Kane Wommack To Be South Alabama’s New Head Coach
Kane Wommack has reportedly been selected and agreed to terms to be the next head football coach for the University of South Alabama according to multiple sources. This news comes five days after Steve Campbell was dismissed following a 4-7 season.
Coach Wommack is only the third head coach in the programs short history that dates back to the 2009 season. He is also the youngest head coach in FBS football at 33 years of age. He has also been nominated for the Broyles Award, which honors the nation’s top assistant coach.
He reportedly was chosen over former FBS head coaches Jim McElwain and Butch Jones, as well as assistant coaches Charles Huff (Alabama) and Tee Martin (Tennessee).
Wommack comes to South from Indiana University where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach since December 27, 2018. In his first season as coordinator they finished in the top 50 in several categories: 12th defensive touchdowns, T27th fumbles recovered, 34th in 3rd down conversions, 36th in total defense, T38th in 1st downs, 43rd in rush defense, 45th in scoring defense, 46th in pass defense and 48th in pass efficiency defense.
While the 2020 season has been an odd one with some widely different number of games completed, his defense is currently ranked 1st in interceptions, 1st red zone defense (57.9%), T14th in sacks (17 ints, 3 fumble recoveries, and +10 as a team), 17th in pass defense efficiency, 20th in scoring defense, 27th in fewest defensive penalties, T37th in rush defense, 38th in total defense, and 38th in 3rd down defense. This has helped the Hoosiers to a #12 ranking in the College Football Playoff standing.
Prior to Indiana, he served as the Jags defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for two seasons under head coach Joey Jones. When Wommack was hired he was the youngest defensive coordinator in FBS.
During his two seasons at USA the Jags defense was the 13th-most improved scoring defense and rush defense in the nation, and the 5th-most improved nationally in scoring defense while ranking in the top-10 nationally in pass defense. They finished in the top 5 in the Sun Belt in pass defense, pass efficiency defense, tackles for loss, and 3rd down conversion defense. Safety Jeremy Reaves was named the 2017 SBC Defensive player of the year and twice first team all-conference honoree. The 2017 defense allowed 22 or fewer points in regulation in seven of the eight conference games.
Kane grew up around the game. His father Dave Wommack has been a coach since 1981. Dave has been defensive coordinator at Southwest Missouri State, UNLV, Southern Miss, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Arkansas State and Ole Miss.
Kane’s coaching career began as quarterbacks coach at the University of Tennesee-Martin in 2010.
Then in 2011, Wommack served as a graduate assistant on Jack Crowe’s Jacksonville State staff working with the defensive line.
He served on Hugh Freeze’s staff at Ole Miss as a graduate assistant on his father’s, Dave Wommack, defensive staff from 2012-2013. He helped coach the Husky position in his fathers 4-2-5 defense.
Kane then served as the defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois from 2014-2015 where they ranked 2nd in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and fourth in takeaways with four defensive players earning all-OVC honors. In his second season there he helped them make a first-round appearance in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs and a top-25 ranking prior to joining Joey Jones’ staff at South Alabama.
Coach Wommack will have a short time to assemble his staff as the Early Signing Period starts on December 16. They will have to evaluate the group of players that Campbells staff had recruited and had committed.
Kane and his wife Melissa have three sons, Asher (6), Tatum (4) and Jones (1).
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