|
| McCorkle |
Blaine McCorkle will be the new head football coach at Belhaven, the school recently announced. McCorkle replaces Hal Mumme, who was 8-33 in four seasons before resigning and susbequently was hired as offensive coordinator at nearby D-I FCS Jackson State.
An four-year football letterman with a degree in education from LSU, McCorkle comes to Belhaven from the University of Delaware, where he most recently served as offensive line coach. His collegiate coaching career spans 19 years including stops at five Division I FCS schools, one Division III institution and one Division I FBS school.
A native of Pensacola, Florida, McCorkle spent the last nine seasons under Danny Rocco at Delaware, Richmond and Liberty. He has coached five conference championship teams (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015) and three NCAA playoff squads (2014, 2015, 2016) at the Division I FCS level. The 2014 Richmond team advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs and finished the year ranked 16th nationally. The 2015 Spider squad played all the way into the national semifinals with a final ranking of No. 3 nationally. The 2016 team advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs and finished ranked No. 8 in the final poll.
"I am extremely thankful to have Blaine join the Belhaven family as head football coach," said athletic director Scott Little, "I appreciate the many candidates we talked with during this extensive search process, and among that strong field of coaches it became increasingly clear to us that Blaine was the right person to lead our program forward. He lives our Christ-centered mission, loves his players and knows how to develop championship programs. I am excited to watch the experience our student-athletes will receive under his leadership."
"I am thrilled to have been selected to lead the Belhaven football program into its next chapter," McCorkle said. "I want to thank president Roger Parrott and athletics director Scott Little for the confidence they have shown to me. I look forward to being part of the entire Belhaven family, and building relationships with the student-athletes we have the great privilege to coach. I believe the things we need to be successful are in place on campus and I can't wait to get to work and bring championship football to the Blazer community."
While at the University of Richmond, his offensive line units consistently ranked among the top in both the Colonial Athletic Association and the NCAA. The Spiders allowed only five sacks during the entire 2012 season in McCorkle's first year on staff, ranking 3rd nationally. The 2013 squad set nearly every school passing record; the 2014 team ranked 1st in the CAA and 11th in the NCAA in fewest sacks allowed; and the 2015 and 2016 units each ranked 2nd in the CAA in scoring and total offense.
While at Liberty, McCorkle coached left guard Malcolm Boyd, who was named to the Associated Press third team All American squad in 2011. That same year Liberty led the Big South Conference in passing yards and pass efficiency and finished 2nd in scoring offense and total yards, averaging 35.9 points per game and 426.5 yards per game. The Flames were 8th in the NCAA in scoring and 20th in total offense.
The Flames finished the 2009 campaign ranked 1st nationally by averaging 36.36 points per game. The Flames rushed for 31 touchdowns, a mark bested by only three other FCS programs that season. Liberty also ranked 2nd nationally in red zone efficiency (92%), 22nd in fewest tackles for a loss allowed (4.82/game) and 25th nationally in fewest sacks allowed (1.36 per game). Four of McCorkle's five starters on the 2009 offensive line unit earned Big South all-conference honors.
McCorkle first arrived at Liberty in 2005, followed by a one-year stay with the program in 2007 as a strength coach and offensive line assistant. During the 2007 campaign, Liberty set a program standard by scoring 469 points while ranking 3rd in the NCAA in scoring offense (42.6 points per game). Liberty's offensive line paved the way for a program-best 32 rushing touchdowns, en route to the first of the Flames' four consecutive Big South Conference titles.
Sandwiched in between a pair of coaching runs with the Flames, McCorkle served as offensive tackles and tight ends coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2006, spotlighted by a victory over perennial Southern Conference powerhouse Georgia Southern.
McCorkle got his coaching start fresh out of college, serving as a student assistant at his alma mater, LSU, in 1999. While with the Tigers, he helped with the offensive linemen and coordinated the defensive and special team scout units. He served at the Tennessee-Martin during the 2000-2002 seasons. During his first season with the Skyhawks, McCorkle coached wide receivers, and then worked as the offensive line and tight ends coach in 2011 and 2002.
During the 2003 and 2004 campaigns, McCorkle was the offensive line coach at Sewanee. His last collegiate position before joining the Liberty staff in 2009 was at Tennessee Tech University, where he served as the offensive line coach in 2008.
McCorkle was a four-year letter winner at LSU, helping the Tigers to the 1995 and 1997 Independence Bowl titles as well as a 1996 trip to the Peach Bowl. A long snapper, he helped LSU capture two SEC West co-titles in 1996 and 1997. He was also an LSU teammate of Carlton Buckles, Belhaven's defensive backs coach.