UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Graduate Assistant ( Offense )
Job Titles:
- Athletics Accountant & Budget Analyst
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Fan Engagement
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletics Director, Facilities & Event Operations
- Event Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Head Coach
Over the past 16 seasons of competitive action, the University of South Alabama softball program has only seen one person at the helm; Becky Clark.
Clark has been with the program since its infancy, beginning the program from the ground and raising it to one of the most respected mid-majors in all of Division I softball. Under her direction, South has claimed three Sun Belt Conference Tournament titles (2012, '13 and '15) and advanced to the NCAA Regional final in five times (2012, '13, '14,'15 and '21). The Jaguars have also eclipsed the 40-win mark four times during that span.
Under Clark's direction during that span, 59 student-athletes have received all-Sun Belt honors - 27 first-team selections and 32 second-team selections. USA has also had 21 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region selections and two NFCA Second-Team All-American selections. During that same time, South Alabama has had a SBC Player of the Year selection (Brittany Fowler, 2013), two Freshmen of the Year selections (Haley Fagan, 2013 and Hannah Campbell, 2011) and a SBC Newcomer of the Year selection (Tara Donaldson, 2007).
Job Titles:
- Accounting Data Specialist
- Title / Accounting Data Specialist
Now entering his 18th season as head men's golf coach at the University of South Alabama, Ben Hannan has helped lead the program to 11 tournament victories and more than 30 other top-three finishes during his tenure.
That includes guiding the Jaguars to four NCAA Regional appearances as a team - including the first two at-large berths in program history in 2013 and '14 - while having seven student-athletes receive an individual invitation to a regional or advance to the NCAA Championship; twice the team would fall three strokes or fewer shy of an opportunity to advance to the national championship. He helped South claim the Sun Belt Conference title in 2005, earning league coach-of-the-year honors for the effort, while in 2010 Hannan and the Jags recovered from a four-stroke deficit entering the final round to win the Sun Belt championship.
Individually he aided Gareth Maybin in picking up honorable mention PING All-American accolades in his first season leading the program, while Michael Garretson was voted the SBC Player of the Year following the 2014 campaign. In addition to having 15 student-athletes named all-conference on 30 occasions, Hannan has helped 16 individuals receive national academic honors 24 times from the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Since the inception of match play at the SBC Championship, Hannan has helped the Jags advance to the semifinals on two occasions, and during that span a pair of individuals - Peter Staalbo in 2016 and Yannick Schütz in '18 - received an invitation to an NCAA Regional while the two along with Rasmus Karlsson have picked up all-Sun Belt honors.
Staalbo and Schütz are two of seven Jaguars to compete individually in NCAA postseason play under Hannan, joining former All-American Gareth Maybin (2004), Jonny Caldwell (2008), Marc-Etienne Bussieres (2009), Jack Hiluta (2011) and Tyler Klava (2013).
Coming off a season in which the Jaguars earned their first-ever at-large invitation to an NCAA Regional and an individual garnered a berth in the NCAA Championships, Hannan's efforts helped USA claim six top-three results in 2013-14 - including the program's first team title since April 2011 - and a second straight NCAA Regional appearance while a trio of individuals earned all-league recognition.
Job Titles:
- Director of Athletic Performance ( WBB / TRACK )
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Assistant Coach / BBC
- Title / Assistant Coach
Brad Phillips joined the Jaguar program for the 2019 season after spending the previous eight seasons at Troy. During his tenure with the Trojans, Phillips coached two Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year recipients, one Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and one Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
Phillips joined the Troy staff in 2010 after serving as head coach at both Niceville (Fla.) High School and Charles Henderson (Ala.) High School, and helped lead CHHS to four straight Alabama High School Athletic Association playoff appearances, including a 5A state championship appearance in 2008, and was named the AHSAA Class 5A Region 2 Coach of the Year four consecutive times as well as the Dothan Eagle Super 12 Coach of the Year in 2008. He helped NHS to back-to-back playoff appearances during his tenure there, and was named the 2009 Northwest Daily News Coach of the Year.
Job Titles:
- Director of Ticket Operations
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Title / Assistant Coach
Prior to University of Mary, LeMar spent one season at California Baptist as a player development coach, where she met with student-athletes weekly to monitor academic success, managed team film, attended practices, games and meetings, organized community service projects, and managed administrative needs.
