Peter Badovinac (pronounced buh-DOE-vuh-nack) begins his third year on head coach Dave Steckel’s staff. Badovinac will once again serve as MSU’s linebackers coach after helping develop one of the top defenders in program history over his first two seasons in Springfield.
In his first two years with the Bears, Badovinac oversaw a talented linebacker group that included 2016 consensus All-America pick Dylan Cole, who became the first Bear to be named a finalist for a national award (Buck Buchanan) after leading the nation in tackles per game.The free agent signee of the Houston Texans was a two-time first-team all-conference pick who averaged 15.0 tackles per game in MVFC play last fall.
Badovinac's linebacker corps helped spearhead a defensive turnaround that saw the 2016 Bears post an improvement of nearly 118 rushing yards allowed per game (from 301.2 to 183.3 per game). Overall, last year's defense allowed an average of 105 fewer yards per outing than the previous season.
Badovinac spent two years on the coaching staff at Missouri, helping the Tigers to a 22-5 overall mark and back-to-back SEC East titles. He began his MU tenure as a recruiting graduate assistant, working to develop and implement the Tigers’ recruiting plans. Badovinac moved into the role of defensive graduate assistant prior to the start of the 2013 season, assisting Steckel with oversight of the MU linebackers and the coordination of the Tigers’ day-to-day practice preparations and scouting operations.
Badovinac joined the Missouri staff following the completion of his own playing career as a quarterback at Michigan State, where he was a part of the Spartans’ 2010 Big Ten championship team.
The Hoffman Estates, Ill., native started his collegiate career at FCS member Drake University, picking up Pioneer League Academic Honor Roll recognition in 2008.
He earned his undergraduate degree in general business from Michigan State in 2012 and completed his master’s program in education and school counseling at Mizzou in 2014.
