They say wearing hats can contribute to baldness.  Chad Lunsford has worn more hats than most during his tenure at Georgia Southern.

    Whether or not that has contributed to his follicly challenged condition, it has made him a valuable asset to various coaching staffs over his nine years at Georgia Southern.

    On Monday, Lunsford  was rewarded for the job he has done in his latest role as interim head coach by being named Georgia Southern’s 10th full-time coach in the modern era.

    The reactions have been coming in from social media and through texts and phone calls, and it seems as though most Eagle boosters and former players are excited about the hire.

    “He’s Georgia Southern through and through,”  said former Eagle quarterback Greg Hill,  “He wants to be here, the kids play hard for him and you’ve really seen that the past few games.”

    “I’m really excited about a new era in Georgia Southern football,”  said longtime booster Doug Lambert.  “He is aware of the Georgia Southern traditions and I feel confident he will do a great job.”

    “This gives us the kind of continuity that is so important,”  said former Georgia Southern athletic director Bucky Wagner.  “I think he’s a leader and I like his confidence.  What I like is we know him.  When you hire somebody from outside you are more likely to make a mistake. With Chad you know what you are getting and the kids love him.”

    “I was so happy for Chad when I heard the news,”  said former Eagle linebacker Mike Ward.  “He is such a good person and the kids really seem to have bought into his philosophies.  I’m excited for the future he brings.”

    “We are at such an important time in the history of our program,” said former player Tim Durden,  “Coach Lunsford has earned this chance.  He has put in the work to get here. He knows the system, he knows Statesboro, he knows Eagle Nation and Eagle Nation should be happy about this.”

    “I think I can sum up Chad Lunsford in one of the last words he used, humility,”  said longtime booster Julian Deal,  “I think culture-wise he fits Georgia Southern just as much as I do, and I’ve been here 36 years now.”

    As for the players, some had a hard time containing their excitement when hearing the news Lunsford was named head coach.

    “I was working on a group project with some classmates when I got the text,”  said senior Chris DeLarosa,  “I was trying not to freak out because I couldn’t tell anybody.  It was so hard.  I couldn’t concentrate after that as I wanted to hurry and get to the FOC and be with everybody.”

    “I was in the dining commons at Lakeside,”  said quarterback Shai Werts,  “I got the text and was just so happy.  I was with Shawn Freeman and we both were so happy.  We didn’t want someone else coming in here trying to change things around.”

    “I got the message in my coaching class, and I was just kind of frozen,” said running back Wesley Fields,  “I was sitting right next to Monteo Garrett and we were saying, ‘this is so cool.’  We were so excited for him and the program.”