Before entering the coaching ranks, LeMar played professional oversees for four seasons, playing in Germany, Australia, Sweden and Denmark. She was named All-German 2 Bundesliga Guard of the Year in 2019.
Before playing internationally, LeMar played two seasons at North Dakota State after two seasons at Southern Illinois. While at North Dakota State, she was named 2015 Summit League First Team and was the 2014 Summit League Newcomer of the Year, while being named to the Second Team. LeMar is a graduate of Canyon High School, where she was a 2010 McDonald's All-American nominee.
LeMar graduated from North Dakota State with a Bachelor's in Sports Management in 2015.
Job Titles:
- Account Executive
- Title / Account Executive
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Inside Linebackers
Job Titles:
- Director of Athletic Performance ( SB )
- Director of Softball Athletic Performance
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Athletic Trainer
- Title / Associate Athletic Trainer
Stefano joined USA's Sports Medicine Department in September 2008 as an assistant athletic trainer, working primarily with the football team, and has since been promoted to associate athletic trainer/head football trainer.
Stefano spent two years at Tennessee as a graduate assistant athletic trainer providing medical care for football and men's tennis. While at UT, Stefano earned his master's degree in sports management.
A native of Macon, Ga., Stefano graduated cum laude with a bachelor's of science in health education with a concentration in athletic training, from Georgia College and State University (Milledgeville, Ga.) in May 2005.
Stefano worked as a summer intern with the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 and ‘05. He also served as a 2005 Fall League and 2006 Spring Training intern with the Atlanta Braves. Stefano is currently a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), the Southeastern Athletic Trainers' Association (SEATA), the Alabama Athletic Trainers' Association (ALATA), and the Georgia Athletic Trainers' Association (GATA).
Job Titles:
- Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach
- Director of Athletic Performance ( BSB / MGOLF / WGOLF )
Chase Barber joined the Jaguar Strength and Conditioning Staff in August 2022 as the Director of Athletic Performance for Baseball and Golf.
He joins the South Alabama staff after spending two years at Missouri State University as an assistant strength and condition coach. While at Missouri State, he primarily worked with baseball, softball, volleyball and men's soccer. He also oversaw all other Olympic sports teams and the strength and conditioning department. He was a part of six Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
Prior to his time at MSU, Barber spent a year-and-a-half as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Texas Christian University where he primarily worked with beach volleyball, baseball and football. He also spent time as a strength and conditioning intern at TCU, University of Kansas and Huntingdon College.
Barber earned his Bachelor of Education in Exercise Science from Auburn University at Montgomery. Barber is currently a Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS) through the NSCA and holds a USAW Level 1 certification. Barber and his wife Lauren have a little girl, Halle Rae.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Head Coach
The University of South Alabama named Chris Hennessey as the sixth women's soccer head coach in program history on December 15, 2023.
Hennessey comes to Mobile after spending the last nine seasons as the head coach at Lee University, where he posted a 130-31-21 record and eight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.
During the 2023 season, Hennessey led the Lady Flames to a 16-1-4 record, en route to their third Gulf South Conference Championship and a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, where they suffered their lone loss of the season.
Hennessey is responsible for the development of Lady Flames defender Kate Dirkse, who was named a 2023 United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American and a First Team Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) All-American, the second straight year the defender has earned the CCA honor. Dirske was also named GSC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-GSC.
During his nine-year stint leading the Lady Flames, Hennessey and his squad made two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances - 2016 and 2018 - and one Final Four appearance in 2018. Hennessey has also led the Lady Flames to three Gulf South Conference Tournament titles and four Gulf South regular season titles.
Hennessey, a native of Manchester, England, was named the Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year in 2021, following a 19-0-1 record. The Lee women's soccer staff also earned the United Soccer Coaches South Region Staff of the Year honor the same season.
Prior to his head coaching position, Hennessey was an assistant for the Lady Flames program from 2013-15. During that stint, Hennessey also served as the assistant director of the Chattanooga Futbol Club. From 2009-13, he was the executive director of the Central Maine United Soccer Club.
