Personal Ellis wanted his honest take on the Georgia Southern program and culture. By Matt Galatzan Feb 23, 2023 . "They must have high character, the ability to develop our players both on and off the field, show care and concern for our student-athletes, hold them accountable to our standards and recruit at the highest level. The move to WKU followed a three-year stint at Oregon State, where he coached four linemen to All-PAC-12 honors and saw two of his linemen - Sean Harlow (Atlanta Falcons 2017 fourth round) and Isaac Seumalo (Philadelphia Eagles 2016 third round) - drafted into the NFL. 1997: Houston- Running Backs Helton feels Whitley makes the team better, and makes him a better coach. 2020: USC - Head Coach (5-1) "I wouldn't even be here if they hadn't pushed me out the door," Whitley quipped. Twitter: @NathanDominitz. In his time at Wisconsin, he produced one of the all-time great running games in college football history, helping Melvin Gordon to a Doak Walker award and the second-most yards in a single season in FBS history. Kirby Smart is the current head coach of the bulldogs. Prior to WKU, Aplin was North Alabamas offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2018 and 2019. Jay Tufele (DL; 4th round draft pick - Jacksonville Jaguars; 2021) "With his experience in the SEC and havingled as a coordinator, he brings a wealth of knowledge to our football program. QB competition: Sorting out Georgia Southern's deep, almost entirely new quarterback room led by Vantrease, Looking good early: Georgia Southern scrimmage showcases top quarterback, freshman receiver catching attention, Get Eagles news in your inbox: Sign-up for our free, weekly newsletter on all things Georgia Southern sports. ", They dont come much better than @kwhit4 #HailSouthern | @GSCoachHelton pic.twitter.com/jHJmwNzQm3. "His offensive line was a huge reason for UAB's success over the past three seasons. 2016 Georgia Southern University Football Review, Georgia Southern University PDF. The Eagles have won six FCS (I-AA) national championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award winners. They wanted me to try it. "He is the heart and soul of this place," Ellis said. UNA averaged 285 passing yards per game in his final season as the team eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark over the 11-game season. Aggies and Longhorns Tied in 247's 'Most Lethal' 2023 Rosters. The Georgia Southern on-field football coaching staff was replaced for 2022 with the exception of Kevin Whitley, who started the 2021 season as cornerbacks coach, was interim head. 2017 Georgia Southern Interim 2-4. After playing for Auburn from 2017-21, Malcolm askew joined the football support staff as a player personnel analyst. His senior season, the three-time first-team all-conference player was also MVP of the GoDaddy Bowl. The Georgia Southern Eagles football program represents Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia Southern's new football coach Clay Helton is piecing together his coaching staff, and on Tuesday announced the addition of twoassistants very familiar with the Sun Belt Conference. 2016 Football Writers First-Year Co-Coach of the Year Award Georgia's coaching staff has undergone a bit of a facelift in the past couple of months. Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR; 4th round draft pick - Detroit Lions; 2021) Three-time Pac-12 South Division (2015, 2017, 2020) "You want to be at a place that cares and you have a chance to be successful. "Having served under Mel Tucker at Michigan State, Effrem knows what it takes to build an elite college football program. Jan. 17: Ladd McConkey, Georgia's leader in catches for wide receivers each of the last two seasons, announced he's returning in 2023 when he will be a redshirt junior. Running backs coach Favian Upshaw is in an offensive analyst/recruiting role for Tulane. I think our guys did come out and play hard.". Harris was a defensive back on five University of Southern California bowl teams for coach Pete Carroll. "The production on defense at Washington over the past four years is among the very best in the nation," Helton, a former head coach at Southern Cal, a Pac-12 rival of Washington. Merritt, who will be 34 on Jan. 5, comes to Statesboro after serving as a senior offensive analyst for the University of Tennessee, which. Here are the other coaches' landing spots. In 2014, Bill Clark's first year at UAB, Owens coached the tight ends. Turner replaces Art Craig who was placed on leave in the middle of last season. Doug Samuels Dec 7, 2021 Four games into his fifth season leading the program, after initially taking over the program midway through the 2017 season, Georgia Southern fired Chad Lunsford early on in the 2021 season. Football Stockbridge had no history of winning, let alone playoff success (zero postseason victories),before Whitley's arrival. Woods comes to Statesboro after two seasons as the UNLV offensive line coach where he added the title of co-offensive coordinator in 2022. When Helton inquired about Ellis joining the staff in Statesboro, the Peach State native thought of the coach he met recruiting the Atlanta region. 2018: USC - Head Coach (5-7) Prior to his first stop at UNA, Aplin served as a graduate assistant coach at Auburn for two years from 2014-15 while earning a masters degree in adult education. Whitley was a highly success head coach at the high school level in the state before returning to Statesboro in 2019 for his first college coaching job. Baseball Baseball: Facebook Baseball: Twitter . "It wasn't hard to get him to stay because I think he loves this place," Helton said. He assisted the Tigers to two bowl games, the Music City Bowl and Outback Bowl, while back on The Plains. The opportunity to learn from and work alongside coach Helton and this excellent staff is a privilege and an honor, Harris said in a press release. Georgia Southern has a football tradition that is known and respected around college football. I am looking forward to being a part of coach Heltons plan to recruit great players and put a product on the field that our fans can be proud of. Jones played running back, receiver, slotback and quarterback this season and also returns kicks. Hanahan becomes the 3rd school in the Lowcountry to hire a new head coach this offseason joining Northwood Academy and Colleton County. Dobson is an exciting choice as the new head coach of the 5-A Statesboro High School Blue