Ferguson Rounds Out Staff for 2024

ATHENS, W.Va. – Concord University head football coach Brian Ferguson has completed his staff for the upcoming 2024 season.

From the spring, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Chris Anderson and offensive graduate assistant Saul Robles remain on staff, as well as longtime assistant Tracy Gravely.

The following coaches were added to the staff prior to the start of fall preseason camp August 12: David Blake (defensive coordinator), Brady Nix (defensive line), Jesse Sosebee (offensive line), Tim Schroer (defensive backs), Pat Talbot (special teams) and Chris Palmer (strength & conditioning).

Blake comes to Concord after serving as the defensive backs and special teams coach at Kent State in 2023. Blake coached future NFL player DJ Miller and West Virginia native and All-MAC perfomer Andrew Glass. Prior to his brief stint at Kent State, Blake coached the offensive side of the ball as he was at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, coaching the quarterbacks and serving as the co-offensive coordinator in 2022. In 2021, Blake was at Mercer County rival Bluefield State. Other stops for Blake include Auburn (2020), Rhodes College (2019) and Memphis (2016-18). Blake played at Mountain East Conference school West Liberty and served for nine years in the U.S. Navy.

A former player at Oklahoma State and U.S. Army veteran, Nix served as a long snapper for Oklahoma State before enlisting in the United States Army in 2009. Following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, Nix transitioned into a new chapter of his life, one that combined his love for adventure with his leadership experience. He began leading expeditions to some of the world's most challenging and awe-inspiring locations. His background as an athlete and soldier made him uniquely suited to guide others through demanding environments.

Coach Sosebee comes to Concord for the 2024 season from the University of Hawaii where he served as a graduate assistant to the offensive line coach. Before Hawaii, he was the assistant offensive line coach for Division II Limestone University in 2022, producing All-Conference offensive lineman JJ Martin and helping Limestone to an 8-4 record and playoff berth. Coach Sosebee, started three different years at three different positions for the University of Washington from 2014-2018. His recruiting class became the winningest class in UW history.
 
Schroer is in his first season as Concord's defensive backs' coach. He spent the previous two seasons coaching at William Jewell College in Missouri. In two seasons, the WJC secondary accounted for 17 interceptions under Schroer's guidance. Prior to his time in the Midwest, Schroer made a coaching stop in Florida at Stetson where he coached safeties from 2019-21. The native of Cincinnati got his full-time coaching career started at Black Hills State, a Division II school in South Dakota where he was in charge of the safeties as well as the kick and punt return games.
 
Talbot is in his first season working with Concord's specialists as the special teams coordinator.
Talbot, a former kicker, spent the last two seasons kicking at Chowan University in North Carolina. Over the course of his career at Chowan, Talbot knocked 27 punts inside the 20-yard line and had an average of nearly 38 yards as a senior in 2023. He was also used as a kickoff specialist on a part-time basis the last two years. Talbot started his career at Eastern New Mexico where he averaged 35.6 yards per punt in 31 attempts.
 
Palmer is in his first season as the Concord football strength & conditioning coach. Palmer comes to CU from Virginia Tech where he worked in the S&C program with the olympic sports programs. His previous experience also includes working at Roanoke College. He graduated from Liberty University a degree in exercise science.