Change is inevitable when it comes to football, and Nicholls head coach Charlie Stubbs will be the first to admit it.

The Colonels’ former offensive line coach Keith Uperesa returned home to coach in Hawaii. His leave prompted major coaching staff changes. The promotions included Chuck Hepola to associate head coach, Jeremy Atwell to assistant head coach, and Mario Jeberaeel as the offensive line coach.

The Colonels also added members to their coaching staff including University of Louisiana at Monroe graduate assistants Tyler Donaldson and Matt Clark, and another addition to the staff is former Nicholls player Mike Walker, who will be a defensive graduate assistant. Donaldson will serve as the defensive line coach and Clark will serve as the tight ends coach.

The promotions of Hepola and Atwell were done to take some of the burden off Stubbs and further their careers in coaching. Hepola was the assistant head coach before, but as the associate head coach, he will be the person to go to in Stubbs’ absence.

“I know we both share the same philosophy on everything, so if anything did happen where I was away for an extended period of time, he would keep the ship headed in the right direction,” Stubbs said.

Atwell elevated to assistant head coach where he will help Stubbs with administrative duties.

“At this level of football, you can see that I’m the head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks’ coach and the fundraiser,” Stubbs said. “So I have to have some help and I trust (Hepola and Atwell) will help in many areas with a position of authorities.”

Stubbs said that the moves will show that both coaches are valued members of the coaching staff and will help them in their coaching careers. Stubbs still had to fill the hole Uperesa left at the offensive line position.

“Keith would not have left unless he had a situation where he got to go back home in Hawaii,” Stubbs said. “He’s on the last stretch of his career anyway, so it’s nothing better for him. I totally supported him and helped him in that, and our players understand what was happening. I’ll miss all of his expertise, but it is part of this profession with change.”

Then Jeberaeel, who served as a graduate assistant for the Colonels for two years, applied for the position.

“His professionalism made it likely that he would be a very good candidate when we had the offensive line coach opening,” Stubbs said. “So I interviewed him, and I felt like I didn’t have to look real far.”

As for the new coaches, all three are former players at the college level. Donaldson took over as defensive line coach after Dustin Gisclair accepted a full-time position at Missouri Southern, and before coaching at ULM, Donaldson was a two-time all-conference honoree at the University of New Mexico.

Clark was named the tight ends’ coach after former coach Adam Gardner left to pursue other interests. Clark lettered four years in college, one at Air Force and three at Western Washington, before being hired as an offensive graduate assistant at ULM.

Rounding out the changes to the staff is former Nicholls player Walker, who lettered three years for the Colonels as a linebacker and is currently pursuing his masters of business of administration.

The football team will begin preparing for the 2012 season when they take the field on March 21 for spring training.