Sanders, Publisher. The team was ranked nationally for the first time and broke 12 offensive school records. There was onlyone problem: Smart had written 12 defenders on the board. I guess the fans and all the other coaches thought: Those guys are kind of crazy.. "Why I wanted to be here was because of the brand, the history, the tradition, the name recognition of Valdosta State. With classes still out for the winter break, Jackson has not been able to meet the team he inherited Thursday outside of Zoom meetings. I'm just honored to be the coach here and the reception I've gotten on social media, in person it's all been positive in the same. The event is free and open to the public and features the live performance of a different . There had been people on social media wanting him ousted early in the season, so the column was me taking a stance, saying that he shouldn't be fired but should be given some leeway since he didn't exactly inherit a perfect situation.. The majority of VSU students voted for the team and an increase in student fees. Head coaches Records are through the end of the 2012 Season Hal Mumme Era: 1992-1996 The football program didnt debut until 1982 and had some modest success in Division II over the next few decades. 1 in the polls. Tremaine Jackson was formally introduced as the 11th head football coach in school history Thursday afternoon. "Grid Times" Valdosta State University Football Preview 2006. Smart did very well, and a year later he was on the move himself, taking a graduate assistant job under Bobby Bowden at Florida State, before rejoining Muschamp at LSU in 2004. The previous staff did an excellent job with this team, which is full with talent and potential. Copyright 2022 WALB. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images), Chris Hatcher went 76-12 and won the 2004 D-II National Championship in seven seasons as Valdosta States head coach from 2000-06. Kerwin Bell, former Florida Gator quarterback, led the Valdosta State team that won the 2018 Division II National Championship. Mike Leach came to Valdosta State University Athletics in 1992 to work with newly hired Blazer Football head coach Hal Mumme; the duo had been at Iowa Wesleyan College where they set numerous offensive records. Kentucky hired Mumme as head coach after the 1996 season. Then theres the short answer: Didnt winning those four national championships feel good? But everything was fun when they were winning. Seth joined The Athletic in 2018 from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and also covered the Bulldogs and the SEC for The Albany Herald from 2002-05. Goff was named Gulf South. There is a long answer, and a short one. Leach, who moved to the town in his early 30s, found it to have a lot in common with his native Wyoming. There could be others coming down the pike: Hatcher, still only 46, is now at Samford, an FCS school. I cannot wait to get to Titletown USA to meet the local community and begin our work on the 2022 season! Journalism, as well as student-led journalism, matters because it plays a crucial role in society by informing the public about events, issues and ideas that affect them, she added. In 2007, the "Dean Machine" started the season with five straight wins. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Under Goffs guidance, the Blazers continued their outstanding offensive play as the team finished second nationally in third down conversion percentage at a .528 clip. Are we gonna play in Canadian ball? Muschamp joked. He is the head football coach at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a role he assumed in December 2021. (229) 333-5897 or 5477. Valdosta is a South Georgia city located in Lowndes County, where football is everything. The hours and the intensity. For me then, it was very much what I grew up with. At least they had air conditioning. Posted at 12:07 AM, Apr 22, 2023. and last updated 9:07 PM, Apr 21, 2023. Carry the boards, get the boards here, remembered Kirby Smart, back then the new secondary coach one year removed from college himself. Kay Harris, Editor.2006. 1 even with the upsetting finish. [16] Goff, a former Blazer captain and 1996 graduate of VSU, had gone 23-10 the prior three seasons at Tiffin. The two high school powers didnt produce an eye-popping number of household names Jay Ratliff, Randall Godfrey and Kenny Moore are among the recent pros but nearly everyone played football, and did so very, very seriously. The Spectator finished second in the Layout and Design Excellence (Division A) category. Obedience. Goff was hired as the tenth head coach in Blazer football history announced Jan. 25, 2019, by VSU Athletic Director Herb Reinhard. The football programs he has been associated with have had great success on the field. Those lockers the coaches built, incidentally? Two years later the Blazers won the national championship, and they have won three more since then, including last year. VALDOSTA For the first time in 40 years of Valdosta State football, the Blazers will have a Black head coach. For me to get that honor bestowed upon me, it just makes me very emotional. That mad scientist would try to run offensive meetings in a room so hot it was hard to keep players awake. After the game, second year head coach Tremaine Jackson said the point of this night? 1 in the country in Division II and were the Gulf South Conference champions for the first time in school history. He wanted Valdosta State football to build its own identity. He is credited with being a part of the team that laid the foundation for the schools great history of winning. The Blazer defense held teams to 124.4 yards per game on the ground for 44th nationally. "We'll have a defense that loves to run around and hit people and knock people completely out. Reinhard gets asked all the time: Why not move Valdosta State up a level? The relationships. I was lucky to have that job. And it was. Last season, Jackson's Mavericks allowed only 15.6 points per game, good for 13th in the nation. I beat Kirby more than he beat me, Muschamp said. 15 in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 in 2018. Hatcher was only 26 years old. Laying the foundation for what this Blazers program can be moving forward. