Landius Wilkerson begins his first year as defensive line coach at the University of South Alabama.
Wilkerson comes to South after serving as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Chattanooga in 2020.
He coached defensive ends the previous two seasons at Jacksonville State, helping the Gamecocks finish .500 or better both years including going 9-4 — with a 7-1 mark to claim the Ohio Valley Conference championship — after advancing to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2018.  That fall, his efforts contributed to JSU finishing second nationally in third-down conversion defense while also ending up among the top 15 in tackles for loss (seventh) and total defense (15th).
He was an assistant at Huntingdon (Ala.) from 2010-17, a stretch that saw the Hawks finish with a winning record each year including posting a 42-12 overall mark highlighted by a 31-5 record in the USA South Conference over his last five seasons.  Wilkerson helped HC win the league title after going 7-0 in both 2015 and ‘17, with the program competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs each of his last three years on the staff featuring a victory in opening round in 2015.
Under his direction, D.J. Chappell became the Hawks’ first All-American in school history in 2012 while Heath McCray was an honorable mention All-America selection in 2015.  In five years, he had one individual named the USA South Defensive Rookie of the Year and six all-conference performers as well.
Wilkerson was a team captain and three-year starter as an offensive lineman at Alabama State, earning all-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors while helping the Hornets claim the league title in 2004. Â He also participated in track before receiving his undergraduate degree from ASU in mathematics education in 2005.
Wilkerson — who would go on to add a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Tennessee Tech in 2008 — also was an assistant at McMinn Central (Tenn.) High for five seasons.
He and his wife Melody have two daughters, McKenzie and Ava.
The Wilkerson File
Born: Aug. 3, 1982, in Etowah, Tenn.
Education:
Alabama State ’05, bachelor’s degree in mathematics education
Tennessee Tech ’08, master’s degree in instructional leadership
Collegiate Playing Experience:
Five years, offensive line
Coaching Experience:
McMinn Central (Tenn.) High — assistant coach, 2005-09
Huntingdon (Ala.) — assistant coach, 2010-17
Jacksonville State — assistant coach, 2018-19
Chattanooga — assistant coach, 2020
South Alabama — assistant coach, 2021-
Family: Wife, Melody; Two daughters, McKenzie (12) and Ava (6)
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