FOBBS STAFF IS COMPLETED

Lavigne named Defensive Coordinator, Ragsdale returns to Aggie Land  

GREENSBORO, February 28, 2006 – Lee Fobbs has announced the completion of his coaching staff heading into his first season as the head football coach at North Carolina A&T.

 Fobbs’ staff will include eight assistant coaches, five first-year assistants and three coaches from the previous coaching staff. Thomas Lavigne Jr. (secondary/defensive coordinator), George Ragsdale (running backs), Kenneth Ray (offensive line), Dwike Wilson (tight ends/special teams), Demetrius “Deke” Adams (defensive line) are the first-year assistants.

 Travis Oliver (linebackers), Joey Sulkowski (receivers) and Mike Stewart (football operations) were held over from the previous staff. The coaching staff comes into place as the Aggies prepare for the start of spring practice on March 21. The Aggies will hold their annual Spring Game on April 8.

 Fobbs will serve as the Aggies offensive coordinator in 2006, while Lavigne will call the defensive alignments for the Aggies in ’06. Like Fobbs, Lavigne is a Grambling graduate who played football under legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson.

 Lavigne was the defensive coordinator and the secondary coach at Grambling. Lavigne has also served as an assistant at Southern University (La.), Tennessee State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. While the secondary coach at Ole Miss, the Rebels were first in the SEC in defense, pass efficiency defense and pass break ups.  When Lavigne was the linebackers coach at Southern, the Tigers won the Black College National Championship ranked in the top five in several defensive categories.

 Both of Lavigne’s undergraduate and graduate degree came from Grambling. Lavigne received his undergraduate degree in health and physical education in 1975 and master’s degree in health and physical education in 1983. He was an All-American defensive back at Grambling, starring there from 1969-72.

 Fobbs also brought back a familiar name in Aggies football history when he appointed Ragsdale to work with running backs. Ragsdale return to N.C. A&T marks the third time the Aggie football great as been an assistant football coach for the Aggies.

 He served as the running back coach from 1983-88 under head coach Mo Forte, and he was a part-time assistant coach during the Aggies 2003 run to the MEAC Championship.  Ragsdale played running back for the Aggies from 1972-75, and compiled 1,989 yards on 487carries during his career. He is eighth on the Aggies all-time rushing list.  

 Ragsdale played in the NFL for five seasons, five with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Washington Redskins. Ragsdale comes to N.C. A&T after a two-season stint as the running backs coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

 Opening holes for Ragsdale’s running backs will be Ray’s offensive line. Ray was an assistant coach at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. In 2005, he served as the team’s offensive coordinator. His offense ranked in the top 10 of several categories, including total offense (436.3 yards per game).

 Ray’s offense helped the Yellow Jackets to a 9-3 record, a conference championship and the school earned its first-ever trip to the NAIA national playoffs. Eight of the Yellow Jackets offensive players made all-conference, and the Yellow Jackets offensive line yielded just 8.5 sacks the entire season, which ranked as the third lowest total in the nation.

 Ray has also coached at the University of Louisiana-Monroe and Samford (Al.). He played at Southern Mississippi from 1991-94, where he was a three-year starter at center.

Wilson will oversee the Aggie tight ends and special teams. He served as the corner backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Murray State previously. Before coaching at Murray State, he was an assistant coach at Itawamba Community College (Miss.) starting in 2002. During his stint there, he served as the secondary coach, quarterback and wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

 Fifteen position players earned post-season accolades under his tutelage. Twenty-five community college players have earned scholarships to four-year college programs, and five position players have been or are still on NFL rosters.

 Wilson received his A.A., degree from Hinds Community College (Miss.), and his B.S., degree in Leisure Management from the University of Mississippi.

 Rounding out the newcomers is Adams. He will coach the Aggies defensive line this upcoming season. Adams has spent the past four seasons at Ouchita Baptist University (Ark.). This past season, he served as the school’s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. From 2003-2005, he coached the defensive line there, and in 2002 he was the linebackers coach.

 Adams completed his B.S., degree in psychology and coaching and sports administration at Southern Mississippi University in 1995 as a double major. He received his master’s degree in coaching and sports administration in 1996 from Southern Miss. Adams played at Southern Miss from 1990-95, making the Dean’s list from 1992-96. As a graduate student, he was the Academic Advisor/Study Hall Coordinator for Southern Miss.

 The first-year assistant coaches and Fobbs will get their first opportunity to coach the Aggies at Aggie Stadium on September 2 when N.C. A&T faces I-40 rival Winston-Salem State.