‘Noles OL arrested for illegal use of teammate’s debit card; Dismissed from team

By John TaylorMar 19, 2014, 3:46 PM EST
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As it turns out, Georgia’s not the only high-profile team to open spring practice with an off-field cloud hanging over its head.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Florida State offensive lineman Ira Denson (pictured, No. 55) had, back in late December, used the debit card of running back Mario Pender without his teammate’s permission.  The situation escalated two days later, leading to one man being charged with attempted murder in connection to a botched meeting agreed upon by Denson and Pender.

Tuesday, there was yet another development connected to the mess.  According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Denson was arrested by the Tallahassee Police Department and charged with petty theft and illegal use of a credit card.  The paper wrote that “Pender said his card was used three times: once at a gas station for $5, another time at Champs for $134.36, and a third time at a Foot Locker for $362.”

Security video showed Denson and another man not connected to FSU athletics buying a pair of sneakers at the Champs location.  That man, Shaquille Walden, told Tallahassee police that Denson had given him Pender’s debit card.

Pender informed the police that his card had been stolen from the football team’s locker room Dec. 19, and all of the illegal purchases were made that day.  A probable-cause statement, as relayed by the Democrat, stated “Denson… was injured at the time and was only allowed to practice for a short time each day. Denson would leave practice early and go to the locker room before the other players.”

Denson, incidentally, is still listed on FSU’s online roster.

UPDATE (8:57 p.m.): The Associated Press reports Denson has been dismissed from the football team by Jimbo Fisher.

(Photo credit: Florida State athletics)

North Texas turns to FCS Eastern Washington for new OC

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By John TaylorFeb 15, 2019, 2:34 PM EST
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Nearly three weeks after losing its offensive coordinator to a Pac-12 school, Seth Littrell has filled that void on his North Texas coaching staff by dipping down to a lower level of football.

UNT has confirmed via a press release that Littrell has tapped Bodie Reeder as his new offensive coordinator.  Reeder replaces Graham Harrell, who left late last month to take the same job at USC.

The 32-year-old Reeder has spent the past two seasons as the coordinator at FCS Eastern Washington.  Prior to that, Reeder served as an offensive quality control coach working with quarterbacks at Oklahoma State for three seasons.

“Coach Reeder is one of the brightest young offensive minds in the country and we are happy to have the opportunity to bring him to Denton,” the head coach said in a statement. “He has been successful at all of his career stops at several levels of college football, most recently at Eastern Washington and Oklahoma State. I can’t wait to bring him into our family and culture and give him the opportunity to leave a great mark on our program.”

Reeder began his coaching career at Wisconsin-Stout after graduating from Eastern Illinois in 2010, spending his time at the Div. III program as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Jeremy Pruitt’s shuffled Tennessee staff includes Derrick Ansley as DC

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By John TaylorFeb 15, 2019, 1:51 PM EST
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Jeremy Pruitt‘s coaching staff up on Rocky Top will have a decidedly different look to it when the 2019 season kicks off.

One of the most noteworthy staff announcements Friday afternoon involved Derrick Ansley, who was hired last week as the replacement for dismissed cornerbacks coach Terry Fair.  Not only will Ansley serve as Tennessee’s defensive backs coach, but he’ll also be the Vols’ defensive coordinator.  Not only that, but Ansley has also been designated as UT’s defensive playcaller, the duties of which were held by Pruitt in his first season as head coach in 2018.

One of the two co-defensive coordinators from a year ago, Chris Rumph, will retain that title as well as his duties as outside linebackers coach.  The other co-coordinator on that side of the ball, Kevin Sherrer, will lose that particular designation but remain on as inside linebackers coach.  Additionally, he’ll now serve as special teams coordinator.

Pruitt’s former special teams coordinator, Charles Kelly, left for a job at Alabama earlier this offseason.  Kelly was also UT’s safeties coach, a job that will be rolled into Ansley’s all-encompassing defensive backs duties.

On the other side of the ball, Jim Chaney, as previously reported, will be Pruitt’s new offensive coordinator, but he won’t be in charge of any position groups as Pruitt will now employ a total of six offensive assistants.

Tee Martin, whose hiring as an unspecified offensive assistant was also previously announced, will serve as wide receivers coach.  The Vols’ former assistant at that position, David Johnson, will move to running backs while the former assistant manning that position, Chris Weinke, moves to quarterbacks.

UT’s quarterbacks were previously coached by Tyson Helton, the offensive coordinator who left Knoxville in late November to become the head coach at Western Kentucky.

There are only two offensive assistants who remain in the same jobs as a year ago — Will Friend (offensive line) and Brian Neidermeyer (tight ends).

Florida State parts ways with offensive line coach Greg Frey

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By John TaylorFeb 15, 2019, 1:05 PM EST
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A self-created hole has suddenly, but not unexpectedly, opened up on Willie Taggart‘s Florida State coaching staff.

In a statement sent out by the university, Taggart announced that he has decided to part ways with one of his assistants, Greg Frey.  Frey, who was a member of FSU’s 1993 national championship team, spent this past season, his first, as the Seminoles’ offensive line coach while also holding the title of run-game coordinator.

Below is the head coach’s statement, in its entirety:

This morning I informed Greg Frey that we are moving in a different direction with our offensive line coaching position. I appreciate the hard work and expertise Greg brought to our program and understand how important it was for him that FSU be successful. I wish Greg and his family the best as he continues his coaching career. We are working to fill this position quickly.

This past season, FSU’s line surrendered 36 sacks, a total that was 12th in the ACC and tied for 16th-worst nationally.  Even worse, the Seminoles’ 2.8 yards per rushing attempt was 129th out of 130 teams at the FBS level.

Frey came to Tallahassee after spending one season as the run-game coordinator/offensive tackles coach/tight ends coach at Michigan.  Prior to that, he was the line coach at Indiana for six seasons.

Penn State reportedly losing special teams coordinator to NFL

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By John TaylorFeb 15, 2019, 10:40 AM EST
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Those of you who had Penn State in the “Next Power Five Program to Lose an Assistant to the NFL” pool, collect your winnings.

While nothing is official from his new employer, 247Sports.com has reported Friday morning that Penn State assistant Phil Galiano is leaving James Franklin‘s coaching staff to pursue an opportunity in the NFL.  The specific NFL club for which Galiano is leaving wasn’t divulged.

Penn State subsequently confirmed Galiano’s departure from the program.

“We are excited for Phil and his family. This is a tremendous opportunity for Phil to return to the NFL,” the statement from the school read. “We are very appreciative of Phil and everything he has done for our program over the last two years. We wish him nothing but success moving forward.”

Galiano has been with the Nittany Lions for two seasons, first as a defensive consultant in 2017 and then as special teams coordinator and assistant defensive line coach this past year.  Prior to that, he was the special teams coordinator at both Miami (2016) and Rutgers (2015).

From 2012-13, Galiano was an assistant special teams coach on Greg Schiano‘s Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff.

Galiano would be the second change to Franklin’s staff this offseason.  Wide receivers coach David Corley was dismissed in early January and replaced a couple of weeks later by Gerad Parker.