Hampton University Men's Football

Dr. Lavell Williams Strength & Conditioning Coach   BIRTHDATE:             July 6   HOMETOWN:            Houston, Texas   EDUCATION:            B.S., Texas Tech, 2005 (Human Development & Family Studies) M.S., Northern Colorado, 2015 (Sports & Exercise Science/Coaching) Ph.D., Jackson State, 2020 (Higher Education Leadership & Supervision)   EXPERIENCE:              Head Strength Coach, Rio Grande Valley Dorados (Arena II Football), 2003-04 Strength Coach Intern, Dallas Desperados, 2004–2005 Strength Coach Intern, Dallas Cowboys, 2004-05 Assistant Strength Coach, Kansas (2005) Assistant football Strength Coach, Texas Tech, 2005-08 Assistant men’s basketball Strength Coach, Texas Tech, 2007-08 Head Strength Coach, Lubbock Renegades (Arena II), 2006–2009 Director of Strength & Conditioning, Alcorn State, 2009–2011 Director of Strength & Conditioning, Southern, 2011–2012 Director of Strength & Conditioning, Northern Colorado, 2012–2016 Director of Strength & Conditioning, Jackson State, 2016–2018 Exercise Physiologist, Ft. Riley Army Base, 2019-20 Exercise Physiologist, Osan (South Korea) Air Base 607th ASOG/Camp Humphrey 604th, 2020-26   Dr. Lavell Williams was named strength and conditioning coach at Hampton in 2026 as a member of new Head Coach Van Malone’s first staff. Although new to Hampton, “Doc” has a friendship with Malone that goes back to their high school days in Houston.   He comes to Hampton after spending seven years working at Ft. Riley Army Base in Kansas and at Camp Humphrey military base in South Korea where he was an exercise physiologist.    With more than 18 years of experience training athletes at the college and professional levels. Williams is responsible for developing, implementing, conducting and monitoring the strength and conditioning program for the Pirate football team.   Williams has developed numerous future NFL players including first-round selections Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib; trained pro bowl players Jason Whitten, La’Roi Glover, Larry Allen, Roy Williams and Flozell Adams while with the Dallas Cowboys.   For more than 15 years, he has served on the strength and conditioning staffs of eight collegiate or professional sports teams including Southern, Alcorn State, Northern Colorado and the Dallas Cowboys. In addition, he has helped facilitate various student athletic programs for young people across the country and helped train and develop others that desire to work with student-athletics.   Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies from Texas Tech in 2005. and master’s degree in Forensics from Texas Tech. In 2015, he received a master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science/Coaching from Northern Colorado. In 202, he was awarded a Ph.D. fr0m Jackson State in Higher Education Leadership & Supervision. He is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.   He has attained numerous certifications including: Master Strength & Conditioning Coach (MSCC), Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA), Strength & Conditioning Coaches Certified (SCCC) and American Heart Association First Aid.

Aaron McGinty  General Manager     BIRTHDATE:             June 28  HOMETOWN:           Atlanta, Ga.  EDUCATION:            B.A., Excelsior College, 2005 (General Studies)            EXPERIENCE:            Assistant Coach, Northwest Oklahoma State, 2008                                      Defensive Backs Intern, Arizona Cardinals, 2009                                      Assistant Coach, Williams, 2010-12                                      Assistant Coach, Rhodes, 2013                                      Assistant Coach, Seton Hill, 2014                                      Assistant Coach, Holy Cross, 2015                                      Assistant Coach, Millsaps. 2016-18                                      Assistant, Cincinnati Bengals, 2018                                      Defensive Intern, Cleveland Browns, 2019                                      Defensive Coordinator, Willamette, 2021                                      Assistant Coach, Seattle Sea Dragons (XFL), 2022-23                                      Assistant, Philadelphia Eagles, 2024                                      Defensive Coordinator, Keystone College, 2025                                      General Manager, Hampton University, 2026-present     Aaron McGinty joined the Hampton coaching staff in the newly created position of General Manager under first-year Head Coach Van Malone. He brings a solid background and wealth of experience to the position. He is responsible for developing and implementing systems to enhance the University’s football program. Known for his ability to build winning cultures, McGinty brings a proven record of excellence, preparation, and mentorship to Hampton.     As general manager, McGinty is responsible for a number of administrative duties including roster construction and maintenance. He manages Hampton’s NIL, revenue sharing, and roster management for the football program. His duties also include oversight of the football support staff.     McGinty comes to Hampton from Keystone College where he served as the football team’s defensive coordinator and handled administrative tasks including academic coordinator and Giant for Life coordinator.    He has worked in the professional ranks with the Super Bowl LIX Champion Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, and the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He coached one summer for the Swarco Raider Tirol of the Austrian Football League (AFL).     