Football
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach / Offensive Recruiting Coordinator / Wide Receivers
- Email:
- Desmond.lindsey@usm.edu
- Phone:
- 266-5393
Desmond Lindsey, who has 18 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level, returned to Southern Miss in 2021 after spending the two seasons prior at Arkansas State as running backs coach. The 2024 campaign is his sixth overall with the Golden Eagles.
The 2023 season saw Lindsey coach three Golden Eagles that caught at least 30 passes for the squad, including Ti Mims, who led the way with 39 catches. Latreal Jones ranked next with 36 and Jakarius Caston with 33. Caston was the team’s leader in receiving yards at 621 and six touchdown catches. Caston’s yard per catch of 18.8 ranked No. 13 in the nation.
Lindsey’s work with current New York Jet Jason Brownlee earned the pass catcher All-Sun Belt honors after the 2022 year. Lindsey’s unit combined for 2,096 yards on 124 catches for 18 touchdowns. Brownlee led the squad in all categories with 55 receptions, 891 yards and eight touchdowns as the senior averaged 68.5 yards a game and enjoyed 100-yard receiving games five times. Jakarius Caston notched second in all categories with Ti Mims slotting at third on just 10 and nine games played, respectively.
In 2021, Lindsey coached Brownlee to second-team All-Conference USA honors who led the team in catches (46), receiving yards (643) and touchdowns (8). His touchdown catches, ranked No. 6 in Conference USA. Fellow receiver Jakarius Caston added 16 grabs for 239 yards and scoring catch.
In 2020 at Arkansas State, he had two running backs go over 500 yards rushing, including Jamal Jones, who led the squad with 578 yards on the ground as the Red Wolves finished No. 14 nationally during the regular season in total offense at (489.7).
Lindsey’s first season at Arkansas State saw the Red Wolves complete their 2019 campaign with an 8-5 overall record with victories in four of its last five games, including a 36-24 win over FIU in the Camellia Bowl.
The Red Wolves’ running backs combined for 1,609 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while also contributing 171 receiving yards to help the squad rank No. 26 in the nation in scoring offense (33.7 avg.) and No. 33 in both total offense (493.3 ypg) and red zone offense (.889).
A-State’s running attack was headlined by 2019 Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt Conference pick Marcel Murray, who was also a member of the Doak Walker Award Watch List. Murray completed his sophomore season with a team-best 820 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while also accounting for 125 receiving yards that were the most among the squad’s running backs.
He also tutored junior college transfer Ryan Graham to productive performances before their first season at A-State was cut short due to injury. Jamal Jones stepped in and, under the direction of Lindsey, posted the best numbers of his career with 375 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Lindsey came to Arkansas State after previously spending the 2018 season as the wide receivers coach at Memphis, which helped lead the Tigers to an eight-win campaign and an appearance in the Birmingham Bowl. Memphis ended his lone season with the program ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (523.1 ypg) and seventh in scoring offense (42.9 ppg).
He coached Second Team All-American Athletic Conference wideout Damonte Coxie, who finished the season ranked 16th in country in receiving yards (1,174). Coxie caught 72 passes on the year and posted seven receiving touchdowns.
Lindsey went to Memphis after spending the previous two seasons on the staff at Southern Miss. In 2016, Lindsey coached the tight ends and helped the Golden Eagles earn a New Orleans Bowl berth. In 2017, he moved to coaching the wide receivers, helping junior wideout Korey Robertson to a breakout year. Robertson had 76 catches for 1,106 yards, 12 touchdowns and five 100-yard receiving games. Robertson’s catch total ranks No. 2, while his touchdown grab number is tied for No. 3 on the school’s single-season charts. Robertson signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
Lindsey began his coaching career as the wide receivers coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. There, he helped the Bulldogs to the 2005 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) South Division championship and also coached two wide receivers to MACJC all-state honors.
He left the Bulldogs to become the wide receivers coach at the University of Arkansas-Monticello. At UAM, he helped the Tigers to their first NCAA playoffs appearance in 34 seasons and mentored three of the Gulf South Conference’s top-10 receivers in 2007.
In 2008, Lindsey joined the staff at West Alabama (UWA). He spent six seasons on the staff at UWA, including the last three as assistant head coach, before joining the staff at West Georgia (UWG) in 2014.
At UWA, Lindsey led the recruiting efforts for a team that led the Gulf South Conference in scoring offense (49.5), total offense (539.1), total defense (338.5), rushing offense (305.1), rushing defense (127.1) and pass efficiency (182.9). He mentored seven all-conference receivers, including Gerald Worsham, who became UWA’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards.
Lindsey also mentored Seth Roberts, who played for the Green Bay Packers, for two seasons at UWA. In his last three seasons at UWA, the program posted a record of 25-11 with two conference titles.
Lindsey went to UWG as the assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2014. That fall, the Wolves made their deepest playoff run in the program’s NCAA Division II history, advancing all the way to the semifinals before falling to eventual champs CSU-Pueblo.
In 2015, the Wolves posted a 12-2 record and shared the Gulf South title with North Alabama. The Wolves again made the semifinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs (falling to eventual champs Northwest Missouri State).
Lindsey has twice been selected to participate in the Bill Walsh NFL Coaches Fellowship Program, working with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009 and with the Tennessee Titans in 2013.
In 2012, he was one of 30 coaches from an NCAA school selected to participate in the NFL/NCAA Football Academy in Dallas. That academy provides 30 college coaches and coaches from 30 NFL teams with development and networking opportunities to enhance their chances at success in the football coaching industry.
Lindsey published Defeating Press Coverage for Your Wide Receivers by Gridiron Strategies in 2011.
Lindsey received his both his bachelor’s (2004) and master’s (2009) degrees from West Alabama. Lindsey and his wife, Sherita, have two children – Deja Moffett and Khloe Lindsey.
