MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones said he will formally begin his search for a new wide receivers coach on Friday, as the Jaguars move to fill the vacancy created when Jerry Mack left to become head coach at North Carolina Central University.
Mack coached the South Alabama wide receivers for the past two seasons before accepting the head coaching position with the Eagles.
Search Begins With a Short List
Jones told AL.com that he had not yet spoken with any candidates, though several coaches had reached out about the opening.
“Really I haven’t talked to anybody, although I’ve had several inquiries,” Jones said. “I’m going to deal with it starting Friday. I’m starting to set up some interviews and I’m making a few calls.”
Jones said he has four or five names in mind that he intends to pursue for the wide receivers search.
The coach said he does not currently expect any other changes to his staff before next season, though he noted that such situations can change quickly.
Spring Practice Moved Later
Jones also announced the schedule for spring practice. The Jaguars will open drills on March 10 and continue for four weeks, wrapping up on April 5.
The timing is a change from previous years. In past seasons, South Alabama began spring practice in mid-to-late February and paused in the middle of the session for the university’s spring break. This year, the program chose to wait until after spring break so practice can run without interruption.
Junior College Signees Expected for Spring
South Alabama’s four junior college signees are expected to enroll before the start of the spring semester, which would make them eligible to take part in spring practice.
Two of the four were All-America selections at the junior college level:
- Jimmie Gipson III, defensive end/outside linebacker, East Mississippi Community College
- Braedon Bowman, tight end, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College
The Jaguars also signed:
- Nigel Green, safety, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
- Demaris Rancifer, linebacker, Pearl River Community College
Bowl Season Around the Sun Belt
Two teams South Alabama faced this past season met in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, where Louisiana-Lafayette defeated Tulane 24-21.
Arkansas State, the only other Sun Belt Conference team to receive a bowl invitation, will face Ball State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 5, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.
South Alabama became bowl eligible in its first season of eligibility at the Football Bowl Subdivision level but did not receive an invitation. The Jaguars lost to Arkansas State 17-16 in Mobile during the regular season, then defeated Louisiana-Lafayette in the regular-season finale. That result allowed Arkansas State to claim a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship.
