Bio

John Lindley enters his 19th season coaching for Hillsdale on the defensive side of the ball. He joined the Charger coaching staff in 2005 as its linebackers coach, and has since transitioned to coaching the defensive line beginning in 2017. Over the course of a decorated career, Lindley made previous coaching stops at Central Michigan University, Tiffin University, Michigan Tech University and Eastern Michigan University before becoming a Charger. 

An enthusiastic and passionate coach, Lindley hits the practice field with one philosophy: “We will be the most aggressive unit in football.”  Under Lindley’s guidance, linebacker Tom Korte put together an outstanding four-year career for the Chargers from 2005-08, and signed with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. More recently, Lindley has guided the career of three-time First-Team All-GLIAC linebacker Brett Pasche, as well as 2021 All-American defensive tackle Nate Chambers.

On top of his position coaching duties, Lindley also spearheads Hillsdale's recruiting efforts in northeast Michigan.

Lindley was an assistant coach at CMU under College Football Hall of Famer Herb Deromedi in 1991 when the Chippewas upset then-No. 18 ranked Michigan State, 20-3. In the summer of 2006, Lindley enjoyed one of the great experiences of his life when he observed U.S. Marine Corps training procedures at the base in Quantico, Va.