University of South Alabama Athletics

Kenny Edenfield is in his third season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of South Alabama football program.

Under his direction a year ago, three Jaguar quarterbacks combined to set new program records after throwing 19 touchdown passes and posting a 65.3 completion percentage, with the unit also finishing with a 140.31 pass efficiency rating that was among the top 50 in the nation.  Despite appearing in only one game his first three seasons at South, Evan Orth was able to finish among the top five in the Sun Belt Conference in passing yards per game, pass efficiency rating and total offense while setting a school record after completing 65.3 percent of his passes.

As the offense developed throughout the season, Edenfield helped the group record its two best performances in the final games of the season culminating in an effort that saw South run for 331 yards in a defeat of Coast Carolina in the finale — the most ever by the unit against an NCAA Division I opponent — highlighted by the first 200-yard rushing game in program history by Tra Minter.

Minter, as well as wide receiver Jamarius Way, were second-team all-Sun Belt selections at the end of the year, while wide receiver Kawaan Baker and offensive lineman Ryan Alexander earned honorable mention all-league accolades with his help.

During the 2019 campaign, Edenfield’s offense was able to set one game record for rushing yards (413 in a win over Jackson State) and match another after recording four touchdown passes in a season-ending victory over Arkansas State.  Those were two of three performances that saw South surpass 450 yards in total offense, with the Jaguars also gaining 351 yards on the ground and 467 total against eventual SBC West Division champion Louisiana.

Not only did Jag quarterbacks throw for multiple scores on five occasions, after taking over as the starter the final month of the season Desmond Trotter posted a 153.42 pass efficiency rating that ranked third in conference-only contests.  Minter became just the second individual in program history to receive All-America recognition after becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher in school history, and he was joined on the all-Sun Belt teams by honorable mention selections Baker and Jacob Shoemaker.

Edenfield worked the previous 10 years at Sun Belt rival Troy, including serving as the Trojans’ offensive coordinator his final eight seasons on the staff.

While at Troy, Edenfield helped the Trojans to five postseason bowl appearances including each of the last two years, four outright or shared Sun Belt Conference titles and its first-ever top-25 ranking, overseeing a unit that has finished among the top 20 nationally in total offense twice and passing yards per game on four occasions.  Under his direction, Troy players set school season records for completions, completion percentage and receptions, and ended up among the top three in the program’s season record books in passing yards, passing touchdowns, receiving yards, total offense and all-purpose yards as well.

In 2017, Edenfield’s offense averaged nearly 270 yards per game passing and 420 overall while scoring 31.5 points per contest as Troy went 11-2 after a win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, shared the league title with a 7-1 mark and helped the Trojans to a three-point win at No. 22 LSU.  That performance came one year after the Trojans went 10-3 with a victory in the Dollar General Bowl, earning the first top-25 ranking in school and Sun Belt Conference history and the best win-improvement in the country.

In 2010, Edenfield’s first as offensive coordinator, the Trojans averaged 453.5 yards and 34.1 points per game while scoring 30 or more points 10 times including four contests with 40 or more, while in 2012 Edenfield’s unit recorded 721 yards of offense at Tennessee and 572 against Mississippi State — the Trojans finished 11th nationally with a school-record average of 498.8 yards per contest that year.

Under Edenfield the Trojan offense had 39 individuals earn all-league recognition including 12 first-team all-Sun Belt selections.

Before going to Troy, Edenfield was offensive coordinator at North Alabama from 2002-07 as the Lions qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs on four occasions while twice winning the Gulf South Conference title while recording a 54-19 overall mark.  In 2003, Edenfield guided the Lions to a 13-1 record, a GS championship and berth in the semifinals of the playoffs as UNA broke 11 school team records and 20 individual marks while producing the Harlon Hill Trophy winner in quarterback Will Hall.  Two years later his unit broke 28 offensive records and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs as six Lions earned All-America accolades including Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Anthony Merritt, and in his final year on the staff quarterback A.J. Milwee was a finalist for the award after UNA went 10-2 after reaching the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

He was the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Tulsa during the 2001 campaign and also had a two-year stint at Nicholls State from 1993-94 that included serving as offensive play caller his second season with the program.

Edenfield was the head coach at Southwest Mississippi C.C. for two years (1999-00) after working as offensive coordinator at the school the previous two falls.  He also has experience as a head coach at Dr. Phillips (Fla.) H.S. from 1995-97, and as an assistant at Apopka (Fla.) (1990-92) High during his coaching career.

Originally from Clinton, La., Edenfield and his wife, Pamela, have four children, son KD and daughters Caitlin, Christina and Kiley.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Troy in mathematics education in 1989, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football while helping the Trojans to a 32-13-1 overall record and the 1987 NCAA Division II national championship.

The Edenfield File
Born: Dec. 8, 1965, in Baton Rouge, La.
Education: Troy ’89, bachelor’s degree in mathematics education
Collegiate Playing Experience:
Four years, wide receiver, Troy
Won 1987 NCAA Division II national championship
Coaching Experience:
Apopka (Fla.) High School — assistant coach, 1990-92
Nicholls State — assistant coach, 1993-94
Dr. Phillips (Fla.) High School — head coach, 1995-97
Southwest Mississippi C.C. — assistant coach, 1997-98; head coach 1999-00
Tulsa — assistant coach, 2001
North Alabama — assistant coach, 2002-07
Troy — assistant coach, 2008-17
South Alabama — assistant coach, 2018-
Family: Wife, Pamela; One son, KD (28) and three daughters, Caitlin (25), Christina (23) and Kiley (18)