Wells Hires Five Assistant Coaches

January 12, 2008
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah State University head coach Robby Wells' first coaching staff at SSU will be an experienced group.

Wells, who was Benedict's defensive coordinator last season, named John W. Montgomery II assistant head coach/offensive line coach. Montgomery, who served as the running backs coach at Benedict last year, has previously served at Morehouse, Cincinnati, Alabama A&M, Langston, Southern University, UNLV, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Howard, Witchita State and Oklahoma State. Montgomery, who lettered at Prairie View A&M from 1973-75, was a part of the NFL Minority Apprenticeship Program and worked with the Oakland Raiders the summer of 2003. Montgomery graduated from Oklahoma State in 1976 with a degree in sociology.

The other hires include Alan Hall (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Allen Edwards (defensive line), Roy Ravenell (inside linebackers/strength & conditioning), and Jose Gonzalez (outside linebackers).

Hall comes to SSU from East Mississippi Community College where he also served as offensive coordinator for the past two years. The Tampa, Florida native has also worked on the collegiate level at Newberry College (2003-06), Dodge City Community College (2001-03), Independence Community College (2001), Pikeville College (2000), Adams State (1998) and Monterey Peninsula (1997). He has also coached on the high school level at Monterey and Ridgeview High Schools. Hall has a NCAA Division I-A championship ring, he earned while playing at the University of Miami (backup to Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Gino Torretta). Hall has a bachelor of Arts degree in individualized studies from Charter Oak State College.

Edwards comes to Savannah State from Lexington High School in Lexington, South Carolina where he was the defensive coordinator. He also served as the defensive coordinator at North Atlanta High School in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1998 to 2004, Edwards worked at Furman University as the defensive line coach. During that period, Furman won the Southern Conference three times (1999, 2000 and 2003). He was also a member of Furman coaching staff in the Division I-AA national championship game against Montana in 2001. Edwards was the defensive line coach at Spartanburg High School in Spartanburg, SC from 1993-97. While there, Spartanburg won state championships in 1994 thru 1996. Edwards graduated from Furman with a degree in history in 1993 and he graduated from Converse College in 1998 with a master's in arts and teaching. He was a member of the Furman's 1988 I-AA National Championship football team.

Gonzalez will enter his second season at SSU. After working with the defensive backs and special teams last year, he will coach the outside linebackers this season. In 2006, he worked at Georgia Southern where he coached wide receivers. Prior to working at GSU, he worked at Metter High School in Metter, Georgia coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. From 2001-03 he was defensive and special teams coordinator at Englewood High School in Jacksonville, Florida. A two-year letterman at Southern Mississippi, Gonzalez garnered second team all conference honors in 1998. The Jacksonville native earned a degree in exercise science from USM in 2000

Ravenell will be the Tigers linebackers and strength and conditioning coach. He is a former All- America and All Southern Conference player at Furman from 2003-06 on the defensive line. A native of Goose Creek, South Carolina, Ravenell comes to SSU from D-I Sports Training and Therapy. While at Furman, Ravenell was a second team All-America player in 2004, honorable mention in 2005 and third team in 2006. Ravenell graduated from Furman in 2006 with a degree in political science and minor in mathematics.