GUEST CODE OF CONDUCT AMFIRST STADIUM
Jacksonville State University promotes good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches and spectators. Fans will conduct themselves with good sportsmanship to reflect the high standards of honor and dignity that characterize Jacksonville State University. Anyone associated with an athletic program or event should reflect respect, fairness, civility, responsibility, and courtesy to others. Profanity, vulgar cheers, intimidating actions, intoxication, belligerent or abusive behaviors will not be tolerated. Fans attending Jax State football games are expected to stay off the playing field, including after the game, and will not throw objects onto the field.
Positive support of the player’s coaches, and officials is strongly encouraged. Jacksonville State University expects positive behavior exhibited towards our visiting guests at every contest. Please treat others with courtesy and respect. Any violation of this Code of Conduct subjects you to removal from the stadium and forfeit of future event tickets.
Thank you for your cooperation.
ALCOHOL POLICY
AmFirst Stadium guests are encouraged to drink responsibly. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to purchase and consume alcohol. Proper identification is necessary to buy any alcoholic beverages. Each guest is limited to two (2) alcoholic beverages per transaction. All alcohol sales will conclude at the end of the third quarter. Stadium Management reserves the right to discontinue sales at any time. Guests cannot bring alcohol into or out of Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium. Guests will not be permitted to enter the stadium if they appear intoxicated. Drunk and disorderly behavior or violation of any alcohol policy will result in ejection from the stadium without a refund.
PROHIBITED ITEMS
Jacksonville State University is a weapons-free campus. No firearms or other dangerous weapons will be allowed inside AmFirst Stadium. In addition, umbrellas, backpacks, recording devices, artificial noisemakers and amplified sound systems, food/beverage containers, bottles, weapons, and alcoholic beverages are not allowed inside AmFirst Stadium. Event staff and security personnel will conduct bag searches at each gate before entry.
Committed to playing with purpose.
At Alabama Power, we share your passion for gameday and your pride in our community. We celebrate victories on and off the field that move the state forward. For over 100 years, we’ve shown that our collective achievements make us stronger. It’s Power for a Better Alabama.
We proudly support the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.
TODAY’S MATCHUP
Jax State vs. Southern Miss
Sept. 21, 2024 - Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium
Jacksonville State
Location: ......................................Jacksonville, Ala.
Population:.............................................. 12,548
Founded: ..............................................................1883
Enrollment:.........................................................9,955
Affiliation: NCAA Div. I
Conference: Conference USA
Colors: Red & White
Nickname: Gamecocks
President: .................... Dr. Don C. Killingsworth
Athletic Director: .................................. Greg Seitz
Web Site: .............................. JaxStateSports.com
Southern Miss
Location: ................................... Hattiesburg, Miss.
Population:.............................................. 48,455
Founded: 1910
Enrollment: 14,600
Affiliation: NCAA Div. I
Conference: Sun Belt
Colors: .............................................. Black and Gold
Nickname: ....................................... Golden Eagles
President: ..........................................Joseph S Paul
Athletic Director: ...................... Jeremy McClain
Web Site: ................................ SouthernMiss.com
RICH RODRIGUEZ
CAREER: 181-128 (27th) | AT JAX STATE: 18-9 (3rd)
Athletics Director Greg Seitz formally introduced Rich Rodriguez as the program’s 28th head coach in November of 2021 at a press conference on the fifth floor of AmFirst Stadium, and his first season was one to remember.
The Gamecocks posted a 9-2 record and a perfect 5-0 mark in ASUN Conference play en route to the conference title to wrap up the school’s FCS Era. The 2023 season saw the Gamecocks make history under Rodriguez, becoming the first program to win a bowl game in their first season of FBS competition. Jax State secured an invitation to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and came away with a 34-31 overtime victory over Louisiana to cap a 9-4 overall record.
Rodriguez has been named conference coach of the year five times in three different leagues. He begins the 2024 season ranked eighth among active FBS head coaches in career wins and 11th among all active Division I head coaches.
WILL HALL
CAREER: 70-46 (10th) | AT USM: 14-26 (4th)
A notable offensive mind, Hall finished his collegiate playing career at North Alabama, where as quarterback for the Lions he won the Harlan Hill Trophy in 2003, emblematic of being America’s top player in NCAA Division II. Hall led his Lions to a 13-1 record and an NCAA Division II semifinals appearance.
Hall continued his success at the Div. II level, quickly climbing the coaching ranks before taking over as head coach at West Alabama in 2011. In three seasons with UWA, Hall led the Tigers to two league championships and a pair of playoff appearances. In 2014, he took over a struggling West Georgia program and led the Wolves to a 31-9 mark over three seasons. UWG reached No. 1 in the Div. II poll for the first time in school history during Hall’s second season.
Following West Georgia, Hall made the jump to the FBS ranks spending time as offensive coordinator at Louisiana (2017), Memphis (2018) and Tulane (2019-20) before taking the reigns as Southern Miss’ head coach prior to 2021. In his second season in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles reached a bowl game for the first time since 2019, defeating Rice in the Lending Tree Bowl for a 7-6 overall mark.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome to Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium, home of the Jax State Gamecocks! We are thrilled to host today’s game at our newly renamed AmFirst Stadium. This collaboration with a longtime partner signals a new chapter for Jacksonville State and reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering excellence both on the field and in the fan experience.
This season, we are excited to showcase the new Loring and Debbie White Football Complex, located in the West endzone. This state-of-the-art, two-level facility replaces our former field house. It is equipped with a spacious locker room, named the “Daug House” after Board of Trustee Clarence W. Daugette III, cutting-edge training equipment, hydrotherapy, offices, meeting rooms and a central player concourse, all designed to maximize our athletes’ training time. Adding new game-day suites further enhances the experience for fans, offering premium views and comfort in a vibrant setting.
We’ve also made significant upgrades throughout AmFirst Stadium to elevate your game-day experience. New outdoor “cabana style” suites on the stadium’s north side provide fans with an upgraded viewing option. At the same time, the latest Daktronics ribbon board display and enhanced Daktronics sound system ensure that every moment of the game is more immersive than ever. These upgrades are designed to create a fan experience that is second to none, making AmFirst Stadium a premier destination for college football.
It is an exciting time for Jax State as we embark on our second season in Conference USA. We’re building on the momentum of 2023 when we made history by becoming the first program to win a bowl game in its debut season in Football’s Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with a thrilling overtime victory in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. With the NCAA’s full approval of our transition into FBS this summer, our storied football program—with 25 conference championships, 21 NCAA playoff appearances, and a national championship—is ready to continue competing at the highest level for more championships and bowl appearances.
Of course, at Jax State, it’s not just the Gamecocks that bring fans to the stadium. Our campus is also home to the world-renowned Marching Southerners, recipients of the prestigious Sudler Trophy from the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Bodiford, now celebrating his 31st season with the band, the Southerners continue to impress. This past summer, they traveled to Normandy to perform in ceremonies honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Be sure to stay in your seat at halftime to experience their 2024 presentation, JOY, a musical and visual celebration of music’s power to bring unity, comfort, and healing.
Thank you for joining us today. No matter which team you support, we hope you have an unforgettable experience on the Friendliest Campus in the South.
Go Gamecocks and Blow Southerners!
Don C. Killingsworth, Jr., Ed.D. President
2024 GAMECOCK STATS
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Barry Mason ‘86
Barry Matson, 2024 Alumnus of the Year, is an accomplished Alabama attorney who has served as Executive Director of the Alabama District Attorney’s Association, Alabama Office of Prosecution Services, National Computer Forensic Institute, and the Alabama District Attorneys Foundation. Mr. Matson’s office administered cutting edge programs that fought domestic violence, impaired driving, crimes involving digital evidence, crimes against women and children, as well as training and certifying victim services professionals. He is a career advocate for justice with more than 34 years of litigation experience in the courtroom as well as a teacher, legislative advocate and policy maker with an intense focus on protecting citizens by spearheading the passage of important legislation such as Alabama’s national model Computer Crimes Act, Protection Against Online Solicitation of Children Act, Human Trafficking Act, Safe Harbor Act protecting juvenile victims of Human Trafficking, and many others.
In 2010 and 2012, Mr. Matson was invited to present testimony before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and subcommittees concerning the nature of computer forensics and dangers of child pornography, abuse and exploitation of women and children, as well as the 2009 National Academy of Sciences report’s impact upon forensic sciences.
Mr. Matson was one of three people that originally envisioned and proposed federal funding and state partnerships to create the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI). This one-of-a-kind national facility is dedicated to training state and local law enforcement, judges and prosecutors in digital computer forensics, network intrusions, social media, cell phone forensics, vehicle black box forensics, data skimming, constitutional law, court procedure and evidence admissibility. Every high-profile case and ordinary criminal investigation and prosecution across the United States have been impacted by the NCFI and its efforts.
Under Mr. Matson’s directorship, the OPS team created the first ever statewide program utilizing highly trained dogs to assist and comfort vulnerable victims. Several states, as well as Australia, have visited Alabama to learn about this HERO program.
Matson is a proud and grateful alumnus of Jacksonville State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Birmingham School of Law, Juris Doctorate, National College of District Attorneys, Houston Texas, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Denver Colorado, American Prosecutor Research Institute, Charlottesville Virginia, and the Drug Enforcement Agency, Opioid Diversion Training, Quantico Virginia.
