Ferrum College Men's Football

Kevin Sherman '92 returned to Ferrum as head football coach in January 2024. He came to Ferrum from the University at Buffalo, where he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as wide receivers coach. Sherman helped the Bulls to a 7-6 record, including an appearance and win in the 2022 Camellia Bowl. Sherman is the ninth head football coach in Ferrum history since the program began in 1955. He played football four seasons under legendary Coach Hank Norton from 1987-90, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure from Ferrum in 1992. Sherman was Ferrum's 1990 Big Green Award recipient. Sherman served as the team captain and was named team MVP in 1990. He was later inducted into Ferrum's Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.   Sherman has over 30 years of coaching experience, coaching in four BCS bowl games and 11 bowl games total. He was wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh from 2015-18, and wide receivers coach at Purdue from 2013-14. Sherman also spent seven years at Virginia Tech as wide receivers coach from 2006-12. During his time there, the Hokies went a combined 60-22 with seven bowl appearances, including four BCS bowl bids (2007 Orange, 2008 Orange, 2010 Orange, 2011 Sugar). Prior to Virginia Tech, Sherman spent five seasons at Wake Forest University (wide receivers), four at Ohio (wide receivers), four at Virginia Military Institute (recruiting coordinator), one season at Methodist University (wide receivers) and one at his alma mater Ferrum College as a student assistant. A native of Radford, Virginia, Sherman graduated from Radford High School in 1987 and is a member of Radford's Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

Garrett Roth joined the Ferrum athletics staff as Head Women's Flag Football Coach in November 2024. Roth came to Ferrum from Cordova High School in California, where he established and served as head coach for the girls flag football program. He also spent a year as an advanced statistician with the NBA's Sacramento Kings. As an honor roll student at Colorado State University, Roth earned his Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Media Communication in 2023. Roth has also worked with Go the Distance, a premier fundraiser at Del Oro (Calif.) High School, and with Colorado State's Youth Sports Camps. Ferrum begins women's flag football competition in Spring 2026 and will be competing among the NCAA Division II ranks in Conference Carolinas. Roth is actively recruiting young women to become part of Ferrum's inaugural program. Anyone interested should contact Coach Roth at [email protected].

Bobby James served as assistant football coach and assistant basketball coach at Ferrum from 1984-91. He then went to work at Franklin County High School in nearby Rocky Mount as a teacher, assistant girls basketball coach and assistant softball coach. Over the next 13 years, he served a volunteer assistant football coach at Ferrum, before accepting a full-time position on staff in 2006. In all, James has been on the Panther football coaching staff for the past 32 seasons. James is a 1984 graduate of Ferrum, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation & Leisure with a minor in Business. James is a proud member of the Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2020.

Cameron Clark '17 joined the Ferrum athletic staff as Assistant Football Coach in November 2023. Clark will work primarily with Ferrum's defensive. He came to Ferrum after serving the past year as Offensive Line Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Altavista High School. Prior to his work at Altavista, Clark was Assistant Football Coach at St. Andrew's University from 2019-22. Before that, he was a Graduate Assistant Football Coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University from 29017-19. Clark earned his bachelor's degree in Media and Communications from Ferrum in 2017, with a journalism minor. He went on to earns his master's degree in Leadership from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2019. Clark and his wife Taylor reside in nearby Rocky Mount with their daughter Camilla and son Bryce.

Anthony Konieczka began as Assistant Football Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Ferrum in February 2023. He previously served a year as Linebackers Coach at Wilkes University in 2022, four years as Linebackers Coach at St. Andrews University from 2018-21, and a year as Graduate Assistant Coach at St. Andrews in 2017. At Wilkes, he helped the Colonels finish in the top 40 in five defensive categories last season, three of which being in the top 25, while coaching a pair of All-Conference players. Worked hand in hand with Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Interns on all aspects of the defense, including Gameplans, Scouting Reports and Practice Schedules/Scripts.   At St. Andrews, he served as Recruiting Coordinator as well as Weight Training and Conditioning Coordinator for the Knight football program. Konieczka also coached three All-Conference Linebackers for the Knights with one holding the school record for tackles in a season and in a game. During his tenure, he mentored two top 5 tacklers in the nation in his linebacker room. Konieczka played football four seasons at Ferrum from 2013-16, earning USA South All-Conference and VaSID All-State his senior year in 2016. He was Ferrum's Big Green Award recipient in 2016, the top award for a graduating senior in the Panther football program. Konieczka was also a USA South All-Academic Team member in 2015 and 2016. Resides with his wife Jessica '17, son Theo and dog in Rocky Mount.  

