MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama Director of Athletics Joel Erdmann announced Wednesday that Mark Hewes has been named the new Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Services, while Jaguar football head coach Kane Wommack announced the promotion of Amari Hartsfield to the Director of Operations position, and the addition of Quality Control Analysts Greg Frey and Paul Petrino, who bring with them a combined total of 50-plus years in the coaching profession at the collegiate level.

Mark Hewes – Assistant Athletic Director – Equipment Services
A member of the football program since its inception in 2009, Hewes will work in collaboration with Adidas, athletic administration, coaches and staff to execute equipment services for all 17 sport programs at South Alabama in his new role while maintaining day-to-day oversight for the football program.

Prior to making the move, Hewes spent the previous 12 seasons with the Jaguar football program, the last two as the director of operations. While with the program, he has filled numerous positions serving as both an undergraduate and graduate student equipment assistant and the director of player personnel, in addition to his most recent position.

As the director of operations, Hewes assisted with the program's day-to-day operations including developing and managing budgets for football operations, equipment and video, coordinating all travel for home and away games, assisting with planning of preseason camp and practices, clinics and team-related activities, aiding with official and unofficial recruiting visits.  He also helped student-athletes with admissions, financial aid, dining and housing, NCAA Eligibility and compliance issues.

In his role as director of player personnel, Hewes helped the Jaguars have 35 individuals post a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2017 season — with 13 of those student-athletes making the Dean's List — with those numbers going up to 36 and 15, respectively, in the spring.  Following the Jags' second postseason bowl appearance in three years, the program had 40 individuals — highlighted by 17 on the Dean's List — post a grade-point average of 3.0 or better, with 31 student-athletes able to accomplish the feat in the fall.  During the 2015-16 campaign, 38 members of the program had a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the fall while 37 accomplished the feat in the spring.  A total of 38 student-athletes finished with a 3.0-plus GPA the previous fall while competing in South's first-ever bowl game, including 17 on the Dean's List, with the total increasing to 42 individuals — highlighted by 15 who achieved Dean's List honors — with a grade-point average at or above a 3.0 the next spring.

Four Jaguars have been voted first-team academic all-district by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America since the program's inception and while Hewes served in the director of player personnel role.  Offensive lineman Trey Clark was honored in both 2011 and '12, becoming the program's first-ever individual to be selected an Academic All-American by the organization the latter year, with the 2012 campaign also marking the first time multiple student-athletes were named academic all-district in the same season after Alex Page was recognized on the defensive line also.  Rush Hendricks was a first-team academic all-district selection at tight end in the fall of 2013. He would later be chosen the Sun Belt Conference Postgraduate Scholar Athlete of the Year in '14, with defensive lineman Jesse Kelley joining him on the squad the latter season.

Hewes helped more than 20 of the program's student-athletes receive Sun Belt Conference academic honors five consecutive years.  Following the 2012 season, 22 individuals were named to either the SBC Commissioner's List or Academic Honor Roll, with that number climbing to 26 after the '13 campaign.  South set a program record in 2014-15 with 28 student-athletes recognized by the Sun Belt for their work in the classroom during that academic year, with 26 individuals recognized following the '15-16 academic year.

He began his time with the football program as a student equipment manager and a graduate assistant where he assisted in the day-to-day operations of the football equipment room.  

Hewes received his bachelor's degree from USA in 2010 and earned his master's degree in communication in 2018.  He is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society (2010) and was presented the athletic department's Matt Smith Award — given to a member of the South Alabama athletic staff who consistently goes the extra mile, has the spirit of commitment, strong work ethic, and a deep sense of pride in their job — at the 2017 Pete Tolbert Night of Champions.  Hewes is also a certified member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA).

Hewes and his wife Amy have three daughters, Ella Kate, Morgan and Charlotte.  They reside in Daphne, Ala.

Amari Hartsfield – Director of Operations (Football)
Hartsfield was promoted to Director of Operations after serving one season as the director of football recruiting with the program. 

Prior to her arrival in Mobile, Hartsfield served as the senior staff assistant to Indiana football head coach Tom Allen for two seasons. She worked as a staff assistant for the football department's recruiting and administration for the Hoosiers and was later promoted to the senior staff position.

Hartsfield began her work in college athletics serving as a compliance coordinator in the UCF Athletic Department from June 2018 to March 2019. While in Orlando, she was responsible for collecting monthly monitoring team updates, while also assisting in transcript evaluations for both incoming freshmen and international students, along with handling NLI request. Hartsfield also served as a liaison working with high school guidance counselors on NCAA eligibility questions.

