Lamar Conard begins his ninth season as an assistant coach and is in his seventh season mentoring the running backs. He also serves as the recruiting coordinator for Redbird football.

Since his time working with the running backs, Conard has produced a trio of 1,000-yard rushers in ISU all-time leading rusher Marshaun Coprich, Darrelynn Dunn and Ashton Leggett.

Coprich exploded on the scene in 2014 and led the FCS in rushing yards (2,274) and touchdowns (27). Those numbers earned him First-Team All-American honors and the title of Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year, becoming just the fourth player in school history to earn that honor.

He followed a historic season with another strong one in 2015, when ranked No. 2 in the FCS in rushing yards (1,967) and rushing yards per game (151.3), and No. 3 in points per game (11.2).  Coprich was named the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year, earned First-Team All-American honors and was a finalist for the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year.

Under Conard’s tutelage, Coprich finished his career as the Illinois State all time leader in rushing yards (5,195), attempts (926), touchdowns (59), all-purpose yards (5,800), points scored (362) and total touchdowns (60). He also ranks second in MVFC history with 5,195 rushing yards and 59 rushing touchdowns.

The Redbirds set school records for rushing yards (3,619) and rushing touchdowns (41) during their historic 2014 season and averaged a school-record 5.7 yards per carry.  Coprich received most of his help from quarterback Tre Roberson, who became the first quarterback in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.

During the Redbirds’ playoff run in 2012, Dunn served as the go-to ball carrier for the team. Dunn was a MVFC Honorable Mention selection, after he rushed for 1,015 yards and scored 13 touchdowns on the ground.

In 2011, the Redbird rushing attack improved by nearly 50 yards per game from 2010 and averaged 183 yards per game on the ground. The ISU backs accounted for 2,017 yards on the ground and 19 touchdowns, the most for the team since 2008.

Leggett became 11th running back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the first since 2006 with his 1,031 yards on the ground in 2011. Leggett also rushed for 11 touchdowns (T-7th on single season list) on way to being named an All-MVFC Second-Team selection.

Conard took over as the running backs coach in 2010 and inherited a group of talented veteran backs. Erik Smith (4.6) and Leggett (4.3) each averaged over four yards per carry in 2010 and combined to rush for 12 touchdowns and 1,255 yards.

In his first two seasons with the Redbirds, Conard helped mentor a unit that recorded 27 interceptions, after the team recorded just nine interceptions during the previous two seasons. He also helped E.J. Jones develop into one of the best cornerbacks in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Jones intercepted a league-high seven passes in 2010 on way to being named a First Team All-MVFC selection.

Conard came to Illinois State following a two-year graduate assistantship at Purdue, where he also coached the Boilermaker defensive backs and coordinated the scout team offense. He served as a graduate assistant at Purdue from 2007-08 on former Boilermaker head coach Joe Tiller’s staff. Working directly with Purdue’s defensive backs, Conard reported to Illinois State head coach Brock Spack, who was then the Boilermakers’ defensive coordinator.

He also coordinated the scout team offense after spending one season in a quality-control position, where he assisted with scouting, operations and recruiting.

Conard was a defensive back for the Boilermakers from 1996-99. He was the first walk-on at Purdue to be awarded a scholarship under Tiller, doing so in 1997. He was a three-year starter and played in all 37 games during his final three seasons. His career totals included 118 tackles (68 solo, 50 assists), six pass breakups and four interceptions.

A native of Elkhart, Ind., Conard earned a bachelor’s degree in childhood development and family studies from Purdue in 2000 and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Purdue in 2009.

Conard and his wife, Rachel, reside in Normal, Ill., with his son, Lamar Jr., their three children, Della Mae, Payton and Violet.