Although they've been on the job a few weeks, Ohio head football coach Frank Solich today officially announced the hiring of five assistant coaches. They are former New Mexico State assistants Gerry Gdowski, Ross Els, Derek Mason and Keven Lightner, as well as former Minnesota State assistant Carl Pelini.

Solich also announced position assignments for the previously announced coordinators. Offensive coordinator Tim Albin will work specifically with the running backs, while defensive leader Jimmy Burrows will oversee the defensive backs. Recruiting coordinator Pete Germano returns to working with the tight ends as he did from 2001-02 with the Bobcats.

Gdowski will serve as quarterbacks coach, a position he previously held for eight seasons at NMSU. He added offensive coordinator duties to his resume in 2003, then saw the Aggies rank second in the Sun Belt Conference last season in scoring offense and passing offense. A former starting quarterback and team captain at Nebraska, Gdowski began his coaching career at his alma mater, working with the quarterbacks, tight ends and receivers from 1991 to 1993. He then moved to South Dakota State, where he coached for three seasons (1994-96). After two years as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, Gdowski was promoted to offensive coordinator. As a player, he earned three letters for the Huskers and set numerous records during his career. Gdowski was named to the All-Big Eight first team at quarterback in 1989 and was an eighth-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints.

Els, the linebackers coach, just completed his fourth season at New Mexico State and his second as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Els moved to NMSU after four seasons as head coach and defensive coordinator at Hastings College in Nebraska. He posted an impressive 32-9 record, leading the Broncos to the NAIA playoffs twice ? 1998 and 1999, when they reached the semifinals.

Mason takes over as the wide receivers coach, the same position group he worked with last year on the Aggie staff. He moved to NMSU from St. Mary?s College in Moraga, Calif., in March of 2004 after one season as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. A 1992 graduate of Northern Arizona University, Mason began his college coaching career in 1994 as receivers coach at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Ariz. Mesa won the Valley of the Sun Bowl title that season. He was the receivers coach at Weber State in 1995 and 1996, while also working with kickoff and punt return specialists, before moving to Idaho State University in 1997 and 1998. Mason was on the staff at Bucknell from 1999 through 2001, where he served as secondary coach, before returning west as the wide receivers coach and special teams assistant at Utah in 2002.

An offensive line coach throughout his career, Lightner spent two years on the Aggies? staff, working with a group that finished 15th nationally in rushing offense in 2003. He served as co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Western Kentucky from 2001-02, helping the Hilltoppers to a combined record of 20-7 and two I-AA playoffs appearances. In 2002, WKU posted a 12-3 record and won the NCAA I-AA national championship. Lightner was an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha from 1998-2000 and at Northern (S.D.) State from 1996-98. Lightner is a 1987 graduate of Nebraska, earning a degree in secondary education. He earned first-team All-Big Eight honors as an offensive tackle in 1987 and played professionally in three leagues before entering the coaching ranks ? the NFL (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1988), the CFL (Hamilton Tiger Cats, 1990) and the World League of American Football (Montreal Machine, 1991-92).

Pelini will serve as defensive line coach. He spent last year at Minnesota State after having previously coached at Nebraska in 2003. He worked as a defensive assistant (ends) for the Cornhuskers, and was defensive coordinator and secondary coach at MSU. From 2000 to 2003, Pelini was the head coach at Fitch High School in Austintown, Ohio. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Pelini is the older brother of current Oklahoma defensive coordinator and former Nebraska defensive coordinator/interim head coach Bo Pelini.

These additions leave just one more opening remaining to be filled.