Hartsfield earned her Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from North Carolina Central University in May 2016, and then also received her master's degree in social work in May 2018. She is a certified sports social worker.

She is a member of both Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Women Leaders in College Sports.

Greg Frey – Quality Control Analyst (Defense)
Frey (pronounced Fry) joined the South Alabama football program as a quality control analyst earlier this semester and will work on the defensive side of the ball.

Frey brings with him a vast amount of experience at the collegiate level in a career that started in 1996. As a player, he was a valuable member of the offensive line at Florida State which saw the program win 32 of 37 games over his three seasons as a starter. The Seminoles also won the 1993 national title, three ACC championships, three bowl games and three top-5 finishes in the Associated Press poll over that span.

Offensive guard Jacob Monk and center Jack Wohlabaugh received honorable mention all-Atlantic Coast Conference accolades following the 2021 season after helping the Blue Devils average 4.1 yards per carry and 180.2 yards rushing per outing. The position group also helped Duke record over 5,000 yards of total offense and average over 400 yards per contest. Twenty two of the Blue Devils' 31 touchdowns during the year came on the ground.

Frey brought with him over two decades of coaching experience, including 12 seasons as an offensive line coach at Power 5 institutions prior to arriving in Durham. Throughout his coaching tenure, he has helped more than 21 student-athletes to NFL careers and mentored 23 all-conference honorees.

During his first year on Duke's staff, Frey had to work with three different starting centers after two season-ending injuries. Wohlabaugh was sidelined prior to Duke's opener, while backup Will Taylor earned his first career starts in his absence before suffering his injury six games into the year. Graham Barton was then shifted into the role, and Frey mentored him to Freshman All-America honors by The Athletic. 

Right tackle Devery Hamilton signed an NFL free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders after working with Frey that one season. He started all 11 games during his lone season and helped block for an offense that averaged 379.7 yards of total offense per game.

Frey's offensive line created paths for running backs Mataeo Durant and Deon Jackson to record four and two games with over 100-plus rushing yards, respectively. They also helped the Duke offense register 33 total touchdowns, including 19 via the ground game. The unit blocked for an aerial attack that threw for over 2,400-plus yards for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.

Frey came to Duke after a one-season stint (2019) at Florida as a quality control analyst.

Prior to his time with the Gators, Frey served one season (2018) as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at his alma mater, Florida State. Under Frey's direction, the FSU line blocked for an offense that compiled 4,334 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2018.

Prior to returning to Tallahassee, Frey spent the 2017 season as Michigan's run game coordinator, while also coaching the tackles and tight ends. That season, Frey's group helped the Wolverines rank fourth in the Big Ten in rushing by averaging 177.7 yards per game on the ground with 26 rushing touchdowns. In addition, Michigan ranked third in the conference and 20th in the NCAA in time of possession. Offensive tackle Mason Cole earned second-team all-Big Ten honors and established the school record for career starts by an offensive lineman with 51.

Also in 2017, the Michigan tight ends combined to catch 54 passes for 697 yards and five touchdowns. Sean McKeon led the Wolverines in receiving with 31 receptions for 301 yards and hauled in a team-high three touchdowns, while Zach Gentry was second on the team with 303 receiving yards on 17 receptions with two scores. McKeon and Gentry both earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors, and six Wolverine tight ends earned spots on the academic all-Big Ten team.

From 2011-16, Frey spent six years coaching the offensive line at Indiana. With the Hoosiers, he also served as the run game coordinator for the 2012 and 2013, co-offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015 and assistant head coach in 2016. In 2015, Frey was nominated for the prestigious Broyles Award, an honor presented annually to college football's top assistant coach.

While with the Hoosiers, guard Dan Feeney was a two-time All-America selection, earning first-team accolades in 2015 and second-team honors in 2016 despite missing significant action due to injury. Tackle Jason Spriggs earned First-Team All-America status as well and became the program's first Outland Trophy semifinalist in 2015. That season, the duo became just the sixth pair of teammates, and first in school history, to be First-Team All-America honorees in the same campaign. Spriggs was chosen in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, and Feeney was a third-round selection of the Los Angeles Chargers one season later.

In 2015, Frey's offensive line blocked for one of the most prolific and balanced offenses in NCAA history as Indiana became just the fourth FBS team with one 3,500-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and one 1,000-yard receiver. In addition, the Hoosiers became the first Big Ten team since Ohio State in 1995 to lead the conference in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense.

