East Mississippi Community College Men's Football

Stephens has completely changed the expectation levels of the football program at East Mississippi Community College.  EMCCs ninth-year head football coach has made winning games and claiming championships the new norm on the Scooba campus after taking command of a program that hadnt managed a winning football season the previous decade and with only one prior state playoff appearance in school history prior to his arrival. Owning an eight-year overall coaching record of 76-11 at East Mississippi, including a composite 45-3 (.938) mark in MACJC North Division play, Stephens tops all active NJCAA football coaches nationally in career winning percentage with an 87.4-percent success rate with the Lions.  Those spectacular numbers have produced an unprecedented three national championships over the past five seasons, along with generating four MACJC State/NJCAA Region 23 championships and seven regular-season division titles dating back to the 2008 season. Culminating with EMCCs 34-17 win over Iowa Western during the 2014 Mississippi Bowl in Biloxi, Stephens became the first football coach in the history of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) to secure three NJCAA championships.  Winners of 52 of their last 55 contests dating back five seasons, including separate winning streaks of 25 and 20 consecutive games, Stephens Lions knocked off Georgia Military in the 2013 Mississippi Bowl as well as Arizona Western during the 2011 El Toro Bowl played in Yuma, Ariz., to claim previous national titles for EMCC.  For his outstanding coaching efforts throughout his career at East Mississippi Community College, Stephens is a two-time recipient of the coveted American Community College Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year honor along with being named the 2014 Spalding NJCAA Football Coach of the Year.  The four-time NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year honoree is also a two-time recipient of the Junior College National Coach of the Year as awarded by American Football Monthly magazine.  In addition, Stephens received the George Sekul Award from the All-American Football Foundation in 2011. Stephens coaching success at East Mississippi goes hand in hand with the individual accomplishments that his players continue to achieve beyond the Scooba campus.  While an average of 23 EMCC football players annually move on to compete at the university level, Stephens has coached a total of 22 NJCAA All-America players during his tenure.  This past April, former EMCC/University of Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed (Seattle Seahawks) became the third Lion standout under Stephens guidance to be chosen in the NFL Draft, joining prior draft selections ZaDarius Smith (Baltimore Ravens in 2015) and Quinton Dial (San Francisco 49ers in 2013).          Likewise in the coaching ranks, as many as a dozen former EMCC assistant coaches under Stephens guidance have moved on to coach at the university level, including four currently assisting on Southeastern Conference football staffs.   Stephens arrived on the Scooba campus in December 2007 after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss.  During Stephens stint at PRCC, the Wildcats posted a composite record of 6012 (.833), including an NJCAA championship in 2004 and four consecutive MACJC state titles (2003-06). Before his community college coaching career began in 2001, Stephens spent eight years at the high school level in Alabama and Louisiana. Following an initial stop at Pearl River CC as a twoyear offensive lineman, Stephens continued his playing career at Delta State University.  Upon earning his bachelors degree in education, he began his 25year coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater.   Stephens received his first taste of fulltime coaching experience at Louisiana-Monroe, where he completed his masters degree in 1992. A native of Huntsville, Ala., Stephens is married to the former Robyn Lynn Douglas of Bogalusa, La.  They have three daughters Lauren, Julianna, and Rebekah.

