Nicholls releases 2 football coaches

Nicholls State will have at least two new football coaches when they take the field next fall.

Colonels coach Charlie Stubbs announced last week that offensive line coach Mario Jeberaeel and special teams coordinator and safeties coach Ricky Brumfield have been relieved from their duties within the team.

The moves are effective immediately.

Improving offensive line play is likely a must if the Colonels are going to become competitive in the Southland Conference.

Nicholls allowed 43 sacks last season – a number that easily was last place in the Southland Conference.

The 43 sacks allowed was an improvement from the 47 the team gave up in the 2011 season.

Jeberaeel has been with the Colonels’ program for the past three seasons.

He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant whose primary focus was working with the offensive line.

He worked directly under then-offensive line coach Keith Uperesa.

Jeberaeel was promoted this past season to offensive line coach when Uperesa accepted a position as the halfbacks coach in his native Hawaii.

The transition proved to be a rough one for the Colonels, as they struggled to overcome youth and injuries up front and allowed a slew of sacks throughout the season.

Brumfield has been the special teams coordinator for the Colonels in each of the past two seasons.

Prior to his time in Thibodaux, the New Orleans native coached seven seasons at Fairmont State in the same capacity.

When Stubbs hired Brumfield, he touted the coach’s Louisiana roots and experience in special teams as the reasons for his hire.

“Not only does he bring a wealth of experience in the area of special teams, but he also fits everything we’re looking for in a coach because he values academics and looks at the total student-athlete,” Stubbs said. “And being a native of New Orleans, I believe his knowledge of the area will further strengthen our philosophy of recruiting in-state.”

But in Thibodaux, the experience never translated to success.

This past season, the Colonels ranked last in the Southland Conference in kickoff returns and second to last in punt returns.

The team was also seventh (out of eight Southland teams) in kickoff coverage and they were last in extra point conversion percentage.

The one strength of the team’s special teams unit has been punting.

This past season, the Colonels averaged 42 yards per punt with a net of 37.8 yards per kick. That average was second in the conference.

Colonels’ officials said that the process of finding replacements would begin “in the near future”.

The team will attempt to have new coaches before National Signing Day on Feb. 6.

Mario Jeberaeel

Ricky Brumfield