Frey spent three (2008, '09, '10) seasons as the offensive line coach at Michigan and helped the Wolverines amass a school-record and Big Ten-leading 6,353 total offensive yards in 2010. Spearheaded by quarterback Denard Robinson's Big Ten single-season record 4,272 yards of total offense, the Wolverines boasted a balanced attack by averaging 250.2 passing yards and 238.5 rushing yards per game.

Also during his first Michigan stretch, Frey mentored all-Big Ten honorees Taylor Lewan, David Molk, Patrick Omameh, Stephen Schilling and Michael Schofield. Lewan was a two-time Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year choice and was selected 11th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, while Molk won the Rimington Trophy before being drafted by the San Diego Chargers.

In 2007, Frey served as the offensive line coach at West Virginia and helped the Mountaineers to an 11-2 overall record, the Big East championship and a Fiesta Bowl victory. The offensive line, anchored by All-America pick Ryan Stancheck and first-team all-Big East choice Greg Isdaner, blocked for an explosive offense led by Big East Offensive Player of the Year Pat White. The Mountaineers rushed for 297.2 yards per game, the third-highest average in the nation, ranked ninth in the country in scoring (39.6 points per game) and averaged 456.2 yards of total offense per game to rank 15th nationally.

Frey spent the first 11 years (1996-06) of his collegiate coaching career as part of the first staff at USF, which began its program in 1997. After spending three seasons as a graduate assistant and serving as the Bulls' defensive line coach in 1999, Frey shifted to the offensive line for his final seven seasons in Tampa. In his time with South Florida, the Bulls were 70-43 and participated in the first two bowl games in program history.

USF's 2005 squad established single-season school records with 2,436 rushing yards and an average of 203.0 yards per game on the ground. In 2001, the Bulls set school single-season records for pass completions (273) and passing yards per game (273.2). 

Under Frey's direction, USF linemen earned six all-conference accolades despite the Bulls only being in a conference for his last four seasons. The group included offensive tackle Kenyatta Jones, who became the first USF player to be drafted when the New England Patriots selected him with the first pick in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Frey lettered three seasons (1993-94-95) as an offensive lineman at Florida State, helping the Seminoles to a three-year ledger of 32-4-1 with the 1993 national crown, three ACC championships, three bowl wins (18-16 over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1994; 23-17 over Florida in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 1995; 31-26 over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1996) and three top-5 finishes in the Associated Press national poll.

A native of Clearwater, Fla., Frey graduated from Florida State in 1996 with degrees in interdisciplinary social science and political science. He and his wife, Andrea, have six children, Bryce Richardson, Alex Richardson, Cameron Richardson, Drew Richardson, Elle Frey and Hudson Frey.

Paul Petrino – Quality Control Analyst (Offense)
Paul Petrino enters his first season with the Jaguar program and will serve as one of two quality control analysts on staff. 

Prior to joining the South Alabama program, Petrino spent the previous nine seasons as head coach at Idaho. Petrino is already familiar with both South Alabama and the Sun Belt Conference as the Vandals are former members of the league where they competed against USA (2014-17).

In the fall of 2021, seven Vandals were recognized with all-Big Sky honors, placing two on the first-team, three on the third-team and a pair on the honorable mention team.

Idaho averaged 4.5 yards per carry and totaled over 2,000 yards rushing that fall led by first-team fullback selection Logan Kendal and third-team running back Roshaun Johnson. On defense, Tre Walker led the Vandals with 105 total tackles

Despite the shortened spring 2021 season, the Vandals had numerous high marks, highlighted by being ranked in the FCS polls for the first time since 1995, just before making the jump to FBS. Idaho set three different single-game records, a pair of single-season marks and five individual career records.

The linebacker duo of Walker and Christian Elliss both earned all-Big Sky first-team honors and were part of 12 Vandals who earned all-league recognition. Walker, a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist, led the Big Sky with 13.5 tackles per game in the spring and was a unanimous selection. He added 4.5 tackles for loss in his four games of action. Elliss finished fourth in the conference in tackles after average 10.0 per game. 

Hayden Hatten and Logan Kendall also earned first-team selections. Hatten finished second in the conference with 43 receptions over six games and was one of three Big Sky receivers to average better than 100 yards per game. Kendall, a unanimous selection at fullback, scored twice on six receptions during the season. 

Special teamers Nick Romano and Cade Coffey earned second-team honors. Romano led the Big Sky in kick return average, with a minimum of two returns per game, at 26.5 yards per return. Coffey finished second in the Big Sky in punting after averaging 45.8 yards per punt in the spring of 2021. Tyrese Dedmon and Jalen Hoover also made the second team, as defensive backs.
 
