| EMCC's Buddy Stephens completes Lions' football staff with pair of offensive coaching assistants |
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SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College head football coach Buddy Stephens has completed his 2011 EMCC football coaching staff with the hiring of assistant coaches A.J. Milwee and Heath Thomas. The school’s football staff additions have been approved by EMCC President Dr. Rick Young and EMCC Vice President/Director of Athletics Mickey Stokes.
Milwee, a former record-setting quarterback at the University of North Alabama, will work with EMCC’s quarterbacks after having served as a graduate assistant quarterbacks coach at his alma mater the past two years. In Milwee’s two years on Terry Bowden’s North Alabama coaching staff, the UNA Lions were a combined 20-6, including back-to-back NCAA Division II playoff berths and a 2009 Gulf South Conference championship. A native of Boaz, Ala., Milwee set all-time school records for most career passing yards (8,436), pass completions (677), passing attempts (1,030), touchdown passes (73), total offense yards (9,401) and touchdowns responsible for (91) during his four-year career playing for former head coach Mark Hudspeth at North Alabama. While having compiled a 33-5 record as UNA’s starting quarterback during the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons, Milwee was rewarded for his individual and team achievements as a two-time finalist for the coveted Harlon Hill Trophy, which annually honors the nation’s top player at the NCAA Division II level. Following his productive collegiate career, Milwee was one of two Lion quarterbacks named to UNA’s All-Decade Team (1999-2008). As a senior at North Alabama, Milwee earned honorable mention All-American honors by Football News/Football Gazette as well as D2Football.com after ranking among the top 10 nationally in passing yards (3,313) and passing efficiency (164.3) for a 12-2 UNA club that advanced to the 2008 national semifinals and finished with a No. 3 national ranking. Along with finishing as runner-up in the 2008 Harlon Hill Trophy voting, Milwee was voted the Small College Athlete of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writer’s Association in addition to collecting UNA’s Melvin Brown-Moore Offensive MVP laurels for the second straight year. Thomas, a former University of Alabama kicker/punter, will handle the day-to-day coaching responsibilities of EMCC’s running backs and special teams. Most recently, Thomas spent the spring months earlier this year working as the running backs coach at reigning state champion Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. During his brief stint with the Bulldogs, Thomas also served as the program’s assistant strength coach throughout spring practice activities. Prior to joining the community college coaching ranks, Thomas stayed on at his alma mater serving as a special teams coaching assistant while also completing his master’s degree. As a member of Nick Saban’s coaching staff at Alabama, Thomas aided in the organization and development of the Crimson Tide’s game day scouting reports and daily practice sessions as the staff’s special teams quality control analyst. During his undergraduate days in Tuscaloosa, Thomas was a four-year member of the Crimson Tide football team as a kickoff specialist, punter and placekicker. As a senior, he was a member of the Crimson Tide’s 2009 BCS National Championship squad while also garnering a spot on the SEC’s Academic Honor Roll. Off the field at Alabama, Thomas was a four-year member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, a national leadership and honors organization. The Montgomery, Ala., native was an all-metro punter, in addition to handling placekicking duties and starting as a linebacker, at Trinity Presbyterian School. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 07 July 2011 ) |
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