Tim Triplett, son of long-time USD head football coach Dave Triplett, is a USD alum and former Coyote who is set to begin his fifth season on the coaching staff. Triplett is the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach for head coach Joe Glenn. He served as offensive line and wide receivers coach during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.
Triplett played in 40 games for the Coyotes from 2002-05, mostly on special teams. His main position was wide receiver where he caught nine passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns during his career. He served as team captain as a senior when the Coyotes finished 9-2 and won a North Central Conference championship.
Triplett's first coaching gig came in 2006 at Cornell College, a Division III school located 20 miles north of his hometown of Iowa City, Iowa. He spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons as the wide receivers coach at Wayne State College in Nebraska and helped lead the Wildcats to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. South Dakota State named him tight ends coach in 2009 and the Jackrabbits finished 8-4 after appearing in the FCS playoffs.
In his short time on staff at USD, Triplett has coached four all-conference players including wide receiver Will Powell and offensive lineman Tom Compton. Powell was a three-time all-conference honoree for the Coyotes who finished his career with a program-record 21 touchdown catches and more than 2,500 yards receiving. Compton was a first-team All-American in 2011 who was taken in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.
As special teams coordinator in 2012, Triplett aided the development of Jasper Sanders as a return specialist. Sanders became the second-leading kick returner in the Missouri Valley and also averaged seven yards per punt return. He was named to the Missouri Valley All-Newcomer Team for his efforts. The Coyotes went on to finish second in the MVFC in both punt return average and kickoff coverage.