A 2009 graduate of Lee University, Hennessey was a defender for the Lee men's soccer team from 2006-09. He met his wife, Jenae, while attending Lee. The couple are parents to two daughters, Emory Blake and Sutton Elizabeth, and one son, Brewer.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Athletic Trainer
- Title / Associate Athletic Trainer
Chris McDonald joined the South Alabama Athletic Training Staff in January of 2012. He served as the Certified Athletic Trainer for the baseball program from 2012-22 before assuming his current role working with the volleyball and men's and women's tennis teams.
McDonald came to USA from Saint Leo University where he spent three years working primarily with the baseball and volleyball programs. Prior to Saint Leo he was an Athletic Trainer in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system.
In 2007 McDonald graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in Athletic Training.
In 2011 he earned his master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a BA in Philosophy from Wake Forest University.
McDonald is a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist. He resides in Mobile.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Student - Athlete Academic Services
Ciro Minopoli was hired as a University of South Alabama Student-Athlete Academic Services athletic academic counselor in November 2019. In his role he will work directly with the Jaguar men's basketball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, women's golf, and women's soccer teams.
Minopoli's responsibilities at South include monitoring student-athlete's academic progress to meet university, Sun Belt Conference and NCAA eligibility standards, aiding student-athletes in choosing courses and majors, and supplying updates to athletic department and coaching staff members.
He also serves as the liaison for Technology, Office of International Admissions and Student Programs, and the University Counseling and Testing Center.
He came to South after working at Auburn as an assistant academic counselor/learning specialist.
A 2016 Arizona graduate with a degree in business economics, Minopoli was a member of the Wildcat cheerleading squad for three years. He would go on to receive his master's degree in sport administration from Louisville in 2019, during which time he served as a compliance intern and athletics tutor before working for a year as a graduate assistant in Academic Services.
Minopoli is a member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals.
Job Titles:
- Director of Football Video
- Title / Director of Football Video
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning / Football
Cody Stout is in his first season as an assistant director of strength and conditioning for the University of South Alabama football program.
Stout was at Colorado the last three years, where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach working primarily with the football program. After just missing qualifying for a bowl his first two seasons with the program, the Buffaloes posted a 4-2 mark - including going 3-1 in Pac 12 Conference play - in 2020 after receiving a bid to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Stout came to CU from Southern Mississippi where he worked directly with the Golden Eagles' baseball team while also serving as an assistant with the football program. He was in charge of the school's graduate assistant career development program while at USM as well.
He has previous experience in the Sun Belt Conference, having served as assistant director of strength and conditioning at Arkansas State during the 2015 and '16 seasons. While there - where he served under current Jaguar associate head coach/director of football athletic performance Matt Shadeed - Stout was part of a program that went 17-9 during that two-year stretch as the Red Wolves finished 9-4 his first year in Jonesboro before following up with an 8-5 mark that included going 7-1 in league play. A-State earned a 31-13 win over Central Florida in the Autonation Cure Bowl to close out his final season at the school.
A 2014 graduate of Indianapolis, where he played two years as a defensive lineman before earning his degree in exercise science, Stout received his masters a year later from Southern Mississippi after working as a graduate assistant with the baseball and football teams.
He began in the field as an athletic performance intern at Missouri during the 2013 season, and also has been on the staff at LSU.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Title / Assistant Coach
Davis returns to Mobile after a two-year stint at Florida A&M University, where she served as an assistant coach for the Rattlers.
Prior to FAMU, Davis was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Pearl River Community College from July 2021 to October 2021. At Pearl River, Davis was primarily responsible for recruiting, film breakdowns and developing guard and post players, while assisting with graphics and social media.
Before her time at Pearl River, Davis served as a graduate assistant for the Jaguars, where she organized and instructed guard workouts, completed scouting reports of opponents, assisted with recruiting efforts, constructed post-game defensive reports and led player film reviews.
During her time as a GA, she helped lead the Jaguars to the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals during the 2019-2020 season and the quarterfinals in the 2020-2021 season. She also helped lead First Team All-Sun Belt selections Shaforia Kines and Antoinette Lewis, who ended their USA careers with 1,000 and 1,500 points. She also helped lead Savannah Jones to the 1,000-point club and a Third Team All-Sun Belt Selection.
