Tusculum College Football Coaching Staff
Frankie DeBusk |Marc Kolb | Pete Golding | Kevin Weston | Caleb Slover | Karl Scott | Kent Kinkade | Louis DeBusk
Frankie
DeBusk
(email
Coach DeBusk)
Head Football
Coach
The winningest football coach in
school history, Frankie DeBusk is entering his 11th season at Tusculum College
in 2008. Since taking over the TC football program, he has built the Pioneers
into a year in and year out contender in NCAA Division II, resulting in seven
winning seasons in the last eight years. He is serving the dual role as athletic
director at Tusculum, a position he assumed in August 2007.
Over the past eight seasons, TC has posted a 52-33 mark including a 9-2 tally
sheet in 2003, while claiming the program’s first ever South Atlantic Conference
Championship. From 2000-05, the Pioneers recorded five consecutive winning seasons,
a first in school history.
The 2003 team finished listed in the top 50 nationally in 10 statistical categories
and finished the year ranked 19th in NCAA Division II. That squad also featured
five All-Americans, including Harlon Hill Trophy national finalist and Pittsburgh
Steelers’ second round draft pick Ricardo Colclough.
In 2001, the Pioneers posted an 8-2 record as that squad tied for second place
in the conference and finished ranked 21st in the nation. That team also went
undefeated at home (6-0) for the first time in the modern era of football at
Tusculum. The .800 winning percentage made TC the second winningest gridiron
squad of the 19 four-year institutions that sponsor football in the state of
Tennessee in 2001. Only the University of Tennessee (11-2/.846) had a better
season.
Solid special teams play has been a trademark of DeBusk’s teams as the Pioneers
are consistently ranked amongst the nation’s leaders in punting, kicking and
returns. In 2005, Octavius Love was the NCAA II National Statistical Champion
for punt return average (20.2 ypr). For his efforts, Love garnered All-American
recognition. The 2001 team boasted two of the best special team players in the
land in All-American return specialist Donald Amaker and All-American kicker
Paul Czerniak. Czerniak led the nation in field goals, while Amaker was listed
nationally in punt and kickoff returns. Colclough also garnered All-American
consideration in 2003 as one of the top return specialists in the land.
DeBusk’s 2000 club posted the fifth-best win-improvement in the country by going
from 2-9 in 1999 to 7-4 a year later.
In 1998, the energetic DeBusk took over a program that won only three games
in its two previous seasons, becoming the third gridiron skipper since the program’s
reinstatement in 1991.
In 10 seasons, his teams have rewritten the Tusculum record book by equaling
or establishing over 100 team and individual marks. Since joining the South
Atlantic Conference in 1999, 57 players have earned All-Conference recognition,
including 21 All-Region honorees and 12 All-Americans. Since his arrival at
Tusculum, 24 players have continued their playing career at the professional
ranks, including two in the National Football League. Colclough was the 38th
overall pick by the Steelers, becoming the highest drafted player in South Atlantic
Conference history. Colclough became the third player in the history of the
South Atlantic Conference to earn a Super Bowl ring as the Steelers defeated
the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Kevin Wolcott, a 2003 All-American receiver,
who led the nation in receptions, signed as a free agent with the Tennessee
Titans. Two-time All-American tackle Alan Dunn, the 2003 recipient of the Jim
Langer Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA II Offensive Lineman of
the Year, signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Coming home can be a dream for many members of the football coaching fraternity
and the Greeneville native took full advantage in his rookie season, guiding
the Pioneers to a 5-6 record. Three of those wins came against South Atlantic
Conference competition in TC’s first season of NCAA Division II play. The Pioneers
jumped out to a 3-0 start, including victories over SAC foes Lenoir-Rhyne College
and Catawba College.
DeBusk came to the Greeneville campus after five seasons as an assistant coach
at the University of Chattanooga. DeBusk, a 1991 Furman University graduate,
established 11 school records at quarterback for the Paladins, while compiling
an impressive 31-6 record. In 1988, DeBusk led Furman to a 13-2 mark while capturing
the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship. His collegiate career also included
three Southern Conference titles and three trips to the NCAA I-AA playoffs.
He ended his playing career holding school records with 6,726 total yards, including
5,851 yards passing. He was also responsible for 55 touchdowns (38 passing,
17 rushing). For his efforts, he was honored as Southern Conference Player of
the Year in 1990. He also earned All-SoCon accolades in his final two collegiate
campaigns. In 1998, DeBusk was inducted into the Furman Athletic Hall of Fame.
