UTM head football coach Matt Griffin has announced three new additions to his coaching staff for the upcoming 2004 season.

Mark Lister will coach outside linebackers and safeties. He will also serve as the team's recruiting coordinator. Dan Hopkins will coach the offensive linemen, while Craig Newton serves as the team's strength and conditioning coach.

Lister joins the Skyhawk staff from Cornell University where he coached outside linebackers. Three of Lister's former players at Cornell went on to earn All-Ivy League honors.

Before Cornell, Lister served as the director of football operations and recruiting coordinator for three years on the staff at the University of Toledo. He also spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons as a graduate assistant at Toledo.

Lister is a 1999 graduate of Tarleton State, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in exercise and sports studies. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Texans, he was the special teams captain for the 1998 season.

He played two seasons as a free safety, but also saw action as a quarterback and receiver earlier in his career. He earned academic all-conference honors in 1998.

"Mark's experience as the recruiting coordinator at Toledo will be instrumental in moving our program forward," Griffin said. "He was vital in helping Toledo go from a good Division I program to a great Division I program."

Hopkins comes to Tennessee-Martin from Temple University where he served as the defensive line graduate assistant coach.

He served as the offensive line and strength and conditioning coordinator at Millersville University, his alma mater, before accepting the graduate assistantship at Temple.

Hopkins played offensive and defensive line at Glenville State from 1990-91 and offensive line at Bloomsberg University in 1993. He also enjoyed a successful semi-pro football career. He played for the Central Penn Piranha from 1995-98, and the team compiled a 54-4 during his four-year career.

"Dan's experience as an offensive line coach will be instrumental in developing our young line," Griffin said. "He is a great technician."

Newton comes to Tennessee-Martin from Clarksville where he is the head strength and conditioning coach and owner of Athletic Advantage.

He has served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Austin Peay and as an undergraduate assistant at Arizona State.

While at Austin Peay, Newton worked with the men's and women's Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament champion basketball teams, the regular season OVC baseball champions and the football team which posted its first winning record in 18 years. He also helped four track and field athletes gain personal records.

Newton is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and sports performance coach. He served in the United States Army from 1980-1992, where he obtained the rank of staff sergeant during tours of duty in Japan, Alabama, Washington State and Germany.

"We are very excited to have someone with Craig's experience working with our players," Griffin said.

"He's the first strength coach this program has ever had and we are fortunate to have him."