SPORTS RELEASE
Football Govs staff set as spring practice opens
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sp-03 BK/bk 3/27/135
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.-- New Austin Peay State University football coach Carroll McCray has assembled his
coaching staff as he enters spring practice.
Ken Jones, who has nearly 15 years of college coaching experience, has been hired as offensive coordinator
while Granville Eastman, who has served as a defensive coach at Tiffin University the past four years, has been hired
as secondary coach. In addition, Daniel Williams, who formerly played quarterback and receiver at Austin Peay (1992,
1994-96), will join the Govs as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach.
The trio will join holdover Steve Haywood, the Govs' defensive coordinator, on the McCray staff.
"I really like the make up of this staff," McCray said. "They all bring certain things to the table. We have two
more veteran coaches as our coordinators and then younger guys working with them on both sides of the football. We
will add two graduate assistants in the fall."
Jones comes to APSU after coaching two seasons at Gardner-Webb, Boiling Springs, N.C. Previous to that
he was an assistant at the University of the South from 1997-2000. He also coached four years at Samford, where he
became acquainted with McCray, who also was an assistant there at the time. He also had stops at Troy State (1983-
85), John Carroll (1986-87), West Alabama (1987-89) and Southern Illinois (1989).
"Ken has a lot of experience and brings a lot of intangibles to the program," McCray said. "He has experience
on both sides of the football and his offensive philosophy is similar to mine--we want to find ways to stretch the
defensive horizontally and vertically. We both believe the key to success offensively is taking care of the football, the
ability to run the football well and then mixing in play-action (passes). "
Formerly a strength and conditioning coordinator at Samford, Jones, a 1978 Livingston University graduate,
also will be the ffensive line coach and help supervise the Govs off-season and in-season conditioning programs.
Eastman, meanwhile, is someone McCray didn't know until the search process. He and Haywood knew they
had found their secondary coach during the interview process. In fact, the Govs held off spring practice so the proper
paperwork could be finalized for the Canadian (1992 Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Canada). He began his coaching
career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State (1995-98) before going to working at Tiffin in 1999. He also served as
a 2002 summer intern for the Detroit Lions.
"Granville is such an enthusiastic individual," McCray said. "It will be interesting to see who is more excited
out there--he or the players.
"When we were looking at candidates, he was highly recommended to us. His coverage philosophy fit with
what Steve is trying to do with his front seven. He is the guy we wanted here and was someone we were willing to do
what we could to get him here."
Williams was an option quarterback much of his Austin Peay career but also played wide receiver and
running back during his career. In fact, his final season (1996) saw him finish second on the team in rushing (503
yards), passing (290 yards) and receiving (19 catches, 147 yards).
Since graduating (1996), he has remained in Clarksville working as a juvenile probation officer, which he will
continue to do during the day. Previously, he volunteered his services as an assistant at Ft. Campbell High School.
"Daniel and I met two or three times and the more we talked the more I realized his passion to coach."
McCray said. "We really wanted to do what we could to make this work for both of us.
"I think having he and Steve--both Austin Peay graduates--is such a positive for this program. Bringing back
to the program players of their generation has been our goal and, hopefully, people who played with them will want to
get involved and feel welcome--see what this program is all about."
Haywood chose to remain with the staff after McCray's hiring, much to the new coach's delight.
"Steve did such an outstanding job in having and building the relationships did with these kids," McCray said.
"They hung together in the transition period and that is to Steve's credit.
"He and I have the same values and philosophies and I have relied so much on him. I know this, I have spent
more time (asking questions) in his office than he has in mine.
"As a football coach, we wanted to keep him as our defensive coordinator. Since he took over that position,
the defense has improved each year. Its comforting to know we have someone like him that can just take the ball run
with it as far as his system is concerned."