Football
Cole, David A.
David A. Cole
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach / Cornerbacks / Special Teams Coordinator
- Alma Mater:
- California (Pa.), 2004
- Office Phone:
- (478) 301-4602
- Email:
- Cole_da@mercer.edu
David A. Cole completed his fourth season as the associate head coach, special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Mercer in 2023. Cole has coached alongside head coach Drew Cronic for six seasons, including the 2018 and 2019 campaigns at Lenoir-Rhyne where he also served as the interim head coach. He was promoted to a co-defensive coordinator role in December 2023, and will retain his duties as cornerbacks coach.
In the 2022 season, Cole helped the Bears win at least five conference games for the third straight season as Mercer achieved its highest ranking in program history at No. 11 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Coached the cornerbacks room which was part of a Mercer defense that led the FCS in total interceptions with 17 over the course of the regular season. Cornerback TJ Moore led the team with three interceptions, tied for fourth most in the SoCon.
As special teams coach, worked with returner Devron Harper who was named 2022 SoCon Special Teams Player of the Year by college football insider Phil Steele. Harper was named First Team All-SoCon by the coaches and media as a kick and punt returner. Harper was the only player in the SoCon to have a kick and punt return for a touchdown. He led the conference in kick return average at 29.1 yards per return. Punter Trey Turk led the SoCon with 44.4 average yards per punt.
In 2021, Cole helped lead the Bears to the most Southern Conference wins in school history and a set the stage for a regular season-ending game against ETSU for the conference championship. Mercer’s kicking game, under the direction of Cole, was as good as anyone in the SoCon with punter Trey Turk averaging 40.6 yards per punt an placekicker Devin Folser converted 10 of 17 field goal attempts, including a long kick of 51 yards. Punt returner Devron Harper was among the most exciting punt returners in the league averaging 12.14 yards per return and a long return of 52 yards. Harper also averaged 21.33 yards per kickoff return with a long of 53 yards.
Cole helped lead the Bears to five SoCon wins in 2020-21, including three consecutive triumphs over ranked foes. He also helped the Bears achieve a No. 23 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll for Mercer's first appearance in the poll. Mercer defeated No. 9 Chattanooga (35-28), No. 17 Furman (26-14) and No. 20 ETSU (21-13) in three consecutive weeks and at one point had a four-game winning streak in league play. Cole mentored cornerback Michael Campbell, who finished third on the team with 60 tackles and the second-most solo stops with 41. Cole also served as the specialists coach and coached Caleb Dowden, who made five field goals, including two of 40-plus yards. As a punter, Dowden punted 39 times and accumulated nearly 1,500 yards (1449, 40.25 per punt).
Cole spent a total of four seasons prior to Mercer in Hickory, N.C., with the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, including the last two years with Coach Cronic. Cole mentored an explosive special teams' unit in 2018 that featured return man Kyle Dugger and posted a 25-3 record, two SAC conference championships and two quarter-final playoff appearances.
Dugger earned the National Special Teams Player of the Year award under Cole after becoming the first player in the 99-year history of Lenoir-Rhyne Football to return two punts for a touchdown in the same game. Dugger's TD returns of 69 and 64 yards sent LR to a 34-21 victory over Newberry. Dugger would go on to break the program record for most punt return yards in a season (534) and would be named All-Conference, All-Region and Honorable Mention All-American for his returning prowess.
Cole's secondary was also exemplary in 2018 thanks to Dugger as the safety also garnered first team all-conference accolades at Defensive Back. Fellow DB Eric Jackson was awarded the team's Ronnie Lott Heavy Hitter of the Year award and the secondary accounted for 17 of the Bears 21 interceptions on the year which ranked second in all of Division II.
In his time in Hickory, Cole has also served as co-recruiting coordinator for the Bears in 2017 and the interim head coach prior to Drew Cronic's hiring.
Cole came to Lenoir-Rhyne after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach at California (Pa.) University.
While with the Vulcans, Cole headed up the secondary and was the team’s recruiting coordinator and pass game coordinator. California (Pa.) posted 149 interceptions from 2005 to 2015 with Cole coaching the defensive backs.
At California (Pa.), Cole mentored 10 first-team all-conference players, five first-team all-region honorees, four first-team AFCA All-Americans, seven NFL players, one draft pick (Tommie Campbell, Tennessee Titans) and one combine player (Rontez Miles, New York Jets).
Updated: September 2023
In the 2022 season, Cole helped the Bears win at least five conference games for the third straight season as Mercer achieved its highest ranking in program history at No. 11 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Coached the cornerbacks room which was part of a Mercer defense that led the FCS in total interceptions with 17 over the course of the regular season. Cornerback TJ Moore led the team with three interceptions, tied for fourth most in the SoCon.
