Jourdan McNeill joined Scotty Walden’s inaugural staff at Austin Peay as the running backs coach in December 2020. McNeill, who enters his fourth season as the Govs running backs coach, was promoted to run-game coordinator in February 2023.
In McNeill’s third season at Austin Peay, the Governors rushed for 2,082 yards, topping the 2,000-yard mark for the first time since 2019. The Govs also rushed for 322 yards against Eastern Kentucky and 308 yards against Presbyterian, marking the first time since 2017 that the team has posted multiple 300-yard rushing games in a season.
McNeill moved to Clarksville after three seasons (2018-20) at Belhaven University in Mississippi, his first collegiate coaching job. He coached the Blazers running backs, including 2019 American Southwest Conference second-team selection Brad Foley and 2019 ASC Freshman of the Year Kolbe Blunt.
An Irving, Texas native, McNeill earned his bachelor’s degree in health and wellness management from East Texas Baptist in 2017.
McNeill lives in Clarksville with his wife Jayme.
McNEILL’S CAREER SUMMARY
AUSTIN PEAY (2020-23)
2023: Elevated to run-game coordinator in February.
2022: Austin Peay ranked 26th in the FCS and third in the ASUN with 189.3 rushing yards per game with running backs CJ Evans Jr. (58.3 ypg) and Jevon Jackson (52. ypg) ranking seventh and 10th in the conference, respectively. The Govs were also tied for 36th in the FCS and fourth in the ASUN with 20 rushing touchdowns – tied for the sixth-best single-season team total in program history – with Evans Jr. (6) and Jackson (4) ranking 10th and 13th in the ASUN in rushing touchdowns, respectively. Under McNeill’s tutelage, Jackson ran for 167 yards against Presbyterian and Evans Jr. rushed for 104 yards against Murray State as both running backs posted their first career 100-yard performances during the 2022 season. As a team, the Governors rushed for 2,082 yards, topping the 2,000-yard mark on the ground in a season for the first time since 2019. The Govs also posted multiple 300-plus-yard rushing performances in the same season for the first time since 2017.
2021: Govs ranked fourth among OVC teams with 146.8 rushing yards per game with two runners ranked among the league’s Top 10 in Ahmaad Tanner (72.8 yards per game) and Brian Sneed (49.3 ypg). Tanner also ranked third among OVC running backs with 11 touchdown carries with Snead supplying five running scores.
2020: Named Governors running backs coach, Dec. 7, 2020. Austin Peay was the OVC’s second-ranked running team in his first season, averaging 153.5 yards per game. Running back Brian Snead set an NCAA FCS record with 204 rushing yards in the first quarter against Tennessee State, Feb. 28, en route to OVC All-Newcomer Team recognition.
BELHAVEN (2018-20)
2019: Belhaven’s averaged 132 rushing yards per game, a 40-yard per-game improvement over his first season. Coached Kolbe Blunt to American Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year honors after he amassed 687 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
2018: After remaining at ETBU as a strength and conditioning intern, joined the Belhaven coaching staff as a running backs coach. Belhaven’s run game averaged five more yards per game versus 2017 in his first season.
COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER (2013-16)
A four-year letterwinner at East Texas Baptist, McNeill was a three-time American Southwest Conference all-conference honoree, including Second Team All-ASC in 2016. He finished his ETBU career as the program’s leader in career rushing touchdowns (32).