Following graduation, DeBusk joined the Furman coaching staff as a graduate
assistant coach in 1991 and was a restricted earnings assistant coach at his
alma mater in 1992. The Paladins went 13-9 during that two-year span.
DeBusk stayed within the league as he joined the Chattanooga staff in 1993 where
he worked with the Moc receivers and quarterbacks for four seasons, before assuming
the role of offensive coordinator in 1997. The Mocs posted their most successful
season since 1991, with a 7-4 tally sheet in 1997. He also coached current Dallas
Cowboys’ standout Terrell Owens, while at the Chattanooga school.
DeBusk was a two-sport star at Greeneville High School, where he guided the
Greene Devils to TSSAA playoff appearances on the gridiron as well as a guard
on the basketball hardwood.
He is not the first member of the DeBusk family to garner the TC black and orange.
His brother, Doug, was a Tusculum Hall of Fame point guard for the Pioneer basketball
team from 1991-95.
In 2003, DeBusk was the recipient of the prestigious Art Argauer Award, which
is presented to the Tusculum coach of the year as selected by his peers.
Frankie DeBusk is married to the former Jennifer Coffey of Bristol, Tenn. They
are the proud parents of their six-year-old son, Ty.
Marc
Kolb (email
Coach Kolb)
Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator (Quarterbacks/Receivers)
Marc Kolb is beginning his second year as offensive coordinator for the Tusculum College football team. In March, 2008, he was promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach, while also mentoring Tusculum's quarterbacks and receivers.
In just one season, the Pioneers arose as the top passing team in the South Atlantic Conference, averaging 278.4 yards per game, which was 15th in the nation. In 2007, Tusculum averaged 417.8 yards of offensively (31st in NCAA II), while mentoring the top passer in the league, Corey Russell, who led the league in passing yardage (256.1 ypg - 18th in NCAA II) and total offensive yardage per game (285.5 - 15th in NCAA II). Russell was named NCAA Division II National Offensive Player of the Week on two occasions in Kolb's inaugural season.
The Pioneers
saw marked improvement offensively as TC averagd 27.8 points per game, a nine-point
increase from 2006. Tusculum also posted over 1,500 more yards of offense (4596
in 2007 vs. 3086 in 2006).
Kolb came to the Greeneville, Tenn. campus after serving as offensive coordinator
and assistant head coach at the University of Missouri at Rolla. The Seminole,
Fla. native spent the last five seasons guiding one of the top passing attacks
in NCAA Division II, including the last two years at the assistant head coaching
post. He also served as quarterback and wide receiver coach from 2002-06 at
UMR.
The Miners led the nation in 2006 in passing offense, averaging 350.9 yards
per game. UMR was also eighth in the country in total offense (415.7 ypg) and
16th in scoring offense (31.8 ppg). During his five years with the Miners, UMR
established numerous offensive records and was one of the top passing squads
in Division II over the last three seasons. Under Kolb’s watch, the Miners scored
132 touchdowns through the air since the start of the 2003 campaign.
In 2006, he mentored All-American quarterback Joe Winters, who led the nation
in total offense (339.2 ypg) and passing yardage (338.5 ypg) in NCAA II. Winters
went 261-for-468 and completed 35 touchdowns. The Miners’ passing attack recorded
completions to 11 different receivers, including six with at least 20 receptions
each.
He also mentored two-time All-Americans Ashton Gronewold (2005, 2006) and Cole
Drusse (2003, 2004), as well as Academic All-American® Phil Shin (2005).
During his tenure at UMR, the Miners also set or tied eight conference records
and three NCAA II records.
Prior to coming to the Rolla, Mo. campus, Kolb had a successful three-year stint
as offensive coordinator at Fairfield University. He started at Fairfield as
the Stags defensive line coach in 1998. He moved to the offensive side a year
later as he became the offensive coordinator and became the team’s assistant
head coach in the 2001 season.
In the three years Kolb served as offensive coordinator at Fairfield, the Stags
scored 37.1 points per game in 1999, which ranked 12th in NCAA I-AA. A year
later, Fairfield upped its scoring production to post 38.7 ppg, which was fifth,
nationally. His teams established or matched 78 Fairfield University records.
