2004

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... J East Central adds three new assistants to football coaching staff Chris Boone has been

with linebackers. He scncd as line– backer coach/spec1al teams coordi ator/power lifting coach at Wayne County from June 1998 to May 1999. The Wayne Count} defense was ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense in Clas!. 5-A, and the War Eagles qualified for the State Class 5-A playoffs for the sec– ond time in school history. Boone was also linebackers and spe– cial teams coach at Pearl River. where he served from June 1997 to May I998. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at USM, serving from June 1996 to l\1a) 1997. His dutie~ included assi,ting defensive coordinator John Thompson in coaching linebackers. The Golden Eagles were conference co-champion" that sea· son and finished with an 8-3 record Boone h. a 1996 graduate of the Univer...ity of Southern Ml'>sissippi. where he received a bachelor's degree in coachmg and ~port!> administration. He was also a mem– ber of the USM footbaJJ team from January 1995 to May 1996. He received an associate of arts degree in 1993 from Jones Count~ Junior College in Elli!.ville, where he \\a;; a two-year 'tarter at ltnebacker on the Bobcat football All-County squad!o>. He I'\ married to the former Coco Walker of Waynesboro and the} have an infant daughter. Cameron. Care) J. Meh in of Thibodaux. La.. has been named an assistant football coach at East Central Community College til Decatur, announced Terr} Undenvood. athletic dirccto cad football coach. Underwood sa1d he is "excited" to have Melvin JOin his staff:'Coach Melvin is a quality per– son and J know he will do a great job for us. He work~d with Coach (Chris) Boone (ECCC's new defen– sive coordinator) at Nicholls State University last year, wh1ch means a lot to our defensive structure,"

cia! teams at East Central. He served as an assistant defensive line coach and "ludent as:!>istant at Nicholls State during 2003-04 and helped lead the Colonels to their first appearance in the Southland Conference title game. Melvin I!> ah.o a former defensive coordina– tor/assistant track .• coach at Garland Christian Academy in Garland. Texas, where he served from May 200 l to May 2003. His duties also included coaching line– backer~. The new ECCC assistant ''as a I inebacker at ,Georgia Southern University in States.boro, Georgia. He also played linebacker at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, and was previoul>ly a tight end for ~orth Mesquite (Texas) High School He was a member of nation– all) ranked track teams at both high :-chools. James Keys of ColJins is a new addition to the football coach– ing staff at East Central Comrnumty College in Decatur. announced Terry Underwood. athletic direc– tor/head football coach. Keys' main area of responsibility will be coach– ing linebackers and assisting with "pecial teams. He is a former foot– ball standout at ECCC. \\here he Ke}" \\as voted permanent defensive team captain following the 1999 campaign. He continued hi' athletic career at Northwestern Oklahoma State Umversil) in Aha. Oklahoma. wh1ch finbhed runner.– up for the 2000 NAJA (National A\sOdation of Intercollegiate Athletics) championship. Keys won various honor~ following the 2000 season. including second team AII-Amencan; first team All– Conference and Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Keys also played two years in the Arena Football League as a member of the Billings (Montana) Outlaws. He returned to

named defensive coordinator at East Central Community College in Decatur, announced Terry Underwood. athletic director/head football coach Underwood said Boone 1s a "great add1tion" to his staff. ''Coach Boone brings a lot of coaching experience to East Central, and he has worked with many outstanding coaches. He is also a quality person and we look forward to working with him," Underwood said. Boone, who will also coach defensive backs and special teams for the Warriors, comes to East Central from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. La., where he served as linebacker coach for the past t\\ o years. Boone helped lead NSU to 1ts first appearance in the Southland Conference title game m 2003, and the 2002 quad had it!> fin.t wmning --ea.,on 'ince 1996 w1th a 7-4 mark. The 2002 Colonels finished third in lhe Southland Conference and \\ere ranked 21 t national!) by USA · Toda~ The defe r c: ' .-ho former a~,l - tant at the unrvef'\lt} of Arlo.:an~as at Monticello. where he sened from 2000-02. He served as defensive line coach. recruiting coordinator and "econdary coach. He was also special teams coordinator and academ1c coordinator. The 2000 Boll Weevils finbhcd with an 8-3 mark and were ranked a!. h1gh as 18th nationally. UAM finished third in total defense in the Gulf South Conference. Boone's coaching experi– ence aJso includes stints at the University of Alabama– Birmingham, Wayne Counry High School in Waynesboro. Pearl River Communi ty College in Poplarville and the University of Southern Mississippi. At UAB, Boone was a