Billy Kirch joined head coach Travis Johansen's staff in January 2025 as the program's next Defensive Coordinator and brings national-level prominence success as defensive minded coach from the NAIA ranks.Â
Kirch comes to Vermillion after 10 seasons on staff at Northwestern College (Iowa), spending the last nine seasons as the Defensive Coordinator. He was named the 2022 Footballscoop.com NAIA Coordinator of the Year after helping to guide the Red Raiders to their first NAIA national title since 1983.
He helped shape the Red Raiders defensive unit to be one of the best year in and year out. The 2016 season saw Kirch coach the Cliff Harris Award winner in Sam Van Ginkel, an award given to the best small college best defensive player.
He coached four Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Players of the Year in his nine seasons as defensive coordinator, including 2024 GPAC Defensive Player of the Year Parker Fryar, who spent the 2023 with the Coyotes. His time with the Red Raiders also saw him recruit and develop 13 NAIA All-Americans.
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Prior to his time in Orange City, Kirch was the lead coach at Forest Lake High School for the 2012-13 seasons, along with a stint as the head coach at Waverly-South Shore High School from 2008-11.
He was a four-year linebacker at South Dakota State under John Stiegelmeier from 2002-05. He helped lead the Jackrabbits into their NCAA Division I era, playing his final two seasons (2004, 2005) in the Great West Conference. Kirch led the team in tackles in his senior season (2005) with 78 on the year.
Kirch earned his degree in education from South Dakota State in 2006. He and his wife, Natalie, have three children, Brady, Aubrey, and Clayton.
