Mercer’s new coaching staff finalized. A former star QB is returning to help Bears
The Mercer football team’s coaching staff has been finalized for the 2020 season under new head coach Drew Cronic, and it includes a former Mercer star.
Cronic announced the hiring of seven coaches: David A. Cole, Mike Adams, Sumner Ellis, La’Donte Harris, Jimmy Long, Kevin O’Brien and John Russ. This is in addition to the three hires of Bob Bodine, Tim Foster and Joel Taylor shortly after Cronic was announced as the head coach on Dec. 10. Colleges are allowed to have up to 10 on-field assistant coaches who can also recruit.
Russ was the starting quarterback for the Bears when the program was restarted in 2013. He started all four seasons under center and finished his career with over 8,000 total yards and 85 total touchdowns including passing, rushing and receiving scores.
He joins the staff as the running backs coach after serving as a graduate assistant in 2017 at Georgia State before taking over as the offensive coordinator for Hebron Christian Academy under former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday.
Bodine will serve as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach with Tim Foster as the co-offensive coordinator. Joel Taylor will head up the other side of the ball as the defensive coordinator.
Cole will serve as the associate head coach and will lead the cornerbacks and special teams groups. He has been in those same roles the past two seasons under Cronic at Lenoir-Rhyne in North Carolina.
Adams returns to the Bears but in a new role. Last season, he was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Cronic retained him but moved him to pass game coordinator and safeties coach.
Ellis will join as the defensive end coach and defensive recruiting coordinator. He was the linebackers coach at Presbyterian College in South Carolina. Before that, he served as a graduate assistant at Georgia Southern.
Harris is another holdover from the former staff and enters his third season with the Bears. He will serve as the wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator. He has developed a pair of All-SoCon receivers during his time with the school in Marquise Irvin and David Durden.
Long will follow Cronic from Lenoir-Rhyne and take over the same roles as he had there as the Bears defensive line coach and run game coordinator. Before that Long served as the graduate assistant defensive line coach for North Carolina State University, where he coached future first-round pick, Bradley Chubb.
The Bears also land a former University of Tennessee quality control analyst in O’Brien, who will take over as the tight end coach. He is a former center for the Colorado State football team.
Mercer Bears coaching staff
- Drew Cronic: Head Coach
- Bob Bodine: Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach
- Tim Foster: Co-Offensive coordinator
- Joel Taylor: Defensive coordinator
- David A. Cole: Associate head coach, cornerbacks and special teams
- Mike Adams: Safeties coach and pass game coordinator
- Sumner Ellis: Defensive end coach and defensive recruiting coordinator
- La’Donte Harris: Wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator
- Jimmy Long: Defensive line coach and run game coordinator
- Kevin O’Brien: Tight ends coach
- John Russ: Running backs coach