MOBILE, Ala. — Brendt Bedsole, who has served as South Alabama’s director of football operations since the program’s early days, has moved into an on-field assistant coaching role with the Jaguars, a change he said he has hoped for since arriving in Mobile.
Bedsole’s move to the coaching staff comes after the unexpected death of Jaguars assistant coach Kurt Crain, a loss that Bedsole said was deeply felt by South Alabama’s players and staff.
A Long-Held Goal
Head coach Joey Jones hired Bedsole as director of football operations shortly after Jones was named to start the football program at South Alabama. Bedsole said he told Jones at the time that he wanted to return to coaching if the opportunity arose.
“That was my original hope and I let that be known to coach Jones,” Bedsole said. “That’s where I feel more comfortable. It’s my natural position.”
Bedsole said coaching on the field allows him to build closer relationships with players than his operations role did. He said he wants to teach players “about other things outside the white lines, things about life,” in addition to football, adding that a coach develops “more of a personal relationship with your players when you coach them on a day-in and day-out situation.”
Coaching Background
Bedsole last coached in 2008, his second season as an assistant at Hoover High School. Before that, he worked as a graduate assistant and student assistant, with stops at Auburn, Trinity High School, Murray State and Samford.
He had been away from on-field coaching for roughly three seasons while handling football operations duties for the Jaguars.
“Coaching Isn’t a Job, It’s a Calling”
Bedsole said he understands how rare his new position is. He noted that with 124 Football Bowl Subdivision programs and nine assistant coaches on each staff, there are only 1,116 such jobs in the country.
“The odds of getting one of these jobs is pretty slim,” Bedsole said. “I’ve sat down before and done the math. … That makes it pretty special. And I don’t take it for granted. Coaching isn’t a job, it’s a calling. It’s something I couldn’t get out of my system.”
Looking Ahead to 2012
The Jaguars are preparing for the 2012 season under Jones, who has led the program since it began play in 2009. South Alabama plays its home games at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile and is a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
