Jax State Football: Head Coach Rich Rodriguez Agrees To Extension

Jax State Football: Head Coach Rich Rodriguez Agrees To Extension

The Jacksonville Gamecocks have agreed to a contract extension with head coach Rich Rodriguez that will go through the 2030 season.

Rodriguez was hired in 2021 and after a strong 9-2 record in 2022, their final one at the FCS level, the Gamecocks went to the FBS level in Conference USA and ended up going 9-4 including a win in the New Orleans Bowl.

"We couldn't be more excited that Coach Rodriguez is committed to Jacksonville State and continuing to lead our football program into this new era," Athletics Director Greg Seitz said. "The growth of our program since the day he took over has been incredible, with a conference title in year one, the first bowl win by a transition team in history in year two."

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Entering 2024, Jax State brought in the replacement for quarterback Zion Webb in former UConn starter Zion Turner. The quick similar style of offense that was run last year should be in place again this season, especially with Turner’s own skill set.

Along with Rodriguez's success on the field, he has been a vital piece in improvements around the facilities and ensuring his players have the best equipment and work environment.

Although the Gamecocks still have one transition year left, Jax State still cannot play a postseason game without a waiver. If enough teams do not make a bowl game in 2024, there’s a likely chance that Rich Rodriguez's team can reach the six-win marker to make it into a second consecutive bowl game. The Gamecocks will also be one of the top teams in Conference USA. Against the conference last season, Jax State went 6-2.

Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Recap

Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Recap

The weekend of the 2024 NFL Draft was a productive one for Confefence USA. In particular, it was something of a historic draft for the UTEP miners with not one, but two selections. Three total players from Conference USA schools heard their names called. With those three selections, CUSA has now seen 62 players chosen in the NFL Draft since 2016.

Here are the important things to know about the latest batch of Conference USA NFL talent.

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Malachi Corley (Western Kentucky WR) - New York Jets, #65 Overall

Corley spent all four of his college seasons at Western Kentucky where he hauled 259 receptions for 3,035 yards and 29 touchdowns. Corley was also impressive in Senior Bowl practices, helping him land an opportunity in a Jets offense that needs help to reach rejuvenation.

Tyrice Knight (UTEP LB) - Seattle Seahawks, #118 Overall

Over the previous four seasons, nobody in Conference USA had more tackles than Tyrice Knight. He had 140 in 2023 alone. Knight was the first UTEP player to be drafted since 2018. He finished his college career with 32 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Elijah Klein (UTEP OL) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, #220 Overall

Klein started games at four different offensive line positions this season alone. He made a whopping 50 consecutive starts for the Miners over the last several seasons. With Klein's selection, 2024 marks the first time since 2008 that multiple UTEP players were selected in the NFL Draft.