ALBION, Mich. — The Albion football program has announced the hiring of four new coaches to the staff for the 2026 season. Additionally, special teams coordinator/linebackers coach Bryan Sander has been promoted to defensive coordinator. He will remain in his role as linebackers coach as well.

Please see more biographies about the new coaches below.

Thor Daley (offensive line coach)
Daley arrives in Albion after spending the 2025 season as run game coordinator at Adrian where he coached the offensive line. The Bulldogs finished with an 8-2 record, their best mark since 2014.

Adrian racked up a school record 30 touchdowns on the ground with Daley managing all aspects of the run game. They also ran for 181.7 yards per game — a 59-place improvement in the national rankings and a 38.6 swing from the year prior. Additionally, the Bulldogs averaged 5.0 yards per carry — 1.1 yards more than their previous campaign.

The run game helped compliment Adrian's high-powered offense that averaged 40.7 points and 461.9 yards per game, both of which were top 25 in Division III. First-team All-MIAA quarterback Noah Beaudrie and running back Trey Brueggemann each rushed for double-digit touchdowns as well, while all-conference offensive linemen Joe Pruchnic and Isaiah Simon paved the way for the duo.

In 2024, Daley served as assistant offensive line coach at Saginaw Valley State. While with the Cardinals, two offensive linemen earned All-GLIAC honors blocking for quarterback Mason McKenzie, who was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

SVSU finished the year 7-4 and has the No. 3 red zone offense in Division II at 92.0%. They also ranked top 50 in the country in scoring and rushing offense.

Daley spent the 2022 season as offensive line coach/run game coordinator at Lincoln University, an independent in Oakland, Calif. Playing all 10 games on the road against opponents from around the country, the Oaklanders averaged 151 rushing yards per game against the five FCS schools they faced.

From 2020-21, Daley coached at Eastern Kentucky University. He was an offensive quality control coach assisting the offensive line, tight ends and special teams in 2020 and was the assistant director of football operations in 2021.

As a member of head coach Walt Wells's staff in 2021, Daley oversaw travel and equipment for a team that had their biggest single-season turnaround in program history. The Colonels went 7-4 after a 3-6 campaign the year prior and defeated three teams ranked in the FCS preseason top 25 poll. EKU climbed as high as No. 19 in the national rankings and won five straight games for the first time since 2014. They also defeated Jacksonville State in double overtime to win its second consecutive Opportunity Bowl.

In 2020, the Colonels ranked in the FCS's top 25 in first down offense and passing offense. They were also named national team of the week three times and racked up 590 yards of total offense in their 49-17 victory over Western Carolina in the Opportunity Bowl. The unit also totaled 400 yards or more of offense in six of the final seven games of the season.

Daley served as an offensive graduate assistant working with the tight ends at Wisconsin-Stout during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

In 2018, he mentored freshman Tyler Seymour to second-team All-WIAC honors. Seymour averaged 20.23 yards per catch, which was top 25 in Division III.

During the 2017 season, Daley was the assistant offensive line coach at Trine. The Thunder averaged 329.6 yards per game on the ground, which was the fourth-best rushing attack in Division III.

A four-year offensive lineman on the Trine football team from 2013-16, Daley graduated with his bachelor's of science in business management in 2017.

The San Francisco, Calif., native graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral High School in 2013 and was named second-team all-city as a senior.

Additionally, Daley does remote work for Sports Info Solutions as a football video scout writing NFL Draft scouting reports.

Ben Holtry (specialists coach)
Holtry comes to Albion after spending 21 seasons coaching at Holt High School. While with the Rams, he specialized in working with the kickers and was the program's equipment manager.

He coached several all-conference kickers, including two that went onto kick at the Division I level. One of them, Evan Fischer, walked on at Michigan State after breaking five MHSAA records and was a two-time all-state selection.

From 2008-14, Holtry coached under Al Slamer who is currently Albion's running backs coach. Additionally, he served as an assistant coach for the wrestling team.

Holtry's son, Seth, is a rising sophomore on the Britons football team. Holtry and his wife, Ingrid, who is a teacher at Holt Junior High, also have a daughter, Clara, who is married and wrestled at Alma. He holds an associate's degree from the National Education Center and graduated from Big Spring High School in southern Pennsylvania in 1988.

Nick Schumann (assistant offensive line coach)
Schumann arrives in Albion with 30 years of coaching experience at the high school level.

For 15 seasons, Schumann served as quarterbacks (2011-18) and offensive line (2019-25) coach at Chelsea High School outside Ann Arbor. He coached under two MHSFCA Hall of Famers in current Britons tight end coach Brad Bush and Noel Dean.

Schumann helped the Bulldogs to unprecedented success, including 11 Southeastern Conference, seven district, five regional and one state championship (2021). He was also on staff for two teams that finished runner-up in the state playoffs (2015 and 2018) and was 2020 MIAA Offensive MVP and former Albion quarterback Jack Bush's position coach.

Additionally, he mentored three All-State offensive linemen and is in his second year as sprints/long jumps coach for the Chelsea track & field team.

From 2000-10, Schumann coached at Milford High School leading the outside linebackers, slot receivers and special teams. During his tenure, the Mavericks won two Kensington Valley Conference and district titles and coached under another MHSFCA Hall of Famer in Pat Fox.

Schumann got his start in coaching at Ann Arbor Huron High School under MHSFCA Hall of Fame coach Paul Verska. For three seasons, Schumann coached the tight ends and tackles while the River Rats finished 1997 as state runner-up.

Schumann graduated with his bachelor's from Eastern Michigan in 1998 and his master's from Marygrove in 2003. While an undergraduate at EMU, he served as a student equipment manager for the Eagles football team for four years. As a freshman, he worked directly with current Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken who was on EMU's staff as wide receivers coach at the time.

The Chelsea native and '93 graduate and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters, Alexa and Allison. He is a mathematics teacher at Beach Middle School in Chelsea and previously taught in the Huron Valley school system.

Bobby Willis (cornerbacks coach)
Willis is no stranger to Albion. He was a three-year defensive back for the Britons from 2021-23 and was a member of the 2021 team that won an MIAA title.

During his time with the Britons, Willis appeared in 29 games with 66 tackles, including three TFL, 10 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and six interceptions. He earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors after notching a career-high six tackles and intercepting a pass to seal a victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2021.

Voted a team captain as a senior, Willis was also elected vice president & director of community outreach for Albion's Alliance of Black Brits International Living Community as a student. Additionally, he received the Community Service Award from Albion in 2024 for his outstanding leadership and community involvement. Willis continues to volunteer with various schools and community projects around the Jackson area.

From 2019-20, Willis played at Northern Michigan where he appeared in six games before transferring to Albion.

The Jackson, Mich., native was a standout football and basketball player at Lumen Christi High School graduating in 2019. He was a three-time MHSAA state champion as a defensive back and earned all-state and all-city honors twice.

Willis graduated with his bachelor's from Albion in 2025 with a degree in economics & management. He founded his own athletic training company, B Elite, based in Jackson specializing in individualized athletic development for athletes of all ages. He has trained and developed athletes who have earned over 100 combined collegiate scholarship offers.

Willis's older brother, Khari, was a four-year letterwinning safety at Michigan State and was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He played in 39 games for the Colts from 2019-21 before retiring.