Mr. Matson met his wife, Amy, while they were students at Jax State and have been married for 37 years. He is an amateur historian, avid reader and book collector.
ALUMNA OF THE YEAR
Wenona Jones Switzer ‘64
Wenona Jones Switzer, 2024 Alumna of the Year, was the first female in the southeastern United States to become a field agent for the Internal Revenue Service. Mrs. Switzer was named to the Outstanding Young Women of America, in addition to receiving several superior performance awards by the IRS.
Born and raised in Guntersville, Alabama, Mrs. Switzer graduated from Marshall County High School (now Guntersville High) in May 1960. After paying her way through college, Mrs. Switzer graduated from Jax State with the highest honors with a double-major in Business and English. While at Jax State, Mrs. Switzer was named to “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities,” served as Dorm Counselor in Pannell Hall, was the Editor of the Student Directory, President of Phi Beta Lambda, an officer in Sigma Tau Delta, an officer in Kappa Delta Pi, State Treasurer of Phi Beta Lambda, a member of the Mimosa Staff, Miss Mimosa Candidate, Senior Class officer, and placed in the Top 5 in the nation for “Miss Future Business Executive” through national Phi Beta Lambda.
In addition to her career accolades, Mrs. Switzer served her community of Huntsville, Alabama in multiple ways. She was the first female trustee in church history at First Baptist Church Huntsville, serving three terms as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. She also served two terms as President of the Historic Huntsville Foundation and was President of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild, Charter member of the Gothic Guild, President of the Huntsville High School Parent Teacher Association, President of the Jones Valley Elementary Parent Teacher Association, and chaired two major fundraisers for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra—the Crescen-Dough Auction and Silver Tea. Mrs. Switzer was also appointed to the Mayor’s Advisory Board for Huntsville City Schools. She served as an officer in the Huntsville Museum of Art Guild, Huntsville Botanical Garden Guild, Tennessee Valley Genealogy Society, Alabama Constitution Hall Village, Azalea Garden Glub, Greenwyche Garden Club, Twickenham Town Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Constitution Hall Village Society. She also served as a Little League Baseball Pitching Coach.
Mrs. Switzer married John Bowman Switzer on April 29, 1967 in Huntsville, Alabama and they celebrated their 57th anniversary this year.
YOUNG ALUM OF THE YEAR
Keaton Brooks Glass ‘17 & ‘21
Keaton Brooks Glass, 2024 Young Alum of the Year, is a two-time Jax State graduate from Leeds, Alabama. Mr. Glass completed his undergraduate degree in Secondary Education, Mathematics in 2017 and a Master of Business Administration in 2021. As a student, Mr. Glass was heavily involved in campus life and serving Jax State in numerous ways, including becoming a member of Freshman Forum, the JSU Ambassadors, Gamecock Orientation Leader and Coordinator, Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society, and was named “Intern of the Year” by the Phi Delta Kappa Teacher’s Honor Society. Mr. Glass began his career in higher education in 2018, and currently serves as Director of First and Second Year Experience at Jax State.
Mr. Glass serves as an advisor to Freshman Forum, Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society, and the Gamecock Orientation program, where he helps welcome over 2,000 new students to Jax State every year. Since working in higher education, Mr. Glass has focused on building leadership and service skills for students. Each year, the Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society Mr. Glass advises hosts a bed drive in partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc. The sophomore honor society has raised over $16,000 over the past four years and has built over 150 beds for Calhoun County children who do not have a bed of their own. He currently serves as Vice President for Lambda Sigma on the National Executive Board and was recognized by the national office as the “Outstanding Advisor for the 2022 Academic Year.” He has served as the state coordinator for the state of Alabama’s National Orientation Directors Association, as well. Mr. Glass has also worked with various community service projects during his time at Jax State including Behind the Smile, Inc (suicide prevention and awareness), the Wounded Warrior Project, and community cleanup days.
Mr. Glass met his wife, Jesi, at Jax State in 2018 at the Alabama and Friends Benefit Concert. They reside in Jacksonville with their two boys, Brooks and Kyler. In his free time, Keaton enjoys being outside with family and friends at the lake.
COL. Manuel F. Ramirez ‘98 MILITARY ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Colonel Manuel F. Ramirez, Military Alumnus of the Year, is the Deputy National Security Agency Senior Representative to United States Central Command. He received a commission as a military officer in 1998 through Jacksonville State University’s ROTC program while earning a master’s degree in biology. As part of the Army’s Branch Detailing program, he initially served as a chemical officer and in 2002, Col. Ramirez became a military intelligence officer.
Col. Ramirez served in a variety of tactical command and staff assignments at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Fort Hood, Texas. While stationed in Hawaii, he deployed to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt as part of the Multi-National Force and Observers mission. Later, while stationed in Texas, he deployed twice to combat operations. In 2003, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 as a targeting office rand intelligence planner. In 2005, he again deployed and commanded the Headquarters Service Company of the 303rd Military Intelligence Battalion in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.
In 2008, Col. Ramirez attended the Air Force Command and Staff College in Maxwell Airforce Base, Alabama. The following year, he was selected by the Army to attend the Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies where he focused on advanced military studies and military strategy. Upon completion of the program, he deployed for a year-long combat tour in Iraq as an intelligence planner in the United States Forces-Iraq’s Intelligence Directorate (J2) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
In 2011, Col. Ramirez began to work for the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland, and from 2014 to 2016, he acted as a commander of a remote technical site in Alice Springs, Australia. Upon returning to the states, he commanded the 743rd Military Intelligence Battalion, and in 2019, Col. Ramirez graduated from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barrack, PA.
Col. Ramirez has received a host of awards and decorations including one Legion of Merit Medal, two bronze stars, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals, one Army Commendation Medal, three Joint Service Achievement Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, one Joint Meritorious Unit Award, one Meritorious Unit Award, the Air Assault Badge and the Army Space Badge.
Colonel Ramirez and his wife, Helen, have three children: Liliana, Aurora and Gabriel.
If you’ve been a part of the CUSA family for years, we’re proud to have you here. If you’re new to us, welcome. No matter when you got here, know this: You’re part of more than a college athletics conference.
Every school, every town, every alumni and fan is an essential part of who CUSA is today, and equally important in taking us to the next level. With unstoppable energy, there are no limits on us.
So hop on, because we’re heading up.
FIU - JACKSONVILLE STATE - KENNESAW STATE - LIBERTY - LA TECH - MIDDLE TENNESSEE - NEW MEXICO STATE - SAM HOUSTON - UTEP - WKU
MIAMI, FL - JACKSONVILLE, AL - KENNESAW, GA - LYNCHBURG, VA - RUSTON, LA - MURFREESBORO, TN - LAS CRUCES, NM - HUNTSVILLE, TX - EL PASO, TX - BOWLING GREEN, KY
GAMECOCK SPORTS NETWORK
“THE VOICE”
MIKE PARRIS & Ray Hammett
Catch Gamecock football all season long over the air with “The Voice” of the Gamecocks, Mike Parris, and color analyst, Ray Hammett. Anchor stations for the Gamecock Sports Network include: WLJS 91.9, WVOK, WVOK 97.9, WKXX 102.9 and WRBZ 95.5 and WCRL 95.3.
Globally, Gamecock fans can follow the calls through JaxStateSports.com or internet streams such as TuneIn Radio.
HEAD COACH RICH RODRIGUEZ THIRD SEASON
In looking for a head coach that will lead the Jacksonville State football program to Football’s Bowl Subdivision, the Gamecocks found an experienced winner from the game’s highest level in Rich Rodriguez.
Athletics Director Greg Seitz formally introduced Rodriguez as the program’s 28th head coach in November of 2021 at a press conference on the fifth floor of JSU Stadium, and his first season was one to remember.
The Gamecocks posted a 9-2 record and a perfect 5-0 mark in ASUN Conference play en route to the conference title to wrap up the school’s FCS Era. Rodriguez’s immediate results once arriving in Jacksonville prepared Jax State for the jump to Conference USA for the 2023 season.
The 2023 season saw the Gamecocks make history under Rodriguez, becoming the first program to win a bowl game in their first season of FBS competition. Jax State secured an invitation to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and came away with a 34-31 overtime victory over Louisiana on a Garrison Rippa 27-yard field goal. The Gamecocks finished with a 9-4 overall record.
Rodriguez has a 181-125-2 overall record as a head coach and has been named conference coach of the year five times in three different leagues. He begins the 2024 season ranked eighth among active FBS head coaches in career wins and 11th among all active Division I head coaches.
The author of one of college football’s most prolific offensive schemes, Rodriguez has over 30 years of collegiate coaching experience and 25 as a head coach.
Jacksonville State is Rodriguez’s fourth FBS head coaching job after stints at West Virginia (2001-07), Michigan (2008-10) and Arizona (2012-17). He led WVU to three 10-win seasons and was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2014 after leading the Wildcats to their first 10win season in over 15 years.
His most previous stop was as the associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe, where Rodriguez was new head coach Terry Bowden’s choice to lead the Warhawks’ offense in rebuilding after ULM suffered a winless campaign in 2020. The Warhawks improved in every offensive category in 2021. He was the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2019.
In his six seasons at Arizona, Rodriguez led the Wildcats to a 43-35 record and to five bowl games. They won the 2014 Pac-12 South Division title and advanced to the Fiesta Bowl, finishing the season with a 10-4 record, one of just three 10-win seasons in the program’s history. He was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year at season’s end.
