Rio names Thurston head football coach

University of Rio Grande
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande has announced a change to the football coaching staff, with Mark Thurston taking over as head coach for the 2025 season.
     The move comes as the school has made the decision to part ways with former head coach Quincy Wilson. To respect the privacy of all parties involved, Rio will not be providing details on the separation.
     "Our focus remains on supporting our athletes and continuing to move forward with the launch of football next fall," said Rio President, Ryan Smith.
     Thurston, who joined the Rio Grande staff in July 2024, spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as the defensive line coach at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va.
     He was in his second stint on the Spartans' staff after starting his collegiate coaching career there in 2005 as assistant offensive line and tight ends coach. One year later, Thurston was promoted to defensive line coach, where he worked with some of the top defensive units in the country over the next nine seasons.
     Following his first stint at Norfolk State, Thurston was the defensive quality control coach at the University of Toledo in 2015. From 2016-17, he was the assistant director of scouting at Iowa State University, then shifted to serving as quality control coach/defensive line for the Cyclones in 2018 and 2019.
     Thurston then served as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio for the 2021 season.
     A native of Miami, Fla., Thurston was a three-year letterwinner at WVU from 1997-99. He played rush linebacker and started his first two years for the Mountaineers, while earning a liberal arts degree in 2003.
     Thurston also has coaching experience at the high school level, serving as the defensive line and special teams coach at Miami Norland High School. He also spent one season in the same roles with the semi-pro West Virginia Wham! of the Mid-Ohio Valley League.