Courtesy of Lane College Athletics
JACKSON, Tenn. – Lane College is pleased to announce the hiring of Stanley Conner as the new Head Football Coach. Conner brings over three decades of coaching experience at the collegiate, HBCU and high school levels, along with a proven track record of developing championship-winning teams and athletes.
Conner joins Lane College after spending the last eight seasons at Miles College, where he served as the Running Backs Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. During his tenure at Miles, Conner played a crucial role in developing standout HBCU football players, including the SIAC Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player, Justin Hardy, in 2017. He also helped lead the Golden Bears to three SIAC Championships (2018, 2019, and 2024). The 2024 squad made history when they won their opening round game of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
“Stanley Conner is a proven winner, and his depth of experience will be an invaluable asset to our football program,” said Derrick Burroughs, Director of Athletics at Lane College. “We are excited to welcome Coach Conner to the Lane College family. His leadership and passion for developing student-athletes on and off the field align perfectly with our mission to build a competitive, disciplined, and successful football program.”
Prior to his time at Miles College, Conner served as a head coach at Benedict College (2007-2011) and Concordia-Alabama (2014-2015), where he led teams to impressive successes. Conner’s career also includes coaching stops at Alabama A&M and Alabama State, where he helped lead teams to multiple SWAC Eastern Division Championships.
“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Lane College football program,” said Conner. “I look forward to building a winning culture and mentoring young men to succeed both on the field and in life. I am thankful for the trust that Dr. Donald Comer and the administration as well as Athletic Director Burroughs have placed in me, and I am ready to get started.”
During his tenure at Alabama A&M, he coached the secondary, running backs, and served as assistant head coach. He spent three seasons with the Bulldogs before heading to Lanett High School as the head coach. In 1998, he returned to Alabama A&M as the assistant head coach. Conner helped lead the Bulldogs to SWAC Eastern Division Championships in 2000, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Conner’s playing career includes a four-year stint as an HBCU football letterman at Jackson State University, where he helped lead the Tigers to three SWAC Championships and NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances in 1981 and 1982. After his playing days, Conner briefly pursued a career in professional football with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL and the Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL.
Conner, a Theodore, Alabama native, has deep ties to the Southern football community and is known for his ability to recruit, develop talent, and build strong relationships with players. He and his wife, Tonya, have two daughters, Shelandra and Shequita.