By WJBC Staff
NORMAL – Former Illinois State all-conference defensive back Mike Banks will join the Redbird football coaching staff as an assistant coach, head coach Brock Spack announced Tuesday.
Banks has worked the previous two seasons with the ISU football staff as a graduate manager, while working towards completion of his master’s degree. In his new role, Banks will work with the Redbird outside linebackers.
“Mike has shown in his time as a player here at Illinois State, and over the past two seasons as a graduate manager for our staff, that he is very professional, hard-working and intelligent,” Spack stated. “Mike is one of the best players we’ve had suit up for us in our time here at ISU and he has always been extremely goal-oriented. He never shied away from the fact that he wanted to be a football coach and he has done everything we have asked him to do here over the past two seasons. He is familiar with the culture here and knows the Redbird way.”
Banks was a four-year letterwinner for the Redbirds (2011-14) as a cornerback and started all 50 career games he played in. A 2014 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second-Team selection and MVFC All-Academic Team honorable-mention selection, Banks was instrumental in the Redbirds’ journey to the FCS National Championship game and ranked 17th in the FCS that season with 19 passes defended. He ranks No. 3 all-time at ISU in career passes defended with 46.
“It’s a great honor and privilege, not only to have had the opportunity to play for Coach Spack, but to now learn and grow as a coach as part of his staff,” Banks said. “When you graduate from Illinois State they tell you that you are a Redbird 4 Life, and I believe there is nothing better than working for your alma mater and helping move the program forward. Coach Spack, and all of the coaches who I have worked with in the past as a player or graduate manager, have developed this program into a consistent winner. I look forward to working with this staff, building new relationships and gaining knowledge from them in this new role.”
In his final year with the Redbirds, Banks ranked third on the team with a career-high 93 tackles, broke up 17 passes and intercepted two more to help ISU win its first MVFC title since 1999. The University Park, Illinois, native had one of the best games of his career, with 10 tackles, a sack, two tackles-for-loss and a game-sealing fourth-down stop in the semifinal win at New Hampshire.
As a sophomore, Banks earned All-MVFC Honorable Mention honors in 2012 after ranking second in the MVFC with 12 passes defended. He started all 13 games that season, while helping the Redbird advance to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2006 and a second-round playoff win at Appalachian State. He began his career as a true freshman in 2011 as a member of the MVFC All-Newcomer Team, after he started all 11 games at cornerback and ranked fourth on the team with 54 total tackles.
Banks received his bachelor’s degree in health education from Illinois State in December 2015 and is scheduled to receive his master’s degree in psychology of sport and physical activity from Illinois State in May 2018.
