HAMILTON – Colgate head coach Dan Hunt wrapped up his staff lineup for the 2018 football season with Wednesday's official announcements introducing Josh Ison, Jordan Belfiori and Sean Cullen. In addition, Aaron Foster was promoted this summer from video coordinator to assistant coach.
 
Ison is the new special teams coordinator and assistant coach for the defensive line, Belfiori is the new assistant for outside linebackers, and Cullen takes over as director of football operations. Foster becomes an assistant coach for the secondary.
 
During spring practice, Brendan Walsh '15 was named assistant coach for the running backs.
 
"This was the first time in a while that we had multiple positions open up," Hunt said. "The coaches who left all left for family reasons, which is always the right thing to do. And the operations job is a new position that we are very excited about."
 
Aaron Foster
Foster was promoted to Assistant Football Coach in charge of safeties earlier this summer. Foster joined the Colgate Football staff in April 2017 as video coordinator and also was a volunteer assistant in the secondary.
 
Last year, Colgate led the Patriot League and ranked seventh nationally with 16 interceptions. It marked Colgate's highest number of interceptions since 2005. In addition, the defense held opponents to 17.5 points per game -- lowest program average since 1981. The Raider defense did not allow touchdown over season's final 15 quarters.
 
"Aaron has done a great job since he came on," Hunt said. "He has been terrific in the secondary and has made an impact on our recruiting.
 
"I am glad to be able to make this move for him."
 
Foster arrived after two seasons at Wake Forest, where he served as a recruiting assistant under Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson. Foster played his football at Bowling Green, also under Clawson, and helped the Falcons win the 2013 Mid-American Conference title.
 
Foster played defensive back at Bowling Green, with starts in all four seasons. He started 14 games as a senior when the Falcons went 10-4 and won the MAC title over Northern Illinois. After his collegiate career ended, Foster earned an invite to the Dallas Cowboys rookie camp and then spent time with the Tri Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League.
 
"It's a true testament to the players and staff members here for accepting me into the Raider Family so quickly and continuing to allow me to grow and develop as a coach," Foster said. "I am excited and prepared to take on the new challenges that will face the 2018 Colgate Raiders."
 
A native of West Bloomfield, Michigan, Foster graduated from Bowling Green in December 2014 with a degree in health care administration.
 
Josh Ison
Ison arrives from Tiffin, where he spent seven seasons and served last year as assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and head strength coach. Ison also oversaw the linebacker position for the Dragons.
 
"Josh was really impressive in his interview," Hunt said. "He has a great knowledge of defensive football, and his special teams knowledge was the best I have seen. He also has the ability to coach the kickers, which is a huge advantage.
 
"Josh has a very detailed plan for our special teams and it is impressive."
 
Tiffin improved considerably during Ison's time at the Division II Ohio program. The Dragons were 0-11 in Ison's first season of 2011. By 2016, they had climbed to 8-3 overall before following up with a 6-5 campaign in 2017.
 
Ison previously coached at Michigan as a special teams assistant coach for two seasons. He was a quality control coach for both defensive backs in 2010 and tight ends in 2009. He spent the 2008 campaign as a Wolverines assistant strength and conditioning coach.
 
Ison also served five seasons as the linebackers coach at his alma mater, Division II Fairmont State in West Virginia. He coached three All-America linebackers in Ed Smith (2003), Matt Vance (2005) and Vince Black (2007). The Fairmont State defense during his tenure was at the top of nearly every statistical category, including 2004 and 2007 when the defense was tops in the WVIAC and ranked inside the top 20 nationally.
 
A standout linebacker for Fairmont State, Ison was team captain during the 2002 season and was part of the 2000 Falcons team that won the conference championship. Ison was a four-year letterman at Fairmont State, earning 2002 honors on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All American Team. He attended training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals as a linebacker (2003), and then went on to play in the Arena leagues with the Colorado Crush as a fullback/linebacker (2004) and the Manchester Wolves linebacker/fullback (2004).
 
"It is a great honor and privilege to have the opportunity to come to Colgate University and be a part of the Raiders football program," Ison said. "I have been fortunate to be at a wonderful school in Tiffin University the last seven years, but Colgate is a special place with a storied tradition.
 
"I want to thank Coach Dan Hunt for giving me this opportunity. I am truly humbled and excited to be here."
 
Ison earned a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Fairmont State (2005), and a master's degree in Athletic Coaching Education from West Virginia (2007).
 
Ison is married to the former Erin McClellan of Houston, and they are the parents of two sons, Zane and Xzavier. Erin played basketball at Fairmont State and later served on the coaching staff of the 2004-05 Falcons team that finished third at the NCAA Division II national tournament.
 
Jordan Belfiori
Belfiori spent two graduate assistant seasons at Western Michigan before joining the Raiders last month. While with the Broncos, Belfiori served as an assistant linebackers coach, providing attention to detail to his areas of expertise in coaching, video and recruiting.
 
Western Michigan finished 6-6 last season, including an amazing 71-68 win in seven overtimes at Buffalo.
 
"Jordan has been with us for a while now," Hunt said. "He came highly recommended from David Duggan at WMU. David used to coach at Colgate and is one of the best coaches I have ever worked with, so of course I listened when he called me.
 
"Jordan has proved to be everything David said and then some. He is a great teacher of the game, and he coaches with passion and energy. He also has been killing it on the recruiting front since he got here. We are very lucky to have him."
 
Before WMU, Belfiori coached two years at Wayne State in Detroit. The Warriors posted winning records both seasons, including a 7-4 mark in 2016. Three of those four losses came against top-25 opponents. Belfiori earned his first coaching stripes during a three-year tenure at L'anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb, Michigan.
 
"I'm beyond excited to be hired by Colgate University," Belfiori said. "The academic and athletic prestige speak for itself. I cannot wait to meet the players and get to work.
 
"I'm very thankful for all of my previous coaching stops prior to Colgate University. I have worked under and been developed as a young coach by some of the best in this profession. Each staff played an important role in shaping and developing my coaching philosophy."
 
Belfiori earned his bachelor's degree in education from Central Michigan University in 2012. He is working toward master's degrees from both Wayne State in sports administration and Western Michigan in sports management.
 
Sean Cullen
Cullen arrives after his May graduation from Fordham, where he was a football operations assistant during his student days. He assisted the director of football operations with tasks such as recruiting events, coaching clinics, team meetings and game day activities.
 
Cullen also spent the summer of 2017 as a football operations intern for the New England Patriots.
 
"Sean is the first operations director we have ever had," Hunt said. "He has done it in our league as a student for a few years, so he knows the expectations. He is very smart and organized, and his efforts will make our entire staff more efficient. "
 
Cullen graduated cum laude from Fordham with a degree in public accounting. He earned Dean's List honors in two academic years.