Curt Baldus joined the Coastal Carolina football staff in February 2013 and enters his seventh season overall in 2019. He will transition to special teams full time in 2019 after working with the defensive backs and specialists, as well as serving as the coordinator of the punt return special team unit over his first six seasons at Coastal.
In 2019, placekicker Massimo Biscardi was named to the 2019 Phil Steele SBC All-Conference third team and started the season being tabbed the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 2) following the season opener versus Eastern Michigan. The sophomore, who was second on the team in scoring with 79 points, was 15-for-20 on field goal attempts on the season, including going 6-for-6 in attempts from 40 yards or longer. In the season opener, Biscardi connected on a Coastal Carolina program-record 53-yard field goal in the season opener versus the Eagles.
Redshirt sophomore Myles Prosser won the punter job in fall practice and went on to be named to the 2019 Ray Guy Award watch list. He punted 42 times for 1,651 yards on the season, an average of 39.31 yards per pun, placing 14 punts inside the 20-yard line. A total of 12 of his punts were fair caught, while two punts sailed over 50 yards on the season, including a career-long punt of 59 yards in the road game at ULM.
Redshirt senior Ky' Jon Tyler, who earned 2019 Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference third team honors on special teams, was third on the team in all-purpose yards with 481, as he returned seven punts for 142 yards, an average of 20.3 yards per attempt, including running one back for 72 yards at ULM, the first for CCU since 2016.
For the second-straight year, Baldus guided a punter to a punt average of over 43 yards in 2018 as punter Charles Ouverson posted an average of 43.1 yards per punt and recorded a career-long 64-yard punt at Troy (Sept. 29), both of which are second in CCU history.
Freshman placekicker Massimo Biscardi was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, an award annually given to college football’s top placekicker, and earned a spot on the All-Sun Belt third team. Biscardi was 13-for-16 on field goals and 33-for-36 on extra points on the year, which included a career-long 50-yard field goal in the win at Louisiana (Sept. 22). His 81.3 field goal percentage was a new single-season record, eclipsing Ryan Granger’s previous mark of 81 percent set in 2016. The true freshman kicker made good on each of his first eight field goal attempts of his career, the longest consecutive streak of field goals made to start a career for a CCU place-kicker in program history, and became the first true freshman to make three field goals in the same game doing it twice in 2018 – at South Carolina (Sept. 1) and at Georgia State (Oct. 27).
The defensive backs in 2018 were led by senior Fitz Wattley who led the team in both tackles with 68 and pass breakups with four, as well as fellow seniors Mallory Claybourne with 39 tackles and Anthony Chesley with 26 stops. Fellow cornerbacks Chandler Kryst and Derambez Drinkard each had two interceptions apiece on the season, with both of Drinkard’s interceptions coming in the contest versus Appalachian State (Nov. 3). Drinkard was the first Chant to record two interceptions in the same game since C.J. Thompson picked off two passes at Presbyterian College on Oct. 29, 2016, while his interception touchdown return was the first for CCU since Anthony Chesley’s pick-six versus Monmouth on Oct. 5, 2016.
The 2017 season saw punter and place-kicker Evan Rabon have a record-setting season as he was the first Chanticleer to average over 40 yards per punt (43.2). Rabon also had a record-setting 65-yard punt and booted two field goals of 52 yards, one yard shy of the CCU record.
Coastal intercepted 21 passes in 2016, including 13 by the defensive backs as C.J. Thompson and Kamron Summers each had four picks apiece while Richie Sampson and Anthony Chesley each had two.
For a second-straight year, Chris Jones had a superb season as a punt returner in 2016, averaging 12.5 yards per return, while the unit averaged 15.3 yards per return thanks to Ky’Jon Tyler returning one punt 80 yards for a touchdown. Ryan Granger broke his own single-season records with 17 made field goals and a field goal percentage of 81.0 percent on the season.
In 2015, kicker Ryan Granger was named first-team All-Big South as he set three CCU single-season records - consecutive field goals made (10), most field goals in a season (16), and best field goal percentage (.800). Overall, CCU’s special teams flourished as the punt coverage unit ranked first in the NCAA FCS as opponents only returned one punt for zero yards, while the kickoff coverage unit ranked sixth in the NCAA FCS. Jones was also named second-team All-Big South while setting a CCU single-season record for punt return yards.
Baldus helped Coastal Carolina lead the Big South in pass efficiency defense in 2014 while Pernell Williams was named first-team All-Big South. After losing team leader Richie Sampson to injury midway through the season, Imir Sanders, who was inducted in the National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society, stepped in and the unit did not skip a beat. Williams and Sanders finished among the team’s top six in tackles while combining for six interceptions.
In his first year with the Chants in 2013, Richie Sampson was named second-team All-Big South as he ranked third on the team and 14th in the league in tackles while tying for second in the league with three forced fumbles. He additionally ranked sixth in the league in passes defended (0.8 per game) and 10th in sacks (3.0). His 11 pass breakups ranked second in the league behind teammate Denzel Rice, who tied a CCU single-season record with 12, as the defense set a school record with 62 pass breakups.
On special teams, Niccolo Mastromatteo was named second-team All-Big South for punt returns and Alex Catron was tabbed a first-team all-conference kicker after setting a CCU single-season record by converting 76.9 percent of his field goals. Austin Cain also set a CCU single-season record with a punting average of 38.2 yards.
Baldus came to Coastal Carolina after five seasons from 2008-12 as a graduate assistant in his second stint with the Cornhuskers. He served as an offensive intern for the 2006 football season. In his final two seasons, Baldus was the defensive and special teams intern. He worked with the defensive line and helped Nebraska finish first in pass defense. In 2011, Nebraska had the best overall special teams in the Big Ten.
From 2008-10, he was the offensive graduate assistant, working with the wide receivers, kickers and holders.
Baldus spent the 2007 season at the University at Buffalo working with the offensive line, kickers, and punters. Buffalo was Mid-American Conference East Division co-Champions and Baldus coached punter Ben Woods, who finished in the top 10 in the Ray Guy Award voting. At both Nebraska and Buffalo, Baldus was involved in scouting opponents and on-campus recruiting.
Baldus began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State from 2002-04. He helped with the offense and worked with the kickers, punters, and strength and conditioning. In his first season in 2002, St. Cloud was co-North Central Conference Champion.
A native of Chaska, Minn., Baldus was an all-conference quarterback at Chaska High School. He played collegiately at Gustavus Adolphus College where he played defensive back, linebacker, punter, and kicker from 1998-2002. He earned all-conference honors as a kicker and received academic all-district recognition in 2001.
Baldus graduated from Gustavus Adolphus with a degree in physical education in 2002. He received his master’s degree in both physical science and sport management from St. Cloud State in 2004. He received a master’s in education administration from Nebraska in 2011.
Baldus is married to the former Karoline Mathney.
Curt Baldus' Coaching History
2002-04: St. Cloud State (Graduate Assistant)
2006: Nebraska (Intern)
2007: Buffalo (Offensive Line/Specialists)
2008-12: Nebraska (Graduate Assistant)
2013-18: Coastal Carolina (Safeties/Specialists)
2019: Coastal Carolina (Special Teams)