Devils. In his new role, Turner will act as a liaison to all high school coaches, establish and maintain meaningful relationships with Georgia Southern Football Alumni, establish and maintain meaningful relationships with high school coaches, coordinate the Georgia Southern Football Coaches Clinic, assist in on-campus recruiting, assist in Georgia Southern Football Camps, coordinate complimentary high school coaches tickets, manage and oversee the walk-on process as well as coordinate and run the Edwin Jackson Memorial Walk-On Tryouts. A graduate assistant at Florida State in 2020, Davis had sprent two priorseasons on Gus Malzahn's staff at his alma mater Auburn. Georgia Southern University has hired TJ Woods to its coaching staff as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator: TJ Woods, who has 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, has been named the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Georgia Southern offense, as announced Tuesday by head . A native of Boynton Beach, Florida, he graduated from Auburn with a degree in communication in 2016 and earned a master's in education from Auburn in 2017. One of Ellis' first calls was to Whitley. Prior to Oregon State, Woods served as the offensive line coach at Wisconsin, where his group helped block for running back Melvin Gordon in 2014 when he won the Doak Walker Award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was also the 2008 Atlanta Falcons Class A Coach of Year, the 2008 Region 3-A Coach of Year, the 2007 Atlanta Touchdown Club Class A Coach of Year, the 2007 GACA Class A State Coach of Year, the 2007 Region 3-A Coach of Year and the 2006 Region 3-A Coach of Year. 2021: USC - Head Coach (1-1) 1996: Duke- Running Backs On Monday, Heltonsaid he is thrilled to add Davis to the staff. 2015 Georgia Southern (TE Coach) 9-4. He also is respected and well-connected in his home state from decades of winning as a high school coach. McDuffie also earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press after finishing the season with 35 tackles and six pass break-ups. Prior to UNLV, Woods was Utah State's offensive line coach in 2019, where he helped four offensive players earn All-Mountain West honors. Football Recruiting Assistant. "I'm looking forward to being a part of it. 2017: USC - Head Coach (11-3; Cotton Bowl) His family wife Starand their school-age children, daughter Camryn and son Avery supported his move to the college ranks, even if it meant him relocating to Statesboro. "As a Georgia Southern alumnus, he has a true love for this university. Helton's hire in early November allowed him time to evaluate players as well as the coaching staff through what he called "a very adverse situation" in the last month of the 3-9 campaign. He is the head football coach at Samford University, a position he has held since 2014.Hatcher served as the head football coach at Valdosta State University from 2000 to 2006, Georgia Southern University from 2007 to 2009, and Murray State University from 2010 to 2014. 1995: Duke- Graduate Assistant 2022: Georgia Southern - Head Coach (6-7; Camellia Bowl) Hail Southern!. 2012: USC - Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks(Sun Bowl) First quarter GS: Jalen White 2 run (Alex Raynor kick) 8:02 NU: Casey Thompson 8 run (Timmy Bleekrode kick) 4:17 GS: White 26 run (Raynor kick) 2:21 Second quarter NU: Brody Belt 21 pass from Thompson (Bleekrode kick) 13:40 NU: Anthony Grant 4 run (Bleekrode kick) 8:25 GS: Gerald Green 1 run (Raynor kick) 7:27 GS: Green 47 run (Raynor kick) 4:00 He is in his second season as the Eagles head coach. 1 in the Pac-12 (184.9 yards per game). Furthermore, seven of his offensive linemen were named to the PAC-12 Conference All-Academic team during his time in Corvallis. Two of the most veteran coaches on last year's staff Mel Tucker and Jim Chaney, are no longer. A former Georgia Southern All-American and professional player,Whitley is the assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach for Helton. Owens was atight end with the NFL's Vikings, Rams and Jets from 2004-09. Born: June 24, 1972 in Gainesville, Fla. Lunsford, 44, was a Georgia Southern assistant from 2013 until replacing Tyson Summers for the . Following the 2014 season, Owens went to South Alabama for three years as the tight ends coach in 2015 and the offensive line coach from 2016-17. Adore Jackson (CB; 1st round draft pick [18th overall] - Tennessee Titans; 2017) Our community is very fortunate to have a coach of this caliber to lead and develop our student-athletes on and off the field. Staff Directory Members By Category/Department; Image Name Title Email Address Phone Twitter; Hue Jackson: Head Coach @huejack10: John Simon: With this in mind, we are proud to name coach Whitley our assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach for the upcoming season. All rights reserved. Under Woods' direction, the Oregon State offense carried the ball for a school-record 5.2 yards per carry in 2016. A second-team All-Mountain West selection, Turner ranked fourth in the league in all-purpose yards (1,523) and touchdowns (12) and was sixth in receptions (73) and receiving yards (876). From an assistant at Redan (1996-97) and North Springs (1998-2000), he proceeded to head coaching stints at North Springs (2001-02), Creekside (2003-08) and Stockbridge (2009-18). Owens then joined the Blazers in 2012 as the tight ends coach, and in 2013 was named the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. The former Eagles All-American and Canadian Football League player is in his third season on staff. In 2021, his line led the way for an offense that averaged 386 yards per game (180 rushing, 206 passing) with 43 offensive touchdowns (27 rushing, 20 passing). The Owls had three consecutive seasons of at least 11 wins from. "Having the chance to watch the final three weeks of the season, I sawKevin Whitleydisplay each of these characteristics while leading our football team. Sims has also been an assistant at North Carolina (2019), Army (2017-19), Indiana (2014-15 . In 2021, Washington was the only FBS school with two cornerbacks to earn an 85+ grade from Pro Football Focus in Kyler Gordon and Trent McDuffie, who earned first-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors. He took two steps Tuesday, announcing the hiring of the defensive coordinator and the offensive line coach. 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