CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College athletic director Mike Jones and head football coach John Bland are pleased to announce the hiring of Tommy Laurendine as the team's offensive coordinator, it was announced on Friday (January 12).

"Tommy joins our staff with an outstanding reputation as a football coach and a high-character man," said Jones. "His experience in the Gulf South Conference and on the collegiate level will instantly make an impact on our staff."

Laurendine joins the staff after a six-year stint as the head coach at Sewanee, a Division III school in East Tennessee. Prior to that, he served as the offensive coordinator at The Citadel (2010) after spending two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II school

The Oak Ridge, Tenn. native worked in the GSC in the early 2000's, serving as the assistant head coach at Southern Arkansas from 2000-06, including teaming up with head coach John Bland for the 2000 season.

His 2005 Mulerider team broke school records for total offense (4,677), rushing attempts (630), first downs (250), touchdowns (44), rushing offense (296.4 ypg), total offense (425.2 ypg), scoring offense (29.7 points per game), and single game yardage (615).

"I'm thrilled about the opportunity to work with Tommy again," said Coach Bland. "His knowledge about the game of football and the way he relates to the players make him a great coach. He also is the type of high-character man we want representing Choctaw football."

Laurendine also had Gulf South Conference coaching stops at West Alabama (1997-2000) and West Georgia (1992).

"I'm excited to work for a good friend of mine again in John (Bland)," Laurendine said. "He is a great football coach but an even better person and man of integrity. He is the kind of person I want to work for."

Coach Laurendine's wife Shawna was hired as the school's volleyball coach, it was announced on Thursday. She comes to MC after leading the Sewanee volleyball program and also has stops at Southern Arkansas and West Alabama.

"We feel very fortunate that both of these opportunities came about at the same time," said Laurendine. "We are ready to get down to Clinton and get to work."

The Choctaws are set to open the 2018 football season on August 30th when they host Clark Atlanta at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.