John Pennington will begin his fourth season at Concord University in 2014. Pennington has increased his duties on the staff in each season on head coach Garin Justice’s staff. He currently serves as the Mountain Lions’ wide receivers coach, special teams coordinator and the team’s strength & conditioning coordinator.
 
Concord is 22-11 since Pennington joined the program.
 
In three years under Pennington, five Concord receivers have totaled more than 500 yards in a season in what has often times been a run heavy offense (Ryan Stewart-831/2011, Ansel Ponder-764/2012, Tiko Henderson-620/2013, Randal Hawkins-590/2011 and Darrick Williams-510/2013).
 
Pennington has guided four wide outs to all-conference accolades in Henderson (2013), Ponder (2012), Hawkins (2012) and Stewart (2011).
 
His unit averaged 15.10 yards per reception in 2013, a three-year high thanks to Henderson (34 receptions / 620 yards), Williams (39 / 510), Stewart (8 / 78), Davon McGill (6 / 107) and D.J. Holmes (6 / 90).  At the conclusion of the year, Henderson ranked second in the Mountain East Conference in yards per catch (18.2), eighth in yards (620) and eighth in yards per game (56.4).
 
In 2012, his receiving corps of Ponder (61 / 764), Hawkins (52 / 479), Williams (19 / 226), Tyler Smith (13 / 193), Stewart (9 / 77), Holmes (8 / 67), Henderson (7 / 124) and Colton Cox (1 / 6) combined for 170 receptions and 1,936 yards; both of which were highs during the Pennington era. Ponder placed fourth on the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference leaderboard in yards per game (69.5) while Hawkins was fourth in receptions per game (5.8).
 
In his first season at Concord in 2011, CU’s receivers caught 132 passes for 1,861 yards and a three-year best total of 13 touchdowns. Thanks in part to Pennington’s tutelage; Stewart ranked sixth in the WVIAC in yards per game (75.5) and eighth league-wide in touchdowns (10).
 
Prior to the start of the 2013 season, Pennington took on the title of special teams coordinator. In his first year in charge of the group, Concord ranked sixth in the nation in blocked kicks, seventh in punt return defense and ninth in punting.

Additionally, Concord was first in the MEC in kickoff coverage and third yards per punt return. Andrew Huska was the conference’s leader in punt yardage and touchbacks while kicker Andy Ellington finished fifth in the league in scoring. Both specialists were All-MEC honorees with Huska also being selected to the Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-Super Region I squad.
 
Prior to coming to Concord, Pennington worked as the offensive line coach and special teams coordinator at West Virginia State University in 2010. From 2008-2009, Pennington coached the defensive backs and offensive linemen at West Virginia Tech, while also acting as the team’s head strength coach.

While working at WVU Tech and West Virginia State, Pennington was also offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the West Virginia Lighting, a semi-pro football team competing out of the Heartland Football League. He helped the Lightning win HFL championships in 2008 and 2010.

Pennington began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan College, working with the wide receivers in 2005-2006 and the defensive backs in 2007. He earned an MBA from West Virginia Wesleyan in 2007.
 
Before entering the coaching profession, Pennington was a three year letterman as a wide receiver at West Virginia University and was selected by the coaches as the “Ideal Mountaineer Man” in 2003 and 2004. He graduated with a double major in accounting and finance with a minor in communications in 2005.

Pennington endeared himself to Mountaineers fans when he made what has come to be known simply as “The Catch” – a diving 28-yard touchdown grab of fourth-down pass just before halftime against arch-rival Pitt in the 2003 Backyard Brawl. WVU would win that game over the 16th-ranked Panthers, 52-31 and move into the Top-25 the next week. The Mountaineers went on to claim a share of their first Big East championship in ten years.

Pennington and his wife Andrea reside in Charleston, West Virginia with their son Nolan and two dogs, Stanley and Peggy.