VALDOSTA – The formation of Head Coach Kerwin Bell‘s 2016 Valdosta State football coaching staff continued to solidify this week, as both Justin Hinds and Jake Grande were announced as the two newest additions.
Hinds brings two years of coaching experience from Division I’s Southeastern Conference after having spent the 2014 season working under Coach David Turner at Mississippi State as a graduate assistant before transitioning to another graduate assistant position at Florida for the 2015 season, where he worked under Chris Rumph and Geoff Collins to help lead the Gators to an SEC East title.
“Obviously this is a great opportunity at a great place with great tradition,” said Hinds “In my short time getting a feel for the area, it’s apparent that people really love football around here. This is an opportunity to coach some elite football players around a great fanbase, and I’m ready to be a part of something special that Coach Bell is building here at Valdosta State.”
During his time in the SEC, Hinds had the opportunity to coach multiple NFL Draft picks, including John Bullard (2nd round to Chicago Bears) at Florida, along with Preston Smith (2nd round to Washington Redskins) and Chris Jones (2nd round to Kansas City Chiefs) at Mississippi State. Alex McCalister (5th round to Philadelphia Eagles) also benefitted from Hinds’ tutelage while at Florida. Hinds’ recruiting efforts also helped the Gators acquire five-star defensive line recruit CeCe Jefferson, who went on to become an All-American during his freshman season in 2015 under the leadership of Hinds and the defensive line coaching staff at UF.
Prior to his hire at Mississippi State in 2014, Hinds worked as the Defensive Line Coach at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, where he implemented defensive schemes and assisted the team’s defensive coordinator with weekly game plans. His efforts helped lead the program to an NEC Championship in 2012, which represented the second of three seasons for Hinds with the team. Other experience includes defensive line coaching positions at Woodbridge and Plainfield in New Jersey, along with a position as the assistant defensive line coach at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, where he began his coaching career.
“Malik Hall at Wagner, David Turner at Mississippi College, and Chris Rumph and Geoff Collins at Florida are four guys who I’ve learned from in my career up to this point,” added Hinds. “Everything those guys do is high intensity with an attack style of play. That’s how I coach too, and that’s my personality. Also, after watching those coaches and fitting their style with what I like to do, I’ve learned the importance of not only motivating players, but also teaching them and helping them understand why and how we do things. Fans can expect to see an attack-style, in your face type of front on defense, with guys that are going to want to get after it in any way necessary to help this team win.”
Grande, meanwhile, is expected to serve as both a special teams and wide receivers coach, the latter of which will be an important role under Coach Bell, who has stated his intentions of offering up a high powered air attack.
“I am a very energetic and positive coach on the field,” stated Grande. “I hope that my excitement in coaching will get my players excited when they attack the field. I’m hoping that the energy these receivers bring will help them stretch the field and open it up for Kerwin Bell‘s passing attack so we can have a great year at the receiver position.”
There’s no denying that a transition will be in place for Grande, who has spent a majority of his career as a defensive coach. Grande is no stranger to Coach Bell’s approach on offense, however, after having worked with the head coach since 2011 at Jacksonville University.
During his stint at JU, Grande started with a bang as the defensive backs coach and led his secondary to a No. 12 pass defense ranking among all NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) programs. By 2015, the Dolphins had progressed to a No. 1 ranking in the FCS in interceptions, and Grande helped lift the team to No. 4 ranking in pass defense efficiency and a No. 6 overall ranking in scoring defense in 2014.
Grande also served as an assistant to the Jacksonville Sharks Arena Football League team during his same years at Jacksonville University. He preceded his time with those two programs as an assistant coach with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of Arena Football League fame, where he helped guide the Pioneers to a No. 1 ranking in scoring defense, turnover margin, and fumble recoveries in just his second year with the organization.
In addition to responsibilities as an instructor to the Blazer receiving corps during the upcoming season, Grande will also contribute as a special teams coach. His experience as a player at Wilkes University, where he served as a team captain and achieved All Conference recognition as both a cornerback and a return specialist, will no doubt help in his efforts.
“When I heard about the position, I was excited,” added Grande. “I know Coach Bell has a strong passion for the game of football, and Valdosta State has a tremendous tradition of great teams and great coaches. Those two things, along with the evidence of great support from the community, led me to the program. After coming in for a few days and seeing first-hand how the team and the players have responded to what’s happening at Valdosta State, I couldn’t be more excited for next season.”
Valdosta State kicks off the 2016 season at home on September 3rd against the rival Golden Rams of Albany State. For season ticket information, be sure to call the Blazer Athletic Ticket Office at 229-333-SEAT (7328).
