WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State announced the elevation of longtime assistant Rich Renner to head football coach Sunday afternoon.
 
Renner becomes the 13th head football coach in the program's history and fifth since MSU re-instituted the program in 1988. He will be formally announced at a press conference Monday afternoon.
 
"Midwestern State is thrilled to announce the hiring of Rich Renner as our next head football coach," MSU Director of Athletics Kyle Williams said. "Rich's love for the game is evident and his love for MSU is unparalleled. His intimate knowledge of our current staff and players position him to continue to build upon past successes, while furthering the MSU program. We welcome Rich, wife Jennifer, daughter Addison, and son Grant. MSU Football is in good hands."
 
The announcement comes on the heels of the retirement of Bill Maskill, who led the Mustangs to 160 victories and 19 winning seasons over the past 22 years.
 
Renner has played a huge role in many of those wins having served as the defensive line coach in 2006 and 2007 before become defensive coordinator in 2008. In all, Renner spent the last 18 years as a leader on Midwestern's coaching staff.
 
During that time, Renner mentored seven defensive All-Americans, 23 all-region selections, and 23 All-Lone Star Conference first-team performers.
 
Renner played an instrumental role in the development of Marqui Christian, who was selected as Cliff Harris Award as the best small college defensive player in the country following the 2015 season.
 
Christian was taken in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and enjoyed a six-year professional career.
 
Under Renner's guidance, the MSU defensive has consistently ranked among the best in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs boasted the league's top defense in 2013 and 2015. The defense allowed the second fewest yards of Renner's tenure as the leader of the unit this season by yielding 315.5 yards per game.
 
Renner helped guide the Mustangs to eight NCAA Division II postseason showings, a bowl appearance, and five Lone Star Conference titles since joining Maskill's staff in 2006.
 
Before moving to Wichita Falls, Renner served as a linebacker and defensive line coach and was the video coordinator at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.
 
His other coaching experience included a stop at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. in 1999 after serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville from 1997-99 where he helped the Cardinals to a Motor City Bowl appearance in 1998.
 
Renner played as a walk-on linebacker at Louisville before earning a scholarship for his final two seasons.
 
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Renner was a two-year letterman before earning his bachelor's degree in mathematics and later a master's degree in sports administration in 1999 at the University of Louisville.
 
Renner and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents to a 15-year-old daughter, Addison Grace and 12-year-old son Grant Michael.