TAMPA -- The University of South Florida football team added two coaches to its staff this week. Eric Mathies and David Reaves both add recruiting prowess to the Bulls’ staff. Mathies will serve as the defensive line coach and Reaves will handle the wide receivers. Both coaches add many years of coaching experience to USF. Combined, Reaves and Mathies have six years of recruiting experience including 24 years of total coaching experience.

“David and Eric bring a great combination of on-the-field coaching experience and recruiting prowess,” said Bulls Coach Willie Taggart. “I love the energy that they bring and they’ll be great compliments to the other staff members. Both have been heavily involved in recruiting, especially here in Florida, and I believe that will be a huge asset as we build this program.”

Last season, Reaves held a position as an instructor at the IMG Academy in Bradenton where he assisted athletes at all levels including NFL players. Reaves also boasts a decade of experience coaching at the collegiate level. From 2010-2011 he coached at New Mexico where he held positions including quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.  Prior to that, he coached as a quarterbacks coach at both Tennessee and South Carolina.

Reaves, a Tampa Bay native, began his coaching career in 2001 where he held the assistant coaching position at Tampa Catholic High School.

Mathies brings over 14 years of coaching experience to USF. From 2010-2012, Mathies held the defensive line coaching position at Western Kentucky University. Mathies joined WKU in 2005. When Taggart joined WKU in 2012, Mathies had added responsibilities including the title of recruiting coordinator. He has also coached at Tennessee St., working with the defensive line. In addition, Mathies held recruiting duties for the team. Prior to his stint in Tennessee, Mathies was the defensive line coach at Midwestern (Texas) State. He was also the strength and conditioning coach there as well as holding recruiting duties.

Both coaches and their recruiting experience continue to solidify USF’s coaching staff with two remaining positions to be filled. The ability to recruit well is an important quality a coach can possess especially with signing day looming.