Lawrence Robinson joined the Ferrum College athletics staff as Assistant Football Coach in June 2024. Robinson will work under first-year Head Coach Kevin Sherman, and work with Ferrum's running backs and tight ends. Robinson comes to Ferrum from NCAA Division II Bluefield State University, where he served the past three and a half years with the Big Blue coaching staff. He was the defensive backs and defensive passing game coordinator from February 2021 to February 2022, then served as Defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach from March 2022 to March 2024. In January 2024, Robinson was named Interim Head Football Coach at Bluefield State, running day-to-day operations for the program. Prior to Bluefield State, Robinson was the cornerbacks coach at Allegheny College from 2019-21, and served as a Defensive Quality Control at the College of William & Mary from 2018-19. He began his coaching career at Hargrave Military Academy in 2013, and served the 2017-18 season as the Tigers' Assistant Head Coach and Co-Defensive Coordinator. Robinson played collegiate football at West Liberty University, and was a starting free safety for the Hilltoppers' 2009 team that won the WVIAC Conference championship and advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Division II playoffs. He earned All-Conference honorable mention in 2009. Robinson also served as team captain in 2011 and was named the 2011 Joseph Bartell Award, honoring him as the best all-around defensive back athletically and academically. Robinson's father, Lawrence Robinson, played football at Ferrum in 1987. Robinson began working with the Panther football staff on June 10, and will be joined by his wife, Misty, and stepson, Jaxon.     

Santiago joined the Ferrum football coaching staff in March 2022 as an assistant coach. He came to Ferrum from Averett University, where he served as an assistant football coach three seasons. Santiago worked with the Cougar wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs. In the 2021 season, Santiago's position group made history by setting school records in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Three wide receivers earned All-Conference honors in the USA South Athletic Conference, and one player signed a professional contract with the Quad City Steam Wheelers.A 2019 graduate of Emory & Henry College, Santiago earned his Bachelor's degree in Health & Human Performance with a minor in Coaching. He was a three-time All-Conference selection at wide receiver, as well as a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree. Santiago was also an NFF Hampshire Honor Society member in 2019. He went on to earn his Master's degree in Business Administration from Averett in 2021. Santiago is originally from Newport News, Virginia.

Jeff Gerzog joined the Ferrum athletic staff in January 2025 as Assistant Football Coach. Gerzog with work under Head Football Coach Kevin Sherman, who completed his first season at the helm of the program in 2024. Gerzog came to Ferrum from East Carolina University, where he served as Graduate Assistant Football Coach for the Pirates in 2024. The Pirates earned a berth in the 2024 Military Bowl, defeating North Carolina State University 26-21. Gerzog coached an AAC All-Conference linebacker, Zayke Barker. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Football Coach at Bluefield State University as Inside and Outside Linebackers Coach, Run Game Coordinator, Recruiting Coordinator and Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Big Blue from 2022-23. He coached a CIAA All-Conference linebacker, TJ Gunter, in 2023. He also coached an All-HBCU Underclass linebacker, Brett Brantley, in 2022. He also served as a Student Assistant Coach at East Carolina from 2021-22, as well as Outside Linebackers Coach (Quality Control) Coach  at University of North Carolina at Pembroke from 2019-21. Gerzog earned his bachelor's degree in Health Fitness from East Carolina in July 2022. He will work with Ferrum's defensive line.     

AJ Hopke previously served a year as Defensive Analyst for East Carolina University, an NCAA Div. I FBS school in 2022. He also served two years as Defensive Coordinator at St. Andrews University (N.C.) from 2020-22, after being promoted from defensive assistant from 2017-2020. Prior to that he spent four years as an assistant coach at Lenoir Rhyne University from 2013-2017. While a defensive analyst with the Pirates, he was responsible for compiling weekly scouting reports, and worked directly with the cornerbacks in drills during practice and on opponents in film study. In game responsibilities, he charted formations and opponent offensive tendencies to help call defensive plays. At St. Andrews, he worked with his defensive coaching staff on all aspects of the defense, including play calling, game plans, scouting reports and practice schedules. Hopke also served as the strength and conditioning coach for three years. A role in which he helped develop two All-Americans and 19 All-Conference players.  Hopke and his wife, Amanda, have a daughter, Eleanor, and the couple is expecting their second daughter in July.