His first four seasons at Arizona saw 33 wins by the Wildcats, the most in school history over a four-year period. The Wildcats also defeated a Top-10 team and advanced to a bowl game in each of those four seasons, the only time either of those feats have happened in school history, as well.
Rodriguez helped establish the Wildcats as one of the most explosive offensive programs in the Pac-12. During his tenure, Arizona tied or set more than 100 offensive school records and all-time leaders were set for career rushing and all-purpose yardage.
Before going to Arizona, Rodriguez spent three seasons at Michigan, where he tutored a young quarterback in Denard Robinson. As a sophomore in 2010, Robinson set the single-season Division I FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback and became the first player in NCAA history to both pass and rush for 1,500 yards on his way to earning first-team All-America honors.
Rodriguez was 60-26 in seven seasons at West Virginia, where he won the Big East Conference championship four times (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007) and was named the Big East’s Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2005. The Mountaineers made two appearances in the Bowl Championship Series - the 2005 Sugar Bowl with a victory over Georgia for an 11-1 record
and a victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to finish 10-2 shortly after Rodriguez had left for Michigan.
Before accepting the position at West Virginia, Rodriguez was Tommy Bowden’s offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Clemson in 1999 and 2000, when the Tigers recorded a 15-9 record over two seasons. He went to Clemson from Tulane, where he was Bowden’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1997 and 1998. He led the Green Wave to a 19-4 mark, including an undefeated 12-0 season, Conference USA Championship and Liberty Bowl victory in 1998.
Bowden hired Rodriguez at Tulane after a seven-year stint as the head coach at NAIA Glenville State in Glenville, West Virginia. His Glenville State teams won or shared four consecutive West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and he was named WVIAC Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994, as well as the NAIA Coach of the Year after leading his team to a national runner-up finish.
His head coaching career started earlier than most in 1998, when Salem College made the 24-year-old Rodriguez the youngest head coach in college football after he’d served the previous two seasons as an assistant at the school.
A 1986 graduate of West Virginia and native of Grant Town, West Virginia, Rodriguez started at defensive back as a walk-on in 1981 and became a three-year letterwinner as a defensive back for the Mountaineers from 1982-84.
Rodriguez and his wife Rita have two children, Raquel and Rhett.
ROD SMITH OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR GAMECOCK COACHES
Rod Smith, whose relationship with head coach Rich Rodriguez goes back many years, enters his third season as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Jacksonville State in 2024.
Rodriguez announced the hiring of longtime coach Smith as his new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on June 12, 2022, returning Smith to the sidelines with Rodriguez, who he played for in college and has worked with at four previous stops. He brings over 25 years of coaching experience to Jax State, over 20 of those years at the FBS level, and has coached in 11 bowl games.
In 2023, the Gamecocks’ offense ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game at 236.7 and averaged 30.2 points per game. during a 9-4 season that culminated in the program’s first FBS Bowl victory. The tempo of the Jax State offense was difficult for opponents to keep pace with as it averaged a play every 20.6 seconds ranking as the fastest offense in the country.
His first season at Jax State was a successful one that saw Smith’s offense put up big numbers behind veteran quarterback Zion Webb. The Gamecocks went 9-2 and a perfect 5-0 in conference play en route to the ASUN Championship. The Gamecocks posted the fifth-best rushing offense and the No. 10 scoring offense in the nation, resulting in Smith being named the 2022 Graphite Award Winner for the ASUN, honoring the top play callers in each Division I conference.
He played quarterback for Rodriguez at Glenville State from 1993-96 before starting his coaching career in 1997. Smith would later work for Rodriguez as the quarterbacks coach at West Virginia in 2007, the quarterbacks coach at Michigan from 2008-10 and as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona from 2012-17.
From Arizona, he went to Illinois and was the Illini’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2018-2020 and served as their acting head coach at the end of that 2020 campaign. His was an analyst at Virginia in 2021 and comes to the Gamecocks from Penn State, where has most recently served as an analyst.
While at Illinois, Smith led the Illini to the 2019 RedBox Bowl, their first in five seasons, after leading an impressive turnaround with the offense in his first season at UI in 2018. That 2018 team made the biggest improvement in the nation in rushing, averaging over 137 yards more per game than the year before in 2017. The Illini averaged 243 yards rushing per game in 2018, second in the Big Ten.
While with Rodriguez at Arizona, Smith helped establish one of the nation’s best offenses and set several single-game and single-season records. In 2017, the Wildcats averaged over 41 pointer per game (5th nationally), 309 rushing yards, 180 passing yards and 489 total yards (12th nationally).
While with Rodriguez at Michigan and West Virginia, he helped develop two of the top quarterbacks to ever hold the reigns in Rodriguez’ offense. Denard Robinson was the 2010 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year after Pat White won his second-straight Big East Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2017.
Smith, a 1997 graduate of Glenville State, was an All-American and team captain for Rodriguez. The Franklin, W.Va., native would later earn his master’s degree from Urbana University in Ohio in 2000.
GAMECOCK COACHES
PAT KIRKLAND SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR/BANDITS
Pat Kirkland enters his third season as head coach Rich Rodriguez’s Special Teams Coordinator and Bandits coach in 2023. He joined the Gamecocks in 2022, bringing a wealth of experience from all aspects of collegiate coaching.
His move to Jacksonville translated into immediate success, helping the Gamecocks to a 9-2 record, including a perfect 5-0 conference record and the 2022 ASUN Conference Championship. His Bandits room was led by J-Rock Swain, who earned First Team All-ASUN honors and helped the Gamecocks lead the country in fumbles recovered and to the 12th-best Red Zone Defense in the nation.
His Special Teams units were also difference makers for Jax State in 2022, ranking fourth nationally in net punting, 10th in kickoff returns and seventh in blocked punts. Alen Karajic broke the school records for scoring in a game by a kicker and for consecutive field goals made during the year, as well.
The success carried into 2023 where the Gamecocks posted a historic 9-4 mark in the program’s debut FBS season. Special teams were vital to Jax State’s success with punter Jack Dawson regularly pinning opponents deep in their own territory to face the 33rd-ranked defense in college football in 2023. Meanwhile, Gamecock kickers cemented two of
the biggest wins of the season with walk-off field goals as time expired. Alen Karajic drilled a 41-yard field goal to beat Western Kentucky at home on Oct. 17 to give Jax State its sixth win and become bowl eligible for the first time ever. Two months later, Jax State became the first program to win a bowl game in its first season of FBS competition on Garrison Rippa’s 27-yard game-winning field goal in overtime of the R+L Carrier’s New Orleans Bowl to beat Louisiana, 34-31.
Kirkland’s prior experience includes 10 years of head coaching experience at the University of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va., where he coached the Golden Eagles to a 70-41 record and was the runner-up in the Mountain East Conference six times. His 2021 team went 8-2.
In his time at Charleston, he coached 42 First-Team All-Conference players, as well as numerous all-region and All-America selections. He had players earn Mountain East Conference Player of the Year honors on both offense and defense, with the latest one coming in 2021 when running back Tyreik McAllister was named the MEC’s Offensive Player of the Yar.
His 2015 team at Charleston finished 10-1 and No. 15 in the nation after earning a spot in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. That team was also second nationally in total defense leading to Kirkland earning the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Award at season’s end.
Kirkland spent five seasons at West Virginia, where he worked under Rodriguez. He spent time on both sides of the ball, with the majority coming on defense. He led the Mountaineers to a win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl as the defensive secondary coach and led WVU to the Gator Bowl as the fullbacks and tight ends coach.
He also spent time as WVU’s Director of Recruiting.
Before his time at WVU, Kirkland was the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Glenville State, where his defense was consistently one of the best in the nation.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Kirkland also spent two years as the secondary coach at Muskingum University in which he had four all-conference players in the secondary.
He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Muskingum College where he was a first-team all-conference defensive back after leading the conference in interceptions.
LUKE OLSON DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR GAMECOCK COACHES
Luke Olson joins Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Jax State as the Gamecocks’ Defensive Coordinator and brings more than a decade of experience at the FBS level with him.
Olson comes to Jax State from TCU, where he was a senior defensive analyst during the 2023 season after an 11-year stint on staff at Tulsa. He served as the Golden Hurricane’s Defensive Coordinator in 2022.
He spent the 2023 season working as an analyst for TCU Defensive Coordinator and former Tulsa DC Joe Gillespie. He joined Gillespie in Fort Worth after working under him for seven years at Tulsa.
A Tulsa native, Olson started his coaching career with the Golden Hurricane in 2012 as a graduate assistant and worked his way up before being named the defensive coordinator in 2022.
During his time at Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane earned spots in five bowl games, including the 2012 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the 2015 Camping World Independence Bowl, the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl, the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl and the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. Olson also helped lead the Hurricane to two conference championship games. They won the 2012 Conference USA Championship with a 11-3 record and a 7-1 mark in league play.
He spent the 2012 season as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line, when that unit ranked among the nation’s leaders for quarterback sacks, while his defensive linemen totaled 32 of the team’s 53 sacks.
Olson then assisted with the team’s cornerbacks in 2013 and 2014 and spent four years as defensive quality control coach before becoming the nickel safeties coach in 2018.
A 2012 graduate of Southern Nazarene, Olson was a fouryear starter at safety and linebacker from 2008-11. Olson and his wife, Keisha, have two sons – Lane and Wells.
