MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama Football head coach Major Applewhite has completed his coaching staff in preparation for the 2026 season.
 
Todd Orlando has been hired as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Chris Achuff has been hired to coach the defensive line, and Tyson Kee has joined the staff to coach safeties. On offense, South Alabama has added Mitch Stewart as wide receivers coach and Bryant Ross as offensive line coach. Adam Mann, who served as a defensive analyst in 2025, has been promoted to tight ends coach. South has also hired Tommy Perry to serve as special teams coordinator.
 
The Jaguars have also retained co-defensive coordinator and corners coach Jason Washington, and outside linebackers coach Tre' Williams from last year's defensive staff. Running backs coach Broderick Fobbs and quarterbacks coach Zach Crisler have also been retained.
 
TODD ORLANDO – DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR & INSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH
 
Orlando, who most recently served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at South Florida, has been a defensive coordinator at the FBS level since the 2005 season. Orlando has orchestrated elite defenses at blue blood programs like Texas and USC, and worked with Applewhite at Houston for two seasons when the duo served as the coordinators on their respective sides of the ball.
 
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CHRIS ACHUFF – DEFENSIVE LINE COACH
 
A veteran defensive line coach with experience in the National Football League, Achuff most recently worked as defensive line coach and run game coordinator for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League. Before a four-year stop at Syracuse, Achuff spent two years on staff with the Arizona Cardinals. He was also on staff at Baylor from 2008-16.
 
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TYSON KEE – SAFETIES COACH
 
Kee, a product of the Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh coaching tree, most recently coached as defensive backs coach at Valdosta State. He has made stops at UCF, Tennessee and South Florida, all while working with defensive backs. Kee was on staff at Tennessee in 2021 when the Volunteers went 11-2 and defeated Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
 
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MITCH STEWART – WIDE RECEIVERS COACH
 
Stewart brings multiple years of experience as both a head coach and offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator at Murray State before being promoted to head coach for the Racers. He served in that capacity for five seasons. Stewart has since been the offensive coordinator at both Samford and Middle Tennessee, and most recently worked as quarterbacks coach at Memphis.
 
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BRYANT ROSS – OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
 
No stranger to the Sun Belt Conference, Ross will be making his third stop in the league at South Alabama. He spent the 2025 season as Georgia State's offensive line coach, and has worked two-different stints as the offensive line coach at Louisiana. Ross served as a graduate assistant under Dan Mullen at Mississippi State, and also spent one year on staff at Grambling as offensive line coach.
 
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ADAM MANN – TIGHT ENDS COACH
 
Mann has been on staff with the Jaguars in various roles since 2023. He was a graduate assistant working with the offensive line for two seasons before being promoted to defensive quality control coach in 2025. Prior to his time with the Jaguars, Mann worked as offensive line coach at his alma mater, Huntingdon College.
 
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TOMMY PERRY – SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
 
Perry, a longtime special teams coordinator, was on the inaugural coaching staff at South Alabama in 2009. He served as special teams coordinator and running backs coach through the 2012 season, and now returns in a similar capacity. He has since worked as a special teams coordinator at North Texas, Nevada, UTSA and most recently, Colorado State.
 
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JASON WASHINGTON – CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR & CORNERBACKS COACH
 
The 2025 season was Washington's first on staff with South Alabama. He developed Nehemiah Chandler into a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection at season's end. Chandler finished the year with 32 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
 
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TRE' WILLIAMS – OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH
 
Williams, a Mobile native, has been with the Jaguars since the 2023 campaign. He first worked as the program's special teams coordinator, and then transitioned to coaching outside linebackers. He helped the Jaguars win the first-two bowl games in program history in 2023 and 2024. During 2025, he worked with Tirrell Johnson, who was an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention honoree.
 
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BRODERICK FOBBS – RUNNING BACKS COACH
 
Fobbs' first year at South Alabama was a big one as he helped Kentrel Bullock break the single-season rushing record with 1,085 yards. Bullock finished the year as a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection, and was also named to Phil Steele's All-Sun Belt First Team. Under Fobbs' leadership, the Jaguars averaged 199.9 rushing yards per game in 2025 and punched in 30 touchdowns on the ground.
 
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ZACH CRISLER – QUARTERBACKS COACH
 
Crisler joined South Alabama as quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2025 season. He mentored starting quarterback Bishop Davenport, who threw for 2,072 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year. Davenport also rushed for an additional 326 yards and nine scores. Davenport's 68 percent completion percentage was second-best in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
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