South Alabama head football coach Major Applewhite has finalized the coaching staff for the 2026 season, bringing in several new hires and retaining key members from last year.
Todd Orlando joins as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Orlando previously served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at South Florida and has held similar roles at Texas, USC, and Houston, where he worked alongside Applewhite.
Chris Achuff will take over as defensive line coach. Achuff most recently coached the defensive line for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League. His experience includes time with the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, Syracuse University, and Baylor University.
Tyson Kee has been appointed safeties coach. Kee comes from Valdosta State, where he was defensive backs coach. He has also worked with UCF, Tennessee, and South Florida. While on staff at Tennessee in 2021, the team achieved an 11-2 record and a win over Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
On offense, Mitch Stewart joins as wide receivers coach. Stewart was previously offensive coordinator at Murray State before becoming head coach there for five seasons. He later served as offensive coordinator at Samford and Middle Tennessee and most recently worked as quarterbacks coach at Memphis.
Bryant Ross will serve as offensive line coach after spending 2025 with Georgia State in the same role. Ross has also coached offensive lines at Louisiana (in two separate stints), Mississippi State (as a graduate assistant), and Grambling.
Adam Mann has been promoted to tight ends coach after serving as a defensive analyst last year. Mann joined South Alabama in 2023 as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line before moving to a quality control position on defense in 2025.
Tommy Perry returns to South Alabama as special teams coordinator after serving on the program’s inaugural staff in 2009 through 2012. Since then, Perry has coordinated special teams units at North Texas, Nevada, UTSA, and Colorado State.
The Jaguars have retained Jason Washington as co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. In his first season with South Alabama last year, Washington helped Nehemiah Chandler earn First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
Tre’ Williams remains outside linebackers coach. Williams started with South Alabama in 2023 as special teams coordinator before shifting to his current role. He contributed to back-to-back bowl wins for the program in 2023 and 2024 and coached Tirrell Johnson to an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention last season.
Broderick Fobbs continues as running backs coach after helping Kentrel Bullock set a single-season rushing record with 1,085 yards last year. Under Fobbs’ guidance, South Alabama averaged nearly 200 rushing yards per game in 2025 with 30 touchdowns on the ground.
Quarterbacks coach Zach Crisler returns following his first season mentoring Bishop Davenport to over 2,000 passing yards and a completion percentage that ranked second-best in the Sun Belt Conference.
“South Alabama Football head coach Major Applewhite has completed his coaching staff in preparation for the 2026 season.”
For more information about South Alabama football or updates about the team’s activities throughout the upcoming season, visit usajaguars.com or follow @SouthAlabamaFB on social media platforms including Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram.
