New coach Jonathan Gill set to lead LIU hopes

For the first time since 1998, the LIU football team will be led by a new head coach this season. And the Sharks didn’t have to look too far to find him.

Following the resignation of Bryan Collins on June 28, Jonathan Gill, who has served as the program’s quarterbacks coach for the previous 16 seasons, was named interim coach.

He takes over a program that went 2-2 in the spring and tied for third in the Northeast Conference in only its second season playing Division I (FCS). The Sharks were picked for sixth in the NEC preseason poll.

Gill spoke about what he learned under Collins at NEC media day on Aug. 3.

"We’re very grateful for everything coach Collins gave every one of us with his time," Gill said. "The biggest thing I learned from him is the way he organized, managed and kind of brought people together. In any successful organization, it’s all about the people and you have to put them first.

"You have to have a service mentality. You have to be willing to ask people how you can help, not what they can do for you. My thumbprints and fingerprints aren’t going to be much different than his. His aren’t too different than any other successful person’s in any field of life. Life is about service, and if you’re willing to serve the people who are working with you and they’re willing to serve you, you’re going to have a great relationship and have great results."

Despite spending his entire LIU career as an offensive coach, Gill said he will not place added emphasis on scoring. In fact, he said he sees himself as more of a defensive-minded head coach.

"I’m actually a defensive coach," Gill said. "When I was a young lad going to Jets training camp, my favorite player was [former defensive end] Dennis Byrd. Him and John Elway of the Broncos. I’m not one of these throw it across the yard type of guys and score 100 points. I could [not] care less. It’s about scoring one more point than the other team in order to win."

Elevated from Division II in 2019, LIU unified its Post and Brooklyn athletic programs and went 0-10 in its debut Division I season.

Graduate defensive lineman Joe Amalfitano said the Sharks were far from content with earning their first couple of wins last season.

"We worked really hard for that first win and were confident going into it, but obviously 2-2 wasn’t the result we were looking for," Amalfitano said. "We’re looking for a much better record this season, as great as that was to make that improvement.

LIU opens at Florida International on Thursday before its greatest challenge of the season, a road matchup against West Virginia on Sept. 11.

"They’re a good team and they play in a Power 5 conference," graduate wide receiver Derick Eugene said. "So it’s going to be fun to go out there and compete with guys that are at the top level of the NCAA."