MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones announced Friday that Travis Pearson will be the program's defensive coordinator.

Pearson, who joined the staff a year ago and led the program's inside linebackers last fall, replaces Kevin Sherrer.

"Travis is a great football coach and a great person," Jones said. "He was here with us last season and part of a defense I like running, so I think the carryover with his knowledge of our system will be very helpful in maintaining what we've done through the next few years.  I'm real excited about having him in this role.

"He's in the same boat that Kevin Sherrer was in; Kevin hadn't been a defensive coordinator at the collegiate level — he hadn't "coached" in college — but I knew he was a great football coach.  And I know Travis Pearson is a great football coach.  The players love him, they have a high level of respect for Coach Pearson and so do I."

In his first season as part of the Jag staff, Pearson helped the USA defense end the year ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference in passing (224.6 ypg), total (384.3 ypg) and scoring (25.2 ppg) defense.  His efforts helped Enrique Williams earn second-team all-league honors after the senior paced the squad with 105 total stops, which included recording 7½ behind the line of scrimmage, while Maleki Harris posted career-high totals of 63 tackles, 8½ stops for loss and seven passes broken up under Pearson's direction.

The Jaguars ended the season — their first at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level — 6-6 overall and 4-3 in conference action, making the program eligible to participate in a postseason bowl.

"I am really excited to say the least.  I'm blessed, and just thank God and Coach Jones for this opportunity," observed Pearson.  "This is something I really wanted to do, and appreciate that Coach Jones had the faith and confidence in me to even approach me about it.

"Knowing the personnel is tremendous, because so much of it is about getting the right guys in the right spots and being able to achieve their ultimate goal of being successful," he added regarding his knowledge of individuals returning next fall.  "Having been around for a year is going to be huge in the process.  Not much is going to change — Kevin was phenomenal with what he did with the defense — so we're looking to have guys playing fast and knowing where they are going so we can let it go."

Pearson came to USA after serving two years as defensive coordinator at Colquitt County (Ga.) High School, where his efforts helped the Packers post a 21-7 mark while advancing to the semifinals of the state AAAAA playoffs each fall.  During that span, CCHS's defense recorded 89 takeaways including 51 in 2012.

Prior to that, he was head coach at Jefferson Davis (Ala.) High during the 2009 and '10 campaigns, led Elmore County (Ala.) HS for three seasons — earning Metro 4A Coach-of-the-Year accolades from the Montgomery Advertiser in 2004 — and Central Hayneville (Ala.) HS for two.  Pearson was also defensive coordinator at Oxford (Ala.) High for two seasons, helping the Yellow Jackets to consecutive state playoff berths, and held the same position in the 2004 Alabama North/South All-Star Game.

Pearson and his wife Maria have three children, Marissa, Travis II and Trevor.  He is a 1997 Alabama State graduate, earning a degree in physical education while lettering three times for the Hornets; Pearson played eight seasons in the Arena Football League, and was named to the league's 15th Anniversary Team in 2003.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—