Five Vandals earned all-Big Sky honorable mention honors: Coffey (place kicker), linebacker Fa'Avae defensive linemen Jonah Kim and Rahsaan Crawford, as well as offensive lineman Logan Floyd.

Elliss went on to sign with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason, while Walker earned Stats Perform FCS All-America First-Team honors. Coffey also earned his third All-America recognition as a second-team selection, according to Stats Perform.

In just their second season back in the Big Sky, the non-conference portion of the season for the Vandals included a win over nationally-ranked Eastern Washington in the Kibbie Dome and a tight battle at Wyoming. Idaho closed the season with record-setting performances from wide receiver Jeff Cotton and quarterback Mason Petrino to defeat Northern Arizona in overtime. Cotton led the nation in receptions per game at 8.8, and finished second in the country in yards per game. Cotton was picked up by the Los Angeles Chargers in the offseason.
 
Idaho's 2018 campaign, its first in its return to the Football Championship Subdivision and the Big Sky Conference, included the Vandals' first win over a nationally-ranked opponent in 11 years. Idaho defeated 25th-ranked 31-27 in Moscow, the program's first win over a team ranked in either national poll (media or coaches) in the FCS or FBS since 2007.

The 2017 team featured record-setting quarterback Matt Linehan, 1,000-yard rusher Aaron Duckworth and Academic All-America wide receiver Jacob Sannon.

A four-year starter under Petrino, Linehan became the program's all-time leader in completions and when his senior season was cut three games short by injury, Linehan finished just shy of Doug Nussmeier's record for career passing yards.

Idaho played a school-record seven one-possession games in 2017 on a team that featured 10 all-conference selections. For the first time since 2008 three Vandals picked up first-team accolades, including Duckworth who became the first Idaho running back to earn first-team all-league honors since 2000. 

The 2016 season saw Petrino guide the Vandals to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2009 – a 61-50 victory over Colorado State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – as they finished 9-4 on the year. The bowl game was the highest-scoring bowl game of 2016 and Linehan, who was named game MVP, had one of the top pass efficiency ratings of any quarterback involved in postseason play. For his efforts, Petrino was voted the 2016 Sun Belt Coach of the Year.

The program had waded through three successive one-victory seasons (one under the previous staff) before four wins in 2015 and the 9-4 2016 team.

In 2015, the Vandals led the Sun Belt in seven statistical categories and were second in another five. Those conference rankings translated to their being in the top 25 percent nationally in 11 categories.

In his first season back at Idaho, the Butte, Mont., native led the Vandals against a schedule that featured not only the eventual national champion, but a total of seven bowl teams, which included four teams that, at one time or another, were ranked among the nation's top 25. 

In that season, Petrino had his first Vandal All-American in punter Austin Rehkow, whose record-setting season earned him a spot on the Walter Camp All-America team. Rehkow's average of 47.8 yards per kick is an NCAA record for a freshman as well as the overall record for a player who punted at least 75 times in one season. He went on to become the only four-time first-team all-conference selection in Vandal history.

In year two of his tenure, Petrino took the Vandals back to the Sun Belt Conference after one season as an FBS independent. Rehkow repeated as the national punting average leader and was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. 

Petrino was an assistant under his dad, Bob Petrino, Sr., at Carroll College (Montana) where they helped take the Saints to national prominence. Petrino also played for his dad at Carroll and was the Football Gazette NAIA Division II Player of the Year and a two-time Kodak All-American quarterback after setting 16 school records during a career that included four conference titles and a 36-6 record from 1985-88.

During his 23 years as an assistant, he coached in 12 bowl games and five I-AA playoff games. After serving as an assistant to his dad for two seasons (1990-91), he headed to Moscow for his first stop with the Vandals when he was hired as the receivers/running backs/special teams coach in 1992. He has also had stints at Utah State (receivers/special teams, 1995-97) Louisville (receivers, 1998-99), Southern Mississippi (quarterbacks, 2000-03), Louisville (offensive coordinator/receivers, 2003-06), Atlanta Falcons (receivers, 2007), Arkansas (offensive coordinator/receivers, 2008-09), Illinois (offensive coordinator/receivers, 2010-11) and Arkansas (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks, 2012).

In the 2012 NFL draft, five offensive players under his tutelage were drafted. The group, which included four receivers, represented the greatest number of players coached by one coach in that year's draft.

Petrino and his wife Maya have three children: Mason, Anne Mari and Ava.

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

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