Bryce Saia is in his seventh year as defensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri.
In addition to serving as SEMO’s defensive coordinator, Saia coaches the secondary and is the team’s NFL liaison.
A native of Joplin, Missouri, Saia joined Tom Matukewicz’s staff on Jan. 2, 2014 and is one of three coaches that have been with Matukewicz every year he has been the Redhawks head coach.
Each season Saia has been defensive coodinator at SEMO, the Redhawks finished among the top two in the Ohio Valley Conference in either red zone defense, sacks, turnover margin, third down defense or interceptions.
In 2019, the Redhawks led the OVC and ranked 20th nationally in interceptions (14). SEMO was also second in the league in red zone defense and had 24 takeaways, which rated third among OVC foes.
The year before that, SEMO led the nation in turnover margin (+1.85), turnovers gained (36) and interceptions (23), and rated third nationally with five defensive touchdowns.
SEMO ranked second in the OVC in red zone defense in 2014 and 2016; finished second in sacks in 2015; led the league in sacks in 2017 and 2018; and topped the OVC in turnover margin in 2015 and 2018. SEMO had its best red zone and third down defense under Saia in 2018. In addition, the Redhawks led the conference in sacks two of the last three years.
SEMO’s 37 sacks in 2017 fell two shy of matching a single-season record. The Redhawks presently hold three of the school’s top-five single-season marks in sacks with Saia as defensive coordinator.
In 2016, SEMO ranked second in the OVC in red zone defense and third in both scoring (24.4 ppg allowed) and rushing (138.5 ypg allowed) defense.
Prior to that, Saia led the Redhawks to an OVC-best +10 turnover margin during just his second year (2015) as SEMO’s defensive coordinator. The Redhawks forced a turnover in nine of 11 games and finished that season with multiple takeaways in each of their final four contests. SEMO was last in the OVC in turnover margin the previous year.
SEMO ranked second in the OVC in red zone defense during Saia’s first year with the Redhawks in 2014. Opponents scored on 35-of-48 chances inside the Redhawks 20-yardline against Saia’s defense. SEMO’s .729 mark ranked just four percentage points behind Eastern Kentucky (.725).
Saia’s defense has produced eight All-OVC performers in Kendall Donnerson, Chad Meredith, Roper Garrett, Zach Hall, Mike Ford, Justin Swift, Bydarrius Knighten and Clarence Thornton.
Ford is presently with the Detroit Lions.
Hall, the 2018 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, became the first-ever SEMO player to win the STATS Buck Buchanan National Defensive Player of the Year Award. Hall was also an All-American.
Before coming to Cape Girardeau, Saia spent two seasons as safeties coach alongside Matukewicz at the University of Toledo.
In 2012, he helped guide a veteran group of safeties led by senior Jermaine Robinson, who tied for the Mid-American Conference lead in interceptions. Robinson earned First-Team All-MAC honors, helping UT to a 9-4 record and berth into the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Before UT, Saia coached at Emporia State for three seasons, spending the first two as defensive backs coach before adding defensive coordinator to his duties in 2011. Saia spent two seasons with the Arizona Rattlers in the Arena Football League before initially joining the Hornets staff in 2009. He was the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator for Arizona, which advanced to the AFL playoffs in 2008.
Saia also spent four years coaching the defensive line at Southern Illinois under current University of Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill. The Salukis ranked either first or second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in sacks and rushing defense during his tenure. In 2004, SIU had the top-ranked scoring defense in the Football Championship Subdivision.
From 1998-2003, Saia worked as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Coffeyville Community College. The Red Ravens led the Jayhawk Conference in total defense during the 2003 season and consistently ranked among the nation’s top-10 defensive teams. Prior to CCC, Saia coached the linebackers at Butler County Community College in 1997.
Throughout his career, Saia has coached numerous Division I and NFL players, including Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants), Jonathan Joseph (Cincinnati/Houston), Reggie Nelson (Jacksonville/Cincinnati), Travis Fisher (St. Louis/Detroit), Dashon Goldson (San Francisco/Tampa Bay), Kendall Donnerson (Green Bay/Las Vegas Raiders) and Mike Ford (Detroit).
Saia’s first coaching job was as a defensive assistant at Fort Hays State from 1994-96, where he received his bachelor of science degree. He later earned his master’s degree from Emporia State. Saia played linebacker for his father Tom Saia, a member of the Junior College Football Hall of Fame, at Butler County CC from 1990-91.
Saia was a two-time high school All-State linebacker in Kansas, first as a junior at Buhler High School and again as a senior at El Dorado High School.
He has a son, Nicholas Cole.
