Marquase Lovings joined the Austin Peay staff as the associate head coach and defensive line coach after spending the previous season as the defensive line coach at Nicholls State. On July 7, 2020, Lovings was elevated to interim head coach.
Prior to his lone season at Nicholls, Lovings worked as an assistant at Louisiana-Lafayette for seven seasons. After spending his first six seasons as the running backs coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, Lovings moved to defensive ends coach in 2017. The Ragin’ Cajuns finished with 61.5 tackles for loss and 20.0 sacks, led by defensive end Joe Dillon’s 4.5 sacks.
Under Lovings’ tutelage, former Ragin’ Cajuns running backs Elijah McGuire and Alonzo Harris combined to rush for over 3,800 yards and 48 touchdowns during a two-year span (2013-14) that saw each earn All-Sun Belt Conference honors. In 2014, the tandem combined to rush for 2,071 yards and 26 touchdowns with McGuire earning Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year honors by the Sun Belt Conference. As a result of their success, Lovings was a nominee for the 2014 Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in the country.
During the 2013 season, the duo each combined for over 1,800 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns on the season and each earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2013. Harris finished third in the league with 942 yards and 14 touchdowns while McGuire recorded 863 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry, while scoring eight TDs and earning Freshman All-America honors.Â
In 2011, Lovings helped Harris, then a freshman, emerge early in the season, finishing the year with 700 yards and eight touchdowns to earn Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors.  Â
In 2012, the Cajuns improved their rushing from 125.2 to 193.5 rushing yards per game, ranking them 34th nationally and second in the Sun Belt.
Prior to his time in Lafayette, Lovings spent four seasons at Mississippi State (2007-10), his first two as a defensive quality control coach and his final two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant that saw him work with defensive line standouts Fletcher Cox and Titus Brown.
Lovings walked on as a tight end at Howard University and earned his bachelor of arts in broadcast journalism in 2006. He earned a master’s of sport administration from Mississippi State in 2008 and pursued a doctorate as well.
The Lovings File
College: Howard, 2006
Coaching:
2019: Austin Peay (Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line)
2018: Nicholls (Defensive Line)
2017: Louisiana-Lafayette (Defensive Ends)
2011-16: Louisiana-Lafayette (Running Backs)
2009-10: Mississippi State (Defensive Graduate Assistant)
2007-08: Mississippi State (Quality Control)
