In his four years at the helm, Norfolk State football coach Dawson Odums has had four different offensive coordinators.
In his first season in 2021, B.T. Sherman ran the offense. In 2022, it was Ryan Meyers. Last season, it was Ray Pickering. After Pickering left for a job with Buffalo in January, Odums found himself looking for yet another offensive coordinator.
“It’s affected our team progression — it’s just been constant change, trying to find the right pieces of the puzzle,” Odums said. “… It’s been fortunate and misfortune, but at the end of the day, I think we got a really good one. And I believe in him and I know he’s going to do an outstanding job.”
This time, he turned to an old SWAC rival to fill the void, hiring Jason Phillips from Alcorn State.
“I’d been at Alcorn for a long time,” Phillips said. “… I’d been somewhere for a long time, had a lot of success, and it just felt like we needed some new paint on some new walls and that kind of deal. Obviously, we played a lot against Coach Odums in the past when he was at Southern and kinda knew each other. He had an opportunity … I think it was perfect for us. Perfect timing, and we’re very fired up and excited to be here.”
Phillips spent the past five seasons at Alcorn and helped lead the Braves to back-to-back SWAC titles in 2018 and 2019. He started his tenure with Alcorn as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2018 to 2022 and finished it as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.
Last season, Alcorn was No. 6 in the SWAC in total offense, averaging 349.2 yards per game. Its passing game also finished No. 6 at 208.7 yards per game.
“He has a great, great system that he knows,” Odums said. “He knows the weaknesses of it. He knows it inside out. He knows how to put people in position and he knows how to coach the quarterback position to success. And I think as a play-caller, that’s the No. 1 thing you want, is that relationship.”
Norfolk State’s offense received a much-needed jolt last season with Pickering calling the shots. The Spartans averaged 24 points per game, third in the MEAC, after averaging just 17.2 points per game in 2022. They also increased their total yards per game from 299.4 in 2022 to 342 yards per game last year.
The offense is on the right track and Odums believes it “most definitely” has a shot at taking another step forward with Phillips calling the plays.
“He’s known for scoring points,” Odums said. “If we make good decisions at the quarterback position, we’re going to be explosive in our offense.”
Phillips said he’s emphasized creating explosive plays during fall camp. With just 10 days to go until the season opener against Florida A&M, he’s “encouraged” by what he’s seen from practice.
“I think the best thing that we’re going to do is what we do best,” Phillips said. “Not trying to force an identity. It’s not my offense, it’s what these guys will do best and we’ll make it work to them. Then who we’re playing to is (important). If they’re gonna let us run the football, we’re gonna run it. If they won’t let us do that, then we’ll throw it.”
Odums said the offense is similar to last year’s, yet several players during camp have lauded Phillips’ offense for its simplicity. Odums gave the credit to Phillips’ ability to coach and the way he can teach his players. Phillips says part of the reason it’s simple can be traced back to his days as a junior college coach.
“We used to get some five-star, high-end guys and they’d be there for like three weeks and then you gotta go play a game,” Phillips said. “So it had to be something where you could maximize what you’re doing, but also keep it where they could line up and play fast and be simple enough. I think that’s what we try to do, is make it easy for them to get lined up, play fast and appear as complicated to the defense as we can.”
Norfolk State has still not named a starting quarterback, but Odums has praised Phillips’ ability to connect with the quarterback room. When asked about the battle for QB1, which appears to be narrowed down to JUCO transfer Jalen Daniels and incumbent starter Otto Kuhns, Phillips said he feels both have the talent to play.
“I think that we’re fortunate enough that we have two guys that can play Division I quarterback,” he said. “Really, even the younger guys are showing up physically that they can do it and they’re just growing into the spot. But I think those two, especially, are mature. They’re handling the situation. They’re competing against each other. … If they both earned the right to go play, you play both of them. I don’t have a problem with that. You know, ultimately the decision will be Coach Odums’, but I think both of them have the ability to score points for us.”
Both quarterbacks were “very equal” during their team scrimmage Saturday, Odums said, adding that he saw improved decision-making from both players.
Odums said the coaching staff “kind of” knows who the starter is and thinks a starter could officially be named on Sunday during Norfolk State’s fan fest.
Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com