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Naturally friendly people, Leach said. Among those countless resumes was Jackson's, which Reinhard said he put in the "good stack" with the other top candidates. However, former Seabreeze coach Pat Brown, who departed on Feb. 8 to become the wide receivers coach at NCAA Division II powerhouse Valdosta State, righted a once wayward ship. "Both of those individuals, while preparing for a bowl game, reached out to us and said, 'You need to take a really good look at Tremaine Jackson,'" Reinhard said. There's a lot of other guys that haven't gotten this opportunity that deserve it. I am truly honored and blessed to return to VSU and carry on the rich tradition of success that has been established within this football program, Goff said. The official Baseball Coach List for the Valdosta State University Blazers. VSU was 11th nationally in rushing offense at 260.2 yards on the ground per game, while it was 12th nationally in passing efficiency at 162.12. Im also excited about the opportunity to bring back to VSU a Blazer alum. It was really pure. Defensive Line Coach / Film Coordinator / Assistant NFL Liaison. They wouldnt have made them in an SEC locker room, but at the same time, from a players perspective, thats pretty cool when your coaches are making lockers. The Aggies broke 21 offensive school records, while ranking 15th nationally in scoring offense. I was humbled by the job, Smart said. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. The 2018 season saw the Blazers go the campaign unbeaten at 140, earning the seventh GSC championship in program history and a fourth national championship by defeating Ferris State University 4947 in the national championship game in McKinney, Texas. In addition to his on-field football success, I am very impressed with what Gary has done with his teams off the field, particularly in the area of leadership development.. He hasnt changed a lick.. VALDOSTA -- Former Valdosta State football assistant coach Mike Leach was named head coach at Mississippi State, becoming the third former Blazer football staffer to be named a . The Spectator finished third in the Best Editorial or Editorial Series (Group II) category and second in the Best Campus Community Service: Editorial (Division A) and Best Campus Community Service: News (Division A) categories. Austin Bruce, a mass media major from Quitman, Georgia, finished second in the Best Column (Group II) category. Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week, Director of Internal Operations and Compliance, Director of Ticketing and Game Operations, Executive Assistant to the Director of Athletics, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications (Football, Women's Basketball, Men's Golf, M&W Tennis), Graduate Assistant (Athletic Communications), Assistant Athletic Trainer (Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Cheer & Dance), Assistant Athletic Trainer (Women's Basketball & Men's and Women's Cross Country ), Assistant Athletic Trainer (Football and Baseball), Assistant Athletic Trainer (Soccer and Men's Golf), Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer (Football, Men's and Women's Tennis), Sports Performance and Emotional Wellness Counselor, Graduate Assistant (Speed, Strength & Conditioning), Assistant Head Coach / Linebackers / Special Teams / Strength & Conditioning Liaison, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks / Academics, Graduate Assistant Tight Ends / Recruiting Coordinator, Assistant Offensive Line Coach / Study Hall / Equipment, Wide Receivers Coach / Community Service / Financial Aid Liaison, Defensive Line Coach / Film Coordinator / Assistant NFL Liaison, Running Backs / Athletic Training Liaison / Travel Coordinator. [14] The Blazers were the highest scoring team in Division II, totaling 728 points for an average of 52 points per game. I was trying to learn some new things and develop., After one season, Muschamp moved on to LSU, where Nick Saban hired him to be the linebackers coach. I think if we do well in the moment, that may open some doors for them.". The annual Press Institute offers collegiate journalists from across the Peach State a day of learning and discussion with instructors and professional journalists, with a focus on helping the student journalists improve their craft and make connections. Our goal will be to do it as fast as we can but my goal more so is to make sure we do it right. She said it was exciting to celebrate the history-making moment with her advisors, Dr. Ted Geltner and Gregory Brown, and her team of student journalists, designers, photographers, and editors. Not just football: What were the people like? This Blazer team looks a lot different, but in looking to build on last year's five win season, coach believes they're on the right path to doing just that. Cavan and Lee are two of the most important advisers now to Smart. First of all, hes a genius. They had more responsibilities. "There's not a lot of people that look like me that get the opportunities like this," Jackson said. Reinhard drove back to his home in Tallahassee, Fla., and his home phone rang from a prospective candidate, the defensive coordinator at Army, who had tracked him down. In the Blazers first season, under the direction of Head Coach Jim Goodman, the team finished with a 551 record. Bigger schools eventually offered Smart, who ended up at Georgia. "I feel like I have a responsibility as a coach to speak truth into people's lives. Which, again, means football. I believe that the players, I hope that the players have enough trust in us and have seen our track record that we have had some success bringing in good, quality coaches that they will give us the opportunity to do what we need to do before they let emotion have them make a decision in regards to the transfer portal, said Reinhard. On Sunday, Valdosta State University (VSU) head football coach Gary Goff announced he has taken the head coaching position at McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., according to VSU Athletics. Pages in category "Valdosta State Blazers football coaches" The following 33 pages are in this category, out of 33 total. They helped lay the groundwork for what was to come at Valdosta State: In 2002, the year after Smart left, the Blazers reached the Division II championship game, where they fell to Grand Valley State, whose head coach was now-Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. Bailey Wilson of Glennville, Georgia, finished third in the Best Photo Essay (Group I) category for her coverage of VSU Housing and Residence Lifes annual Hallaballoo event on the Front Lawn. A composer named James Lord Pierpont also lived for a time in Valdosta in the 19thcentury, after he wrote a song called Jingle Bells. The comedian Bill Hicks was born there, as was country singer Rhett Akins and actor Demond Wilson, the son in Sanford and Son.. It is fantastic to know that the Blazer football program will be led by Gary and I look forward to watching him build on VSUs incredible tradition of success..