Murray State University Athletics
Tall Joins Racers as Co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach
2/20/2023 4:11:00 PM | Football
With 35 years of experience, Bruce Tall joins the Murray State football coaching staff
Murray State head football coach Dean Hood announced the hiring of Bruce Tall who joins the Racers' coaching staff with over 35 years of experience. Over a long career, Tall had multiple stops in the Big 10, Big 12, and SEC. Tall will work as co-defensive coordinator with Coach Dillion Sanders and guide the defensive line group for the Racers as they begin their first season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023.Â
"I have known Coach Tall for over 30 years," MSU Head Coach Dean Hood said. "He will add incredible value to our staff with his wealth of defensive knowledge and his wisdom in all things that encompass a successful football program. Bruce is going to be a great mentor to our defensive linemen both on and off the field. He's an expert at the techniques needed to play the position and he's one of the most dependable, hard-working, loyal guys that I have ever met."
"I'm really excited about joining this great staff at such an opportune time in joining a great conference," Coach Tall said. "I'm looking forward to this great opportunity with Murray State and the awesome challenge of the MVFC!"
Most recently Tall worked as the defensive line coach at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. Prior to his stint at Emory and Henry, he served at Mississippi State during the 2019 season as a senior defensive consultant.
Tall was the defensive line coach at West Virginia for four seasons while working for nine seasons across two stints with the Mountaineers. Tall spent four years as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at North Carolina at Charlotte and three seasons at Michigan, coaching the defensive line.
Tall has also had coaching stops at Western Michigan, Harvard, Northeastern, Ohio Wesleyan and Cornell.Â
With nearly a dozen bowl game appearances, Tall was on the winning team in the Sugar Bowl (2005), Gator Bowl (2006), Fiesta Bowl (2007 and Cactus Bowl (2015).Â
The Shaker Heights, Ohio native has completed multiple internships with National Football League teams including the Detroit Lions (1991, 1999), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1994), Chicago Bears (1998) and Green Bay Packers (2000). A three-year letter winner in football at Ohio Wesleyan, Tall earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in health & physical education in 1982.
