Cole, Long Elevated To Co-Defensive Coordinator Roles
12/5/2023 3:20:00 PM | Football
MACON – Mercer head coach Drew Cronic announced a pair of internal changes to his football coaching staff on Monday morning with the promotion of associate head coach David A. Cole and assistant coach Jimmy Long to co-defensive coordinator roles.
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Cole and Long will take the reins of a defensive unit that proved to be vital to Mercer's run to an 8-3 regular season and the program's initial berth into the NCAA postseason. The Orange & Black picked off 14 passes during the 2023 campaign (11th NCAA), and boasts the nation's 24th-best tackles for loss squad (6.8/game). The Bears forced 25 turnovers (5th NCAA) across the course of the 13-game season, including 19 over the last six games of the campaign.
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"I love the way that our defense has played, so I wanted to keep some continuity there," Cronic said. "Dave Cole and Jimmy Long have done an unbelievable job for us defensively, and are ready to take on this responsibility. I am excited to see how much better they are going to continue to make us."
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Cole is in the midst of his fourth season as the associate head coach, special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach with the Bears, and has coached alongside head coach Cronic for six seasons, including the 2018 and 2019 campaigns at Lenoir-Rhyne where he also served as the interim head coach. He has nearly 20 years of coaching experience, including roles as the secondary coach at both California (Pa.) and Lenoir-Rhyne prior to his move to Middle Georgia. He has coached record-setting defenses throughout his collegiate coaching career as well.
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Long, who is wrapping up his fourth season as the defensive line coach for the Bears, has nearly nine years of collegiate coaching experience, including roles as the defensive line coach or graduate assistant defensive line coach at three previous stops. He began his coaching career as a special teams coach and defensive quality control point man at The Citadel, but also has a previous stint at NC State. He has led the way for a slew of dominant defensive fronts, including his lone season in Raleigh where all four starters on NC State's defensive line were selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Cole and Long will take the reins of a defensive unit that proved to be vital to Mercer's run to an 8-3 regular season and the program's initial berth into the NCAA postseason. The Orange & Black picked off 14 passes during the 2023 campaign (11th NCAA), and boasts the nation's 24th-best tackles for loss squad (6.8/game). The Bears forced 25 turnovers (5th NCAA) across the course of the 13-game season, including 19 over the last six games of the campaign.
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"I love the way that our defense has played, so I wanted to keep some continuity there," Cronic said. "Dave Cole and Jimmy Long have done an unbelievable job for us defensively, and are ready to take on this responsibility. I am excited to see how much better they are going to continue to make us."
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Cole is in the midst of his fourth season as the associate head coach, special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach with the Bears, and has coached alongside head coach Cronic for six seasons, including the 2018 and 2019 campaigns at Lenoir-Rhyne where he also served as the interim head coach. He has nearly 20 years of coaching experience, including roles as the secondary coach at both California (Pa.) and Lenoir-Rhyne prior to his move to Middle Georgia. He has coached record-setting defenses throughout his collegiate coaching career as well.
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Long, who is wrapping up his fourth season as the defensive line coach for the Bears, has nearly nine years of collegiate coaching experience, including roles as the defensive line coach or graduate assistant defensive line coach at three previous stops. He began his coaching career as a special teams coach and defensive quality control point man at The Citadel, but also has a previous stint at NC State. He has led the way for a slew of dominant defensive fronts, including his lone season in Raleigh where all four starters on NC State's defensive line were selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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