OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan football program and head coach Tyrone Young have added two new staff members for the upcoming 2026 season.
Anthony Payton will be the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Panthers. Ezekiel Combs joins Wesleyan as the new cornerbacks coach and the co-special teams coordinator.
Payton brings more than two decades of experience at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels. A former standout wide receiver with nine seasons in the arena and indoor professional ranks, Payton played in the Arena Football League (AFL), AF2, and Indoor Football League (IFL) before transitioning into coaching.
He has since built an accomplished résumé that includes serving as a head coach and offensive coordinator in multiple professional indoor leagues, in which his offenses consistently ranked among league leaders in scoring and efficiency. Payton has developed numerous All-League performers at quarterback and skill positions and is widely respected for his offensive innovation and player development. A Kentucky Wesleyan College alumnus, Payton has also coached at the collegiate and high school levels in Kentucky, bringing a wealth of knowledge, energy, and professional experience back to the program.
Combs joins Kentucky Wesleyan after spending the 2025 Season at Mercer University, where he was a defensive analyst. A native of Georgia and a 2021 graduate of Lakeland University with a bachelor's degree in sports studies, Combs brings a strong blend of playing and coaching experience to the program. As a four-year letterman at Lakeland, he appeared in 39 games, recorded 180 career tackles with five interceptions and 22 pass breakups, and earned All-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference honors as a senior.
Since beginning his coaching career, Combs has served on collegiate staffs at Concordia Nebraska and St. Norbert College, where he coached cornerbacks and coordinated junior varsity defenses, and most recently spent two seasons at Northern Michigan University as cornerbacks coach while also overseeing special teams' units. His work contributed to strong defensive performance, including top net punting averages and turnover production. Combs' diverse background as a player and coach underscores his passion for defensive excellence and player development.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Coach Anthony Payton and Coach Ezekiel Combs to our football staff," Young said. "Both men bring tremendous energy, passion, and a wealth of experience that will immediately elevate our program. Coach Payton's background at the professional and collegiate levels brings a dynamic offensive mind and a proven track record of developing playmakers, while Coach Combs brings infectious energy, defensive expertise, and a player-first approach that resonates with today's student-athletes."
Just as important, both coaches are outstanding teachers and competitors who align perfectly with the culture we are building," Young continued. "Our players are going to feel their impact right away, and we are thrilled to have them join our family."
The full Kentucky Wesleyan football schedule is set to be released in the coming weeks.
Visit kwcpanthers.com/give today to make a gift to Kentucky Wesleyan Athletics! Gifts can be directed to general athletics, our athletic endowment, or any of our 14 NCAA Division II programs.
Stay up to date on all your Panther news by following @KWCPanthers on X and Instagram and by liking the "Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics" Facebook page. Also, the Panthers Mobile App is available on iTunes and Android featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more.
