Jim Dye Named Offensive Line Coach at Troy
By: Josh Rultenberg
Updated: February 15, 2013
From Troy Media Relations:
TROY,
Ala. - Troy University football head coach Larry Blakeney completed his
coaching staff with the hiring of 29-year coaching veteran Jim Dye to
coach the
Trojan offensive line, Blakeney announced the hiring Friday morning.
"I've
know Jim Dye personally since he was a graduate assistant for us when I
was at Auburn," Blakeney said. "He did a great job coaching and
recruiting when
he was here the first time around. I brought him in to coach the
linebackers and then moved him to the offensive line when I moved
(current defensive coordinator) Wayne Bolt to defensive coordinator. Jim
was always at the top of his game as a recruiter. The
biggest thing in college coaching is the ability to coach young people
and recruit young people and Jim can do both."
Dye
returns to the Troy staff following 10 successful years as an offensive
coordinator at three Georgia high schools. He spent the last seven
years as the offensive
coordinator at Burke County High School in Waynesboro, Ga. Burke County
won the 2011 Georgia AAA State Championship with a combined 91 points in
the semifinal and championship game; it was the first state title in
school history. Dye spent the 2003 and 2004
seasons as the offensive coordinator at Rutland High School in Macon,
Ga., and the 2005 season as the offensive coordinator at Mary Persons
High School in Forsyth, Ga.
"Jim
always came back and studied what we were doing offensively," Blakeney
said. "It is going to be a short step for him to get acclimated with
what we are doing
because he understands the terminology and the schemes."
Dye
spent 10 seasons on Blakeney's staff during his initial stint with the
Trojans. The nephew of former Auburn head coach Pat Dye, Jim coached the
Troy linebackers
from 1993-96, the offensive line and tight ends from 1997-200 and the
tight ends in 2001.
In
his three seasons as the offensive line coach, his units paved the way
for one of the nation's top rushing attacks. In 1998, Cleve Roberts
earned All-America
honors and was named I-AA Lineman of the Year by the Don Hansen's Weekley Football Gazette. Michael Moore earned al-America honors in 1999 and was drafted in the fourth round by the Washington Redskins in 2000.
The
1997 line opened running lanes for a conference-leading 23 rushing
touchdowns and helped the offense average 193.3 yards per game on the
ground. The 1999
squad rushed for 195.4 yards per game and 24 touchdowns. In 2000, four
of the Trojans starting offensive lineman earned All-Southland
Conference honors and Charles Thomas signed as a free agent with the
Carolina Panthers.
During his first tenure with the Trojans, Dye coached 16 All-Southland performers between the linebackers and offensive line.
Prior
to his arrive at Troy, Dye served as the offensive line coach at East
Tennessee State in 1992 after spending the previous two seasons in the
same capacity
at Valdosta State.
Dye
began his coaching career as a student assistant at Georgia Southern
for two seasons before moving on to Auburn as a graduate assistant from
1986-87. Dye
spent two seasons as the head coach at Hephzibah (Ga.) High School
before joining the Valdosta State staff.
A
native of August, Ga., Dye was an offensive lineman for two seasons
under legendary head coach Erk Russell at Georgia Southern.
