SPRINGFIELD -- Blake Shrader will join Missouri State's staff as a defensive assistant coach, Bears' new head football coach Casey Woods announced today.
 
Shrader spent the past three seasons as a defensive linebackers assistant at Florida (2023-25) after a seven-year stint as defensive backs coach at UAB (2016-22), including four of those as the passing game coordinator.
 
"I'm really excited to bring coach Blake Shrader to join defensive coordinator Jack Curtis on our defensive staff after three years coaching at Florida," said Woods. "A former SEC player, and the son of a coach, he has been an excellent recruiter, an elite teacher and an exceptional teammate throughout his career.  We welcome him and Shanda and their children Maelee Kate and Hutton to the Bears Family!  It takes Us ALL!  Join the Climb.  Go Bears!"
 
Shrader was instrumental in helping the UAB Blazers finish top 20 nationally in total defense in four of his last five years there, including ranking top 10 nationally three straight years from 2018-20.
 
UAB ranked 9th nationally in total defense in 2018, 8th in 2019, 7th in 2020 and 16th in 2021. UAB's defensive success resulted in three Conference USA West Division titles (2018-20), two CUSA Championships (2018, 2020) and two bowl games (2018, 2021). He also coached 20 All-CUSA defensive backs.
 
In 2018, the Blazers finished ninth nationally in total defense en route to winning a program record 11 games and capturing the school's first Conference USA title and Boca Raton Bowl victory.
 
His seven years at UAB (2016-22) yielded six bowl appearances -- Bahamas Bowl (2017), Boca Raton Bowl (2018), New Orleans Bowl (2019), Gasparilla Bowl (202), Independence Bowl (2021) and Bahamas Bowl (2022).
 
Shrader spent the 2015 season as a quality control coordinator at Georgia where the Bulldogs were 10-3 and capped their season with a 24-17 victory over Penn State in the Taxslayer Bowl. Georgia led the nation in pass defense (156.5) and was No. 8 in total defense (305.9).
 
Prior to that, he served as director of player personnel and cornerbacks coach as part of UAB's turnaround 2014 campaign, helping the Blazers reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2004.
 
His first full-time appointment came in 2013 with Clark at Jacksonville State as the nickels and cornerbacks coach. In his lone season with the Gamecocks, Jax State went 11-4 and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
 
Prior to his time at Jax State, Shrader was a part of Clark's defensive staff at South Alabama from 2010-12 as a graduate assistant, helping the Jaguars to a No. 2 ranking in the Sun Belt in total defense in 2012.
 
Shrader got his coaching start at his alma mater of Auburn University as a defensive quality control assistant from 2008-09.
 
A highly-touted recruit out of Stevenson, Ala., Shrader played safety at Auburn from 2004-07 and graduated in 2008 with a degree in Health Promotion. He went on to earn a masters in Health Education from South Alabama in 2012.
 
He was an all-state performer for North Jackson High School both as a junior and senior.
 
He and his wife Shanda have a daughter, Maelee Kate, and a son, Hutton Thomas.
 
Shrader's hire is contingent upon formal approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its next scheduled meeting.