Kolb has coached offensive units that have finished among the top teams in Division
I-AA in several offensive categories, including rushing, passing and total offense.
The Stags averaged 406.7 yards of total offense in that span.
Kolb earned his Bachelor's degree at Brown University in 1994 and entered the
coaching ranks in 1995 at Curry College in Massachusetts. In 1997, Kolb moved
onto Framingham State to serve as the offensive coordinator and offensive line
coach for one season before joining the Fairfield staff.
Kolb and is wife Lisa are the proud parents of son, Matthew, 6, daughter, Hannah,
5 and son William, 3.
Pete
Golding (email
Coach Golding)
Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator (Defensive Backs)
Recruiting Coordinator
Pete Golding was promoted to the defensive coordinator position at Tusculum in January 2008. He has also assumed the duties as Tusculum's Recruiting Coordinator.
Golding,
a native of Hammond, La., becomes one of the youngest defensive coordinators
in the nation at age 24. Golding joined the Tusculum staff in 2007 where
he coached the defensive backs and also served as Director of Football Operations.
He continues to coach the defensive secondary, along with his coordinator
duties.
In
2007 , he coached Jeremy Thompson, who earned First Team All-South Atlantic
Conference recognition. Tusculum finished second in the league in turnovers
caused (29) and interceptions (14). Thompson was also named Tusculum Most Valuable
Player in 2007.
In
2006, Golding served as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Delta
State University. He was responsible
for the nitro and diamond backs in the Statesmen secondary and worked alongside
former Tusculum defensive coordinator and now Delta State skipper Ron Roberts.
Golding also served as the recruiting coordinator at DSU.
At
Tusculum, he has coordinated the recruiting efforts in Southeast Tennessee,
East Georgia, South Florida, Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, New Mexico,
Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana.
In
his lone season on the DSU staff, Golding and the Statesmen posted an impressive
12-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinals.
Golding
lettered four years at Delta State (2002-05) and earned All-Gulf South Conference
honors in 2004. During that 2004 season, he finished 40th in the country with
14 passes defended. He ranks amongst the all-time career leaders in games played
(42) and career tackles. In 2005, Golding recorded 81 tackles, including five
for loss. He also intercepted two passes and forced two fumbles.
During
his collegiate career, his teams posted a combined 26-17 record, including 9-2
in 2003. Golding finished his career with nine interceptions, including four
picks during that 2003 campaign. He also amassed experience on special teams
as a return specialist. In his final season, he averaged 13.1 yards on punt
returns.
Golding earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business from Delta State in 2006. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association.
Kevin
Weston
(email
Coach Weston)
Assistant Head Coach (Defensive Line)/Strength & Conditioning
Coordinator
In his first season guiding the defensive front, he mentored All-South Atlantic
Conference First Team defensive end Adrian Samples in 2006. In 2007, Samples
earned All-SAC First Team recognition for a third straight year, while also
being named to the All-Region squad.
Weston is responsible for all recruiting efforts in Atlanta, Nashville, North
Carolina, Missouri, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and
Canada.
Weston, who starred on the Pioneer football field from 1999-2002, returned to
the Greeneville campus in 2005 after serving two seasons as an assistant coach
at Morgan County High School in Madison, Ga. He served as offensive coordinator
for the junior varsity squad and coached the defensive ends and tight ends for
the varsity team. During his two seasons there, the Bulldogs advanced to the
state playoffs twice while posting a combined 19-5 record. The 2003 Morgan County
squad went 10-2 while capturing the Region 7AA title. The 2004 club posted a
9-3 ledger, advancing to the second round of the playoffs before falling to
eventual State runner-up Buford High School. Weston’s JV team posted a perfect
6-0 record in his final season in Madison. During his two years there, three
of his players garnered All-Region recognition.
While on the Tusculum gridiron, Weston’s teams posted a 24-19 record, including
a 22-10 mark in his final three campaigns. During his junior season, the Pioneers
posted an impressive 8-2 season, including a 6-0 record at home. Weston originally
came to Tusculum as a tight end in 1999, but moved to the offensive guard position
and started in the trenches for the next three seasons.
Weston, a native of Queens, N.Y. and Campbellton, Fla., played his prep career at Graceville High School in Graceville, Fla., where he earned All-State, All-Conference, All-County and All-Tri-County honors. He led his senior squad to the State semifinals while serving as team captain. He also accounted for 21 sacks in his final two seasons on the defensive side of the ball.