RYAN GARRETT WIDE RECEIVERS GAMECOCK COACHES
Ryan Garrett enters his third season as head coach Rich Rodriguez’s wide receivers coach at Jax State in 2024. He was one of the Gamecocks’ head coach’s first hires at Jax State, coming with Rodriguez from ULM, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2021 season.
In 2023, Perry Carter earned Honorable Mention All-Conference USA honors after leading the Gamecocks in receiving during a 9-4 season and a win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Carter averaged 17.74 yards per catch during the regular season which was third in CUSA. He finished the year with 672 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Garrett’s first season at Jax State in 2022 was one with a great deal of results. He helped guide the Gamecocks to a 9-2 record that included a perfect 5-0 mark in conference play and the 2022 ASUN Conference title.
The Gamecocks boasted one of the most efficient offenses in the nation and ranked fifth in the country in yards per reception and 10th nationally in scoring offense. Fourteen different Gamecocks caught at least one pass in 2022, while nine of those found the endzone at least once.
At ULM, Garrett helped the Warhawks and head coach Terry Bowden lay the foundation for a turnaround of their program after they took over a team that had gone winless the season before. ULM turned the tables in 2021, improving by four games and returning to the mix in the Sun Belt Conference.
Prior to joining the Warhawks, Garrett spent the 2020 season as the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach at West Virginia State. His one season at WVSU was cut short due to COVID-19.
He started his coaching career at Ole Miss, where he began as a student assistant and eventually served as an offensive graduate assistant that worked with the Rebels’ quarterbacks under Rodriguez in 2019. That season, the Rebels ranked third in Total Offense in the SEC behind only Alabama and LSU with 445.3 yards per game.
Garrett graduated from North Henderson High School (Hendersonville, N.C.) where he was selected captain of the football team and was named All-Conference at the wide receiver position. He played college football at Emory & Henry College (Emory, Va.) for one year before transferring to Ole Miss and switching over to coaching.
ROD McDOWELL RUNNING BACKS GAMECOCK COACHES
Rod McDowell begins his third season as Jacksonville State’s Running Backs Coach under Head Coach Rich Rodriguez and looks to continue the success his unit enjoyed in his first two seasons.
Jax State had the third-best rushing attack in FBS football in 2023, which was the first FBS season for the Gamecocks finishing with a 9-4 record and a win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The offense averaged 236.7 yards per game on the ground and amassed 3,077 total rushing yards. Malik Jackson earned First Team All-Conference USA honors after netting 896 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. Ron Wiggins also averaged north of five yards per carry, and Anwar Lewis averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
The 2022 season was McDowell’s first on staff and saw the running backs help the Gamecocks post a 9-2 record, a perfect 5-0 mark in ASUN Conference play and the conference’s title. The Gamecock running game was a huge part of that success, ranking fifth nationally in rushing yards per game and 10th in the country in scoring offense.
McDowell’s three top backs shared the load for Jax State in 2022, with newcomer Anwar Lewis racking up a teamhigh 818 yards with eight scores. Returners Matt LaRoche and Ron Wiggins ran for 627 and 461 yards, respectively, while
McDowell joined Rodriguez’s staff as the running backs coach in 2022 after serving in the same role at ULM during the 2021 season. At ULM, he took over a running backs unit that averaged less than 80 yards per game the season before he arrived and added over 50 yards per game to that average in his first season in 2021.
McDowell went to ULM in 2021 from his alma mater Clemson, where he spent the 2019 season as an offensive graduate assistant before serving in an offensive player development role in 2020. In his two years on the Clemson staff, he led the Tigers to a combined record of 24-3 (.889), including a 16-1 record (.941) in Atlantic Coast Conference games, back-to-back ACC Championships, consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff and No. 2 and No. 3 rankings in the final polls, respectively.
A four-year letterman from 2010-13, McDowell accounted for 1,983 career all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns. As a senior in 2013, he rushed for 1,023 yards and five TDs while earning All-ACC Third-Team honors.
A native of Sumter, South Carolina, McDowell graduated from Clemson with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2013.
Lewis (7.1) and Wiggins (7.7) averaged over seven yards per rush.
MICHAEL NYSEWANDER TIGHT ENDS/INSIDE RECEIVERS GAMECOCK COACHES
Michael Nysewander is in his second season as the Tight Ends and Inside Receivers Coach on Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Jax State.
Nysewander joined the Gamecocks after the Spring of 2023 and looks to made an immediate impression after bringing experience from all levels of the game to Jacksonville with him.
Jax State made history during that first season, posting a 9-4 record during its first season at the FBS level and won the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Tight end Sean Brown was a big part of that success, earning Second-Team All-Conference USA accolades and made the John Mackey Award watch list. Not only was
he a blocker for one of the best run games in FBS football, Brown also caught 19 passes with five going for touchdowns.
He joined the Gamecocks after spending three seasons at Ole Miss, where he served as head coach Lane Kiffin’s Senior Analyst. During those three seasons, the Rebels went to three bowl games, including the Sugar Bowl and a 10-win campaign in 2021.
A native of Brimingham, Alabama, Nysewander is a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama and received his degree in communication studies. While with the Crimson Tide, he was an H-Back/Tight End and helped head coach Nick Saban’s program to three National Championships and SEC Championships. Kiffin was his offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014-16.
Wearing the number 46 on his Alabama jersey, he earned the nickname “Highway 46” for his knack to open lanes for running backs like Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry during his time in Tuscaloosa.
Following his college playing career, Nysewander signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie free agent.
He started his coaching career at Samford, where he was the Bulldogs’ running backs coach before joining Kiffin’s support staff at Florida Atlantic in 2017. He would later follow Kiffin to Ole Miss.
RICK TRICKETT OFFENSIVE LINE GAMECOCK COACHES
Rick Trickett begins his third season as the Gamecocks’ Offensive Line Coach, continuing a longstanding relationship with Jax State Head Coach Rich Rodriguez.
One of the most decorated coaches in his profession, Trickett has been developing offensive linemen for success in college football and preparing them for the next level for over 45 years. When Rodriguez was putting together his first staff at Jax State in 2022, Trickett was an easy decision to lead the Gamecocks’ offensive front.
His debut season in charge of the Gamecock offensive line produced immediate results. The Gamecocks put together a 9-2 record that included a perfect 5-0 mark in ASUN Conference play and the conference title at seasons end.
The Gamecock offense was a big reason for that success, and the offensive front paved the way for the fifth-best rushing offense and the 10thbest scoring offense in the nation. Center Treylen Brown was a First-Team All-ASUN Conference selection after moving from guard in the first game and anchoring the line the rest of the season.
In 2023, the Gamecocks had a pair of Second-Team All-Conference USA linemen in Treylen Brown and Clay Webb, along with a third earning honorable mention status in Will O’Steen after clearing the way for a rushing attack that was third nationally in yards per game at 236.7.
Trickett was an addition to Rodriguez’s staff that brings decades of experience with some of college football’s top programs. Trickett has been coaching collegiately since 1976, when he started his career as an assistant at West Virginia. He Coached the Mountaineers offensive line until 1979, when he went to Southern Illinois for the next two seasons. Over the past 46 years, Trickett has also coached the offensive lines at Southern Miss (1982-84), New
Mexico (1985), Memphis (1986-88), Mississippi State (1989-92), Auburn (1993-98), LSU (2000), West Virginia (2001-06), Florida State (2007-17) and his alma mater Glenville State (1999, 2019-21).
He has served as the Assistant Head Coach at LSU, WVU, FSU and Glenville State, and during his career, more than 35 of his linemen have gone on to play in the NFL and more than 40 have earned all-conference honors. Twice he had all five of his starting linemen earn all-conference honors – at Florida State in 2012 and 2013, while he placed four on all-conference squads at West Virginia in 2005 and again in 2006.
His unit established FSU as one of the top offensive programs in the nation and paved the way for the most prolific offense in the nation in 2013, when FSU set school and ACC records for single-season total offense, points per game, and yards per play as well as the national record for points while leading the nation in touchdowns. The Seminoles ended that season with a 14-0 record and captured the BCS National Championship.
WILLIAM GREEN DEFENSIVE LINE GAMECOCK COACHES
William Green begins his third season as Rich Rodriguez’s Defensive Line Coach at Jacksonville State andhis seventh overall with the Gamecocks after a four-year stop earlier in his career.
Rodriguez brought a familiar face to him and to Jax State on staff when he hired former Gamecock assistant William Green, who also coached with him at ULM.
Three defensive linemen made the All-Conference USA lists in 2023 as the Gamecocks led the league in sacks with 39 during a 9-4 season which saw the program win their first FBS Bowl Game in their first year of FBS play. Tackle Jeff Marks was helped solidify Jax State as one of the top run stopping teams and also recovered a pair of fumbles to go with his 34 tackles during an honorable mention All-CUSA campaign.
His return to Jax State saw immediate success, as the Gamecocks posted a 9-2 record in 2022 that included a perfect 5-0 record in ASUN play and a conference championship. His defensive line played a huge role in the nation’s 12th-best Red Zone Defense, as well as a stingy unit that led the nation with 15 fumble recoveries.
