FAMU football hires two Eastern Kentucky assistants

Florida A&M head football coach Joe Taylor has completed the assembly of his coaching staff with the hiring of defensive coordinator Orlando Mitjans and special teams coach J.B. Gibboney, both coming from Eastern Kentucky University.

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Here is an updated snapshot of the FAMU new coaching staff:

FAMU Head Football Coach - Joe Taylor
1. Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach - Lawrence Kershaw
2. Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers Coach - Steven Jerry
3. Running backs Coach - Aaron Taylor
4. OutsideLinebackers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator - Tim Edwards
5. Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach, George M. Small
6. Inside Linebackers Coach - Earl Holmes
7. Defensive Coordinator - Orlando Mitjans
8. Special Teams Coach - J.B. Gibboney
9. Defensive Assistant- Jimmy Tyson
10. Head Strength and Conditioning Coach - Antonio Wallace

Coach Mitjans and Gibboney former EKU football boss, head coach Danny Hope, joined the Purdue University football staff as associate head coach on January 11, 2008. Hope, who served as an assistant coach at Purdue from 1997-01, will be the next head coach at Purdue when current head coach Joe Tiller steps down after the 2008 season. The incoming EKU head coach is Dean Hood, who is expected to bring in some coaches from Wake Forest where he served as defensive coordinator.

It appears that these two Division I FBS coaches (Hope and Hood) believe they can upgrade their staff with their own people which is a gain for Florida A&M and Coach Joe Taylor. The rap sheet on both coaches are as follows, as reflected on the EKU website:

Photo: FAMU Defensive Coordinator, Orlando Mitjans

Orlando Mitjans was the only new coach on the 2006 Eastern Kentucky staff and he will be in charge of the Colonel secondary.

Two of the four EKU starters in the secondary last year graduated leaving Mitjans with a few holes to fill. However, the Colonels led the conference in pass efficiency defense one year ago and with Mitjans’ support, should compete for that distinction again this year.

“This veteran secondary coach quickly became popular with the players and coaches,” head coach Danny Hope said. “His coordinator experience will be an asset to our strategic planning as we are always researching additional ideas and answers.”

Mitjans, who has more than 10 years of collegiate coaching experience, spent last season as Tennessee State’s defensive coordinator and secondary coach. In that capacity, Mitjans’ defense ranked third in the OVC in both total defense and pass defense, while three of his players were named to the all-conference team.

Prior to arriving at Tennessee State, Mitjans spent six seasons on the Towson coaching staff. He served as the Tigers’ running backs coach for two years before moving to the secondary for another four seasons. Mitjans was given the additional title of defensive coordinator in the summer of 2002. Three of his players earned all-league honors in Towson’s inaugural 2004 Atlantic 10 Conference campaign.

A 1982 graduate of Northeastern, Mitjans played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League before entering the coaching profession. In addition to his tenure at Tennessee State and Towson, Mitjans has spent time coaching at Northeastern, Cheyney, Kent State, C.W. Post and Morgan State. He has also worked NFL summer camps with the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and St. Louis Rams. Mitjans is a member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Black Coaches Association (BCA). Mitjans and his wife, Claire, live in Nashville, Tenn.

Photo: FAMU Special Teams Coach J.B. Gibboney

J.B. Gibboney completed his second season as an assistant with the Eastern Kentucky football staff. He handled most of the football operation duties as well as assisting with the punters and kickers on special teams.

Hailing from Huntingdon, Pa., Gibboney attended the University of Pittsburgh where the former walk-on player earned his first letter during his sophomore campaign. Gibboney went on to earn another letter in 2004 before graduating from Pitt with a bachelor of arts degree in environmental science.

Gibboney brings a wealth of kicking experience with him to EKU. He had spent the past four years teaching kids of all ages the art of kicking and punting a football for the Ray Guy Kicking Academy, one of the premier academies in the nation. Noted as one of the head instructors in the academy, Gibboney often traveled across the country to teach camps.

While at Eastern, Gibboney will be pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration.

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