Mike Kellar is just a month in as the Head Coach of the Glenville State Pioneer football team and is excited to announce new additions to the coaching staff.

 

Former Florida State University and West Virgnia University offensive line coach and Glenville State College Hall of Famer Rick Trickett returns to Glenville State after having a tremendous coaching career at the Division I level. 

 

Trickett will serve as the Assistant Head Coach, run game coordinator, as well as coaching the offensive line.

 

More than 35 players that Trickett has coached have gone on to play in the NFL and more than 40 players have won all-conference honors, including four of his five linemen at West Virginia in 2005 and 2006 and all five Seminole starters in 2012 and 2013. At LSU in 2000, three of his players earned All-SEC honors and he has coached 17 first or second team freshman All-Americans.

 

From 2009-2016, Trickett coached six of the eight winners of the ACC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy including four straight winners from 2013-2016. Included on that list is Mobile, Alabama native and Oakland Raider Rodney Hudson who was recently inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame. 

 

Trickett's coaching performance in 2015 will go down as one of the most impressive feats of his career. Despite returning just one starter, no seniors, and juggling six different starting lineups that featured nine different starters because of injuries, the Seminole offensive line opened holes for Dalvin Cook, who tallied school records in rushing yards and total yards en route to All-American honors. The next season, the unanimous All-American Cook broke FSU's single-season and career rushing records behind a Trickett line that featured just one senior.

 

The success continued in 2017 with FSU running back Cam Akers who broke the FSU freshman rushing record with over 1,000 yards and had the ninth-best rushing season in school history. Only two FSU freshmen have ever eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing and both ran behind lines coached by Trickett.

 

His standout offensive line paved the way for the Seminoles to have the most prolific offense in the country in 2013 and capture the BCS National Championship on the way to a perfect 14-0 season. FSU set school and ACC records for single-season total offense, points per game, and yards per play as well as the national record for points while leading the nation in touchdowns.

 

While at West Virginia, the Mountaineers finished among the top 15 rushing offenses from 2002-2006 and three times were among the top-five nationally behind Trickett-coached lines. In 2006, the Mountaineers were second in the nation in rushing, third in scoring offense, and fifth in total offense.

 

Trickett was inducted into the Glenville State College Curtis Elam Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 2018. 

 

Steve Adams joins the Pioneer staff as the Defensive Coordinator and inside linebacker's coach.

 

Adams comes to GSC after spending two seasons with the Southern University football program. He served as the Jaguars' Cornerbacks Coach, Special Teams Coordinator, and Recruiting Coordinator.

 

Prior to arriving at Southern, he spent two seasons at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, serving as the Colonels' safeties coach and defensive coordinator in 2014. In his first year with the Colonels, Adams served as the Special Teams Coordinator.

 

Prior to Nicholls State, Adams spent two years coaching at Concord University. While at Concord, he served as the Mountain Lions' defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator as well as the special team's coordinator in 2011 and co-special team's coordinator in 2012. In his last season, the Mountain Lions ranked in the nation's top 10 in scoring defense (17.2 ppg/9th) and pass defense (163.3 ypg/7th), while finishing 13th in the NCAA Division II in total defense (293.9). All four of his starting defensive backs earned all-conference honors.

 

In 2011, he also helped lead Concord to a conference championship. The defense finished with high marks in that season, ranking fifth in turnover margin (+1.4) and sixth in interceptions (22). Three defensive backs earned All-WVIAC honors, with two players also earning All-Region accolades.

 

Before joining Concord, Adams had stints with Purdue University (quality control, 2010), University of Louisville (director of football ops/quality control, 2007-2009), and Western Kentucky University (assistant defensive backs coach, 2004-2006). He earned his bachelor's degree from WKU where he lettered three years as a strong safety. Along with being part of the Hilltoppers team that reached the NCAA Division I AA national quarterfinals in 1997, Adams earned a spot on WKU's Dean's List and was on the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll from 1998-2000.

 

Jeremy Harmer joins the staff as the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach. 

 

Harmer was previously a part of Coach Kellar's staff at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Shinnston native coached three years at Lincoln High School, where he was also a standout athlete, and coached under Mike Lopez during Lopez's time as head coach at Fairmont State. 

 

Harmer, also played basketball and football at FSU and spent coaching time with Kellar's brother Chris while at Lincoln. 

 

Jawan Turner also joins the Pioneer staff as the defensive line coach. Turner comes to Glenville after spending two seasons as a Graduate Assistant for Lenoir-Rhyne in 2018. While at Lenoir-Rhyne he worked with outside linebackers but will switch his attention to the defensive line for the Pioneers.

 

Turner came to Lenoir-Rhyne after graduating from California (PA).

 

He lettered four seasons with the Vulcans and was a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honoree, a two-time all-region selection, and an honorable mention All-American while playing under Coach Kellar. Jawan Turner old HS

Jawan Turner

 

Turner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Woodland Hills High School. 

 

Rounding out the Pioneer staff are familiar faces JJ Mayer (Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs), Dave McEntire (Director of Football Operations, Recruiting Coordinator, Running Backs), and Zach Turner (Video Coordinator/Tight Ends). 

 

"I could not be happier or more excited about a staff. One that is headlined by a guy I have admired for many years in Rick Trickett. Talking football and recruiting with him every day is making us all better. Steve Adams is a top notch DC who we were able to recruit away from a FCS program. Steve will have us playing great defense. Jeremy Harmer and Jawan Turner are two young guys who I have got to see grow as coaches. Jeremy could coordinate at this level right now and Jawan will be a Division I guy soon," Kellar said regarding his new coaches. 

 

"I am also excited for the holdovers. JJ Mayer will be a strong asset in the kick game and in our secondary. Dave McEntire will be moving to offense to coach running backs and will retain the recruiting coordinator role. Zach Turner is moving to TE's and will help with video and be my right hand man. This staff brings experience, knowledge, and energy to our program," Keller added.

 

The Pioneer football team will now start spring practice and conclude the semester with the Annual Blue vs. White Spring game on Thursday, May 2 at I.L. & Sue Morris Stadium with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows new GSC Coach and Shinnston native Mike Kellar, while new assistant Coach Rick Trickett is shown in his time with WVU in the second photo (courtesy of WVU Sports Communications). Bottom photo is of Lincoln graduate Jeremy Harmer.