MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones announced Thursday that Brendt Bedsole has been promoted from the program’s director of operations to a full-time assistant coach.
Bedsole, who has served in the operations role the last four years, will now work with Jaguar outside linebackers. USA assistant coach Brian Turner, who had worked with defensive linemen his first four years on staff but focused on defensive ends during spring practice, will once again work with the entire defensive front.
“Brendt has coached a lot of years and he loves coaching. He did a great job as our director of operations, we could count on him because he was dependable, but he wanted to get back into coaching,” said Jones. “The grass is always greener when you look at coaches outside the program, but sometimes you have a really good coach right under your nose. We felt that Brendt would be a good selection to coach our outside linebackers.
“That’s the position he coached at Murray State, plus Brian had coached our down guys until the spring so we just moved him right back there.”
“It means a lot to me that coach Jones and [assistant] coach [Bill] Clark had the confidence in me to make this move. Coach Jones told me he would try and move me back to coaching on the field when he had the chance, and when this opportunity arose he did that,” Bedsole added. “I appreciate their confidence in me, it means a lot to be back on the field where I feel more comfortable.
“This was my ultimate goal when I returned to the collegiate level in the director of operations position, to eventually get back on the field. I was at a crossroads whether to get back into coaching or remain in an administrative role; hopefully this will allow me to complete my career as a coach on the field.”
Bedsole has 11 years experience coaching at the collegiate level, including three separate stints at Auburn — where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1989 and master’s degree in 2000 — while also serving as a full-time assistant at both Murray State and Samford.
He first joined the AU program as a walk-on in 1985, and in his two years as a player with the Tigers they finished a combined 18-6 (75%) while participating in both the Cotton and Citrus Bowls. Bedsole served as a student assistant the next two years, and was an Auburn graduate assistant in 1997 as well as during the 1999 and 2000 campaigns. While he was a member of the Tiger staff, AU finished 43-16-2 (72.1%) overall and 25-11-1 (68.9%) in the Southeastern Conference. The program would claim two conference championships, two division titles and play in four bowl games during those five years.
As an assistant at Murray State, Bedsole coached tight ends, outside linebackers, free safeties, defensive ends, and he was the program’s special teams coordinator. His efforts helped the Racers advance to the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, tie for the Ohio Valley Conference championship that fall with a 5-1 record and go 6-2 in the league in 2004. MSU would win 22 contests while he was a member of the staff. The following two years he was an assistant at Samford, where he helped the Bulldogs to a .500 OVC record his first season with the program.
Bedsole and his wife Beth have one daughter, Sarah Catherine, and one son, Wilson.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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