Sunday, June 21, 2015

Bethune-Cookman GridIron Announces Three New Assistant Coaches

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman Football Head Coach Terry Sims officially announced the addition of three assistant coaches to the Wildcats coaching staff on Wednesday, May 27. All three coaches arrive to the Wildcats with prior Division I coaching talents from around the nation.

In his first year on the job as head coach of the Wildcats, Sims set out to hire position coaches for receivers, safeties and a special teams coordinator. He found three assistant coaches that fit the bill in the form of Will Glover, Darrin Hayes and Aashon Larkins.

“I think we have three very knowledgeable, dynamic coaches that bring energy and life into the program,” said Sims.

Will Glover will take over as assistant coach in charge of receivers for the Maroon and Gold. He spent the previous two seasons at UCF assisting in a similar capacity while officially serving in areas of offensive quality control and as an offensive graduate assistant for the Knights. In his time at UCF, Glover helped coach a pair of All-American Conference receivers Breshad Perriman and J.J. Worton. Perriman was taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He also helped the Knights reach back-to-back bowl games, including the school’s first-ever BCS Bowl victory in a win over Baylor as part of the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.

“When you talk about Will Glover, you’re talking about a guy that played the position at a top level while attending Georgia Tech under a great coach like George O’Leary,” admitted Sims. “He is a young, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable coach who has gained trust and confidence in his position. He brings a nurturing atmosphere for his position and the guys in this program.”

A coach familiar with Sims from the past is new assistant coach in charge of safeties Darrin Hayes. He and Sims played together at Knoxville College, while Hayes went on to become one of the best and brightest defensive coordinators in the southeast. He arrives to B-CU after spending nine seasons in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at both Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State, respectively. Hayes served as defensive coordinator for the MVSU Delta Devils a season ago, and formerly producing some of the most vaunted defenses in the SWAC at JSU from 2006-13. The 2011 JSU squad finished the season atop the NCAA and SWAC statistical category for pass defense efficiency, while also leading the Tigers to their third conference crown in his time with the program. While at Jackson State, Hayes coached a total of eight All-America performers, including three SWAC Defensive Player of the Year award winners – Qua Cox, Joseph LaBeau and Marcellas Speaks.

“I think Darrin Hayes is an experienced and skilled coach, and he brings a wealth of knowledge and ability to the defense and the program, as a whole, having served as a defensive coordinator and head coach over the years,” stated Sims. “He also brings a comfort level for the guys because he is a people person and can relate to the student-athletes. We played together in college, and this was a chance for us to finally work together as colleagues for a winning program.”

The final assistant coach added was a position very close to Sims, and one he wanted to expand upon when given the reigns of the program – the special teams coordinator. Aashon Larkins, formerly of Jacksonville State and The Citadel, will serve in this role for the Wildcats. While at JSU, he helped the Gamecocks to a national ranking, as well as a 10-2 overall record en route to the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. He was responsible for helping coach Jermaine Hough, who was recognized as an All-America performer in 2014 by The Sports Network. In his time at The Citadel, The Citadel was recognized has having one of the top special teams units in the country. . In his last three years at The Citadel, he saw Carl Robinson, Rah Muhammad, Tevin Floyd and James Riley each collect all-conference honors.

“Aashon Larkins is a young man that is all energy and a thoroughly-detailed individual with a high-tempo,” commented Sims. “He is just a great coach. He is a guy that takes coaching to another level. I look forward to him solidifying and elevating our special teams unit.”

The 2015 schedule features 11 games, including seven of those contests being played in the Sunshine State. The Wildcats open the 2015 slate on September 5, traveling to FBS opponent Miami at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The home-opener for the Wildcats is September 19, against Lane at 4 p.m. Homecoming is set for October 24 (vs. Norfolk State), while the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic game against Florida A&M will be held November 21, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Season tickets for the 2015 season will be on sale soon at the B-CU Box Office, and may be purchased by calling (386) 481-2465. They can also be purchased through Ticketmaster, as well as online by clicking here.

For the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow us on Twitter, @BCUGridIron. For the most accurate and up to date information delivered to your phone, download the official Bethune-Cookman Wildcats app for your Droid or iPhone.

BCU 2015 Football Schedule

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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