Bio A key offensive coaching component of East Mississippi Community College’s 2017 and 2018 national and conference championship teams, Courtland Hays is in his second season of his second stint as an assistant coach on Buddy Stephens’ EMCC football coaching staff. Having previously worked primarily with EMCC’s running backs during the 2017 and 2018 seasons that saw the Lions put together a combined two-year record of 23-1, Hays now concentrates working with the team’s wide receivers in addition to serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator. In his first season back with the Lions a year ago, he directly assisted in the development of Baylor University signee Michael Johnson Jr. and was instrumental in EMCC landing another talent-laden recruiting class filled with all-state high school honorees and all-star game participants. During his prior successful EMCC coaching stint, Hays worked with 2022 Walter Payton Award winner Lindsey Scott Jr., who is currently the assistant quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech. Hays also previously helped coach former EMCC standouts and recent pro players Kirk Merritt and Dontario Drummond. Hays also worked with former FCS running backs Tyrell Price (Chattanooga) and Deon McIntosh (Washington State), who both ranked among the NJCAA’s rushing leaders during their EMCC playing days. In between his two coaching stops at East Mississippi, Hays divided his previous five years coaching at Mississippi College, Southwest Mississippi Community College and Samford University. Most recently, Hays served as MC’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 2023 season. Under his direction, the Choctaws transitioned from the triple option to a more spread offensive attack and finished the season ranked second in rushing offense within the Gulf South Conference. Prior to that, Hays returned to the Mississippi junior college coaching ranks as Southwest Mississippi’s offensive coordinator. While having installed a new offensive philosophy for the program, Hays worked primarily with the team’s quarterbacks and running backs. During his two seasons (2021-22) at Southwest, the Bears had their first two SEC signees in more than 20 years with Izavion Miller (Auburn) and Jacoby Bellazar (Mississippi State). Following his prior two-year coaching stint at EMCC, Hays spent the 2019 season serving as a lead analyst at Samford while working with the Bulldogs’ offensive tackles and tight ends. Before initially joining Stephens’ East Mississippi football coaching staff in 2017, Hays previously gained a decade’s worth of valuable experience at the University of North Alabama, where he spent five years as a part-time assistant coach and graduate assistant for Hall of Fame coaching great Bobby Wallace within the powerhouse NCAA Division II program. While working with quarterbacks and running backs, Hays was an essential part of the UNA staff that guided the Lions to four consecutive Gulf South Conference championships (2013-16) and a national runner-up finish in 2016. Among the numerous all-conference players he worked with throughout his stint at UNA, Hays helped coach four-time All-GSC running back and 2016 Baltimore Ravens free agent signee Lamonte Thompson. Along with having the privilege of coaching with Wallace, Hays also gained hands-on experience as an undergraduate working with former North Alabama football coaching veterans Terry Bowden and Mark Hudspeth. During his first five seasons as a UNA student staffer, Hays worked diligently behind the scenes as an integral part of the Lions’ 2008 NCAA Division II semifinal-round playoff team and their GSC championship club the following year. A product of Tuscaloosa’s Northridge High School, Hays received an undergraduate degree in sports management from North Alabama in 2012 and stayed on the Lions’ football coaching staff to earn his master’s in higher education administration.  

Wilkerson begins his fourth season overall with Buddy Stephens East Mississippi Community College football program.  Along with his role as the staffs recruiting coordinator, Wilkerson is charged with the daily instruction of the teams running backs and also attends to the programs video scouting needs. Having previously spent the 2012 season on the Scooba campus working with EMCCs defensive unit, Wilkerson gained valuable prep experience as quarterbacks coach at Horn Lake High School during the 2013 campaign.  Upon his return to East Mississippi, Wilkerson has continued his work on the offensive side of the ball alongside EMCC offensive coordinator Marcus Wood.  During each of the past two seasons with a combined 20-1 record and an NJCAA national championship in 2014, the Lions have averaged more than 50 points per game to rank among the top five nationally.  While utilizing a multi-back system both years, EMCC also rated among the top five NJCAA team leaders in total offense.   Wilkerson first joined East Mississippis football coaching staff in January 2012 after graduating from the University of Mississippi with a bachelors degree in exercise science.  Immediately upon his move to EMCC, he began assisting the Lions staff with recruiting tasks as well as aiding the defensive coaches under the direction of former Pearl River head coach William Jones. Prior to transferring to Ole Miss to complete his undergraduate degree, Wilkerson attended Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, where he served as a student assistant on the Tigers football staff headed at the time by Andy Greening.  While there, Wilkerson also had the unique distinction of assisting his father, David Wilkerson, who was Greenings offensive coordinator at NEMCC.  During the 2007 and 2008 seasons, the younger Wilkerson aided his father by serving as the running backs coaching assistant as well as the football programs video coordinator. Wilkerson attended Northeast Mississippi on a tennis scholarship and flourished on the courts as the 2008 recipient of the teams Tiger Award in helping lead the NEMCC tennis squad to the NJCAA championships in Texas.  Away from athletic competition, Wilkerson was also very involved around campus during his two years in Booneville.  As an honors graduate, he served as vice president of scholarship for NEMCCs Phi Theta Kappa honor society.  Wilkerson was also a student government officer and worked as a summer orientation counselor. Wilkerson first gained valuable football knowledge and coaching experience during his prep playing days under the guidance of Hall of Fame coaching legend Jim Drewry at Booneville High School.  Selected as a team captain for the Blue Devil football and tennis teams, Wilkerson capped his playing career on the gridiron by collecting all-region and all-division honors as a senior.  He was also chosen MVP of the tennis team and made three consecutive appearances in the MHSAA state tennis championships.  Off the playing field, Wilkerson was an honors graduate at Booneville and a member of Whos Who Among American High School Students. Wilkersons enthusiasm for athletics is also reflected in his valuable volunteer work experience during his college days.  Along with assisting with U12 football and soccer teams in Oxford during his time at Ole Miss, he also worked as a North Mississippi Region Special Olympics volunteer.  In addition, the Booneville native has served as a volunteer during the Relay for Life event as well as for the Boys and Girls Club. Currently pursuing his masters degree in physical education from the University of West Alabama, Wilkerson has two brothers, Cody and Chase.