Former Canadian Football League DB is new Texas A&M secondary coach

Texas A&M-Commerce head football coach Scotty Conley announced on Wednesday the hiring of David Gibbs as the new defensive coordinator and Cedric Dickerson as the new secondary coach.
Gibbs returns to the college game after spending the last nine years as a defensive coordinator on the high school level. In addition to being the defensive coordinator, he also served as the recruiting liaison. For the last two years, he has been the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at John Tyler High School. As a two-time playoff qualifier, the defense has been the top in the district both years, as well. Prior to John Tyler High School, he was at Beaumont Ozen, where they were two-time district champions. The defense was a two-time leader in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. 14 of his former players continued their playing careers on the college level. He also served as a defensive coordinator at Princeton High School from 2000-02, Jasper High School from 1997-99 and Canton High School from 1996-97.
Before entering the high school ranks, he spent seven years at Stephen F. Austin. He worked his way up from graduate assistant to a five-year stint as the Lumberjacks' defensive tackle coach from 1991-96; he also spent four of those years as the recruiting coordinator. At. Stephen F. Austin, they reached the NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinals in 1992 and 1994, semifinals in 1996 and the finals in 1989.
Dickerson comes to Commerce after spending the last two years as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a CFL team in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He had a career-high eight tackles in a game against Saskatchewan in 2005. In addition to his role on the field, Dickerson was active in off-the-field activities including a motivational speaker and volunteer for organizations that targeted underprivileged children. He has also developed the Cedric Dickerson/LCRD Football Camp in an attempt to reach out to kids and make a difference in their lives.
He played collegiately at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, where he was a three-time all-Gulf South Conference and team captain selection. As a senior, he was a Daktronics All-South All-American and where Valdosta State finished second in the nation. He was a second team all-region selection as a junior. During his playing days, the Blazers were three-time Gulf South Conference Champions from 2000-2002. Dickerson earned his bachelor's degree from Valdosta State in management in 2002 and in marketing in 2004.
He graduated from Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Georgia, where he was a three-sport letterwinner in football, basketball and track and field.

Former Canadian Football League QB looking forward to fist camp with Jacksonville

Kerwin Bell couldn't contain the excitement in his voice.

Months of dealing with the necessary minutiae of college football as well as with more crucial aspects, like recruiting, Bell finally gets to watch Jacksonville University play some football as the Dolphins open their first spring practice under Bell today.
"[The coaches] were talking about getting to practice this morning," Bell said. "It seems like we've been in the office for a year as far as recruiting and all the other things. But it's always fun to do what we love to do and that's getting out on the field."
JU will practice 14 times over the next month leading up to the spring game on April 21.
Bell and the JU coaching staff, which has seven new coaches not including Bell, will focus on installing a new offense and defense.
Under Steve Gilbert, Bell's predecessor, the Dolphins ran a no-huddle, multiple offense. But Bell, a former Florida quarterback, will use a spread offense that is heavily dependent on the passing game.
"Getting our guys comfortable with the system and getting them to react is going to be the key this spring," he said. "If you have to think, you're going to be a step too slow."
Bell won't be spoon-feeding his team.
In several seasons in the NFL and CFL, Bell ran several different offensive systems, learning many of them on the fly. And that is how he expects the Dolphins player to learn now.
"We're going to throw a lot at them and see what sticks," Bell said. "We'll see who picks things up and then we'll go back after a week or so and get more detailed."