Missouri Southern football coach Bart Tatum has announced changes in his coaching staff effective immediately.
Joining the Lions as the offensive coordinator will be Matt Barrett. Barrett comes to Southern after ten seasons at Catawba College in North Carolina, the last seven serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Other changes to the staff include the promotion of Mike Mutz to the defensive coordinator position and Raleigh Jackson to full-time defensive line coach.
Also returning to Southern is former Lion Atiba Bradley, who will coach the Linebackers. Bradley returns to Southern after two seasons at the University of Missouri.
Barrett is a 1999 graduate of North Carolina State University where he got a degree in business management. He began coaching at Catawba in 2000 as an offensive assistant and was promoted to running backs coach in 2001. He also served stints as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2003 and 2004, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005.
His offenses set school records for scoring average, yards per game, rushing yards per carry, passing yards, third down conversions, touchdowns, and single-season rushing yards for a player. He also coached the SAC Player of the Year in 2007, Brad Roach, who earned first team All-American honors at quarterback. His teams made the Division II playoffs in five out of the ten years he was an assistant.
“Matt brings a tough-minded approach to offensive football with a commitment to running the ball,” Tatum said. “He has been very successful and has coached some really good offenses in the past. “
Mutz will be entering his fifth season with the Lions’ coaching staff having served on the defensive side of the ball, and also as the team’s recruiting coordinator. In 2008, Mutz helped the Lion defense finish first in passing defense for the second-straight season. In 2007, the Lions finished first in the MIAA in total defense, pass defense, pass efficiency defense, and opponent first downs. The Lions finished second in third down conversions and picked off 21 opponent passes.
Jackson is entering his third season and saw an immediate impact when he stepped on the field at Southern, helping coach Jared Brawner to an All-American performance in 2008 and he helped mentor All-MIAA and All-Region defensive lineman Jairius Jarvis last season to a nearly record-breaking season. Jarvis came just a half a sack from tying the single-season mark with 9.5 in 2009.
“Coach Mutz and Jackson both are very loyal guys and both have an outstanding work ethic,” Tatum said. “Mike is very organized and will commit to a systems approach. With Raleigh, we were told when we hired him as an intern last year, and we saw it right away, that the sky would be the limit in his coaching future. “
Atiba Bradley is a 2006 graduate of Missouri Southern and played four years as a linebacker. A two-time All-MIAA selection, Bradley was the second-leading tackler in 2005 with 72 total stops, including 30 solos, and 9.5 for a loss with one sack. He finished ninth in the MIAA in tackles.
Bradley spent one season as a student-assistant at Southern, helping to coach the corner backs, before being promoted to intern where he helped coach the offensive line and tight ends. He then moved on to the University of Missouri in June of 2008 where he spent one season as the offensive quality control and assistant quarterbacks coach, before moving back to the defensive side of the ball last season as the assistant defensive line coach.
“Atiba is a very popular guy on campus and in the Joplin community and we hated for him to leave the first time” Tatum said. “It was too great of an opportunity to pass up. He went away and got better and now we have him back.”
Joining Southern as interns will be Steven Coleman (asst. DB/Corners), Gary Bass (asst. OL/TE) and Lamart Barrett (asst. WR).
Coleman comes to Southern after a four-year career at Texas Christian University. An All-Mountain West conference selection, Coleman will be the assistant defensive backs coach at Southern, focusing on the cornerbacks. He started three years for the Horned Frogs.
Bass started three years at guard at Catawba College, playing for coach Barrett and the Indians. Catawba was 42-15 while he was a player, and he helped the team to two conference championships, and three trips to the Division II playoffs.
A 2006 graduate of Catawba, Bass has spent the last three years at East Rowan High School in North Carolina serving as the offensive coordinator. Prior to that position, he coached at McDowell High School as the defensive line coach.
Barrett (no relation to Matt) comes to Southern from North Carolina State University where he has served as an assistant on the Wolfpack coaching staff. He served as the recruiting intern for a season before being named the video graduate assistant in 2008.
Barrett had a four-year playing career at North Carolina State where he started three years at wide receiver. After college, Barrett was invited to training camp with the St. Louis Rams.
“I think we feel fortunate to have the coaching staff we’ve assembled at this point,” Tatum said. “Our objective was to search nationally for the best candidates available and make ourselves better. We are confident we have put ourselves in position to improve as a coaching staff and program."
JOPLIN, Mo. —
