Eastern Michigan University Athletics

Entering his second year at EMU is Tate Omli, who came to Ypsilanti after spending the past three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. Omli will serve as EMU’s safeties coach and pass game coordinator.

Omli has college coaching experience at Hutchinson, Angelo State University, East Carolina University, and Murray State University as well as previously serving as a graduate assistant at EMU. As a player, Omli started his collegiate journey at Butler Community College where he was a second-team NJCAA All-American in 2012. Omli then moved to the University of Northern Iowa.

A large contributor to the Eagles’ passing attack, Omli’s scheme in 2023 paved the way for wide receiver Tanner Knue, who earned All-MAC Second Team honors, marking his second time doing so in his career. Knue paced the Eagles in every receiving stat throughout the 2023 season, totaling 50 receptions for 479 yards and three touchdowns. The receiver’s 50 receptions went down as the most in his collegiate football career, and rank as the fifth most regular-season catches in the MAC. Meanwhile, his 479 receiving yards are the second most in his career, ranking 13th in the conference. Moreover, Knue’s consistency shined throughout the season as he had a streak of at least one reception in 35 consecutive games, the 17th-best figure in the nation. A difference maker in the classroom, Knue also earned Academic All-MAC and CSC Academic All-District honors following the 2023 season.

Omli also played a role in the development of safeties Cameron Smith and Quentavius Scandrett. Smith had a career season nearly across the board as he doubled his tackle count from the 2022 campaign (26) with 45 tackles in 2023. He also grabbed the first interception of his career, returning the ball 35 yards at Toledo, Nov. 8. Smith also recorded a career high seven tackles at Jacksonville State, Sept. 23. Like Smith, Scandrett also had a career season as he totaled 59 tackles from the secondary and intercepted two passes on the season. Scandrett also set a career high with 11 tackles against Western Michigan and was selected to wear the No. 0 jersey against Buffalo, Nov. 21. 

A native of Brookville, Kan., Omli spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Hutchinson CC. Over his three seasons on the Blue Dragon sideline, HCC was 28-3 with two league titles, a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) playoff championship, a national semifinal victory, two appearances in the national championship game, and one national championship (2020-21).

The 2022 Blue Dragons won the Jayhawk Conference championship and a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Playoff semifinal over Coffeyville before falling to Iowa Western in the national championship game. The Blue Dragons tied a single-season record for wins, going 11-1 this past season. Defensively, HCC allowed just 13.1 points per game while limiting opponents to just 265.7 yards per contest. Additionally, the Blue Dragons intercepted 18 passes and racked up four defensive scores.

The 2020-21 Blue Dragons gave Omli a special experience in his first season at Hutchinson.

All Omli and the Blue Dragons did in 2020-21 was put together an undefeated season and won the NJCAA National Championship. The Blue Dragons limited opponents to 13.4 points per game (No. 1 KJCCC/No. 4 NJCAA), 258.6 total yards per game (No. 1 KJCCC/No. 10 NJCAA), 76.6 rushing yards per game (No. 1 KJCCC/No. 6 NJCAA) and 182.0 passing yards per game (No. 5 KJCCC/No. 15 NJCAA).

The 2021 Blue Dragon defense produced 12 all-conference players and five NJCAA All-Americans. Cornerback Roterius Torrence was named both the KJCCC and NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year.

The 2021 Blue Dragons improved mightily as the season went on. The team finished 9-2 with six-straight wins that included back-to-back shutouts in the Jayhawk Conference playoffs. The Dragons finished No. 3 in the final NJCAA rankings. The Blue Dragons also won the Salt City Bowl. The 2021 Blue Dragons allowed 17.9 points per game (No. 2 KJCCC/No. 9 NJCAA). Marquise Gilbert was a second-team NJCAA All-Americans as a defensive back and Nadame Tucker was an honorable mention All-American at linebacker.

Before arriving at Hutchinson, Omli was the special teams coordinator and safeties coach at Murray State University (2018-19). While with the Racers, he coached five All-Ohio Valley Conference players.

In 2018, Malik Honeycutt became the 54th all-american at MSU when he collected First Team All-American from HEROSports. Under Omli’s tutelage, Honeycutt turned in a 79-yard touchdown return that sealed a comeback victory over nationally-ranked Southeast Missouri State University. The following week, he took a punt 80 yards for a score against Austin Peay.

He spent the spring of 2018 as a graduate assistant at East Carolina University.

Omli previously spent two seasons in Ypsilanti as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs. He helped the Eagles go to the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, the program’s first bowl game since 1987.

Omli started his coaching career in 2015 as a defensive graduate assistant at NCAA Division II Angelo State University, where he helped out with the safeties.
 
Playing his high school ball at Ell-Saline High School, Omli signed with Butler Community College and played with the Grizzlies in 2011 and 2012. Omli played on a pair of Jayhawk Conference championship teams and the Grizzlies finished No. 2 in the final 2011 NJCAA Rankings. Omli was First Team All-KJCCC and a Second Team NJCAA All-American in 2012.

Omli graduated from UNI in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. He received a master’s in sport management from Eastern Michigan in 2017.

Omli and his wife, Kristin, have a son, Tucker, and a daughter, Reese.
 

The Tate Omli File
Name:	Tate Omli
High School:	Ell-Saline - Brookville, Kan.
College:	University of Northern Iowa - Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing - 2014
	UEastern Michigan University - Master’s degree in Sport management - 2017
Family:	Wife - Kristin; Son - Tucker; Daughter - Reese
Coaching Experience
Year	School	Position
2023-Present	Eastern Michigan University	Assistant Coach/Safeties/Pass Game Coordinator
2020-23	Hutchinson Community College	Assistant Coach/co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2018-19	Murray State University	Assistant Coach/Safeties/Special Teams Coordinator
2018	East Carolina University	Graduate Assistant
2016-17	Eastern Michigan University	Graduate Assistant
2015-16	Angelo State University	Graduate Assistant