UTEP Football Announces Craig Neece as Miners’ Bandits Coach

3/11/2026 3:03:00 PM

EL PASO – Third-year UTEP head coach Scotty Walden announced on Wednesday that Craig Neece will be the Miners' bandits coach.

Neece comes to the 915 from Hardin-Simmons, where he served as the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach the last two seasons (2024, 2025). The Cowboys forged a 19-3 overall record and 11-1 in league action during Neece's two seasons on the staff. HSU advanced to the NCAA Division III Playoffs both seasons.

Neece's defense led the American Southwest Conference in scoring defense (19.1 ppg) and total defense (308.1 ypg). The Cowboys yielded a league-low 4.8 yards per play. HSU finished 9-2 overall and 5-1 in ASC play in 2025.

HSU Linebacker Kaiden Roden earned second team All-American honors by the Associated Press and D3football.com and was named to the Dave Campbell's All-Texas team. Roden was also the ASC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and led the Cowboys in tackles with 79. Safety Harrison Foster was named second team All-American by the AP. He led the HSU secondary with 78 stops, forced a pair of fumbles and returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns.

His second season as the defensive coordinator was a huge success as the Cowboys were the top scoring and total yardage defense in the conference. The Cowboys allowed 17.5 points per game and 286.3 yards per contest.

HSU went 10-1 overall and 6-0 in ASC play in 2024.

Neece's defense was led by All-American Charlie Patterson in 2024. Patterson as the ASC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American by D3football.com, the AFCA, AP and Walter Camp. He was also the region's defensive player of the year and a Campbell Trophy and Cliff Harris Award semifinalist.

HSU had 21 All-ASC selections on the defensive side of the ball.

Before HSU, Neece was the defensive coordinator at Illinois College during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

In 2023, his defense ranked in the top 20 in every statistical category. It was first nationally in tackles for loss, second in total yards per play and defensive touchdowns, third in average yards per game, total defense, third-down percentage and team defensive efficiency, fourth in interceptions, fifth in pass yards per attempt, eighth in rushing defense and 10^th in total turnovers.

In 2022, Illinois College was first nationally in opponent pass yards allowed, second in pass yards per attempt, second in defensive interceptions returned for touchdowns, third in defensive efficiency, fourth in tackles for loss, ninth in defensive touchdowns and 10^th in third-down percentage.

Neece has mentored 26 all-conference players, five all-region selections, one All-American, three defensive conference players of the year and one Cliff Harris Award Nominee. He's coached six NFL players, three of whom were drafted.

Neece also coached at Toledo, Butler, Missouri Baptist and MacMurray College.

He played collegiately at DePauw University from 2011 to 2014 and also played in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.

A native of St. Louis, he has a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from DePauw and a master's in sports management from Missouri Baptist.

He and his wife, Katie, were married in 2019 and have a daughter, Hadley, and a son, Carson.

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