Kevin Clune - Inside Linebackers Coach - Football Coaches

Kevin Clune

Title:
Inside Linebackers Coach

Kevin Clune is in his first year on staff with the Mustangs in 2024. Clune comes to Cal Poly with over 30 years of coaching experience, including 10 years as a defensive coordinator.

Clune joins the Mustangs after serving as NAU's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach during the 2023 season. Prior to that, he was the linebackers coach from 2021-22 at BYU in addition to one season as a defensive analyst. In addition to holding the defensive coordinator position at Oregon State, Utah State, Hawai'i, Weber State and Southern Utah, Clune has coached in 10 bowl games and has been a part of five conference championships including a Big Sky Conference title in 2008 with Weber State.

During his time at BYU, he coached in three different bowl games and played a hand in one of the program's most successful seasons in 2020 where the Cougars finished 11-1 and were ranked No. 11 at the end of the season. The BYU defense landed at No. 4 in the country in scoring defense and No. 10 nationally in total defense.

Prior to BYU he coached the linebackers under Mike Norvell at Memphis. There, the Tigers earned the program's first-ever 12-win season and went on win the 2019 American Athletic Conference title and earned a berth to the Cotton Bowl before ending the year ranked No. 19. The end of 2019 saw the Tigers ranked No. 16 nationally in pass efficiency defense and No. 20 in passing defense. Clune also helped the Tigers advance to the AAC title game in 2018 and earn an invitation to the Birmingham Bowl.

Clune spent 2016 and 2017 as the defensive coordinator at Oregon State where he also coached the inside linebackers.

A large part of Clune's career was spent at Utah State for six seasons over two stints. Clune helped the Aggies clinch the 2012 Western Athletic Conference title and the program earned bowl invitations during each of his last four seasons. His career at USU began as the linebackers coach from 2009-13 before being named the defensive coordinator at Hawai'i in 2014. In 2015, he returned to Utah State as the defensive coordinator. At Utah State, he coached future NFL linebackers Bobby Wagner, Nick Vigil, Zach Vigil and Kyle Fackrell.

His coaching journey in Utah began at the University of Utah from 2001-02 as a graduate assistant before moving on to Southern Utah where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2003-04. From 2005-08, he served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and was also the assistant head coach during his final season.

The Wildcats were ranked No. 7 in the Football Championship Subdivision and won the 2008 Big Sky Championship before advancing to the second round of the FCS Playoffs. He coached future NFL linebacker JD Folsom who was drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins.

Clune's early coaching days included stints at Palma High School (1991), Dos Pueblos High School (1993-94), Fullerton College (1996-99) and Occidental College (2000). He played collegiately at Fullerton Junior College and the University of San Diego and earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton in 2000.