Gims, Wherritt Added to TIU Football Coaching Staff

April 2, 2008

Trinity International University is proud to announce the hiring of two new additions to the football coaching staff. Both of the new hires, Mike Gims and Kirk Wherritt, come to TIU with extensive coaching experience.

Trojan Head Football Coach, Derek Dewitt, in his excitement about his new coaches, said, “Both coaches are godly men who believe in the Christian mission of the institution and demonstrate integrity and commitment to education. Gims and Wherritt are genuine and engaging coaches who will relate well to the TIU family and generate enthusiasm around our football program."

Mike Gims

Mike Gims will serve as the Assistant Head Coach for the TIU Football Program. Coach Gims previously served as the Head Football Coach at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (CHCA), a position he has held since 2003. In 2005, the CHCA football team was an Ohio State Finalist. During the four years that Gims served as head coach, CHCA won the league championship three times and made the state playoffs twice. Previously he served as the offensive coordinator for the CHCA football program since its inception in 1997. In eleven seasons, CHCA has posted only one losing record. In addition to being the head football coach, Mike served as a CHCA track and field coach during the spring season.

Before joining the CHCA football program, Coach Gims served as the Offensive Coordinator at Hughes High School for two years. Gims, who has been coaching football for twenty-one years, began his coaching career at Landmark Christian, where he was an assistant coach for four years and the head coach for two years.

Gims attended the University of Cincinnati, where he majored in Physical Education and Health. He also excelled as a wide-receiver at Lakota High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mike and his wife, Kathy, have been married for twenty-five years and have two daughters, Kelley and Kayla.

Kirk Wherritt

Kirk Wherritt will serve in the role of Offensive Coordinator for the Trojans. Coach Wherritt has spent the last three years working for Head Coach Mike Sanford at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. During the 2007 season, Wherritt was the Offensive Graduate Assistant under Offensive Coordinator Todd Berry. Wherritt’s first two seasons at UNLV were spent on defense as the Defensive Graduate Assistant.

In 2004, Wherritt served at the University of Utah as an Offensive Assistant for Head Coach Urban Meyer. Prior to his experience at Utah and UNLV, Wherritt worked as the Offensive Coordinator with the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee club football team.

Wherritt will earn a Master of Education in Sports Education Leadership from UNLV this May. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2004. Wherritt is engaged to Keli Johnson, and the two plan to marry this May.