Green returned to Jax State after helping former Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley guide the ULM defense in 2020, when his defensive line unit set the tone for a rushing defense that improved 56 spots in the FBS national rankings from 2020 before he joined the staff. His unit was also strong when it counted, holding opposing offenses to a .353 success rate on fourth downs, the eighth-best mark in the nation. Prior to going to ULM, Green coached the Gamecocks’ defensive line and was also their run game coordinator. In four seasons, JSU went 28-13 (.683), including an 18-6 record (.750) in Ohio Valley Conference games, won back-to-back
league titles in 2017-18 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision those same two seasons.
Prior to being hired as JSU’s defensive line coach in 2017, Green was a graduate assistant for his alma mater, Florida, in 2016 after serving as a graduate assistant with the Gamecocks under Todd Bates in 2014 and 2015.
Green’s first season saw the Gamecock defense dominate the opposition as one of the best units in the nation. The 2017 unit ranked second nationally in total defense, third in run defense, sixth in scoring defense and fifth in pass efficiency defense. The front line played in its opponent’s backfield for much of the year, leading the OVC and ranking eighth nationally in tackles for loss.
Randy Robinson grabbed All-OVC honors on the defensive line in Green’s first season, one that saw his defense lead JSU to a 10-2 record and the No. 3 national seed in the FCS Playoffs. It was the third-straight year that JSU had earned a top three seed in the playoffs, while the Gamecocks’ 8-0 record in OVC play led to their fourth-straight league title and extended the longest active conference win streak in Division I football to 32 games.
Green’s second season saw similar success, with Robinson grabbing All-America honors and All-OVC honors once more. He wasn’t alone, as fellow tackle Connor Christian also grabbed All-OVC accolades up front. JSU led the OVC and ranked seventh nationally in tackles for loss and was 15th in FCS in total defense. The defensive front set the tone for a unit that ranked second nationally in third-down conversion defense and led the Gamecocks to their OVC-record fifthstraight conference title.
Green played for the Gators from 2008-11, seeing action in 53 games. He recorded 53 tackles, 11 for a loss, 2.5 sacks and a career-best 21 tackles in his senior season. He was a member of Florida’s National Championship team as a freshman in 2008.
Green prepped at Spain Park High School in Hoover, where he was an All-American linebacker and defensive end for John Grass and the Jaguars in 2007.
Green was also a first team all-state selection and named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Super 12 Team in a senior season that saw him register 114 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery in SPHS’s AHSAA Class 6A runner-up season before signing with Florida.
Following his playing days at Florida, Green went to training camp with the Cleveland Browns and then played in the Arena Football League.
TERRY JEFFERSON CORNERBACKS GAMECOCK COACHES
Terry Jefferson begins his second season on Head Coach Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Jacksonville State and will coach the Gamecocks’ Cornerbacks in 2024.
Jefferson joined the Gamecocks in the Spring of 2023 after serving over three years at the University of Miami. He worked with the Hurricane’s defensive backs in 2022 after two seasons helping Miami’s recruiting and personnel efforts. He also assisted with Miami’s Football Operations.
In his first season on staff, he tutored Derek Carter to a Second-Team All-Conference USA season recording eight pass breakups to lead the team and place third in the conference. The Gamecocks allowed the second fewest passing touchdowns in the conference in 2023 and were second in the league in interceptions with 16. Jax State went 9-4 with a win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
During his time in Miami, the Hurricanes enjoyed early success. They posted an 803 record in 2020 that included a 7-2 mark in ACC play and earned an appearance in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Jefferson played his college football at Florida A&M in Tallahassee, where he was a team captain and a three-time All-MEAC selection and an All-American for the Rattlers. He earned thirdteam honors in 2016 and 2018 before earning his
way onto the All-MEAC First Team in 2019, when he was also a BOXTOROW All-American.
He amassed 217 tackles over his career at FAMU and led the Rattlers in interceptions in 2016 and 2017.
The Miami native earned his degree in Exercise Science from Florida A&M in 2018 and then earned his Master’s in Sport Management from FAMU in 2019.
Jefferson also had a storied prep career, starting for four years for Booker T Washington High School in Miami, who he helped guide to a No. 1 national ranking during his career.
VISIT THE NEST FOOD TRUCK RALLY BEHIND THE EAST ENDZONE FOR EVEN MORE DELICIOUS MID-GAME SNACKS!
BRANDON NAPOLEON SAFETIES GAMECOCK COACHES
Rich Rodriguez has announced the addition of Brandon Napoleon to his Jacksonville State staff to coach safeties beginning with the 2024 season.
Napoleon comes to the Gamecocks from Rhode Island, where he served as the Rams’ defensive backs coach in 2023. His unit at URI was led by cornerback Syeed Gibbs, who was named the 2023 CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year and an FCS Freshman All-American by numerous outlets, and All-CAA safety Brent Jackson.
He joined the Rams’ staff from Sacred Heart, where he was the cornerbacks coach in 2022 and was on a staff that boasted the fourth-best pass defense in FCS. His unit included All-NEC corner Arsheen Jiles, who led the conference in pass break-ups.
Prior to Sacred Heart, Napoleon was a graduate assistant at Buffalo and also served stints at Kutztown University, Geneva College, Midwestern State and Susquehanna.
During his time at Susquehanna, Napoloen coached two-time All-American Daniel Shelton and led the River Hawks to a 10-1 record and a Centennial-MAC Bowl win in 2019.
A native of Rahway, N.J., where he was played in the U.S. Marines All-American Bowl, Napoleon signed with West Virginia and played for the Mountaineers before finishing his career at Kansas Wesleyan. He earned his degree in communications from Kansas Wesleyan in 2018.
TRADITION &
Southerners’ Colorguard Coordinator Rodney Bailey was once asked what it was that made the Southerners different. He replied, “We give you art. And we give you heart.” It is in this spirit that the Marching Southerners are proud to present their 2024 production, JOY, a musical and visual celebration of music’s ability to provide unity to the divided, comfort to the hurting…and healing to the broken.
The production begins with Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s Vitae Aeternum (Eternal Life). Inspiring melodies, soaring woodwinds, and sizzling brass moments provide the soundtrack to the joy that is found in the gift of life we have been given…a gift to be simple. A gift to be free.
JOY continues as the Ballerinas take center stage with Jackie Wilson’s classic (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. Soloists, section features, and show-stopping choreography set the stage for a glimpse of just how high we can soar when love gives us wings.
Life is hard. Pain is real. But there is joy to be found in the journey when we realize we never have to go through life alone. Justin Paul and Benji Pasek’s You Will Be Found is presented in a “new school” Southerners ballad that reminds us that if we’ll only look around…the sun is streaming through the darkness…and we will be found.
The 2024 production concludes with the Finale from James Barnes’ Third Symphony. Written to represent the joy that comes after sadness, this staple of the wind band repertoire is brought to the marching field in powerful and exuberant fashion. After a percussion feature, JOY concludes with a “kitchen sink” epilogue of various timeless themes woven into the Finale from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Music is a powerful force. It takes us to places we could never go. It comforts. It connects. It heals. As they’ve done for over 60 years, the Southerners do, indeed, give you art and heart. And in 2024…they give you… JOY.
2024 JAX STATE CHEERLEADERS
Back Row: Brandon DeWalt, Austin Cross, Mack Hughes
Middle Row: Presley Harris, Kaliyah Fletcher, Jeriah Freeman, Makiah Swain, Allie Condy, Lilly Boyd, Kendall Short, Ruby Smith, Kaelyn Fletcher, Reygan White, A’Niija Williams, Kaci Boyd
Front Row: Lynlee Jackson, Kandyce Rogers, Charleigh Sharpe, Makenna Case, Anna Purnell, Celia Raynowska, Ryann VanHoozer, Caylin Dyal, Kaitlyn Willis, Mary Claire Barber
Head Cheer Coach Brett Langston
HOMECOMING HISTORY
JAX STATE ROSTER
No. Name Pos.
