In two days short days the Chris Hatcher era will officially commence with the start of spring football practice Friday afternoon. Since his mid-January hire, the first-year Georgia Southern coach has been busy learning his way around Statesboro, recruiting, getting to know his players and hiring a staff. Aside from two restricted-earnings assistants who will be announced once their paperwork clears, Hatcher’s crew is now full, and he feels he has a quality bunch.
“I think we’ve got a very good staff,” Hatcher said. “They all bring a little something different to the table – that’s what I try to do when putting together a group of guys. You don’t want everybody having the same expertise. I think we’ve got a very well-rounded staff. When they are all together, I think they are very strong. I’m very excited about working with them here at Georgia Southern.”
In an effort to help you put the names with faces, here’s a quick look at the coaches Hatcher has brought to Statesboro:
Ashley Anders
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – defensive coordinator/kickoff teams
College: Arkansas-Monticello (1996), Auburn (2000)
Notable: Anders spent the last five years at Valdosta State and coordinated the defense the last four. In 2006, the Blazer defense allowed 15.7 points per game, 25th best in Division II.
Rance Gillespie
Offensive Coordinator/
Running Backs
Where he was last year: Peach County High School – head coach
College: Georgia (1992)
Notable: Gillespie made quite a name for himself at Peach County, where he won back-back Class AAA state titles in 2005 and 2006 – the first two in school history – and was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s coach of the year both of those seasons. Gillespie had a 65-16 record at Peach County and a 50-8 mark the last four seasons.
Shawn Bostick
Offensive Line
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – assistant head coach/offensive line
College: Valdosta State (1997)
Notable: A former college teammate of Hatcher’s, Bostick has spent the last 18 years playing and later coaching at Valdosta State. Bostick’s o-line was key to the Blazers’ prolific offense, which averaged 32 points a game six of Hatcher’s seven years at the helm and racked up at least 380 yards per contest during that stretch.
Ron Dugans
Wide Receivers
Where he was last year: Florida State – offensive graduate assistant
College: Florida State (1999)
Notable: Dugans holds the distinction as the only former NFL player on GSU’s current staff.
After he helped Florida State to a national title in 1999, he spent four years with the Cincinnati Bengals and one with the Tennessee Titans. He played in three national championship games for the Seminoles and helped FSU to a 45-4 record during his playing career.
Keith Hatcher
Secondary/Recruiting Coordinator
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – secondary, director of football operations and summer camps
College: Mars Hill (2000)
Notable: In 2006, Chris Hatcher’s cousin, Keith, was in charge of the Blazers’ punt-rush squad, which blocked seven punts and returned three for a touchdown. VSU led the league in blocks and punt-return yardage.
Jeff Koonz
Defensive line
Where he was last year: Presbyterian College – assistant head coach, defensive coordinator
College: SUNY-New Paltz (1992), Georgia Southern
Notable: Koonz returns to Statesboro where he served as a defensive line and strength and conditioning coach in 1992 and 1993. Last year, his defense at Presbyterian College ranked among the South Atlantic Conference leaders, allowing 89.8 rushing yards, 223 total yards and 13.2 points a game, which was sixth nationally.
Mitch Stewart
Tight Ends
Where he was last year: Newnan High School – offensive assistant
College: Valdosta State (2005)
Notable: Stewart spent five years as a quarterback under Hatcher at Valdosta State, where he helped the Blazers to a 2004 national title and a 2002 national runner-up finish.
Bubba Walker
Defensive Ends
Where he was last year: Georgia – graduate assistant
College: Augusta State (2004)
Notable: Before spending last season tutoring linebackers at Georgia, Walker was a graduate assistant under Hatcher at Valdosta State and worked with the defensive line.
Dave Jenkerson, Jr.
Strength and Conditioning
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – graduate assistant
College: Springfield College (2005)
Notable: Like several of the other staff members, Jenkerson has also worked with Hatcher before, having spent the last two years as a graduate assistant in Valdosta’s State’s strength and conditioning program. In 2005, he interned with the Rutgers University strength and conditioning program.
“I think we’ve got a very good staff,” Hatcher said. “They all bring a little something different to the table – that’s what I try to do when putting together a group of guys. You don’t want everybody having the same expertise. I think we’ve got a very well-rounded staff. When they are all together, I think they are very strong. I’m very excited about working with them here at Georgia Southern.”
In an effort to help you put the names with faces, here’s a quick look at the coaches Hatcher has brought to Statesboro:
Ashley Anders
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – defensive coordinator/kickoff teams
College: Arkansas-Monticello (1996), Auburn (2000)
Notable: Anders spent the last five years at Valdosta State and coordinated the defense the last four. In 2006, the Blazer defense allowed 15.7 points per game, 25th best in Division II.
Rance Gillespie
Offensive Coordinator/
Running Backs
Where he was last year: Peach County High School – head coach
College: Georgia (1992)
Notable: Gillespie made quite a name for himself at Peach County, where he won back-back Class AAA state titles in 2005 and 2006 – the first two in school history – and was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s coach of the year both of those seasons. Gillespie had a 65-16 record at Peach County and a 50-8 mark the last four seasons.
Shawn Bostick
Offensive Line
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – assistant head coach/offensive line
College: Valdosta State (1997)
Notable: A former college teammate of Hatcher’s, Bostick has spent the last 18 years playing and later coaching at Valdosta State. Bostick’s o-line was key to the Blazers’ prolific offense, which averaged 32 points a game six of Hatcher’s seven years at the helm and racked up at least 380 yards per contest during that stretch.
Ron Dugans
Wide Receivers
Where he was last year: Florida State – offensive graduate assistant
College: Florida State (1999)
Notable: Dugans holds the distinction as the only former NFL player on GSU’s current staff.
After he helped Florida State to a national title in 1999, he spent four years with the Cincinnati Bengals and one with the Tennessee Titans. He played in three national championship games for the Seminoles and helped FSU to a 45-4 record during his playing career.
Keith Hatcher
Secondary/Recruiting Coordinator
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – secondary, director of football operations and summer camps
College: Mars Hill (2000)
Notable: In 2006, Chris Hatcher’s cousin, Keith, was in charge of the Blazers’ punt-rush squad, which blocked seven punts and returned three for a touchdown. VSU led the league in blocks and punt-return yardage.
Jeff Koonz
Defensive line
Where he was last year: Presbyterian College – assistant head coach, defensive coordinator
College: SUNY-New Paltz (1992), Georgia Southern
Notable: Koonz returns to Statesboro where he served as a defensive line and strength and conditioning coach in 1992 and 1993. Last year, his defense at Presbyterian College ranked among the South Atlantic Conference leaders, allowing 89.8 rushing yards, 223 total yards and 13.2 points a game, which was sixth nationally.
Mitch Stewart
Tight Ends
Where he was last year: Newnan High School – offensive assistant
College: Valdosta State (2005)
Notable: Stewart spent five years as a quarterback under Hatcher at Valdosta State, where he helped the Blazers to a 2004 national title and a 2002 national runner-up finish.
Bubba Walker
Defensive Ends
Where he was last year: Georgia – graduate assistant
College: Augusta State (2004)
Notable: Before spending last season tutoring linebackers at Georgia, Walker was a graduate assistant under Hatcher at Valdosta State and worked with the defensive line.
Dave Jenkerson, Jr.
Strength and Conditioning
Where he was last year: Valdosta State – graduate assistant
College: Springfield College (2005)
Notable: Like several of the other staff members, Jenkerson has also worked with Hatcher before, having spent the last two years as a graduate assistant in Valdosta’s State’s strength and conditioning program. In 2005, he interned with the Rutgers University strength and conditioning program.
