Freddie Roach is in his second season at University of South Alabama working with defensive ends and outside linebackers.
In his first year with the program, Roach helped a pair of seniors earn first-team all-Sun Belt Conference honors and another who would join them ranked among the top five in the conference in multiple categories.  Romelle Jones and Alex Page were both recognized after tying for second in the league with 7½ sacks, a figure that was among the top 50 in the nation.  The duo were second and third in the conference with 14 and 13½ stops behind the line of scrimmage, respectively, and Pat Moore — the SBC Defensive Player of the Week the final week of the season — matched Jones in the category while adding 5½ sacks.
With the work of that trio, Roach helped the Jaguars end the year third nationally in sacks per game and 21st in tackles for loss per contest while finishing second in the Sun Belt in pass, total and scoring defense.
Roach came to USA from Murray State, where he was the Racers’ defensive line coach while assisting with the strength and conditioning program during the 2012 season.  The previous fall, he coached the defensive line and was the director of strength and conditioning at East Mississippi C.C., helping lead the Lions to a 12-0 record and the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship.  For their efforts, EMCC was selected the national coaching staff of the year.
Roach spent three seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Alabama, during which time the Crimson Tide won both the BCS national championship and Southeastern Conference title in 2009.  Following the ’09 campaign, he was part of a staff that was selected the National Strength Staff of the Year.
He has also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Brooks (Ala.) High during the 2006 campaign, where he coached linebackers, cornerbacks and wide receivers.
As a player, Roach was a four-year letterwinner for the Crimson Tide from 2002-05, during which time he was named the national Freshman of the Year, a Freshman All-American, and was twice selected second-team all-SEC.  He would go on to be selected to Alabama’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s while helping the program to three bowl appearances, also signing as a free agent with the New England Patriots in 2006.  Roach graduated from the school with a degree in human environmental sciences in 2008.
The Roach File
Born: June 3, 1983, in Florence, Ala.
Education:
 Alabama ’08, bachelor’s degree in human environmental sciences
Collegiate Playing Experience:
 Four years, linebacker, Alabama
 Named the national Freshman of the Year and to the Freshman All-America team in 2002
 Was a second-team all-Southeastern Conference selection in 2004 and ’05
 Named to Alabama’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s
Coaching Experience:
 Alabama — assistant strength and conditioning coach, 2008-10
 East Mississippi Community College — assistant coach, 2011
 Murray State — assistant coach, 2012
 South Alabama — assistant coach, 2013-
Family: Two daughters, Addison (6) and Alexandria (3)
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