0 Tyler Bride S 5-10 180 Sr. Atlanta, Ga.
0 Andrew Paul RB 5-11 215 R-So. Dallas, Texas
1 Demarcus Lacey WR 6-0 190 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
1 Geimere Latimer CB 5-10 187 So. Fairburn, Ga.
2 Marco Baker CB 6-1 190 Sr. Terry, Miss.
2 Michael Pettway WR 5-10 175 R-Jr. Alabaster, Ala.
3 Samario “Flip” Rudolph WR 5-9 180 R-Sr. Mobile, Ala.
3 Kenney Solomon II CB 6-1 180 Sr. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
4 Jabari Mack CB 6-1 185 Jr. Duval Co., Fla.
4 Ron Wiggins RB 5-11 180 R-Sr. Jacksonville, Ala.
5 Tar’Varish Dawson WR 5-10 160 Jr. Fort Myers, Fla.
5 Reginald Hughes BAN 6-2 230 R-Jr. Tunica, Miss.
6 Tyler Huff QB 6-1 215 Sr. Orange Park, Fla.
6 Fred Perry S 5-11 200 Jr. Vienna, Ga.
7 Tee Denson S 6-0 195 R-Jr. Atlanta, Ga.
7 Logan Smothers QB 6-2 200 Sr. Muscle Shoals, Ala.
8 Antonio Carter S 6-0 200 Gr. Orlando, Fla.
8 Te’Sean Smoot QB 6-0 180 R-So. Springfield, Ohio
9 Jarod Bowie WR 5-9 160 R-Jr. Martinsburg, W.Va.
9 Pat Taylor S 5-11 179 R-Sr. Johns Creek, Ga.
10 Fred Davis CB 6-1 192 Sr. Jacksonville, Fla.
10 AJ Watkins QB 6-1 191 Fr. Lithonia, Ga.
11 Ky’won McCray LB 6-4 200 Sr. Baltimore, Md.
11 Zion Turner QB 6-0 203 R-So. Miami, Fla.
12 Caden Creel QB 6-0 200 Rf. Fairhope, Ala.
12 Malcolm Jones S 6-1 206 R-So. Camilla, Ga.
13 Derek Carter CB 5-11 185 R-Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
13 P.J. Wells WR 6-3 195 R-Sr. Rainbow City, Ala.
14 Brannon Spector WR 6-1 205 R-Sr. Calhoun, Ga.
15 Jibreel Al-Amin LB 6-3 215 R-So. Woodbridge, Va.
15 Greg Jones QB 6-4 205 So. Orlando, Fla.
16 Laletia Hale LB 6-0 220 R-Sr. Montgomery, Ala.
17 Sean Brown TE 6-5 250 R-Sr. Rome, Ga.
17 Cai Mayowa S 6-2 200 R-So. Hoover, Ala.
18 Zechariah Poyser S 6-2 190 Rf. Wildwood, Fla.
18 Cam Vaughn WR 6-2 190 Rf. Temple, Ga.
19 Pearson Baldwin TE 6-2 225 R-Jr. Springville, Ala.
19 Morven Joseph LB 6-3 220 Jr. Lakeland, Fla.
20 Travis Franklin, Jr. S 5-11 185 So. Riverdale, Ga.
21 Austin Ambush S 6-3 205 Sr. Gaithersburg, Md.
21 Justus Savage RB 5-10 205 Fr. Atlanta, Ga.
22 Khristian Lando RB 6-1 194 Fr. Cartersville, Ga.
23 Jalen Likely RB 5-8 184 Fr. Brewton, Ala.
24 Jayke Jones CB 6-0 175 Fr. Jacksonville, Fla.
25 Anwar Lewis RB 5-8 190 R-Sr. Pensacola, Fla.
26 Brice McKenzie S 5-9 192 Fr. Highland Home, Ala.
27 Jeremiah Colbert WR 5-8 176 Fr. Atlanta, Ga.
28 Kyler McGrinn S 6-0 195 Fr. Bowdon, Ga.
28 Tre Stewart RB 5-10 192 Sr. Winston-Salem, N.C.
29 Cade Backe P 6-0 185 R-Jr. Crystal Lake, Ill.
29 Carter Lambert WR 6-0 185 R-So. Boaz, Ala.
30 J-Rock Swain BAN 5-10 260 Sr. Talladega, Ala.
31 Andre Devine RB 5-7 157 Fr. North Fort Myers, Fla.
31 Marc Woods S 6-4 189 Fr. Madison, Ala.
32 Santonio Jones WR 5-10 153 Fr. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
32 Micah McCarroll CB 5-9 160 Rf. Pleasant Grove, Ala.
34 Mike Franklin RB 6-2 225 Jr. Daphne, Ala.
34 Dajwon DeLoach LB 6-2 220 So. Columbus, Ga.
35 Aidan Thompson LB 6-2 240 Rf. Winder, Ga.
36 Chase Alexander S 5-10 190 R-Jr. Phenix City, Ala.
36 Collin Westfelt LS 6-1 216 R-Jr. Acworth, Ga.
37 Garrison Rippa K 5-10 200 Rf. Locust Grove, Ga.
38 Walter Reddick DE 6-3 247 Fr. Thomasville, Ga.
38 Nate Zills TE 6-5 225 Rf. Cullman, Ala.
39 Keith Christein S 5-10 170 Rf. Hoover, Ala.
39 Bryson Rouillier WR 5-9 183 Fr. Gulf Breeze, Fla.
40 Walker O’Steen LB 6-3 200 Rf. White Plains, Ala.
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
41 Curley Young, Jr. BAN 6-2 220 R-Sr. Austin, Texas
42 Shane Payton Hodges DE 6-3 225 Rf. New Orleans, La.
43 Zedric Washington LB 6-1 238 Fr. Magnolia, Miss.
45 Cole Fuller TE 6-3 240 R-Jr. Gardendale, Ala.
45 Dee Newsome S 6-3 170 Rf. Tuscumbia, Ala.
46 Nick Covington CB 6-1 198 R-So. Opelika, Ala.
47 Corbet Mims BAN 6-6 252 Jr. Memphis, Tenn.
48 Jaleel Birdsong LB 6-3 225 R-So. Chattanooga, Tenn.
49 Thaxton Gallagher LB 6-2 223 Jr. Dunwoody, Ga.
50 Lucas Mrachkovskiy OL 6-2 295 Fr. Odenville, Ala.
51 Ethan Ferguson LS 6-1 190 So. Roanoke, Va.
52 Maddox Sunderman OL 6-3 290 Rf. Madison, Ala.
53 Joel Bowen OL 6-2 299 Fr. Birmingham, Ala.
53 Luke Hogan LS 6-0 225 R-Jr. Ardmore, Ala.
54 Dylan Brown DL 6-3 336 Gr. Tampa, Fla.
54 Amare “Bubba” Grayson OL 6-3 318 Fr. Stockbridge, Ga.
55 Tae Floyd BAN 6-3 230 Rf. Ocala, Fla.
55 Daveion Harley OL 6-2 305 So. Havana, Fla.
56 Daylan Martin OL 6-2 315 Fr. Bay Minette, Ala.
60 Cameron Griffin OL 6-4 300 So. Selma, Ala.
61 Jaedon Hill OL 6-7 296 Fr. Elberta, Ala.
62 Cole Roberson OL 6-4 290 Rf. River Forest, Ill.
63 Ryland Bragg OL 6-2 298 Fr. Pensacola, Fla.
64 Jamal Siler OL 6-4 292 Fr. Elba, Ala.
67 Shaun Martin OL 6-4 307 Fr. Mobile, Ala.
69 Cam Jones OL 6-8 330 R-Sr. Knott County, Ky.
71 K.D. Arnold OL 6-7 315 So. Atmore, Ala.
72 Nate Smith OL 6-5 280 Rf. Jacksonville, Ala.
73 Will O’Steen OL 6-4 290 R-Jr. White Plains, Ala.
74 Clay Webb OL 6-3 310 R-Sr. Oxford, Ala.
75 KD Small OL 6-4 295 Jr. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
76 Marvin Lee OL 6-6 295 Rf. Huntsville, Ala.
77 Reggie Jackson OL 6-5 260 So. Orlando, Fla.
77 Hunter Otwell BAN 6-0 247 Fr. Pell City, Ala.
78 Brock Robey OL 6-3 290 Sr. Clarksburg, W.Va.
80 Wyatt Sonderman WR 6-1 181 Fr. Marietta, Ga.
81 Jacob Barrick TE 6-3 235 Jr. Martinsburg, W.Va.
82 Colton Pitchford WR 5-11 185 Rf. Columbus, Texas
84 Alex Moore TE 6-6 246 Fr. Huntsville, Ala.
85 Jaxon Shuttlesworth TE 6-5 212 Fr. Chelsea, Ala.
87 Jack Dawson P 6-4 197 Sr. Sylvania Waters, Australia
87 Aghogho Eyafe WR 5-11 175 R-Jr. Andover, Minn.
88 Jordan McCants WR 5-11 173 R-So. Birmingham, Ala.
89 Brock Rechsteiner WR 6-2 225 R-Jr. Woodstock, Ga.
91 Gharin Stansbury DE 6-6 275 R-Jr. Franklin, La.
92 Talan Carter DL 6-1 300 Fr. Ocean Springs, Miss.
93 Jawaun Campbell DL 5-11 267 Fr. DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
94 Jumarion Larry DE 6-4 260 R-So. Hazlehurst, Miss.
96 Darrell Prater DL 6-3 300 R-So. Fort Payne, Ala.
97 Cooper Keown P 5-9 199 Fr. South Pittsburg, Tenn.
97 Ricky Samuel DL 6-3 305 R-Sr. Brewton, Ala.
98 Jackson Veasy DL 6-0 290 Rf. Gadsden, Ala.
99 Emmanuel Oyebadejo DE 6-7 320 Fr. Manchester, England
SOUTHERN MISS ROSTER
No. Name
