Courtesy of UAPB Athletics
PINE BLUFF, AR.- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) head coach Alonzo Hampton has announced the promotion of Jeff Burrow to Defensive Coordinator/Safeties. Burrow will step into the Defensive Coordinator role after serving last season as the program’s co-defensive coordinator and safety coach. During that time, he had two HBCU student-athletes, Ja’Marlin Green and Quintin Sterling, finish in the top 16 in tackles in the SWAC Conference. Under his guidance, the Golden Lions also ranked fourth in interceptions on defense.
Before his four seasons in HBCU football with the Golden Lions, Burrow previously spent three years at the University at Buffalo (UB). He joined UB as the Bulls’ director of player personnel and transitioned to coaching the defensive backs in 2021 after previously coaching the safeties.
In 2020, Burrow’s safeties played a significant role in helping the Bulls achieve the top ranking in total defense in the Mid-American Conference. Safety Cory Gross ranked second on the team in tackles with 42, while Tyrone Hill ranked fourth with 31 tackles and was second in pass breakups with 6.
Burrow made an immediate impact in his first season coaching safeties. Both starting safeties, Joey Banks and Tyrone Hill, received All-MAC honors. Banks, a first-team selection, led the Bulls in tackles (85) and interceptions (3), while Hill earned second-team honors with 70 tackles and a team-best 10 pass breakups.
Before his time at UB, Burrow served as the safeties coach at Kent State from 2011 to 2017, where he was later promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2017. He contributed to the Golden Flashes’ MAC East title run in 2012 and their first bowl appearance in 40 years. In each of Burrow’s first five seasons, a Kent State safety earned All-MAC honors, including the two-time first-team All-MAC selection Nate Holley.
During his tenure at Kent State, Burrow also coached several Academic All-MAC players, notably Jordan Italiano, who became the first football player in the school’s history to be a three-time Academic All-American. In 2015, he was the only position coach in the nation with two Academic All-Americans.
Before his time at Kent State, Burrow spent a season as the secondary coach at Indiana State and the year prior as the assistant secondary coach at Marshall. From 2007 to 2008, he coached wide receivers at Jacksonville State.
Burrow’s coaching career began as a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame from 2005 to 2006 and at Minnesota from 2003 to 2004.
As a player, Burrow was a four-year starter at cornerback for the University of Cincinnati from 1995 to 1999. Following his college career, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and played one season with the team.
The Sylvester, Georgia, native earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cincinnati in 1999 and a master’s degree in education from Minnesota in 2004. He and his wife, Janea, have three daughters: Jazmyne, Jaelyn, and Jayda.
About UAPB football in 2023
In the 2024 football season, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Golden Lions, an HBCU competing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), concluded with a 3–9 overall record and a 2–6 mark in conference play. Under second-year head coach Alonzo Hampton, the team faced a series of challenges but also celebrated notable achievements.
Season Highlights:
- Season Opener: UAPB began its HBCU football season on August 29 with a tough matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks, an SEC powerhouse. The team lost 0–70 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
- Record-Setting Victory: The Golden Lions’ resilience was evident on September 7, when they bounced back with a commanding 73–0 win over Arkansas Baptist at home.
- Standout Player: Wide receiver Javonnie Gibson emerged as a key offensive threat, recording 70 receptions for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. His impressive performance earned him a transfer opportunity to Oklahoma for the following season.