University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagle Football Adds Wide Receivers Coach
2/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Golden Eagle Football Adds Wide Receivers Coach
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower has announced the employment of Courtney Messingham as the Golden Eagles' wide receivers coach. He comes to Southern Miss after serving as the head football coach at Upper Iowa University for the past two years.
Messingham will be reunited with offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, as both coached together at Truman State from 1995-97 and both played for the University of Northern Iowa, Messingham in the mid-to-late 1980s and Johnson in the early 1990s.
"Courtney is an outstanding coach who came highly recommended by numerous people," Bower said. "He brings impressive credentials here to Southern Miss as a coach and recruiter, and I was very impressed when I talked with him. He has years of experience developing excellent offensive players, and I am happy that he has decided to come to Southern Miss and become a part of the Golden Eagle football program."
Before becoming head coach at Upper Iowa, he was on the offensive staff at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., serving as offensive coordinator for three years from 2000-02 and wide receivers/tight ends and special teams coach for the 1999 season. Prior to his stint at SMS, he was an assistant coach at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., coaching the quarterback, running back, receiver, kickoff return and punt positions for four years (1995-99).
Messingham spent a two-year stint at Iowa Lakes Community College (1993-94) in Esterville, Iowa, serving as the offensive coordinator for two years. He was named the head coach in January 1995, before moving to Turman State for the 1995 season. As the offensive coordinator at Iowa Lakes, he coached the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. Prior to that, he coached two seasons at St. Ambrose University (1990-92) in Davenport, Iowa, as a graduate assistant for one year (1990) before becoming the offensive coordinator the next two years, coaching the quarterbacks and tight ends.
Highlighting his coaching career, one of Messingham's wide receivers at Upper Iowa had 11 touchdown receptions, third most in the school's history and four receiving touchdowns in one game, second most in school history. His tailback had the longest touchdown run in the school history (95) and his starting quarterback threw a school-record seven touchdowns in one game, a school-record 36 completions in a game and accumulated game passing yard totals of 392, 407 and 427 yards.
At Southwest Missouri State, his 2001 offense produced a national-best 432 yards per game, fourth in the school's history. His starting receiver set school marks for receptions and yards. His quarterback in 2000 started a game hitting 20-of-20 passes, setting an NCAA record. His receiver set a single-season record for receptions and career record for receiving touchdowns. He coached four Division II All-Americans at Truman State, including the 1996 Player of the Year. His running back finished with 2,140 yards as a senior and ended his career as the third-leading rusher in NCAA history with 6,166 yards and 73 rushing touchdowns. He coached four all-conference players at Iowa Lakes Community College and the all-time receptions leader at St. Ambrose.
Messingham, who hails from Waterloo, Iowa, earned his bachelor of technology degree, majoring in mechanical design with a coaching endorsement from Northern Iowa in 1990. He earned his master's degree in business administration with 12 hours of graduate studies in physical education from St. Ambrose in 1992.
