Football
- Title:
- Wide Receivers
- Email:
- fontenette_hj@mercer.edu
- Phone:
- (478) 301-4614
Chino Fontenette is in his fourth season as the wide receivers coach at Mercer. A nine-year coaching veteran, Fontenette helped guide a Mercer offense that ranked among the nation’s leaders in passing efficiency and yards per completion in each of the past three seasons.
Mercer averaged over 200 yards of offense through the air for the second straight season in 2015. The wide receivers played a major role in the Bears’ ability to limit turnovers, as just three passes were intercepted all season. Fontenette was vital to the breakout year from Avery Ward, who led the Orange and Black in catches (40), yards (481) and receiving touchdowns (six). Freshmen wideouts Jimmie Robinson and Marquise Irvin also earned praise, garnering SoCon All-Freshman recognition.
The 2014 campaign saw Mercer’s receiving corps take another step forward under Fontenette’s guidance, helping the program rank among the Southern Conference’s leaders with 401 yards of total offense and 32.5 points per game in its first year in the league.
The Bears once again featured one of the nation’s most explosive group of receivers, as the unit compiled 22 plays of 20 yards or more thanks in large part to All-American Chandler Curtis. The freshman wideout averaged 20.1 yards per reception en route to a league-high 119.4 all-purpose yards per game and 10 total touchdowns.
Under Fontenette’s watch in 2013, the Bears’ young, but explosive receiving corps posted 16 catches of over 30 yards, including the Division I FCS’ longest pass play of the year, a 93-yard touchdown reception by Josh Jones. His leading receiver in 2013, JT Palmer, ranked among the conference leaders in touchdown receptions with seven scores a year ago.
Fontenette came to Mercer with a wealth of coaching experience at a number of quality football programs. Most recently, he worked at perennial Southeastern Conference power Tennessee for two years as an offensive graduate assistant.
Prior to his time with the Volunteers, Fontenette spent two years as a running backs coach at Louisiana Tech University. During his time with the Bulldogs, Fontenette helped coach the school’s all-time leading rusher in Daniel Porter (3,352 yards) and contributed to LA Tech’s 2008 Independence Bowl win, the program’s first bowl victory in more than 30 years. He also helped mold the 2008 Bulldogs ground game into the second-best unit in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Fontenette got his start in coaching collegiate football working for two years as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Tulane University. Fontenette played running back, receiver and quarterback, while also serving as a special teams’ ace and even as the team’s holder during his four-year tenure (1999-2003) with the Green Wave. He played in a total of 25 games during his final two seasons and helped Tulane to its 2002 Hawaii Bowl victory.
He graduated from Tulane with a double major in media arts and marketing in 2003. He also spent 2004-05 working as an ESPN production assistant, including assignments on the NFL Draft, Sunday Night Football, the Pro Bowl and the NBA Draft. He returned to coaching as a graduate assistant for Tulane under head coach Chris Scelfo in 2005.
