Davenport University Athletics

Devin Russell joined the Davenport football coaching staff in March 2022 as the Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. He had the title of assistant head coach added in 2024 and will also be working with the quarterbacks as well as being the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The Panthers had a solid offense again in the 2023 season and finished 8-2 overall. The team reached as high as No. 9 in NCAA Division II after an 8-0 start. The offense featured Myren Harris, the GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year, who rushed for a DU record of 976 yards and had six straight 100-yard games during the season. DU averaged 27.6 points per game and 363.6 yards per game. The team ranked second in the GLIAC and 27th nationally in red zone offense (86.5) and were second in the conference in fewest passes intercepted (9).

In his first season as offensive coordinator in 2022, Russell helped shatter previous offensive records at Davenport. He took over an offense averaging less than 10 points per game in 2021 and transformed it into a unit that averaged over 30 points per game in 2022. The Panthers qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history after an 8-2 regular season. The Panthers fell in the opening round of the playoffs to eventual national champion Ferris State. The offense led the GLIAC in passing yards per game (233.4) and also averaged 132.4 yards per game on the ground. Davenport had three offensive lineman named to the All-GLIAC team as well as Head Coach Sparky McEwen named Coach of the Year in the conference. The offensive line featured Trent Allen, Savon Simmons, and Dwight Harris as all-conference performers.

Before arriving at Davenport University, Russell was the Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line coach at Ohio Northern University. Ohio Northern made two trips to the NCAA III playoffs in his time in Ada, Ohio. Russell began his coaching career at John Carroll University and got this Master’s Degree in Adult Higher Education from Morehead State University. In his playing career, Russell was an All- Conference Offensive lineman at Ohio Northern University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. Devin resides in Dorr, Mich. with his wife Diane and two daughters - Caroline and Molly.