As special teams coach, worked with returner Devron Harper who was named 2022 SoCon Special Teams Player of the Year by college football insider Phil Steele. Harper was named First Team All-SoCon by the coaches and media as a kick and punt returner. Harper was the only player in the SoCon to have a kick and punt return for a touchdown. He led the conference in kick return average at 29.1 yards per return. Punter Trey Turk led the SoCon with 44.4 average yards per punt.
In 2021, Cole helped lead the Bears to the most Southern Conference wins in school history and a set the stage for a regular season-ending game against ETSU for the conference championship. Mercer’s kicking game, under the direction of Cole, was as good as anyone in the SoCon with punter Trey Turk averaging 40.6 yards per punt an placekicker Devin Folser converted 10 of 17 field goal attempts, including a long kick of 51 yards. Punt returner Devron Harper was among the most exciting punt returners in the league averaging 12.14 yards per return and a long return of 52 yards. Harper also averaged 21.33 yards per kickoff return with a long of 53 yards.
Cole helped lead the Bears to five SoCon wins in 2020-21, including three consecutive triumphs over ranked foes. He also helped the Bears achieve a No. 23 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll for Mercer's first appearance in the poll. Mercer defeated No. 9 Chattanooga (35-28), No. 17 Furman (26-14) and No. 20 ETSU (21-13) in three consecutive weeks and at one point had a four-game winning streak in league play. Cole mentored cornerback Michael Campbell, who finished third on the team with 60 tackles and the second-most solo stops with 41. Cole also served as the specialists coach and coached Caleb Dowden, who made five field goals, including two of 40-plus yards. As a punter, Dowden punted 39 times and accumulated nearly 1,500 yards (1449, 40.25 per punt).
Cole spent a total of four seasons prior to Mercer in Hickory, N.C., with the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, including the last two years with Coach Cronic. Cole mentored an explosive special teams' unit in 2018 that featured return man Kyle Dugger and posted a 25-3 record, two SAC conference championships and two quarter-final playoff appearances.
Dugger earned the National Special Teams Player of the Year award under Cole after becoming the first player in the 99-year history of Lenoir-Rhyne Football to return two punts for a touchdown in the same game. Dugger's TD returns of 69 and 64 yards sent LR to a 34-21 victory over Newberry. Dugger would go on to break the program record for most punt return yards in a season (534) and would be named All-Conference, All-Region and Honorable Mention All-American for his returning prowess.
Cole's secondary was also exemplary in 2018 thanks to Dugger as the safety also garnered first team all-conference accolades at Defensive Back. Fellow DB Eric Jackson was awarded the team's Ronnie Lott Heavy Hitter of the Year award and the secondary accounted for 17 of the Bears 21 interceptions on the year which ranked second in all of Division II.
In his time in Hickory, Cole has also served as co-recruiting coordinator for the Bears in 2017 and the interim head coach prior to Drew Cronic's hiring.
Cole came to Lenoir-Rhyne after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach at California (Pa.) University.
While with the Vulcans, Cole headed up the secondary and was the team’s recruiting coordinator and pass game coordinator. California (Pa.) posted 149 interceptions from 2005 to 2015 with Cole coaching the defensive backs.
At California (Pa.), Cole mentored 10 first-team all-conference players, five first-team all-region honorees, four first-team AFCA All-Americans, seven NFL players, one draft pick (Tommie Campbell, Tennessee Titans) and one combine player (Rontez Miles, New York Jets).
During Cole's tenure with California, the Vulcans advanced to three straight NCAA Division II National Semifinals (2007-09) in addition to five playoff appearances and seven consecutive PSAC West Conference Championships (2005-11). The 2007 Vulcans' defense was ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense.
In the summer of 2013, Cole did an NFL Internship - the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship Program - for the Pittsburgh Steelers.Cole, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees (both in geography and regional planning) from California (Pa.), started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Vulcans in 2004.
Cole was also a four-year letter winner and two-year starter for the Vulcans. Cole is an active member of FCA and the AFCA while his family includes his wife, Sharron, and four children: David (22), Saniya (13), Rebekah (8) and Savannah (3). They reside in Macon, Ga.| THE COLE FILE | |
| Coaching Experience | |
| 2013-16 | California, Pa. (Recruiting Coordinator/Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary) |
| 2017-19 | Lenoir-Rhyne (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Secondary) |
| 2020-2023 | Mercer (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks) |
| 2023-Present | Mercer (Associate Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks) |
| Playing Experience | |
| Four-year letterwinner (2001-04) at California (Pa.) as a defensive back. | |
| Education | |
| Bachelor's degree in geography and regional planning (California, 2004); Master's degree in geography and regional planning (California, 2006) | |
Updated: September 2023
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