Saturday, March 31, 2018

Three More Named To Hampton Pirates 2018 Football Coaching Staff

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University head football coach Robert Prunty has announced the final three members of his coaching staff for the 2018 season. Ryan Anderson will coach safeties and serve as co-defensive coordinator, Julius McNair will be the running back coach, while Mike Buscemi will be the special teams coordinator.

Ryan Anderson joins the Hampton University staff after serving two years as the inside linebackers coach at East Carolina. He will coach the safeties and serve as co-defensive coordinator with Hampton.

Anderson served with Hampton Head Coach Robert Prunty at East Carolina following a three-year stint as a defensive assistant at Southeastern Conference member Vanderbilt from 2013 to 2015. During his last two seasons in Nashville, Anderson helped build the Commodore linebackers into one of the SEC's stronger units.

NAME TITLE 
Robert Prunty Head Football Coach
Brian White Offensive Coordinator
Hank Hughes Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Ataveus Cash QB Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Bobby Blizzard Wide Receivers Coach
Scott McConnell Tight Ends Coach
Ryan Anderson Safeties Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator
Julius McNair Running Backs Coach
Mike Buscemi Special Teams Coordinator 
Hunter Williams Director of Football Operations

During his first campaign at East Carolina, Anderson's unit featured two of the team's top three tacklers in Jordan Williams (77) and Cam White (63).

Coaching primarily the Vandy inside linebackers and defensive ends in 2015, Anderson assisted a unit that statistically ranked among the NCAA's top 25 in fourth down defense (4th), first down defense (5th), redzone defense (6th), third down defense (7th), most fumbles recovered (20th) and scoring defense (23rd) by allowing only 21.0 points per game. One of his top players, Zach Cunningham, earned Associated Press First-Team All-SEC honors after ranking among league leaders in tackles for loss (16.5), solo tackles (69) and overall stops (103), forced fumbles (4) and recovered fumbles (3).

In 2014, Anderson played a key role developing inside linebacker Nigel Bowden into a Freshman All-Southeastern Conference performer. Bowden topped all SEC first-year players in total tackles (78) and became the first rookie to pace Vanderbilt in stops since 1998.

The Commodore defense stood among the nation's best in several categories during Anderson's first campaign in Nashville in 2013, including passes intercepted (13th), turnovers gained (13th), pass defense (23rd) and total defense (23rd).

"Ryan Anderson is one of the most intelligent young football coaches that I have been around," said Prunty. "He is very detailed oriented as a coach and stresses the fundamentals of the game. Ryan will be an asset to our staff on defense."

Julius McNair comes to Hampton University this year to coach the running backs after serving the last five years at the University of Tennessee-Martin. He was the running backs coach for two years and defensive backs coach along with recruiting coordinator for three years.

In 2017, he helped guide a rushing attack that averaged nearly 120 yards per game and produced the third leading rusher in the Ohio Valley Conference in Ladarius Galloway who averaged just under 80 yards per game.

McNair played in 43 games for UT Martin from 2009-12, earning a start in 13 games. The linebacker accounted for 140 tackles (76 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick. He also added 88 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns playing in a special quarterback package in 2010.

His best season came during his senior campaign, when he racked up 70 tackles and recorded his lone career interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with a career-best four pass breakups. As a junior, he started in eight games and recorded 53 tackles, including career highs of 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick.

Before attending UT Martin, McNair was an all-state performer at Mount Olive High School. He threw for 2,253 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season, leading all of Class 1A in touchdown passes.

McNair graduated from UT Martin in 2013 with a degree in business. He is married to the former Jasmyne Reese.

"After interviewing several running back coaches, Julius McNair was clearly the best one I had met with," Prunty said. "He brings a lot of energy and teaches technique, fundamentals and we are very fortunate to have him on the staff."

Michael Buscemi comes to Hampton this year to serve as the special teams coach after being at Duke University for two seasons as the defensive quality control coach.

During his first year with at Duke, Buscemi worked with a defense that produced three All-ACC selections and a Freshman All-America honoree in linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. Duke's defense had three tabbed as ACC Players of the Week and redshirt senior defensive tackle A.J. Wolf repeated as a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree.

Buscemi came to Durham after spending three seasons as the special teams coach at UCF. In 2015, he added director of player personnel duties to his role with the Knights.

During the 2015 season, the Knights led the American Athletic Conference and ranked 10th nationally in net punting while ranking among the league's top five in both kickoff return average and kickoff return average defense. Also, kicker Matthew Wright converted 13-of-17 field goals.

En route to a 9-4 record, second straight AAC championship and berth in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl in 2014, UCF led the AAC and ranked third nationally in kickoff return average as Michael Easton recorded a 96-yard return for a touchdown against SMU and Rannell Hall averaged a team-best 27.5 yards per return. Additionally, kicker Shawn Moffitt ended his career as UCF's all-time scoring leader, amassing 314 points.

UCF's special teams units helped the Knights to a 12-1 record, a No. 10 final national ranking, a league title and a victory in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in 2013. Along the way, the Knights earned their first wins over top-10 teams (Baylor and Louisville) as well as their first triumphs against Big Ten Conference (Penn State) and Big 12 Conference (Baylor) programs.

Buscemi earned a degree in criminal justice from UCF in 2006 and later received a master's degree in sports and fitness in 2008. He is married to the former Meme Diaz and the couple has one son, James Michael.

"Mike is an outstanding special teams coach who came highly recommended from previous staffs," said Prunty. "He's a rising star in the coaching profession as a special teams coach."

For more information on Hampton University football, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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