Ole Miss Adds Three More To Football Staff
OXFORD,
Miss. – Ole Miss head football coach Hugh Freeze continues to assemble
an impressive staff, adding co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach
Wesley McGriff, wide receivers coach Grant Heard and strength and
conditioning coach Paul Jackson, it was announced Monday. McGriff
joins the Rebels after a one-year term at Vanderbilt, where he served
as defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator and helped the program
to its fifth bowl appearance. Led by All-American Casey
Hayward, McGriff’s secondary produced 12 interceptions, three returns
for touchdowns, eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage and more
than 20 pass breakups. The group was also responsible for returning
interceptions for TDs in three consecutive games for the first time in
school history. McGriff’s season in Nashville was preceded
by four at Miami, where he mentored some of the ACC's top defensive
backs. He coached former Hurricane All-American safety and 2009 NFL
first-round draft pick Kenny Phillips for two seasons, as well as
All-ACC cornerback Brandon Harris and safety Ray-Ray Armstrong.
McGriff also helped mold Sam Shields from a wide receiver to a
defensive back who is now starting for the Green Bay Packers.
McGriff's
2010 unit helped Miami rank second nationally in pass defense allowing
just 164.3 yards per game. The Hurricanes, who posted their third
straight winning season and a Sun Bowl appearance, also ranked No. 16
nationally in total defense (317.2 ypg) and No. 21 in scoring defense
(19.7 ppg). Before joining the Miami staff, McGriff served
four years at Baylor as recruiting coordinator and defensive backs
coach. With McGriff's assistance, the Baylor defense notched 16
interceptions and ranked 13th in pass efficiency in 2005. As a
recruiter, McGriff was responsible for signing offensive lineman Jason
Smith, who left Baylor as an All-America tackle and the No. 2 pick of
the 2009 draft. McGriff earned his first SEC coaching
experience at Kentucky, where he coached running backs in 2001 and
cornerbacks in 2002. His coaching career also includes stops at Eastern
Kentucky, Kentucky State and his alma mater, Savannah State, where he
graduated cum laude in 1990. “Wesley not only brings
tremendous experience, but experience in the SEC,” said Freeze. “He has
coached DBs to great success at the highest level, and he has been a
recruiting force everywhere he has been.” A former Rebel
player and graduate assistant, Heard will be at his third stop with
Freeze, having served as his quarterbacks coach and passing-game
coordinator at Arkansas State, offensive coordinator at Lambuth and GA
at Ole Miss. Heard helped A-State to a record-breaking
year in 2011 led by his star pupil, Sun Belt Conference Offensive
Player of the Year Ryan Aplin. The junior quarterback established
school single-season records for total offense and passing yards per
game while finishing the regular season No. 10 in the nation in total
offense. Heard’s passing attack ranked 17th in the nation,
and the Red Wolves were 25th in total offense en route to a Sun Belt
championship and an appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. An
11-year coaching veteran, Heard spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons as the
offensive coordinator at Lambuth. During the 2008 campaign, the
Eagles offense accumulated 5,861 yards while becoming the No. 1 offense
in NAIA. Lambuth finished third in the nation in scoring offense and
fourth in passing efficiency. A wide receiver during his
collegiate career (1996-2000), Heard helped lead Ole Miss to four bowl
games and graduated as the Rebels’ all-time leader in career receptions
and touchdowns. He earned his bachelor's degree in 2001 before
embarking on a brief NFL career. After beginning his
coaching career with stints at Jackson (Miss.) Preparatory High School,
Hargrave Military Academy and N.C. State, Heard was an offensive
graduate at Ole Miss in 2005 and 2006, when he assisted in coaching the
wide receivers and tight ends and mentored, among others, future Pro
Bowler Mike Wallace. “Having worked together for many
years, Grant has a great understanding of what we are trying to do
offensively,” Freeze said. “He is also one of the best receivers to
ever play for the Rebels. His familiarity and love for Ole Miss makes
him a perfect fit.” Jackson comes to Oxford after spending
2011 at Southern Miss, where he oversaw the strength and conditioning
for the entire USM athletics department with direct responsibility over
the football program. His one season In Hattiesburg saw the football
team soar to its best record in school history at 12-2, a Conference
USA championship and a victory in the Hawaii Bowl. Jackson
arrived in Hattiesburg after serving the 2010 season as the Director of
Athletic Conditioning for Football at Miami (Ohio). In his lone season
at Miami, Jackson helped lead the Redhawks to the 2010 MAC championship
and a victory in the 2011 GoDaddy.Com Bowl, while becoming the only
team in NCAA history to go from double-digit losses one year to
double-digit wins the next (1-11 in 2009 to 10-4 in 2010). From
2007-10, Jackson served as an Assistant Strength Coach at LSU, working
directly with the Tigers football and volleyball teams. During his time
in Baton Rouge, Jackson won an SEC and national championship with the
football team as well as three consecutive SEC Western Division and one
SEC championship with the volleyball team. While working for the
Tigers, Jackson worked under and was mentored by strength and
conditioning legend Tommy Moffitt. A graduate of Montclair
State (N.J.), Jackson got his start in the business as a Professional
Intern Strength Coach with the NFL’s New York Giants. He also spent
time as a Performance Enhancement Specialist at the Parisi Speed School
in Garwood, N.J., where the focus is sport-specific speed and agility
training as well as combine preparation. “Paul is one of
the young and up-and-coming stars in strength and conditioning,” said
Freeze. “At each of his stops, he has helped turn the program around.
He will make us the type of team we need to be to compete for
championships.”
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