Brandon Lacy - Football Coach

Brandon Lacy

Title:
Assistant Coach / Defensive Line
Phone:
266-5393

Brandon Lacy joined the Southern Miss staff in 2021 as the team’s defensive line coach and enters the 2023 season in the same position.

Lacy's unit terrorized opposing offenses all season, racking up 222 total tackles, 42 tackles for loss and 25.5 sacks on the year. Four defensive linemen finished with 30 or more total tackles, led by Jalen Williams' 50, fifth-most on the team. Under Lacy's tutelage, Dominic Quewon burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion. 11 of Quewon's 21 tackles were tackles for loss for a total loss of 58 yards. His sack numbers were 13th-most in the nation by an individual and second in the Sun Belt.

He came to Southern Miss after completing one season at Richmond, where he worked with the Spider defensive line which ranked No. 1 in the CAA in pass defense, No. 2 in the CAA in sacks, and No. 4 in CAA in total defense - along with producing two all-conference players, one preseason CAA defensive player of the year and a sophomore All-American.

In his first year with the Golden Eagles, he mentored Josh Carr, Jr., who was a Conference USA honorable mention selection. His defensive line helped Southern Miss produce the No. 42^nd total defense in the country, allowing just 358.5 yards per game, while also ranking No. 2 in Conference USA.
Lacy joined the Spiders with an impressive defensive resume, bringing 18 years of NCAA coaching experience to Richmond. During his career, he has coached ten different defensive linemen to All-America honors and had eight different players move on to careers in the National Football League.

Before his season at Richmond, Lacy coached ten seasons as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana football staff as defensive line coach – but also held the duties of defensive line/ run game coordinator during three of his years there, six seasons as the Lions recruiting coordinator and also his last three as the assistant head coach. At Southeastern, Lacy coached an All American, fourteen All-Southland Conference players, led Southeastern to national rankings in sacks, TFL's, turnovers, total defense, rush defense, scoring defense, and along with setting several first-time achievements in SLU's school history.

While at SLU:

2018 season - returned seven defensive linemen from the 2017 season and it showed up in a big way placing two of those players on the 2018 All Southland Conference team. SLU’s defense was 1st in Red Zone Defense in the Southland this year.

2017 season - helped mold a young group of first timers with only 16 games combined played into one of the top 3rd down conversion (29%) and rushing defenses (145.4 yds/per game) in the conference. The Lions defense was also one of the top 4 teams in scoring defense, total defense, and defensive pass efficiency.

2016 season - guided a group of defensive linemen that finished 1st in red zone defense, 2nd in pass defense, and 3rd in defensive pass efficiency. Also, he had two linemen awarded with All-Southland Conference honors.

2015 season - groomed a group that finished Southland Conference play 3rd in rushing defense, 2nd in scoring defense, 2nd in sacks and 28th in the nation, 1st in TFL’s and 6th in the nation, and 2nd in total defense. Again, the Lions had two defensive linemen awarded with All-Southland Conference honors.

2014 season - was a success with a 2nd consecutive Southland Conference Championships (1st time since the 1960’s). The team was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation. Also, SLU secured a 7-1 conference record and a 2nd consecutive playoff appearance. The defense recorded 32 sacks led by the defensive line group, which is good for 28th nationally also ranked 18th nationally in rushing defense, 8th nationally in scoring defense, and 7th nationally in total defense. The Lions had two of his defensive linemen awarded with All-Southland Conference honors.

2013 had many firsts for SLU. The team was nationally ranked for the first time as a FCS school reaching as high as No. 4 in the nation. Also securing a 7-0 conference record and winning the Southland for the first time as a FCS school.

The defense recorded a league high 34 sacks,16 by defensive linemen, which was two shy of a school record along with 105 TFL’s which was six short of a school record. With Lacy’s teaching all three of his starting defensive linemen gained All Southland Conference honors. One finished 2nd in the conference in sacks and TFL’s while receiving All American honors as well.

Under Lacy’s guidance in 2012, he had two All-Southland Conference performers while the Lion defense finished fourth overall in sacks with 25.
From this group Lacy had one player sign free agent with the San Diego Chargers.

In 2010, Lacy guided a group of defensive linemen that recorded 25 of the Lions 28 sacks. Again having two All-Southland Conference performers and both players led the team in sacks and TFL’s. In his first season with the Lions in 2009, he guided a young freshmen trio that combined for 98 tackles and 27 quarterback hurries.

Prior to Southeastern, Lacy served as co-defensive coordinator/run game coordinator in 2008 at Angelo State University, where he guided the Rams run defense to 2nd in the Lone Star Conference after finishing 12th the previous season. He had defensive linemen earn All-Lone Star honor in 2008.
From 2006-07, Lacy helped coach the Rice Owls to a 7-6 record in 2006 and their first bowl appearance in 45 years.

Also, he tutored an All C-USA performer that finished 2nd in school history for sacks in a season. In 2007 Lacy coached two freshmen bookends that achieved freshman All-American and C-USA freshman honors.

Prior to Rice, Lacy spent a spring at Ferrum College as the defensive line coach/run game coordinator. Before arriving at Ferrum, Lacy spent one season at University of Tennessee at Martin where he served as the running backs coach and helped guide the Skyhawks to their first winning season in 12 years. Among his pupils was a 1,396 yard rusher and an All-Ohio Valley Conference performer.

In 2003, Lacy began his coaching career at FCS powerhouse Appalachian State working under legendary coach Jerry Moore. During his two seasons in Boone, Lacy helped the Mountaineers win two consecutive seasons while helping to mold some of the top players in school history that included four eventual Buck Buchanan award nominees. Of those players two set the school record for sacks, and one has the FCS record for most pass breakups and INT's in a career.

Lacy played defensive end at Kansas and earned a two-time Academic All Big 12 selection. His final three seasons at KU he played for coaches Terry Allen and Mark Mangino, while earning the Jayhawk Scholar Athlete Award and being named to the KU Honor Roll three times. Lacy earned a bachelor's degree in Economics at KU in 2003 and received graduate credit in Sports Psychology at Rice.

Lacy played his first two seasons at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he led the Skyhawks in sacks both seasons and was a four-time OVC Defensive Player of the Week and a six-time Skyhawk player of the week.

He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association, is an American Football Coaches Association Committee Member, is a member of the Black Coaches Association and has High School membership in the Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana High School Coaches Association.

Lacy was a four-sport athlete at Edmond Santa Fe high school playing football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was All District two years, named to the All Edmond team twice and Honorable Mention All-State in football, All-District one year in basketball and lettered in baseball and track.

Lacy and his wife, Jessica, are both from Edmond, Oklahoma and are the parents of three sons, Brandon, Jr., Julius, and Tre.