Before her coaching career, Davis spent four seasons as a guard playing for the Jaguars. She started a total of 78 games from 2013-17, including all 31 games during her senior campaign when she averaged 10.2 points per game and led the team in field-goal percentage (37.7%) and free-throw percentage, and was second in scoring, assists, steals (38) and defensive rebounds (92) and third in rebounding (3.5 rebounds per game)
During her junior year, Davis scored the game-winning bucket with 1.6 seconds remaining in a Feb. 16 match-up against Troy, also tying a season-high with seven assists on the night.
Davis holds a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and a master's degree in Sport Management from South Alabama.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director, Fan Engagement
Cori Scherbring, begins her second year at South Alabama and first as the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan Engagement.
Scherbring served as the assistant director of fan engagement and brand advancement from February 2021 until June 2022, working closely with softball, soccer, and women's basketball. She was also the on-field director for football and assisted with the Jaguar Challenge Golf Fundraiser.
Prior to her time at South Alabama, she served in different roles at two other institutions, and was the tournament coordinator for the Faribault Golf Club for a year helping to coordinate and execute more than 15 golf tournaments including the largest and longest running Pro-Am in Minnesota.
Scherbring served as a graduate assistant at Minnesota State, Mankato for two years helping direct game presentations for men's and women's hockey, volleyball, wrestling, and baseball. She was also responsible for oversight of 25 interns and increased regular season attendance for men's hockey. She also served a one-year role as an intern at Northern Iowa, assisting in the execution of game presentations and marketing plans for several sports.
She received her Bachelor of Art, Business in 2019 from Northern Iowa before earning her Master of Art, Sport Management from Minnesota State, Mankato in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach / BBC
- Title / Assistant Coach
Reynolds, who served as the Jaguar first-base coach for the 2021-22 seasons, played collegiately at Young Harris College as a shortstop from 2017-19 where he helped lead the program to its first-ever Peach Conference tournament title in 2019 along with an NCAA regional appearance. Prior to Young Harris, Reynolds lettered at East Mississippi Community College where he was a member of the program's 2015 regional team. He prepped at Pascagoula High School in Pascagoula, Miss., and helped PHS capture the 2014 state championship.
Reynolds began his coaching career at Southwest Mississippi Community College, and served there from 2019-20 as infield coach while also assisting hitters and recruiting. He served as a graduate assistant at South Alabama in the 2021 and '22 seasons, and handled first base coaching duties. Reynolds received his bachelor's degree in economics from Young Harris, and earned his master's degree in sports management from South Alabama in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Creative Services ( Design )
Daniel McCarthy joined the South Alabama staff in December 2008 and was appointed Deputy Athletic Director in August 2017. A member of the department's senior leadership team, McCarthy is instrumental in overall departmental programming, assisting the Director of Athletics with day-to-day operations, strategic planning, capital improvements, and special projects.
In his current role, McCarthy has oversight of most of the department's externally-facing units; specifically, corporate sales, fan engagement, brand advancement, and communications. He directly leads a team of Jaguar Sports Properties sales executives charged with generating revenue for South Alabama Athletics through corporate partnerships, tickets sales, and hospitality.
Prior to assuming these responsibilities in May 2020, McCarthy served the department in a more internally-facing role providing oversight and strategic direction in the areas of business operations, student-athlete academic services, and athletics compliance.
Beyond his responsibilities within the department, McCarthy has been extensively engaged in leadership roles on-campus and at the conference and national level. He currently serves on the university's president-appointed Strategic Planning Committee and as an ex-officio member of the Athletics Council. At the conference level, McCarthy represents the university as a member of the Sun Belt's Name, Image, and Likeness Task Force and was recently appointed to the league's Branding Committee. His previous background and expertise in the areas of compliance and student services afforded him the opportunity to serve the NCAA membership on a national level as a member of the NCAA Progress-Toward-Degree Waivers Committee (2008-2012), NCAA Committee on Academic Performance (2014-15), and NCAA Committee on Institutional Performance (2015-2017).
Prior to South Alabama, McCarthy spent four years as Assistant AD at the University of Richmond where he was responsible for coordinating and overseeing all facets of the Spiders' comprehensive athletics compliance program. From 2003-05, he served in a similar capacity at Mercer University.
Originally from West Point, Ga., McCarthy graduated from Huntingdon College (Ala.) in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in business management before going on to earn his master's degree in physical education & sport studies from the University of Georgia in 2002; he completed the University of South Alabama's educational leadership doctoral program in December 2018. McCarthy and his wife Amanda have three children: Drew, Ella, and Hannah.
