The modern age of college football and the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness have led to some crazy moves in the sport. There’s probably not a scenario more eye-brow-raising than what happened at Georgia State last month. Shortly after the Panthers began spring practice, head coach Sean Elliott departed from the program to take a job at South Carolina as tight ends coach and run game coordinator.
The decision caught the attention of the entire country, particularly because of the timing of Elliott’s departure. In the aftermath, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham pushed back at the difficulties of being a head coach, noting that’s the whole point of the job.
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Georgia State has since moved on after hiring Dell McGee away from the Georgia Bulldogs to lead the program. This is a difficult transition period as the spring begins but McGee has been trying to make it as smooth as possible by swiftly filling out his staff with the Panthers.
McGee has made a series of hires in the weeks since being introduced as GSU’s head coach on February 23. The additions include a trio of staffers with ties to Florida State; Dameyune Craig (offensive assistant), Jeremiah Wilson (defensive backs coach), and Manrey Saint-Amour (offensive line coach). Two of the names are a blast from the past while one is more recent.
Craig worked with the Seminoles from 2010-12 as quarterbacks coach before another stint in 2017 as a quality control coach. He’s most known for recruiting and coaching Jameis Winston during his early days in Tallahassee. Craig ended up at Auburn in 2013 and famously relayed FSU’s offensive signals in the National Championship for Jimbo Fisher caught on in the second half. Craig has also worked at Auburn, LSU, and Texas A&M over the last decade.
Wilson spent five years at Florida State from 2013-17 under Fisher, Jeremy Pruitt, and Charles Kelly as a defensive quality control specialist. He earned an on-field position as the cornerbacks coach at UT-Charleston in 2018 before he reunited with Pruitt for two years at Tennessee. Wilson coached cornerbacks at Toledo in 2021. He was at Auburn for the last two seasons as a defensive analyst before earning an opportunity at Georgia State.
Saint-Amour is the sole name among the three coaches who actually worked with Mike Norvell at FSU. He was with the Seminoles for Norvell’s first season in 2020, working as a graduate assistant and assisting the offensive line under Alex Atkins. Saint-Amour moved on to Alabama in a similar role following the season and landed a job as the offensive line coach at his alma mater – Georgia Southern – in 2022. He was hired by Georgia as an analyst last season, working alongside McGee for one year.