Coaching Staff

Jim Bickel
Head Football Coach
ph: (614) 236-6953
jbickel@capital.edu 
Jim Bickel was named as head football coach at Capital in 2008 after spending the previous seven seasons as associate head coach/defensive coordinator at Capital.

Bickel's impact on the Capital program has been a smart, aggressive defense that has produced a national defensive player of the year, seven All-American players, a school-record 50 quarterback sacks in 2007 and a school-record 27 interceptions in 2002. Bickel was twice named Ohio Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year.

Bickel has been a part of college football in Central Ohio since 1977 when he became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Denison University in Granville, Ohio. In 21 seasons with the Big Red, Bickel coached both the offensive and defensive lines for a combined nine seasons and was defensive coordinator for 12 seasons. Through his tenure as defensive coordinator, Denison won a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference Championships (1985-86) and one NCAA Division III Playoff appearance (1985). Aside from his football coaching duties, he was an assistant professor of physical education and an assistant baseball coach. In 1999, Bickel came to Columbus to become the defensive coordinator at Otterbein College. In 2000, his Cardinal defense led the OAC in passing defense and was third in total defense. A certified strength and conditioning specialist, he was also the team's strength and conditioning coach, an instructor within the department of physical education and intramural sports director.

Bickel has also previously served as an assistant athletic director at Capital responsible for game management for the Crusaders eight spring sports (baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf and men's and women's track & field).

The Newark, Ohio, native holds a bachelor's degree from Denison (1977) in speech communications and economics and a master's degree in physical education from Ohio State (1981). He and his wife, Kathy, reside in Columbus and have three grown children and six grandchildren.

Manny Matsakis
Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Manny Matsakis began as offensive coordinator at Capital University in 2008.

Matsakis has been a football coach at many collegiate levels including assistant coaching stints at Kansas State, Hofstra, Wyoming and Texas Tech, while serving as a head coach at Emporia State (Kansas) and Texas State. Matsakis, a native of Shadyside, Ohio, is a 1984 Capital graduate, who as a placekicker holds the school-record for longest field goal in school history at 54 yards and in 1984 was an eighth round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Throughout his coaching history, Matsakis has been part of and led high powered innovate offenses. He has been a featured speaker at numerous coaching clinics and workshops.

Robert White
Assistant Coach/Offensive Line
Ph: (614) 236-6570
rwhite3@capital.edu

Robert White returns to Capital in 2008 for his second stint on the Capital coaching staff.

White played on the offensive line for two seasons at Capital then was on the coaching staff for four seasons coaching both the offensive and defensive lines. White, a 2003 Capital graduate, spent a season as the offensive line coach at West Virginia Tech and last season was the defensive line coach at Clovis (Calif.) High School.

Kyle Hausler
Assistant Coach/Defensive Backs
Ph: (614) 236-6914
khausler@capital.edu

Kyle Hausler began as a full-time assistant football coach at Capital University in 2008. Hausler will be responsible for coaching the defensive backs.

Hausler was part-time coach for Capital in 2007 after finishing a spectacular playing career for the Crusaders. A three-time All-American, Hausler is the Ohio Athletic Conference's all-time leader in interceptions with 23 and in 2005 claimed the Lee Tressel Award given to the top defensive back in the conference and was the North Region Defensive Player of the Year.

The Hilliard, Ohio, native graduated from Capital in 2006 with a degree in Integrated Mathematics and played a season of professional football in Germany.

Boynton came to Capital from Otterbein, where he was the defensive line coach for two seasons. After playing a season of college basketball at Lock Haven (Pa.) University, he transferred to Thiel (Pa.) College where he played football for three seasons before graduating in 1996. He started his coaching career as the defensive ends coach at Allegheny (Pa.) College for two years.

Boynton and his wife, Julie, reside in Westerville.

Ruetty had seen plenty of Capital football years as he watched his son Joel, a three-year starter and All-OAC cornerback. Ruetty also saw his share of OAC football as a player and 1976 alum of Muskingum College.

Ruetty, who teaches algebra, geometry and computer applications at Marysville High School, spent 29 years as an assistant coach at the high school level with stints at Marysville, Dublin Coffman and Dublin Scioto High Schools.

After coaching at Capital in 2003 and 2004, Schoolfield spent the 2005 season as the offensive coordinator at North Carolina A&T University. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Fort Valley State (Ga.) University where he guided the Wildcats to three trips to the NCAA Divsion II Playoffs in six seasons. Schoolfield has extensive experience at the NCAA Division I level, most noteably as wide receivers coach for five seasons for Bobby Bowden at Florida State University. He also has served as an assistant coach at Florida A&M, Temple, Pitt, New Mexico State and James Madison.