Spady Adds Four to Coaching Staff

NORMAL -- Head Football Coach James Spady has announced the hiring of four coaches to join him on "The Hill" and the promotion of another. Rashad Harris, Phil Dorn, Matthew Sanders and Bryan Cummings will bring their talents to Normal, to help lead the Maroon & White football team while Andy Fuller has been promoted to assistant head coach and also will continue to coach the runningbacks.

First of the newly named Maroon & White coaches is Rashad Harris from Colorado State University where he spent two years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. Harris' journey to "The Hill" is a homecoming as he has deep ties to the Huntsville area. Harris starred at Athens (Ala.) High School near Huntsville, Ala., a school that also produced NFL QB Philip Rivers. He is also the son of Alabama A&M Hall of Fame Student Athlete and Coach Curtis Harris.

At Colorado State, Harris was reunited with Head Coach Jim McElwain and Football Strength & Conditioning Coach Mike Kent for the first time since the three were on the Louisville sideline at the 2000 Liberty Bowl against the Rams. A four-year starter (1997-2000) for the Cardinals, Harris was the program's defensive MVP as a senior.

A second-team All-Conference USA linebacker at Louisville, Harris also garnered third-team honors from Phil Steele and all-freshman recognition in 1997, his first of four years as a starter. Harris, who ranks 10th all-time on the program's career tackles list, led the Cardinals to three bowl games and a 2000 league championship. A scholar-athlete, he also earned his teammates' vote as a captain in each of his final two seasons.

Harris graduated in 2001 from Louisville with a degree in physical education. He also owns a master's in sports administration from Michigan State ('05) and has nearly completed his requirements for a second master's, in special education, from Georgetown (Ky.) College. Harris became certified through the collegiate strength and conditioning coaches association in 2012, and holds a Functional Movement Screen level 1 certification. Rashad Harris will lead the strength and conditioning efforts for the Bulldogs.

Phil Dorn will join the Bulldogs after nine years as athletic director and head football coach at Bishop Verot High School. Under his guidance, the Viking football program has experienced a successful transition to District 3A-11 and has grown from 42 participants to more than 120. Prior to leading the Bishop Verot Vikings, Dorn served as the Head Coach at Wilmington College, and assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati. Dorn will lead the offensive line, and serve as the offensive coordinator here on "The Hill".

Matt Sanders travels north to Huntsville from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Sanders served as UAB's special teams coach and assistant secondary coach. Prior to his one year at UAB, Sanders coached three seasons at Lehigh in two separate stints, as the outside linebackers coach for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, and as the inside linebackers coach for the 2012 season. Sanders will lead the Bulldog secondary and serve as the recruiting coordinator here at A&M. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Sanders was a two-year letter winner at the University of Louisville where he played both linebacker and on special teams. Sanders' career was cut short due to injury however, and he then assumed the role of student assistant coach in 2007. Matt graduated from Louisville in 2006 with a degree in accounting. He then went onto earn his MBA from Louisville in 2007.

Bryan Cummings comes to A&M from Texas A&M where he served as a special team's quality control assistant. Prior to his time with Aggies, Cummings served as an assistant coach at New Bern High School in New Bern, N.C., working with the team's linebackers. He also coordinated the strength and conditioning program. During the 2008 season, he served as an assistant at Canisius High School in Buffalo, N.Y. Prior to beginning his coaching career; Cummings was a four-year starter as a linebacker and on special teams at Buffalo. The former Aggie will be the special team's coordinator and coach defensive line for the Bulldogs.

Cummings, Sanders, Dorn, and Harris will join Andy Fuller (RB), Willie Totten (QB), Ashley Lelie (WR), and Brent Pradia (OLB), on the James Spady Maroon & White coaching staff.

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