UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University football team has announced the addition of Brett Ekkens to the coaching staff. He will serve the Cardinals as the Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator in 2022 for head coach Ryan Brady. 

Ekkens comes to SVSU from Indiana Wesleyan University. While there he helped the Wildcats to their best season in program history when they went 9-1 in 2021. 

Prior to joining IWU, he spent five years at Division I University of Akron. He served as a graduate assistant for two years, before being promoted to offensive line coach. He was the youngest offensive line coach in FBS upon his hire on Terry Bowden's staff as well as the fourth youngest coach in FBS at age 26.  In addition, he served as Akron's recruiting coordinator.  While at Akron, he helped lead the team to a 2017 MAC East Championship including a victory over Northwestern and a trip to the Boca Raton Bowl and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 

Before his time at Akron, Coach Ekkens spent time on the staff of NCAA DIII powerhouse Mount Union. He helped lead the Purple Raiders to back-to-back national championships in 2012 and 2013. 

He played for the Purple Raiders at the center position and was a four-year starter, appearing in four national championship games and winning one in 2008. Brett earned First Team All-American honors in 2011 and was the 2011 Rimington Award Winner as top center in NCAA Division III. 

Ekkens and his wife Sophia were married in June 2016.