to Thiel after a four-year stint as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and strength and conditioning coordinator at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Polis' offense was fourth in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III in points per game (35.4) and third in yards per game (393) last season. Polis received the 2022 Phil Brown Assistant Coach of the Year Award, presented to an assistant coach with a commitment to promoting the ideals set forth by the Hudson Valley Athletic Department.

"Greg's success as a play caller speaks for itself and will be a huge addition to what we do here," Bauman said. "Greg brings an energy and excitement to the staff that I know will help us take the next step as an offense and program."

In addition to running a prolific offense, Polis has coached seven NJCAA DIII All-Americans and recruited eight NJCAA DIII All-Americans. He has also coached 24 players who were recruited to a four-year institution, including 18 players at the D1/D2 level. Additionally, Polis recruited 15 players who ultimately were recruited to four-year institutions, including 12 at the D1/D2 level.

"Greg's desire to push his players to be their best will be a huge asset for us," Bauman noted. "He is a tireless recruiter that will help us continue to improve our roster."

Prior to Hudson Valley, Polis coached for eight years at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. There, he developed three All-City players and 10 All-Brooklyn players. In his playing days, he was a three-year linebacker at Saint Francis (PA) University.

Keane joins the staff after a one-year role as the Morehead State University tight ends coach. There, he helped guide the Eagles to their most wins in a season (seven) since 2021. Keane has coached college football at eight different institutions at the FBC, FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA levels. Additionally, Keane has coached directly or through special teams eight different NFL players, including Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals and Azeez Al-Shair of the Houston Texans.

"Tom's passion for the game is great," Bauman added. "He will look to bring out the best in his players both on the field and as members of the Thiel community."

Keane has had two stops at FBS schools, most recently working as a special teams assistant in the 2018 season for the University of Massachusetts. He was also a quality control assistant for tight ends and special teams at Florida Atlantic University in 2016.

Prior to Morehead State, Keane was the OC/QB coach at Dean College for two seasons where he coached eight different All-Conference players as well as one Preseason All-American tight end. As wide receivers coach and director of football operations at Louisiana Christian, his wide receivers crop finished in the top 10 in yards per catch in the NAIA. Keane has also coached at Alderson Broaddus University as special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach and West Virginia Wesleyan College as an offensive skill assistant.

Keane's collegiate coaching began at FCS Colgate University as a running backs coach. In his time there, the Raiders won the Patriot League Championship and were NCAA quarterfinalists. Keane was a four-year wide receiver at Presidents' Athletic Conference rival Washington and Jefferson College from 2003-07.

"Tom brings a ton of experience to both our offense and special teams," Bauman said. "His ability to communicate schemes to our players will be a huge addition to our staff and improve us immensely."

Bevier joins the Thiel staff from FBS Central Michigan University where he was a defensive quality control coach. Prior to his stint with the Chippewas, Bevier served as an assistant coach responsible for linebackers at Anchor Bay High School in Fair Haven, Mich. for four seasons. He also coached linebackers and running backs for four years at Mount Pleasant High School in Michigan. 

"We are excited to have Jon on our staff," Bauman stated. "His passion and drive for the game is unmatched and we are certain he'll be able to shape our linebackers and defense."

In addition to coaching, Bevier worked as a Special Education Paraeducator at Anchor Bay.

"Jon is a great communicator who can get through to our guys what we expect from them," Bauman said.

The Tomcats have seen continued improvement under Bauman's leadership, having won three games in each of the last two seasons.