STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State football announced additions and changes to its coaching staff Friday ahead of the spring football season.
Texans promoted adam austin To the offensive coordinator scott carey Hired co-offensive coordinator Devante Sims as assistant coach leading cornerbacks, hired Stephen Lee as assistant coach leading tight ends, hired PJ Hall as defensive assistant, appointed assistant coaches. michael walton Leading the safety department, he promoted Dylan Wagner to the new director of recruiting and player development.
“They are all high-quality people who are great coaches and leaders. I'm excited to promote some deserving coaches and bring in more high-character individuals.” head coach Todd Whitten Said. ”adam austin and scott carey This is a big part of what we've put together here. Our offensive scheme has not changed over the years and will never change. We will run our offense with the same values these two helped shape. Coach Austin will be our play caller and Coach Carey will have a huge impact on everything we do offensively next season. ”
Austin will be promoted to offensive coordinator and become the Texans' offensive play caller in 2024. He has served as quarterbacks coach for the past three seasons and will continue in that role. Last season, under Austin's guidance, the Texans averaged 33.3 points per game, second-best in the United Athletic Conference and 13th-most in the FCS overall. He also averaged 430.5 yards per game (2nd in UAC, 14th in FCS) and 6.4 yards per play (most in UAC, 11th in FCS). Over the past three seasons, Austin's quarterback has consistently delivered top-notch performances. Victor Gavaris They ranked first in the conference in passing yards and fourth in overall passing efficiency last season. His best game was Tarleton's 59-17 rout of Stephen F. Austin, in which he threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-19 passes. In Austin's first two seasons at Tarleton, his quarterback has posted seven 300-plus yard performances, including a Western Athletic Conference-high five in 2022. Also that season, the Texans scored 24 passing touchdowns and threw for 2,883 yards in 11 games, averaging 262.1 passing yards per game, ranking third in the WAC.
“I am very happy and honored to be promoted to offensive coordinator at Tarleton State University,” Austin said. “This opportunity is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by our staff, and I look forward to contributing to our team's continued success in this new role.
“I would like to sincerely thank Coach Witten for giving me this wonderful opportunity,” Austin added. “I am excited to work with him, Coach Carey, and the rest of the coaching staff to achieve our goals. I am determined to lead Tarleton State's offensive line with integrity, passion, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.” .”
Carey was also promoted to co-offensive coordinator in charge of the run game. Carey has led the offensive line on Tarleton's coaching staff for the past six seasons and will continue in that role. The offensive line has stepped up its classic run game under Carey, posting the best rushing offense in the run game last season with 201.7 rushing yards per game (12th in FCS) and 25 rushing touchdowns. (16th in FCS). ). Carrie's OL helped the Texans have their best year in total offense at the D1 level in 2022, averaging 436.8 yards per game and 6.1 yards per play, both marks leading the Western Athletic Conference. It became the top. Over the past six seasons, the Texans have had eight first-team all-conference offensive linemen, five second-team all-conference and five honorable mentions.
“I am honored to receive this honor and am so grateful for everything surrounding this program and university,” Carey said. “Tarleton State University and Stephenville, this is and will always be home for me and my family. There is no better place to be. I am excited to further support this program as it continues to have success in Division I. I can’t wait.”
Sims spent last season as Pittsburgh State's defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. He helped the Gorillas advance to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs with an 11-2 record in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association Conference.
His defense had a knack for frustrating quarterbacks. The unit held opponents to 180.7 passing yards per game in 2023 and led all NCAA Division II teams with 22 interceptions.
Prior to coaching the Gorillas, Sims spent two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Angelo State University. In 2022, ASU's defense will be one of the top units in Division II, ranking in the top five nationally in total defense (1st), interceptions (1st), defensive pass efficiency (2nd), and scoring defense (4th). Ranked in. ) and passing yards allowed (No. 4). He helped the Rams go 12-1, win the Lone Star Conference Championship and advance to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Sims also spent time at Eastern New Mexico as the defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2019-2021. Sims began his college coaching career as the cornerbacks coach at Thiel in 2016 and at Angelo State in 2017. He now returns to that position at Tarleton State, in his first opportunity as an NCAA Division I coach. The Florida native played defensive back at Lake Erie College from 2011 to 2014. He was a three-year starter and recorded his 114 career tackles and third-most pass break-ups in school history.
“I am excited to join the Texans family and have the ability to serve these young men and continue the winning path that Coach Witten has established with this program and continue to learn and grow under a proven leader. I’m excited to be able to do that.” [Tyrone] “The Knicks play defensive football,” Sims said, adding, “My family is excited to go to Stephenville.”
Lee joins the Texans as their new tight ends coach. He has been a coach for his 28 years, most recently serving as the head coach of the Cisco Wranglers. Lee made stops at several places, including Abilene Christian and the University of Mary Hardin at Baylor. At UMHB, Lee helped the Crusaders to a 76-2 record as offensive coordinator.
In 2018, UMHB led the nation in scoring with 53.4 points per game, and Lee was named a Football Scoop Coach of the Year finalist for the second time. Prior to joining UMHB, Lee spent five years as an assistant coach at West Texas A&M and four years as the Buffs' offensive coordinator after serving as the school's quarterbacks coach in 2011. Lee coached West Texas A&M's offense, which set the D2 record for passing yards in 2013. He also led the nation in passing yards and passing touchdowns. The Buffs won the Lone Star Conference Championship and earned two NCAA postseason berths during his tenure on the coaching staff.
Lee also spent five years as an assistant coach at Howard Payne from 2000 to 2005, serving as the program's recruiting coordinator and splitting time between defensive ends, defensive tackles, tight ends and running backs. Lee's first college coaching stop was as offensive line coach at Western New Mexico University from 1999-2000. He was a high school coach at Brenham High School (2005-2011) and head coach at Ilion County High School (1996-1999). Lee was an assistant under Glenn West at Brenham and led the Cubs to five district championships and a 66-13 record during his tenure.
Lee was born and raised in Bronte, Texas and was a standout athlete in multiple sports at Bronte High School. Lee graduated from Angelo State University in 1993 and played four years as quarterback and fullback for the Rams.
“I am excited to return to the D1 ranks and join this great program at Tarleton State University,” Lee said. “I have been at some of the elite programs in this state and I know that I can bring some wisdom from those stops to further enhance what is already being done here. Thank you Coach Witten for bringing me on.”
Hall will join the Texans as a defensive assistant. He spent the past three seasons as a graduate assistant at Baylor University, working specifically in safety-related work. He also served as a graduate assistant at UAB from February to May 2021.
Hall played four years of college football as a safety at Tulane from 2016-2019. During his career, he recorded 102 tackles, three interceptions, 20 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown.
“I am very grateful and excited for the opportunity to be a part of this program and the vision that Coach Whitten has for this program,” Hall said. “Stephenville is a great place and I can’t wait to begin serving our players, coaches and community.”
Wagner spent two years with the Texan program in 2022-23, serving as a graduate assistant last season and a student assistant in 2022.
During his two years at Tarleton State, Wagner served as the primary liaison between the offensive and defensive staffs, assisting the offensive staff with detailed opponent scouting reports and providing significant input on recruiting.
Wagner, a native of Lubbock, Texas, will earn a bachelor's degree in sports management from Tarleton State University in 2023 and will earn a master's degree in sports management in May.
“I would like to thank Coach Witten for this great opportunity. It has been a blessing to join this program and I am ready to take on this new position,” Wagner said. “We are truly building something special here in Tarleton, and we are excited to continue building and bringing the best of it here to Stephenville.”