Job Titles:
- Director of FB Sports Medicine / Head FC
- Director of FB Sports Medicine / Head FC ATC
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Title / Executive Assistant
Job Titles:
- Offensive Scouting Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Olympic Athletic Performance ( MBB / MTEN )
David Ventress joined the University of South Alabama's Athletic Performance staff in November 2021. He serves as the director of athletic performance for the men's basketball and men's tennis teams.
Prior to joining South, Ventress worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the football team at Florida Atlantic University. There, he executed all on-field player tracking through Catapult GPS systems and created daily readiness reports for the coaching staff. He designed and worked to implement their Return to Play programming, and Ventress also assisted with the direct implementation of programming and training for the student-athletes.
Ventress worked as a graduate assistant at Nicholls State University. During his time at Nicholls, he was directly responsible for implementing the training programs for track and field, cross country and soccer. Ventress assisted with the football, baseball, softball and men's and women's basketball teams as well.
Ventress gained his first experience as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach as an intern with Tulane University's football program.
A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, Ventress received his CSCS certification from the NSCA.
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director, Revenue Generation
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Title / Assistant Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Summer Camp Director
Desirae Ortiz is the Volunteer Assistant for the South Alabama volleyball program and the camp director for JO Volleyball Camps. With a Bachelor's degree in teaching and Master's degree in Sports Management and Administration, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the program.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Assistant ( Defense )
Job Titles:
- Accounting Data Specialist
Job Titles:
- Quality Control Analyst ( Offense )
Job Titles:
- Team Medical Director / Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Personnel
Job Titles:
- Strategic Communications Assistant ( BSB / VB / MGOLF )
Job Titles:
- Director of Football Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director, External Relations & Tickets
Job Titles:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development / BBC
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Athletic Director, Internal Operations
- Student - Athlete Academic Services
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Offensive Line
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Cornerbacks
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Facilities & Event Operations
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director, Development
Job Titles:
- Athletic Field Technician
Job Titles:
- Athletic Compliance Intern
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Athletic Director, Senior Woman Administrator & Title IX Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Athletic Administration
- Director of Athletics
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations / BBC
Job Titles:
- Program Operations Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director, Football Chief of Staff
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Defensive Line
Job Titles:
- Graduate Equipment Intern, Football
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Student - Athlete Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Broadcasting & Sales Executive
Job Titles:
- Director of Athletic Performance ( SOC / VB / XC )
Job Titles:
- Director, Football Recruiting
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Football Ops
Kennedy Cronan led the way with 11 long balls, which were tied for fourth-most in the SBC, tied two other players for second-most in a season and tied a freshman mark. Cronan also earned third-team NFCA all-region honors, marking the ninth-consecutive season in which a Jaguar has earned all-region accolades from the organization.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director ( FB Secondary / SB / XC / WGLF )
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Tight Ends
Job Titles:
- Accounting Data Specialist
Job Titles:
- Grad Assistant
- Graduate Assistant
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Sprints, Hurdles, Relays
Job Titles:
- Strategic Communications Assistant ( WSOC / WBB / WTEN )
Job Titles:
- Director of Basketball Operations
Job Titles:
- Strength & Conditioning Intern
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director, Equipment Services
- Equipment Services
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Field Manager
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Academic Counselor / Learning Specialist
Job Titles:
- Director of Leadership and Wellness
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director, Business Operations
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach / Chief of Staff
Job Titles:
- Athletic Field Technician
Job Titles:
- NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative
Job Titles:
- Director of Multi - Media & Corporate Sales Executive
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Receivers
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
Job Titles:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
Job Titles:
- Athletic Creative Services Coordinator
- Creative Services
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director ( MBB / XC / T & F )
Job Titles:
- Director of Student - Athlete Academic Services
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Fan Engagement Graduate Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance
- Compliance
Job Titles:
- Manager of Athletic Video Productions
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director, Strategic Communications ( FB / MTEN )
- Strategic Communications
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Associate Athletics Director, Facilities & Event Operations
- Facilities and Game Operations
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Graduate Equipment Intern, Olympic Sports
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
Job Titles:
- Athletic Development Intern
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Creative Services ( Video )