Weston completed his Bachelor’s
degree at Tusculum in 2002 with a degree in Physical Education.
Following graduation, he was signed as a free agent as a running back for the
Greensboro Prowlers of the Arena2 Football League. He completed his Master’s
degree from Troy University in 2005.
Caleb
Slover (email
Coach Slover)
Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
Director of Football Operations/Academic Coordinator
Former Tusculum College quarterback Caleb Slover is entering his third year as an assistant coach on the Pioneer coaching staff. Slover, a native of Lake City, Tenn., mentors the Tusculum running backs. Slover serves as TC's Director of Football Operations and Academic Coordinator.
In 2006,
he coached the receiving corps, including two-time All-SAC standout Jamichael
Caldwell.
Slover played two years at Tusculum, where he established school single-season
records for passing yardage (2,769 in 2001), completions (246 in 2001), passing
attempts (412) and touchdown passes (17 in 2000 and 2001). In just two seasons,
he passed for 4,973 yards and 34 touchdowns, which are second all-time at Tusculum.
In 2000, he guided the Pioneers to a 7-4 record, the program's first winning
season in six years.
The following season, Slover led the Pioneers to a then school record 8-2 mark,
while garnering All-South Atlantic Conference honors. He was also named the
team's most valuable player during that 2001 campaign.
Following his collegiate
playing career, Slover played three seasons in the Arena Football League (Af2),
including stints with the Carolina Rhinos, Greensboro Prowlers, Macon Knights
and Rio Grande Valley Dorados. During his 40-game professional career, Slover
pass for over 8,000 yards and 150 touchdowns.
He served as a student assistant coach with the Pioneers as TC posted seasons
of 7-4 in 2002 and 9-2 in 2003 while capturing the program's first South Atlantic
Conference title.
Slover, a 2003 graduate of Tusculum, returned to his alma mater in 2005, where
he served as an admission's counselor for one year.
Slover is married to the former Jennifer Cutshall of Greeneville, Tenn. and
they are the proud parents of son, Austin Michael, who was born in January,
2008.
Karl
Scott (email
Coach Scott)
Assistant Coach (Linebackers)
Karl
Scott was named
to the Tusculum College football staff in Jan. 2008. Scott, a native of Houston, Texas, will serve
as an assistant coach on the TC staff and will coach the Pioneer linebackers.
Scott
played his collegiate career at NCAA Division III McMurry
University in Abilene, Texas, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in Exercise
and Sports Studies. As a freshman in
2003, he was named the American Southwest Conference Player of the Week and
later named Football Gazette National Player of the
Week after making a school single-game record three interceptions.
Kent
Kincade (email
Coach Kincade)
Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
Kent
Kinkade is entering his first season on the football coaching
staff at Tusculum College. Kinkade arrived in
Greeneville in May 2008 and will mentor the Tusculum offensive line.
From
1993-94, he coached the UIndy defensive line and mentored the linebacker corps for
the next three seasons. Two of his linebackers
earned NCAA II All-America recognition. Ted Liette earned All-America honors in 1998, while Josh Gentry
was honored in 1999. Gentry was selected
as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Linebacker of
the Year, while also being tabbed the most valuable player at the Snow Bowl
(NCAA II All-Star Game). The 1997 squad
posted an 8-3 record and followed with an 8-2 worksheet the following season.
Louis
DeBusk
Volunteer Assistant
One of the most valuable members
of the Tusculum College football staff is volunteer assistant coach Louis DeBusk.
The Greeneville, Tenn. native has served 10 seasons with the program and assisting
the Pioneers in a variety of roles.
DeBusk (affectionately known as
“Big Coach”) coordinates game-day preparations for the Pioneers, especially
when Tusculum is on the road. He is responsible for transporting the vast amount
of equipment needed on game day, to and from the site of the contest. He is
usually the first at the game and last to leave. Most recently, he is also the
person responsible for leading the Pioneers onto the field before each home
game with the traditional Tusculum flag flying from the back of his beloved
golf cart.
DeBusk is married to the former
Faye Stanton. They are the parents of two sons, Doug, a Tusculum Hall of Fame
guard on the Pioneer basketball team. Their oldest son Frankie, has completed
his eighth season as head football coach at Tusculum. Louis and Faye also have
three grandsons, Dylan, Ty and Connor and one granddaughter Delana.