South Carolina State University coach Chennis Berry has wasted no time hiring his football staff since taking over the program in December after the retirement of legendary coach Buddy Pough.
SC State announced several hires on January 6th, and it isn’t done. Former FAMU Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations LaTroy Johnson and former Bluefield State Offensive Coordinator Rashard Alston are both expected to be added to the staff. Multiple sources confirm Alston will be the running backs coach while Johnson’s position isn’t certain.
South Carolina State’s previous coaching press release indicated Berry was searching for a running backs coach, wide receivers coach, video coordinator/director of creative content and a director of football operations.
Alston and Johnson both posted goodbye messages to their former schools on their X accounts. Johnson ended his post saying “It’s time for me to Go Home [Orangeburg, S.C.]!!!”
Former FAMU coach Willie Simmons tagged Berry’s and Johnson’s accounts and congratulated both men on the impending hire.
Bluefield State head coach Tony Coaxum responded to Alston’s post by thanking him for his time on his staff and that he is excited for his next job at South Carolina State University.
Johnson has worked in athletic departments for over 15 years with almost ten years at HBCUs. He has served as the Assistant AD for Football Operations at FAMU since 2021. Before arriving at FAMU, he spent three years as the Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations at Jackson State. Johnson has worked hard to become an assistant athletic director after serving as the equipment manager for Mississippi Valley State, Tennessee State, Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Middle Tennessee State, South Carolina State, and director of equipment operations at Morgan State.
Alston spent the past season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bluefield State. In 2022, he served as the associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator. He came to Bluefield State in 2021 as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. Before landing at Bluefield State, he spent two years as an offensive graduate assistant at Hastings College.