New Jackson State head football coach T.C. Taylor officially announced his inaugural staff Wednesday night.
Taylor, a former player and assistant coach for the Tigers, was named Deion Sanders’ successor on December 13. Below is a list of who will be joining Taylor on the sidelines when Jackson State kicks off the 2023 season on August 26 in Atlanta.
Maurice Harris, Offensive Coordinator
Harris spent the previous four seasons as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Liberty under new Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. In 2022, the Flames averaged nearly 400 yards per game last season. Harris also spent seven seasons at Ole Miss (2012-18) working as a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. He was assistant athletic director for football operations at Ole Miss during the 2006 season. Prior to working at Ole Miss, Harris was tight ends coach at Arkansas State (2008-11) and began his collegiate career at Alabama State as running backs coach (2004-05).
Jason Onyebuagu, Co-Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line
Onyebuagu spent the previous two seasons as tight ends coach at his alma mater, Northern Illinois. Prior to returning to NIU, he coached the offensive line at Southeast Missouri State (2020) after his first stint in the SWAC at Arkansas Pine Bluff (2019). Onyebuagu also worked as offensive line coach (2014), running game coordinator (2015-16), and co-offensive coordinator (2017-18) over a five-year period at North Carolina Central.
Otis Riddley, Assistant Head Coach / Tight Ends
Riddley is one of three coaches from Sanders’ staff who are staying in Jackson and joining Taylor. He spent the previous three seasons as recruiting coordinator after coaching the offensive line in 2019. In the past three seasons, JSU has had the top-rated HBCU recruiting classes under Riddley’s guidance.
Quinn Billerman, Quarterbacks
Billerman spent the previous two seasons at Duke as a graduate assistant coaching quarterbacks and receivers. He also spent three seasons on staff at Rice University (2018-20) as an offensive quality control coach. While with the Owls, Billerman mentored quarterback Mike Collins to honorable mention all-conference honors. Before joining the Rice staff, he spent two years (2016-17) as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater North Carolina Central University where he worked with quarterbacks and the wide receivers, helping the Eagles win the 2016 MEAC Championship and a berth in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.
Brandon Morton, Running Backs
Morton previously served as a graduate assistant coaching running backs during Sanders’ tenure. He assisted with running back Sy’veon Wilkerson posting the first 1,000-rushing season for the Tigers since 1999. Now he will take on the role of running backs coach under Taylor.
RJ Fleming, Wide Receivers
Fleming was the running backs coach at Texas State last season where wide receiver Lincoln Pare posted a career-high in rushing yards. As wide receivers coach at Eastern Michigan in 2021, Fleming mentored and guided Hassan Beydoun to a 1,000-yard season on 97 catches in earning second-team All-Mid America Conference honors as the Eagles earned a Lending Tree Bowl berth. Prior to EMU, Fleming spent two seasons under Hugh Freeze at Liberty working with the wide receivers in an offensive quality control role.
Jonathan Bradley, Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line
Bradley was co-defensive coordinator at Alcorn last season. The Braves ranked third in the SWAC with 39 sacks and fourth in total defense yielding 325.1 yards per game. Prior to his time at Alcorn State, Bradley coached at Arkansas Pine Bluff, serving in various positions since 2019, including defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, and Associate Head Coach. Bradley also spent time at North Carolina Central as an assistant defensive line coach. Bradley played four seasons in the NFL as a defensive lineman with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions.
Tyquan Hammock, Linebackers
Hammock served as assistant cornerbacks coach at Northern Illinois University last season. In 2021, Hammock was on the staff at Lafayette (Penn.) as linebackers coach. He spent the 2020 season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Upper Iowa University. In 2019, Hammock was a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois, working with the linebackers. That followed a 2018 season during which he broke into collegiate coaching at Kentucky Christian University as defensive backs coach.
Torenzo Quinn, Defensive Backs / Defensive Passing Game Coordinator
Quinn was the safeties coach at Alcorn in 2022, where the Braves registered at least one interception in seven of the final nine games. Prior to his time with the Braves, Quinn spent one year as offensive coordinator at Mississippi Delta Community College. Before joining the MDCC staff, Quinn spent two seasons at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff in several roles, including coaching the safeties and defensive backs and serving as the Assistant Head Coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
Jeff Weeks, Senior Defensive Analyst / Special Teams
Weeks is in his fourth season on JSU’s coaching staff. This will be his first as Senior Defensive Analyst and Special Teams Coordinator. Weeks spent the previous three seasons coaching the defensive line, as the Tigers led the FCS in sacks in 2021 (55) and 2022 (48).
