Coach Jace McDown is in his fifth year on the Hornet coaching staff and serves as the Hornets defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Coach McDown has coached the Hornet defensive backs since 2023 after coaching linebackers in 2022.
In 2025, with McDown’s defensive backs leading the way, the Hornet defense was the second ranked pass defense in the MIAA yielding a stingy 201.6 yards per game. Three of McDown’s defensive backs earned All-MIAA recognition headlined by All-MIAA Second-Team honoree Tyler Schultze. Schultze was also named CSC Academic All-District and CSC First-Team Academic All-American.
In 2024, the Hornet defense was the top ranked unit in the MIAA in defensive efficiency rating. McDown’s defensive backs led the MIAA with 18 interceptions, 52 passes broken up and in opponent’s completion percentage. In terms of individual honors, McDown coached Jaaron Joseph to All-MIAA First-Team honors, D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First-Team honors, D2CCA Second-Team All-American Honors and Don Hansen All-American honorable mention. McDown also coached Tyler Schultze to All-MIAA Third-Team honors for his play on the field and CSC First-Team Academic All-American honors.
In 2023, McDown coached Jaaron Joseph and Montrell Wilson to All-MIAA Second-Team honors and saw his defensive backs intercept 12 passes.
In 2022, McDown coached outside linebacker Dawson Hammes to All-MIAA First-Team and D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Second-Team honors.
As a student athlete, McDown was a four-year letterman and three-year team captain as a linebacker for the Hornets from 2016 to 2021. McDown finished his career as the fifth leading tackler in Hornet history with a total of 311 stops. McDown’s 37.5 tackles for loss rank eighth all-time. McDown stockpiled numerous awards for his play on the field, performance in the classroom and involvement on campus and in the community:
· All-MIAA First-Team recognition in 2019 and 2021 after earning All-MIAA Second-Team team honors in 2018
· Don Hansen All-American honorable mention in 2019 and 2021
· Three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition, earning First-Team honors in 2020 and Second-Team honors in 2019 and 2021
· 2020 semifinalist for the prestigious National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy, widely considered to be the “Academic Heisman”
· 2019 MIAA Fall Male Athlete of the Year
· 2019 Emporia State Male Athlete of the Year
· 2021 finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award
· Recipient of the inaugural Steve Henry Award in 2021
McDown graduated from Emporia State in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance and a minor in coaching.
McDown and his wife Olivia are the parents of a daughter, Della.
