MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University is pleased to announce that Wheaton (Ill.) College defensive coordinator Jordan Langs has been named the first head coach in Indiana Wesleyan football history.  

“We could not be more humbled and grateful for the belief that Mark DeMichael, Dr. Keith Newman, and President Wright have shown in us,” said Langs. “We feel blessed to be leaving a place that showed that same type of belief in us and who we owe a lot to because of the role Wheaton College has played in our spiritual, relational, and career development. We are excited that God is bringing us to a place filled with a lot of awesome Christ-centered individuals.”

Langs, 27, has spent the past four years on the coaching staff at NCAA Division III Wheaton. He was the defensive coordinator the past two seasons and was the defensive backs coach in 2012 and 2013.

“We are pleased and excited that Jordan Langs will be joining our IWU Athletic family,” said Mark DeMichael, Indiana Wesleyan Director of Athletics. “I want to thank the search committee for their incredible work and time spent in research and prayer as we strove to find the man that God called to be our first football coach at Indiana Wesleyan.”

In four years at Wheaton, the Thunder have accumulated a 38-6 record. In two years as the defensive coordinator the Thunder have won back-to-back College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championships and have a combined 22-2 mark. The Thunder have gone 7-0 in the CCIW and a perfect 10-0 in both regular seasons with Langs as the defensive coordinator. Both years the Thunder advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA DIII playoffs and were ranked in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll Top-10.

Langs’ defense ranked 12th in the nation in 2015 with 262.5 yards per game and have ranked in the top-10 nationally in defensive touchdowns, red zone defense, scoring defense, interceptions, and third down conversion. The Thunder led the CCIW in every defensive category but one in 2015.

“Jordan brings with him a wealth of experience as both a player and coach,” stated DeMichael. “Jordan separated himself in the way he was able to communicate not only his passion and vision for Indiana Wesleyan football but even more so in his vision for integrating faith in every aspect of the IWU football program so that it truly will be a Christ-centered football program for years to come.”

He has also been a strength and conditioning coordinator for Wheaton since January 2014. He has led the strength and conditioning program for the entire football program and is one of four strength and conditioning coaches for the whole athletic department, working specifically with the men’s soccer program.

As a player, Langs was a four-year letter winner for Wheaton from 2008-2011. He started in 32 straight games from the Thunder and amassed 134 career tackles and 8 interceptions. Langs played defensive back and outside linebacker. During his senior campaign, he was evaluated in-person by multiple NFL teams.

“I am extremely pleased with the selection of Jordan Langs as the first coach for Wildcat Football,” said Dr. Keith Newman, IWU CEO of Residential Education and Executive Vice President. “His experience as a player, position coach, and now coordinator in a Christ-centered football program set him apart. Jordan brings a contagious commitment to Christ, an infectious enthusiasm for life, a passion for developing young men in character, scholarship, and leadership. Jordan is uniquely prepared for this assignment and I am excited to introduce him to our campus, our community, and most of all to our future athletes.”

Langs will remain at Wheaton for the 2016 season which will be his fifth year on the coaching staff and his third year as the defensive coordinator. He will join Indiana Wesleyan following the completion of the Thunders’ 2016 season.

 “We have great respect for the Wheaton College football program,” said DeMichael. “Given the timing of our hiring of Jordan we felt like it was important for Jordan to stay and finish his responsibilities for this fall football season. During the season he will also be working with some of our staff to begin the recruiting process to bring in our first class of football players for the fall of 2017.”

Langs is tasked with building the Indiana Wesleyan football program from the ground up. IWU announced the addition of football as the 18th intercollegiate sport on April 1, 2016.

“It is a process that we do not take lightly,” said Langs. “We are confident that the recipe for building a successful program is possible because the ingredients needed already exist at IWU. We are going to be supported by an amazing administration, faculty, and staff who understand the magnitude of discipline and effort that it is going to take in order to be excellent. The track record of the IWU Athletic Department speaks for itself and has already proven that a Christ-centered scholarship athletics program can compete at the highest level in each of their individual sports.”

“The biggest challenge will be recruiting from scratch,” continued Langs. “It will be a big task and one that requires a lot of preparation, organization, and effort. But I am excited because we will be offering a product that very few campuses across the country can offer, and that is a program that is committed to a Christ-centered mission, a world-class education, top of the line facilities with the ability to offer athletic scholarships.”

Despite being a first time head coach, Langs is well prepared to lead a team onto the field for the first time in the fall of 2018. Coming from a Christ-centered football program, he understands how to incorporate faith into his football team.

“I want our program to be a training ground for young men,” said Langs. “If that is going to be the case, our coaching staff must be consistent in establishing that our Christian faith must be the driving force behind being excellent in all phases of our lives. For student-athletes, this means they are pursuing excellence in their walk with Christ, their academic studies, and their football training.  And if that is what we want from them as players, then it is our responsibility as coaches to demonstrate that in our own lives. How we live out our Christian faith and by the priority we put on people will be the measuring stick. This includes how we interact with family, coaches, players, students, community members, co-workers and our willingness to put their needs ahead of our own.”

Once the Wheaton football season concludes, the Langs family will arrive at Indiana Wesleyan. Jordan and his wife, Lindsay, have three children, Levi (3), Grayson (22 months), and Makayla (4 months).