.png&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
Football
- Title:
- Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs
- Email:
- lufootball@liberty.edu
- Start Date:
- 01/05/2012
Jamaal Fobbs adds both FCS and FBS coaching experience to Liberty’s coaching staff, including coaching stops at Tennessee, North Carolina A&T, Southeastern Louisiana, LSU and Chattanooga.
Fobbs’ experience at multiple colleges has given him the knowledge to help better Liberty’s running backs, the group he has direct coaching supervision over.
Following the 2013 season, additional responsibilities were given to Fobbs when Head Coach Turner Gill named him the program’s Special Teams Coordinator.
Each of the last three years, Fobbs has had one of his running backs garner All-Big South honors, while two of the three seasons saw them named to the VaSID All-State teams.
Under this leadership, kicker John Lunsford and punter Trey Turner were All-Big South and VaSID All-State selections in 2014. Turner led the Big South in punting as a redshirt freshman (41.5 yards per punt). He also held the top punting average in the country by a FCS freshman punter in 2014
Lunsford earned additional honors when he was named to the Sports Network and College Sporting News 2014 Fabulous Fifty FCS All-America first teams. Lunsford led the Big South in field goal percentage (79.2) and field goals made (19).
During his first season at Liberty, Fobbs helped coach All-Big South running back Aldreakis Allen, who finished the year ranked No. 2 in the conference and No. 26 in the country in rushing.
Allen became the ninth player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing the year with 1,019 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Allen also was the seventh player in program history with 1,000 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in the same year.
In 2013, Fobbs was able to coach Desmond Rice to a near individual record-breaking season. The junior running back rushed for 967 yards and 16 touchdowns, the second most by a running back in a season in program history.
As a team, the Flames did set a new program standard with 36 rushing touchdowns, surpassing the previous season mark of 32 set in 2007.
With Rice on the sidelines due to an offseason injury, Fobbs helped D.J. Abnar follow in Rice’s footsteps in 2014. Abnar was an All-Big South selection, as he led the Big South in rushing attempts (292), while ranking second in the BSC in rushing yards (1,289) and rushing touchdowns (15).
Since joining Gill’s staff, Fobbs has been instrumental in helping Liberty win three consecutive Big South titles and earning the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2014.
Liberty also finished the 2014 season ranked No. 17 in the country, the program’s highest year-end ranking since 2008. The Flames were 9-5 in 2014, matching the second-high win total in program history.
Fobbs came to Liberty after having two highly successful seasons as running backs coach at Chattanooga, where he helped the Mocs nearly double their rushing output prior to his arrival.
Chattanooga, who had rushed for 85 yards per game in 2009, averaged 148.6 rushing yards per game the past two years and rushed for 35 touchdowns.
In 2009, Fobbs was part of an offensive attack at Chattanooga that ranked No. 11 nationally in total offense (430.0 yards per game) and No. 17 in scoring offense (31.55 points per game).
Under his instruction, Mocs rookie running back Keon Williams earned Southern Conference All-Freshman honors in 2010.
Prior to his days at Chattanooga, Fobbs spent one year at Tennessee as the Vols’ offensive quality control staff member. Tennessee closed out the 2009 season by winning four of its last five games and a Chick-fil-A bowl matchup with Virginia Tech.
Fobbs also had three other stops on his coaching resume, having previously worked at North Carolina A&T, Southeastern Louisiana and LSU.
Fobbs was a standout running back at Oklahoma State, having earned All-Big 12 honors as an all-purpose player during his senior season in 2000.
He finished his four-year career by rushing for 1,861 yards and nine touchdowns, where he averaged 4.9 yards per rushing attempt. He also caught 73 passes for 705 yards, while scoring five receiving touchdowns.
As a return specialist, Fobbs twice finished seasons with a 20-plus yard kickoff return average, doing so as a sophomore (24.3 average in 1998) and as a junior (21.3 average in 1999). As a senior, he led the Big 12 with 22 kickoff returns, averaging 17.0 yards per return.
The native of New Orleans, La., graduated from Oklahoma State in 2001 with a degree in sports administration.
Fobbs at a Glance
Year at Liberty: Fourth
Coaching Experience:
2012-14 (3 years) – Liberty (RB)
2010-11 (2 years) – Chattanooga (RB)
2009 (1 year) – Tennessee (Off. Quality Control)
2008 (1 Year) – Southeastern Louisiana (RB)
2007 (1 Year) – North Carolina A&T (RB)
2005-06 (2 Year) – LSU (RB)
Recruiting Area: Hampton/Newport News, Va. area, Florida Panhandle, Western Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
Education: B.A., Sports Administration (Oklahoma State, ’01)
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