0 Rodrigues “Dreke” Clark RB 5’ 10’’ 200 Gr. Starkville, Miss.
0 Brendan Toles CB 6’ 1’’ 187 R-Jr. Oxford, Miss.
1 Desmyn Baker LB 6’ 2’’ 230 R-Sr. Clinton, Miss.
1 Tiaquelin “Ti” Mims WR 5’ 9’’ 175 Jr. Bay Minette, Ala.
2 Micheal Caraway, Jr. CB 6’ 2’’ 195 Sr. Bassfield, Miss.
2 Chandler Pittman RB 5’ 10’’ 165 Sr. Magee, Miss.
3 Ethan Crawford QB 6’ 0’’ 215 So. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
3 Elijah Sabbatini SAF 6’ 0’’ 200 R-So. Biloxi, Miss.
5 Kenyon Clay RB 6’ 1’’ 220 R-So. Union, Miss.
5 Jay Jones SAF 6’ 1’’ 210 Sr. Demopolis, Ala.
6 Javieon “J.J.” Butler WR 6’ 5’’ 207 So. Forest, Miss.
6 Dylan Lawrence SAF 6’ 4’’ 215 Gr. Lucedale, Miss.
7 Zay Franks CB 6’ 3’’ 200 R-Jr. Magee, Miss.
7 Hayes Puckett DB 5’ 10’’ 185 R-Jr. Madison, Miss.
7 Dakota Thomas WR 6’ 1’’ 200 R-Jr. Snellville, Ga.
8 Jalil Clemons JACK 6’ 3’’ 240 Gr. Macon, Miss.
8 Justyn Reid TE 6’ 5’’ 255 So. Newnan, Ga.
9 Kolbe Cage LB 6’ 0’’ 215 R-Jr. New Orleans, La.
9 Larry Simmons WR 6’ 1’’ 190 R-So. Moss Point, Miss.
11 Davis Dalton WR 6’ 3’’ 210 R-So. Madison, Miss.
12 Ques McNeal CB 5’ 10’’ 180 Sr. Ackerman, Miss.
12 John White QB 6’ 0’’ 210 Fr. West, Miss.
13 Dannis Jackson WR 5’ 11’’ 171 Gr. Sumrall, Miss.
13 Will James DB 6’ 0’’ 185 R-Fr. Grand Bay, Ala.
14 Keyshawn Buckley WR 5’ 10’’ 175 R-Jr. Atlanta, Ga.
14 Jameer Lewis OLB 6’ 3’’ 225 Jr. McComb, Miss.
15 Reed Jesiolowski TE 6’ 3’’ 215 Fr. Flowood, Miss.
15 Ja’Len Sims LB 6’ 1’’ 220 Gr. Birmingham, Ala.
16 TK Keyes WR 6’ 1’’ 194 Fr. Taylorsville, Miss.
16 Braxton Myers DB 6’ 1’’ 205 R-Fr. Coppell, Texas
17 Kyle McCormick QB 6’ 1’’ 188 R-So. Lincoln, Calif.
17 Tre Pinkney LB 6’ 1’’ 220 R-Sr. Atlanta, Ga.
18 Jordan Johnson DB 6’ 1’’ 200 Jr. Rolling Fork, Miss.
18 Tate Rodemaker QB 6’ 4’’ 196 R-Jr. Valdosta, Ga.
18 Jack Tannehill PK 5’ 9’’ 182 R-Jr. Oxford, Miss.
19 Shade Foster QB 6’ 1’’ 195 R-Jr. Pearl, Miss.
20 JQ Gray RB 5’ 8’’ 160 R-Fr. Hattiesburg, Miss.
20 Cameron Knox SAF 6’ 0’’ 190 R-So. New Albany, Miss.
21 Wildrekus Johnson DB 6’ 2’’ 183 R-Fr. Tylertown, Miss.
22 Sentario Willis DB 6’ 2’’ 183 R-Fr. Hazlehurst, Miss.
23 Ryan Johnson OLB 6’ 3’’ 255 R-Sr. Starkville, Miss.
23 Jack Schwing WR 5’ 8’’ 160 R-Fr. Metairie, La.
24 Jacob Johnson LB 6’ 2’’ 200 R-Fr. Covington, La.
24 Jalen Washington RB 5’ 8’’ 195 Fr. Houston, Miss.
25 Tre’Mon Henry LB 6’ 2’’ 245 R-Fr. Columbus, Ga.
26 Damion Miller DB 6’ 3’’ 195 Fr. Port Gibson, Miss.
27 Dante Kelly LB 6’ 3’’ 201 R-Fr. Itta Bena, Miss.
28 Vernorrius Chaney DB 6’ 1’’ 180 Jr. Macon, Miss.
29 Josh Bledsoe DB 6’ 0’’ 180 R-Fr. Lafayette, Ala.
29 Chance Jenkins RB 5’ 9’’ 190 Fr. Panama City Beach, Fla.
30 Miles Jones SAF 6’ 1’’ 190 R-Fr. Byhalia, Miss.
30 Bryce Lofton PK/P 6’ 3’’ 230 Gr. Sand Hill, Miss.
32 Jarius Anders DB 6’ 1’’ 190 Jr. Tylertown, Miss.
32 Ryder Burns LS 6’ 2’’ 210 R-Fr. Lake Cormorant, Miss.
33 Avery Sledge LB 6’ 3’’ 220 R-So. Hattiesburg, Miss.
34 Ja’Kobe Cameron SAF 6’ 0’’ 160 R-Fr. Bay St. Louis, Miss.
35 Chris Jones LB 6’ 0’’ 220 Fr. Byram, Miss.
36 Brodarius Lewis DT 6’ 2’’ 310 Gr. Prattville, Ala.
37 Chandler Merrill WR 5’ 9’’ 180 R-So. Vestavia Hills, Ala.
37 Eric Thomas, Jr. DE 6’ 2’’ 270 Sr. Pensacola, Fla.
38 Zion Edwards LB 5’ 10’’ 200 Jr. Petal, Miss.
39 Jevon McDonald SAF 6’ 1’’ 195 R-So. Stockbridge, Ga.
39 Brennen Milliron LS 5’ 9’’ 220 Gr. Hoover, Ala.
40 Khalid Moore DE 6’ 2’’ 250 R-So. Poplarville, Miss.
41 Connor Gibbs PK 5’ 10’’ 180 So. Metairie, La.
42 Ethan Williams DB 5’ 11’’ 190 Jr. Pearl, Miss.
43 Jalen Owens DL 6’ 4’’ 260 Fr. Hattiesburg, Miss.
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
45 Caleb Bryant DL 6’ 3’’ 265 R-Fr. Vicksburg, Miss.
46 Jordan Johnson DL 6’ 4’’ 210 Fr. New Orleans, La.
47 Michael Jefcoat TE 6’ 1’’ 230 R-Jr. Greenwood, Miss.
49 Londen Taylor LS 6’ 0’’ 215 Fr. Gulf Breeze, Fla.
50 Wil Saxton OL 6’ 3’’ 325 R-So. Benton, Miss.
51 Demeco Roland DL 6’ 3’’ 340 Gr. Broken Arrow, Okla.
52 Ethan Bumgarner OL 6’ 4’’ 315 Gr. West Point, Miss.
53 Joseph Harper LB 6’ 1’’ 225 Jr. Baldwyn, Miss.
54 Zack Conti OL 6’ 6’’ 325 Sr. Trenton, Mich.
55 Klabron Pollard OL 6’ 2’’ 293 R-So. Hattiesburg, Miss.
56 Greg Nunnery OL 6’ 3’’ 310 Jr. McComb, Miss.
57 Jeramie Posey DL 6’ 3’’ 230 R-Fr. Oak Grove, Miss.
58 Drew Lawson OL 6’ 2’’ 310 R-Jr. Madison, Ala.
59 Chris Hayes OL 6’ 3’’ 270 R-Fr. Starkville, Miss.
61 Gabe Cavazos, Jr. OL 6’ 6’’ 303 R-Jr. Lake Cormorant, Miss.
64 Kyron Barnes OL 6’ 4’’ 316 Jr. Fayette, Miss.
66 Kamron Barnes OL 6’ 5’’ 320 R-So. Fayette, Miss.
71 Tanner Welch OL 6’ 7’’ 320 R-Fr. Brandon, Miss.
73 Hayden Breal OL 6’ 2’’ 280 Fr. Mobile, Ala.
74 Luke Rogers OL 6’ 3’’ 309 R-Fr. Brandon, Miss.
75 Hastings Carruth OL 6’ 6’’ 300 R-So.Dixie Springs Lake, Miss.
76 Larry Edwards OL 6’ 4’’ 260 Fr. Belzoni, Miss.
77 Jo Cryer OL 6’ 3’’ 316 Fr. Natchitoches, La.
78 Dontae Lucas OL 6’ 4’’ 322 Gr. Overton, Fla.
80 Zavian Hales WR 6’ 2’’ 190 R-Jr. Brandon, Miss.
81 Paul James WR 5’ 11’’ 180 Jr. Beaumont, Miss.
82 Ray Daly, Jr. WR 6’ 3’’ 200 Fr. Tallahassee, Fla.
83 Ethan Dailey WR 5’ 10’’ 175 So. Louisville, Miss.
84 Jack Jackson WR 6’ 0’’ 180 R-So. Hattiesburg, Miss.
85 Kyirin Heath TE 6’ 4’’ 235 Jr. Mansfield, Texas
86 Luke Stewart PK 6’ 2’’ 180 Fr. Hattiesburg, Miss.
87 Caston Brown TE 6’ 1’’ 220 Fr. Oak Grove, Miss.
88 Terron Bedford TE 6’ 3’’ 265 Jr. Bay St. Louis, Miss.
89 Pax Hughes TE 6’ 2’’ 245 R-Fr. Madison, Miss.
90 Miles Adams DL 6’ 4’’ 280 Fr. Flomaton, Ala.
91 Elijah Douglas DL 6’ 3’’ 280 Fr. Pensacola, Fla.
92 David Griffin DL 6’ 1’’ 275 R-Fr. New Orleans, La.
93 Caleb Moore DL 6’ 2’’ 270 Fr. Hattiesburg, Miss.
94 Kristin Booth DE 6’ 3’’ 260 Sr. Oxford, Ala.
95 Zay Lowery DL 6’ 3’’ 280 Fr. West Point, Miss.
96 Jalen Williams DL 6’ 4’’ 305 Gr. Tylertown, Miss.
97 Armondous Cooley DT 6’ 3’’ 305 R-Jr. Shubuta, Miss.
98 Iliyas Fuavai DE 6’ 1’’ 268 R-So. Pensacola, Fla.
98 Andrew Stein PK 5’ 9’’ 185 Gr. Slidell, La.
99 Cameron Mackey DL 6’ 3’’ 275 R-Fr. Clarksdale, Miss.
FOOTBALL SUPPORT
Jared Pullen Equipment
Cody Spoon Dir. of Player Personnel
Cole Dial Dir. of FB Operations
Raquel Rodriguez Creative Content
Ty Arlesic Recruiting Asst.
