Defensive Line
Toledo, 1992
6th Season at Idaho State
208-282-3767
Recruiting: Southern California Mark Rhea enters his sixth season with the Idaho State football program after spending the previous three years on the campus of Austin Peay State University, where he served as linebackers and strength and conditioning coach for the Govs. With Idaho State, Rhea is in charge of the defensive line, a unit which has produced a national player of the year among a string of accolades under Rhea. For the fourth straight year, Idaho State's four defensive lineman earned All-Big Sky honors, including one second-team selection. Two of his lineman, Jermaine Horn and Dustin Schroader, earned ISU's top Newcomer Award and Top Defensive Player Award at the annual Bennion Awards Banquet. In 2003 Rhea coached a pair of first-team selections. Rhea also coached the nation's top defensive player in Jared Allen, who was named the 2003 recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award as I-AA top defensive player. Allen, became a back-to-back postseason All-American defensive end, being named to the First Team on every single All-American team that was presented in 2003. All told, the defensive line accounted for 65 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles, and three blocked kicks. In his six seasons with Idaho State, he has produced 22 All-Conference performers, including eight First Team All-Big Sky picks, along with two postseason All-Americans and a Buck Buchanan Award winner. He served one season as defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator at the Coast Guard. His group was responsible for 38 quarterback sacks and 78 tackles for losses in 1996 helping the USCGA to their first NCAA playoff appearance. Prior to that work, he served as a graduate assistant (1994-96) defensive line and secondary coach at Michigan State, where the Spartans played Louisiana in the Poulon/Weed Eater Independence Bowl. His first coaching assignment was at his alma mater, Toledo, where he served as a student assistant, administrative assistant and graduate assistant from 1991-94. A student assistant in 1991, he worked with the defensive line. As administrative assistant in 1993-94, he worked with on-campus recruiting and the program's computer operations. As a graduate assistant, he assisted with the quarterbacks and wide receivers in addition to scout team preparation and video coordination. As a player, Rhea was a four-year starter at defensive end for the Rockets and was named the team's outstanding defensive lineman as a senior. He helped lead Toledo to a Mid-American Conference co-championship in 1990. Mark is a 1992 graduate of the University of Toledo with a degree in Athletic Administration. Rhea and his wife Stacey live in Pocatello.