On the college level, McGinty worked primarily on the defensive side of the ball. He spent a year at Rhodes College as running backs coach. In 2009, McGinty served as a Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Intern with the Arizona Cardinals. He coached defensive backs at Williams (2010-12) and linebackers at Seton Hill (2014) before coaching defensive backs at Holy Cross (2015) and Millsaps (2016-18). After stints with the Bengals and Browns, he worked as defensive coordinator at Willamette (2021) before two seasons with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons. In 2024, he worked with the Eagles before spending the 2025 campaign at Keystone.     Beyond the sideline, McGinty’s leadership extends to academic success and life skills programming, helping student-athletes prepare for success long after their playing days. He was a participant in the NFL–NCAA Coaches Academy. The NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy provides current, full-time college football coaches at NCAA member schools an educational opportunity to build connections and develop leadership acumen to pursue their career aspirations.     His professional background also includes serving as Chief Operating Officer for a high-end residential real estate development firm in Atlanta, where he oversaw acquisition, renovation, and sale of multiple projects.     From 2002-03 McGinty played at Tuskegee after two years at San Jose City College. While at San Jose City College, he was named second-team All-Golden Gate Conference twice. In 2002, he was also named defensive back of the year.     As a youth, he rescued a drowning classmate during an outing at Stone Mountain Lake in Georgia.    His wife, Deara, is a sales manager with Marriott. They are the parents of a daughter, Nina

Connor Loper Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers)             HOMETOWN:           Shreveport, La.           EDUCATION:            B.S., LSU, 2019 (Sports Administration)                                     MBA, Southern, 2022 COACHING:             Assistant, Lab High (La.), 2017-18                                     Assistant, Southern, 2019-21                                     Assistant, Benedict, 2022-23 Assistant, South Carolina State, 2024-25 Assistant, Hampton, 2026-present   Connor Loper comes to Hampton after two seasons at South Carolina State. With the Bulldogs, Loper coached the team’s tight ends and will work with Hampton’s tight ends in his new position.   Loper is a seven-time champion position coach (one national championship, two state championships and four conference championships).   He comes to Hampton from South Carolina State where he served as tight ends coach. Loper is fresh off a 2025 MEAC Championship and HBCU National Championship, winning the Celebration Bowl over Prairie View A&M. During the 2025 season, South Carolina State finished seventh in the nation in passing, 12th in third down conversion percentage. Starting tight end Cyrus Ellison earned second-team all-conference recognition and lead the league in receiving yards for a tight end on the season.   Loper played a major role in the success of South Carolina Statae’s 2024 MEAC Championship team that was ranked No.-18 in the FCS Poll in the final regular season poll. Keshawn Toney led all MEAC tight ends in receiving yards and earned first-team All-MEAC honors. Toney also received an NFL Mini Camp invitation to the Cleveland Browns in the Spring of 2025.   Prior to his stint at South Carolina State, Loper spent two ultra-successful seasons at Benedict as wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. He also served as the director of football operations. In 2023, Benedict won its second consecutive SIAC Championship with a 47-10 win over Albany State. Benedict went 11-0 in the regular season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Benedict boasted the top scoring offense in the SIAC (39.7 ppg). In 2023, Nicholas Sowell, Reginald Harden, Jalen Jones (twice) and Caden High (twice) posted 100+ yard games with Harden, Sowell and High having 150+ yard individual games in 2023.   In 2022, Benedict went 11-0 in the regular season, winning the SIAC Championship Game 58-21 vs. Tuskegee. The Tigers received a No.-1 regional ranking, earning a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Benedict led the SIAC in total offense (4,686 yards), scoring offense (34.6 PPG), touchdowns (58) and passing yards (2,767).   Loper coached at Southern from 2019-21 where he served as assistant wide receivers coach. In 2019, Southern won the SWAC West Division. In the 2021 Spring Season, Southern went 4-1 and finished ranked in the Top 25 of FCS.   Loper is a 2019 graduate of LSU earning a bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration with a minor in business. He served as a student worker for the football team and interned with Player Personnel.   In 2017 and 2018, Loper coached the Inside Receivers at University Lab High School on LSU’s campus, where they celebrated a 26-0 record and two State Championships during that time span. “U-High” finished as the 13th ranked High School Football team in the Nation in 2018, and the No. 1 overall team in Louisiana, regardless of class, in 2017.   Connor Loper is a native of Shreveport, La. He played wide receiver and tight end at Loyola College Prep High School, and started coaching there immediately after he graduated, assisting with the offense during the 2015 and 2016 off-seasons.