Rhett Rodriguez Analyst
Patrick McCain Operations/Personnel
Dusty Rutledge Chief of Staff
Garrett Hirsch Dir. On-Campus Recruiting
Troymaine Pope Offensive Quality Control
Derek Dressler Offensive Analyst
Chase Hagler Offensive G.A.
Cade Nayadley Offensive Quality Control
Walker French Offensive Quality Control
Landon Cornett Offensive Quality Control
Thomas Futch Offensive G.A
James Edwards Defensive G.A.
Jacob Roser Defensive G.A
Sam McLain Defensive G.A
Ja’Cquez Williams Defensive G.A.
Bradley Summitt Operations Assistant
Will Bernhardt Asst. Strength Coach
Thayne Bukowski Dir. Skill and Development
Chris Wallace Asst. Strength and Cond.
Michael Lombardo Video and Technology Isaac Miller Administrative G.A.
Sophia Tallman Recruiting G.A
Nic Bankston Student Rec. Assistant
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
PARKER WHITEMAN HEAD STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
Rich Rodriguez brought in a familiar face to head up his strength and conditioning program at Jax State when he hired Parker Whiteman to start 2024.
Whiteman reunites with Rodriguez, who he worked with at three previous stops, after a five-year stint as the Head of Football Strength and Conditioning at Sam Houston. He was on Rodriguez’s staffs at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona.
The veteran with over 20 years of experience in the strength and conditioning field, led the efforts at Sam Houston while the Bearkats were one of the most dominant programs in FCS. Prior to leading SHSU into FBS and Conference USA alongside the Gamecocks in 2023, Whiteman helped the Bearkats to four winning seasons, two conference titles and the FCS National Championship after the 2020-21 season.
The native of Keyser, W.Va., he spent 11 seasons with Rodriguez, starting prior to the 2006 season when he was hired as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at West Virginia. After two seasons that saw the Mountaineers go 21-4 with a Big East Championship and trips to the Gator and Fiesta
Bowls, Whiteman made the move to Michigan to be Rodriguez’s Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for three seasons.
He spent the 2011 season as a strength and conditioning coach at BARWIS Methods at Arizona before being named the Wildcats’ Director of Skill Development in 2012. He spent the next six seasons on Rodriguez’s staff at UA. He helped the Wildcats to five bowl games and a Pac-12 Division title.
Whiteman spent another brief stint at BARWIS before joining the Bearkats prior to the 2019 season.
He played football at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.Va., where he earned his degree in physical education and health in 2004. He then received his master’s in exercise science from McDaniel College in 2006.
He started his career as a strength coach at Velocity Sports Performance in 2004 and spent two seasons as a strength intern/coach for the Baltimore Ravens before joining Rodriguez’s staff at WVU.
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Greg Seitz begins his 33rd year in the athletic department at Jacksonville State and has spent the last eight years as the Director of Athletics, after being named to the role on February 26, 2016.
Seitz served as interim Athletic Director for 14 months, marking his third term as the interim Athletic Director for the Gamecock athletic department, before having the interim tag removed.
In Seitz’s eight-plus years at the helm, the Gamecocks have experienced unprecedented success on the field and in the classroom. The architect of Jax State’s move from NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA, Seitz has navigated the athletic department through the recovery of the 2018 EF-3 tornado, the 2020 pandemic and a series of three conference changes over a four-year span.
During his tenure, the Gamecocks have shined in the classroom bolstering a 3.254 combined athletic department GPA for 2023-24. Jax State student-athletes have earned a 3.20-or-better department GPA in each of the last five years, including the department’s highest combined GPA of 3.47 registered during the 2019-20 academic year.
Since taking the reins full-time in 2016, Seitz has hired an impressive list of head coaches that have produced Jax State’s first two trips to March Madness and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (Ray Harper), first FBS bowl appearance and bowl victory (Rich Rodriguez) and the school’s first Division I national championship in women’s bowling (Shannon O’Keefe). The Gamecocks have claimed multiple softball and volleyball conference crowns, while also
regularly placing individuals in NCAA postseason competition in golf, tennis and track and field. In 2019, Jax State baseball won its first NCAA Tournament games eliminating Illinois and Clemson en route to the Oxford Regional Final.
The 2015-16 season saw Jax State’s highest ever finish in the men’s Capital One Cup at No. 18, ranking the Gamecocks in the top 20 athletic departments among the 340-plus NCAA Division I athletic programs. On the women’s side, the Gamecocks just etched their best Capital One Cup finish in 38th for the 2023-24 campaign. In that the same season, while debuting in Conference USA, the Gamecocks posted the school’s highest finish in more than a decade in the LEARFIELD Director’s Cup scoring 145 points to place 123rd nationally – and No. 2 among CUSA competitors.
From his earliest days leading the Gamecocks, the Jax State football team won a JSU and Ohio Valley Conference-record five consecutive league titles and won a league-record 36-straight OVC games from 2014 to 2018, the second-longest conference win streak in FCS history. The Gamecocks were the only Division I program to win its conference title outright during those five seasons. The 2015 season saw the football team post it’s first-ever No. 1 ranking in school history, and earn the No. 1 National seed in the FCS Playoffs before advancing to Jax State’s first Division I National Championship Game appearance in Frisco, Texas. The Gamecocks set more than 50 school records and ranked in the top three in attendance at the FCS level after hosting three-straight home playoff games.
In 2017, Jax State reached the Division I NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time under firstyear head coach Ray Harper. The Gamecocks made their second all-time appearance in March Madness in 2022, winning the ASUN Conference in their first
year. The transition to the ASUN saw immediate success on the hardwood as the women’s basketball program also took part in its first Div. I postseason with a bid to the WNIT.
Seitz has been with Jax State since 1993, when he began working as assistant sports information director. In 1999, he became Sports Information Director and was promoted to Associate Athletic Director in 2002, before being promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director in 2011.
During his term as interim and Athletic Director, Seitz has been instrumental in many of the facility upgrades at Jacksonville State, including renovations at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium, Pete Mathews Coliseum, the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex and the Riley Green Athletic Sports Performance Center.
In 2017, Seitz announced an extension of a 14-year partnership between Jax State Athletics and Adidas, securing the Portland, Ore., based company as the Gamecocks’ official athletic apparel and footwear brand.
Also during 2017, Seitz and the Board of Trustees announced plans to install new state-of-the-art high definition video boards at football, baseball and softball, while also placing new scoreboards at the Jax State Soccer Field and the Jax State Tennis Courts. That project went one step further in 2019, when a pair of video boards were installed inside Pete Mathews Coliseum as part of the reconstruction process following the 2018 EF-3 tornado that struck campus.
As part of the campus rebuild following the tornado, Seitz brought the athletic department’s administrative home to Pete Mathews Coliseum creating new office space throughout the third floor of the facility. The transition paved the way for a new main athletic ticket office in the coliseum lobby, updated basketball, soccer and volleyball locker rooms, and the installation of a full-size practice court on the east end of the building.
Under his guidance, Jax State athletics transitioned into the ASUN Conference in 2021, to better align
with the evolving college landscape, and soon after accepted an invitation to join Conference USA beginning in 2023. The move elevated the Gamecocks’ football program to the highest level of college football. Among his notable hires since taking over as AD, Seitz landed Rich Rodriguez to lead Jax State’s efforts into FBS and Conference USA. The move proved successful from the start as Rodriguez and the Gamecocks won the ASUN Conference in his first season in 2022 during Jax State’s final FCS season. The momentum continued into Jax State’s debut FBS season in 2023 when Rodriguez and the Gamecocks became just the fifth team to play in a bowl during the program’s first full season of FBS competition. Jax State then became the first and only team to win a bowl in its first FBS campaign with a thrilling 34-31 overtime victory over Louisiana in the R+L Carrier’s New Orleans Bowl.
Seitz has served on the NCAA Men’s Final Four Media Coordinator team for the last 13 years and was just named to the NCAA Division I baseball committee, serving a four-year term through 2028. He also serves as a site representative for the NCAA for the Division I Baseball Regionals and Super Regionals, and has worked the College World Series for the last five years. Seitz served a four-year term on the NCAA FCS Football Committee, serving as Chair in 2019, and has been a site representative for the last 10 years. In addition, he served as a member of the NCAA Football Oversight Committee in 2019-20 and was a member of the NCAA Championships Financial Working Group that was formed in 2019.
He has worked numerous NCAA Championships and Alabama High School Athletic Association events over the last 30-plus years. In 2002, he became the first SID elected as President of the Alabama Sports Writers Association and currently serves as the organization’s secretary and treasurer.
