Name: James Bettcher
Age: 36
Hometown: Lakeville, Indiana
College: University of St. Francis (Indiana)
Playing experience: Played on the Cougars' offensive line from 1999-2002.
Coaching résumé: University of St. Francis, 2003-05 (special-teams coordinator and defensive line coach); Bowling Green, 2006 (defensive graduate assistant); University of North Carolina, 2007-09 (defensive graduate assistant); Ball State, 2010 (defensive ends and special-teams coach); University of New Hampshire, 2011 (linebackers coach and special-teams coordinator); Indianapolis Colts, 2012 (Special assistant to the head coach); Arizona Cardinals, 2013-14 (outside linebackers coach), 2015-present (defensive coordinator).
Get to know Bettcher:
He was a two-sport star at St. Francis, earning accolades in football and shot put.
He was a two-time NAIA coaches All-American and a two-time Don Hansen’s All-American in football.
He was a five-time track All-American and placed second in the shot put in the 2001 national NAIA championships.
He was inducted to the St. Francis Hall of Fame in 2012.
He was the head track coach at St. Francis in 2003-04 while he was the Cougars’ defensive line coach and special-teams coordinator.
The Cougars made three trips to the NAIA playoffs and two national-championship appearances in football while he was an assistant at USF.
At North Carolina, he worked with future NFL players Robert Quinn, Bruce Carter and Quinton Coples.
At New Hampshire, he coached the FCS’ leading tackler in 2011, Matt Evans, who also won the Buck Buchanan Award that year, given annually to the FCS’ top defensive player.
He assisted then-Colts interim head coach Bruce Arians in 2012 and helped Robert Mathis earn his first Pro Bowl nod at outside linebacker.
During his first season as the Cardinals’ outside linebacker coach in 2013, John Abraham made the Pro Bowl with 11.5 sacks.
Cardinals outside linebacker Alex Okafor led the Cardinals with eight sacks in 2014.
He and his wife, Erica, have one son, Colton.