Vantz Singletary

Position: Linebackers Alma Mater: Kansas State, 1990

Vantz Singletary

Linebackers

(Kansas State, 1990)

First Year at Kansas

Vantz Singletary joined Turner Gill's coaching staff on June 3, 2011 as the team's linebackers coach. He previously worked as the defensive line coach on Gill's staff at the University of Buffalo in 2008.

Singletary, the nephew of former San Francisco 49ers' head coach Mike Singletary, coached under Mike the past two seasons as the team's inside linebackers coach. While in San Francisco, Singletary mentored Pro-Bowl linebackers Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes.

Last season, Singletary helped the 49ers rank 13^th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 327.9 yards per game as well as No. 6 in the league against the run (96.7 ypg). San Francisco allowed just 1,547 rushing yards (96.7 ypg), marking the lowest rushing total allowed by the team since 1997 (1,366 yards). The team also forced the seventh-most three-and-out drives in the NFL.

In 2009, Singletary coached an inside linebacker unit that played a significant role in the team finishing ranked 6th in the NFL in rushing defense (97.0 ypg.) and 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt (3.6 avg.), allowing just 1,552 rushing yards to mark the lowest rushing total allowed by the team since 1997 (1,366 yds.).

Singletary helped Willis set career-highs in INTs (3) and FFs (3), while tying a career high in sacks (4) and leading the NFL in tackles (152) in 2009, on his way to his second first-team All-Pro honor and third consecutive Pro Bowl. Willis was also named NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year and won the Butkus Award, given annually to the best linebacker in the NFL. He was also named an All-Pro in 2010, recording a career-high six sacks along with 153 tackles. Linebacker Takeo Spikes tallied 109 tackles and six interceptions last season after he finished fourth on the team with 95 tackles to go along with four sacks in 2009.

He previously held the title of interim defensive coordinator as well as the defensive tackles coach at Buffalo in 2008 under Gill, where he helped the Bulls win the Mid-American Conference and advance to a bowl game for the first time in school history. Buffalo's victory over previously unbeaten Ball State in its final regular season game gave the Bulls the 2008 Mid-American Conference title. The defensive unit finished tied for seventh nationally (1st in the MAC) in takeaways (33).

Singletary spent the previous two seasons as the defensive line coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga. In 2007, the Mocs led the Southern Conference in quarterback sacks, takeaways, passes defended and yards allowed per play. Chattanooga posted a nine-sack outing against Elon in 2006 setting a school record.

For seven seasons, from 1999 to 2005, Singletary worked as the defensive line coach at Hawaii. In Singletary's first season in the South Pacific, the Warriors were WAC Champions with a 9-4 record, won the Jeep O'Ahu Bowl and became the NCAA's all-time turnaround team after a winless 0-12 season the year prior. The defensive unit accounted for five touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 33 sacks and 17 fumble recoveries. In 2003, DE Travis LaBoy, who is now a current member of the 49ers, finished 9th in the nation with 13 sacks under Singletary's tutelage. He went on to earn WAC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-WAC honors. LaBoy was also named an All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News that season.

From 1997 to 1998, Singletary served as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern, coaching future NFL player Chris White, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1999. In addition, the Jaguars won the NCAA I-AA Black College National Championship in 1997 and back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in 1997 and 1998.

Singletary's coaching career began at Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois. During his tenure at Trinity from 1992 to 1996, his roles included defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. Alongside head coach Leslie Frazier, Singletary helped lead the school to two Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference titles, and under his tutelage, DE Herbert Coleman became the school's first NFL draft pick as he was selected in the seventh round in 1995 by the 49ers.

Singletary also participated in eight different NFL fellowships for minority head coaches - a program that was started by the late Bill Walsh. Singletary's first fellowship was with Tony Dungy and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996. He was also one of 12 collegiate coaches selected to host the 2004 NCAA Expert Coaching Program in Indianapolis.

As a collegiate coach, Singletary coached in seven Bowl Game appearances - 1997 Heritage Bowl, 1998 Heritage Bowl, 1999 Jeep O'ahu Bowl, 2002 Conagra Foods Hawai'i Bowl, 2003 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, 2004 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, 2009 International Bowl.

Singletary earned his degree from Kansas State in 1990, where he played linebacker and defensive tackle during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. He arrived in Manhattan after spending two seasons as an All-American at Blinn College.

Vantz is married to the former Shawndra Saulter of Houston, Texas. The couple has four daughters - Courtney, LaShea, Briauna and Keona.