Jags Announcing Hiring of Tracy Buckhannon to Football Staff
Tracy Buckhannon joins the South Alabama staff from Colquitt County (GA) High School where he served as defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. | Photo: moultrieobserver.com
On Sunday the University of South Alabama officially announced the hiring of Tracy Buckhannon as an assistant coach to fill the position left when Freddie Roach left for a position at Alabama. Buckhannon will coach the inside linebackers.
Buckhannon has 15 years experience coaching at the high-school level. He has worked with Jaguar defensive coordinator Travis Pearson previously on the high school level and understands his system.
For the last three seasons Buckhannon has been an assistant coach at Colquitt County (GA.) High school and has served as defensive coordinator the last two seasons. Last fall he helped the team win the 6A state championship with a 14-0 record. In his first season as defensive coordinator the team advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs before falling to the eventual champion. He began his stint at Colquitt in 2012 by coaching the safeties.
Previous to Colquitt County, he was a defensive coordinator at Elmore County (AL) High School for the previous seven years. He helped the Panthers get to the state 4A playoffs five times during that stretch including advancing to the quarterfinals in 2006, which began a three-year stretch where the team went 28-9 which was capped off with a 7-0 run to the regional title in 2008.
In the 2007 season the defense allowed less than 14 points per game and the following fall Buckhannon was selected the Alabama Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year.
Buckhannon was a member of the ECHS staff from 1995-1996 as a volunteer assistant in charge of both the offensive and defensive scout teams. He was a full time assistant at the school from 2001-2003 working with the linebackers as well as with Coach Pearson.
He was a 5-year letterwinner at Elmore County from 1987-1991 where he was part of the a team that won the state 4A championship in his first year with the varsity team. He earned all-county honors as a junior and would earn his bachelor’s degree from Auburn.
With the hiring of Buckhannon, coach Mike Adams’ responsibilities will shift to working with the defensive ends and outside linebackers.