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Walter Moore
Walter Moore

SSU Coach Overhauls Offensive Staff

When the Savannah State University football team takes the field for their first game of the 2015 season, the Tigers will have a new offensive staff in place.

All of the offensive assistants that were around last year are no longer with the program. So when head coach Earnest Wilson III was out recruiting players to fill the voids on the roster, he was also beating the bushes trying to hire new assistants.

Leaving the school were Willard Scissum (offensive line), Michael Villagrana (wide receivers), Mister Askew (running backs) and David Banks (quarterbacks).

Having a mass exodus of coaches is something that Wilson has had to deal with since he arrived.

Of the eight assistants on his first staff in 2013, only four were on the staff last season.

Wilson was able to bring four new coaches on board for the 2015 campaign.

Andy Siegal is the new offensive coordinator, Russell Demasi is the quarterbacks coach while Donovan Jackson will coach the offensive line. Lyle Leong will coach outside receivers and Courtney Williams will mentor the inside receivers.

“The are all doing a great job,” said Wilson. “Most of these guys are played or coached in the ‘Air Raid’ system so they understand what we are trying to do here.”

Siegal, who will also coach the SSU running backs, comes to Savannah State from the University of Nebraska-Kearney where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2012-2014.

He has over 25 years of coaching experience at the collegiate, professional and high school level.

His college coaching stops include East Mississippi Community College (2010-11), Southern Mississippi (2009-10), College of the Sequoias (2005-09), Dodge City Community College (1999-05), Southern Arkansas (1992-94) and Quincy University (1992).

“We have known each other for a long time,” Wilson says of his relationship with Siegal. “We will pretty much have the same offense as last year but with a few more wrinkles. You will see a little bit of everything.”

Demasi comes to SSU from Shorter University. During the 2013 season he was a graduate assistant and worked with the quarterback and fullbacks and during the 2014 season he served as co-special teams coordinator. The Savannah, Georgia native was a member of the Georgia Southern University football team (2008-12) where he went from being a preferred walkon to earning a scholarship during his senior year. He was named Scout Team Player of the Year in 2011.

“Demasi loves quarterbacks,” says Wilson. “He comes from a football family and has good knowledge of the game.”

Jackson comes to SSU from fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member Norfolk State University where he was an offensive line assistant during the 2014 season. Jackson also spent eight seasons working on the high school level.

“Jackson is a great technician. We will probably be the best coached offensive line since I have been here,” says Wilson.

Prior to his arrival at SSU, Leong was at West

Virginia where he worked with wide receivers and special teams as a graduate assistant for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Part of his duties were scouting a film breakdown. As a player, Leong was a four-year letterman and a three-year starter at Texas Tech (2007- 10).

“Lyle has great football energy and knowledge. He has extra enthusiasm because he played the position he coaches,” states Wilson.

Williams spent the 2014 season as the offensive coordinator at Chickasaw High School in Alabama and before that was an assistant at Godby High School in Florida. Williams played college football at Stillman from 2005-09.

This is Williams’ first job on the college level but Wilson think he can get the job done. “He has been offensive coordinator and he is very knowledgeable.”

Siegal and Williams both have connections to SSU’s football past.

When Siegal was an assistant at Pasco High School in Florida, one of his players was Troy Hambrick. Hambrick, who spent some time with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, was the last SSU player to rush for 1,000 yards as well as play in the NFL.

Williams’ father (Iverson Williams) was an assistant coach at SSU from 2002-05, working under Ken Pettiford and Richard Basil.

All of the defensive staff from last year returns.

Michael Wallace (defensive coordinator/safeties) , Jonas Jackson (defensive line), Tony Pierce (linebackers) and Cordell Taylor (cornerback).

Wilson is entering his third season as the Tigers head coach. The last SSU football coach to last more than two seasons was Richard Basil who finished off the last seven games of the 2003 season after Ken Pettiford was fired. Basil coached the team during the next two seasons but was fired after the 2005 season after going 0-11. Before that, Bill Davis had a stretch of seven years as head coach (1986-92) and his final year ended with a trip to the Division II playoffs. Davis returned in 2000 but died during spring practice in 2002. SSU’s last winning season came in 1998 under Daryl McNeill as the team posted a 7-4 mark.


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