Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has selected Miles Kochevar as the football program’s 20 head coach as of Jan.31.

Kochevar returns home to the Grand Valley as he takes on his first head coaching position. 

No stranger to Maverick football as his first coaching position was at CMU back in 2007 as he coached the defensive backs under Joe Ramunno. He took the job as the pass defense and coordinator and special teams coach from 2009-2011.  

He has also been a GA at his alma mater Colorado State University and was the defensive coordinator for the Buffs for two seasons. 

He has also served many different roles at school including Humboldt State, Northern Colorado and West Texas A&M from 2015-2019. He was the most recent defensive coordinator for RMAC rival Colorado State University-Pueblo last season. 

While he has primarily been in defensive roles, Kochevar also has made it a priority to connect with the community. He served as the directory of community service as well as the defensive coordinator at West Texas A&M. 

The Fruita Monument alum stated during his introductory press conference on Monday afternoon that he is prepared to get involved within the community and create relationships with the players on and off the field. 

Kochevar will have to get straight to work as he has started putting together his coaching staff. He also will get straight to recruiting as national signing day for Feb.2. 

“ The biggest thing is CMU we have a great reputation to do well in the state of Colorado and there are a lot of alumni that are on the other side of the mountain and coaches that are dying to get their kids over here to be apart of this special university and this special campus that we have and this championship program that we are going to take it to. It is about relationships as you go, I have had numerous calls already. There have been a lot of good guys that haven’t been picked up this year. The transfer portal is changing for high school guys and junior college guys one in the same. So there is a lot we just have to get out and do our homework. We have already got a strong database with me being actively recruiting and well known in Colorado to bring those relationships back and be able to go and get really good football players at this point. […]I told the team just with them as we go forward because our focus is that we have to go out, we have to recruit, we have to retain and we have to develop,” Kochevar said. 

He has already met with the team and will continue to do so to get to know them throughout the upcoming weeks. 

“I got a brief second with the guys and just to look around the room and to get them started on the right foot […] I told them what we intend to be in 2022 strongly lies with how they handle their business right now. I asked them and challenged them this morning to invest. Invest in one another, invest in this community, and invest in this team and great things are going to happen for us,” Kochevar said. 

Competing with in is something that Kochevar has stood by throughout his career and is something he wants to build into the Mavericks culture. 

For more information on Coach Kochevar and anything CMU Athletics visit the athletics website.