HOMETOWN: Aiken, S.C.   EDUCATION: B.S., Allen, 2022 (Sports Management) MBA, Wingate, 2024 (Business Administration)   EXPERIENCE: Graduate Assistant/Football Operations, Wingate, 2022-23 Football Operations Intern, Los Angeles Rams, 2023 Director of Football Operations, Wingate, 2024 Director of Football Operations/Pro Liaison, North Carolina A&T, 2024-25 Director of Football Operations, Albany State, 2025-26 Director of Football Operations, Hampton, 2026-present   Nescotia "Scotti" Harrison serves as the director of football operations at Hampton, bringing a dynamic blend of leadership, operational expertise, and student-centered advocacy to the Pirates football program. A proven trailblazer in collegiate athletics, Harrison has made history as the first Black woman to serve as director of football operations at Wingate and Albany State.   A former dual scholar-athlete at Allen, Harrison competed on scholarship in volleyball and track and field while also supporting football operations during her undergraduate career. Her athletic accolades began in high school, where she earned Most Valuable Player honors in volleyball, was a four-time Region champion in track and field and qualified for state championships. She was also named the Aiken Standard Girls’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year, underscoring her competitive drive and consistency at a high level.   Harrison was deeply involved in campus leadership, serving as the chartered president of the Sports Management Society and representing her institution as the 89th Miss Allen University. For four years, she served as an HBCU ambassador, embodying leadership and service on and off campus, and during her senior year was featured on a billboard in downtown Columbia in recognition of her impact.   Her foundation in sports leadership was shaped at home, influenced by her father’s career as a coach and by her mother’s unwavering determination and ability to always find a way to make things happen. These influences continue to guide Harrison’s leadership style, resilience, and problem-solving approach. She also played powderpuff football growing up and won a high school state championship in volleyball, reinforcing her lifelong connection to competition and teamwork. Her professional philosophy is grounded in the belief: “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful,” a quote from motivational speaker Eric Thomas that shapes her approach on and off the field of grit and grind!   Professionally, Harrison’s career spans player engagement, football operations, and NFL Pro Liaison roles, with experience at Wingate University and across major football platforms. Her background includes work with the College Football Playoff National Championship, the Las Vegas Bowl, and the Los Angeles Rams as a Training Camp Intern, as well as multiple College Football Playoff National Championship events during game week. She is also a 2024 participant in the NFL Women’s Forum, NFL Experienceship Program, HBCU Legacy Bowl, and NFL Career Forum, reflecting her continued commitment to professional growth.   In recognition of her leadership, impact, and influence in the sports industry, Harrison was selected as a recipient of the Winning 10 Award, presented by the Black Sports Business Symposium in partnership with Amazon Prime—an honor awarded to emerging leaders who are driving meaningful change in sports. Harrison is intentional about expanding resources for her players and coaches, driven by her own experiences navigating limited resources as an undergraduate student-athlete. Her mission is rooted in service and impact, guided by the belief that if she can positively influence even one person and give back in a meaningful way, she has fulfilled her purpose.   In addition to her work in football, Harrison collaborates with the DREAM Foundation, assisting in the selection of HBCU students to join the foundation and further advancing her commitment to access, opportunity, and student success.   Harrison earned her MBA in Data Analytics from Wingate, graduating with a 4.0 GPA in December 2024, and is the founder of the We Need More Women in Sports movement, which advocates for diversity, equity, and leadership opportunities for women across the sports industry.   Outside of athletics, Harrison enjoys working out, writing poetry, finding new food restaurants, spending time with close friends, shopping, and staying connected to her Southern roots through line dancing. She is excited to bring her leadership, values, and vision to Hampton University as she continues to elevate the Pirates football program.