Assistant Coaches Johnson "Jeep" Hunter Before serving at UT-Chattanooga, he worked Tight Ends as a graduate assistant football coach at Clemson University from 1996-98 and was named by West as Assistant Athletic Director for Football Manage- ment at Clemson in 1999. As the Assistant AD for Football Management, Hunter was responsible for working with profes- sional scouts, overseeing the walk-on program, han- dling coaching clinics and summer camps and han- dling official and unofficial visits to Clemson's cam- pus. Hunter worked with back-to-back Peach Bowl teams at Clemson as the Tigers faced LSU in the 1996 Peach Bowl and Auburn in January of 1998. A native of Denver, North Carolina, Hunter THE HUNTER FILE played collegiate football at Catawba College, an NAIA Division II school, in Salisbury, NC, for three Personal years. He lettered as a member of the secondary Born: Denver, NC but his collegiate career was cut short during his Birthdate: 8-30-67 junior year when he suffered a severe knee injury that ended his playing days. College: Catawba College (1991) Hunter went to Catawba College from East Athletics: 3 year football letterman at Lincoln High School in Denver, NC, where he let- defensive back for Catawba College tered as a quarterback, running back, defensive Wife: Susan Hunter back and kick returner. He was an all-state defen- sive back for East Lincoln as a senior. He served as a student assistant coach at Coaching Experience Catawba from 1987-90 after his career-ending in- Univ. of Memphis (2003) jury. He spent the next three seasons as the assis- Eastern Kentucky University (2001-02) tant head coach, defensive coordinator and special UT-Chattanooga (2000) teams coordinator at Bandys High School in Catawba, NC. Clemson University (1998-1999) From 1994-96, Hunter was an assistant foot- Clemson Graduate Assistant (1996-97) ball coach at North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina A & T State (1994-96) where he worked with wide receivers, outside line- Bandys High School (1991-93) backers and defensive backs. Catawba College Student-Asst. (1987-90) Hunter received his bachelor's degree in busi- ness administration/physical education from Catawba College in 1990. He has done additional graduate work at both North Carolina A&T and Clemson. During the summer of 2001, Hunter served an Johnson "Jeep" Hunter is entering his first sea- NFL Minority Internship with the St. Louis Rams son as an assistant coach on Tommy West's staff at where he worked with defensive secondary coach The University of Memphis. But the North Carolina Ron Meeks. native is no stranger to West, having served as a Hunter married the former Susan Potokar of graduate assistant and later as Director of Football Cleveland, Ohio, this past July. Operations at Clemson. Hunter, who will coach the Tiger tight ends, comes to Memphis from Eastern Kentucky University where he worked with the Colonels' secondary for two seasons. Prior to his accepting the position at Eastern Kentucky University, Hunter coached the defensive backs at UT-Chattanooga during the 2000 season and was instrumental in helping the Mocs to a 6-5 record. 46 Support Staff JOHN FLOWERS Flowers is responsible for the movement of the John and his wife, LuAnn, have two daughters, DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS Tiger football team at both home games and Brittany, and Brooke. road contests. He works hand-in-hand with Brittany and her husband, Judd Rhodes, hotel management in arranging player and have one daughter, Olivia, age 10 months. staff rooms, as well as team meals. Brooke is entering her senior year at The During Tiger home games, he can U of M after graduating from Bartlett High School be found setting up and hosting the in Memphis, where she was a letter winner for the Memphis football recruiting area and Lady Panther basketball team. welcoming visitors to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Flowers serves as a guest speaker for Tiger football around the Mid-South and often fills in when head coach Tommy West is unavailable. Flowers came to Memphis after serving in the high school coaching ranks for seven years in the state of Illinois. THE FLOWERS FILE A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Flowers played for the Sa- Personal lukis in the 1970s and received his Born: Nokomis, IL degree from SIU in 1976. Birthdate: 12-7-54 As a player, Flowers was nominated for UPI Lineman of College: Southern Illinois (1976) the Week after registering Athletics: 4 year football letterman at 18 tackles, six sacks, one defensive end & linebacker pass break up and Wife: LuAnn Flowers a blocked punt Children: Brittany & Brooke against the Univer- sity of Northern Illi- nois. He lettered for Experience four years for the South- Univ. of Memphis (1985-present) ern Illinois defense. Lincoln High School (1978-84) He entered the coaching profession as an assis- tant coach at Lincoln High School (IL) and became the head coach in 1983. His 1984 squad posted a 9-2-0 record and appeared John Flowers, who came to Memphis in 1985, in the state playoffs. is in his 19th season as a member of the football staff. A graduate of He serves as Tommy West's director of football op- Nokomis High erations and oversees the day-to-day running of School, Flowers the football office. signed with SIU in Since his arrival in Memphis, Flowers has 1973. He lettered for worked under head coaches Rey Dempsey (1984- four years as a line- 85), Charlie Bailey (1986-88), Chuck Stobart (1989- backer and received 94), Rip Scherer (1995-2000) and Tommy West the Star Lineman (2001-present). Award as a senior. Most recently, Flowers has been involved with Flowers was selected the renovation of Murphy Athletic Complex and the to the Tri-State (Illi- new addition to the complex which includes new nois, Kentucky, Indi- football locker rooms, coaches locker rooms and ana) first team. meeting rooms, video rooms, media interview rooms, Flowers as well as new training rooms, equipments rooms spends his free time and locker rooms for other sports. The new addi- with his family, enjoys tion, which began construction in January of 2002, hunting, fishing and also has a large Hall of Fame area that will highlight playing golf. the careers of numerous Tiger football greats. THE FLOWERS FAMILY 47 Support Staff MIKE STARK LEE YERTY KEVIN WHITE HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH GRADUATE ASSISTANT Mike Stark, who let- Lee Yerty begins his Kevin White, a tered for the Tigers for three fifth season as a fulltime as- former Tiger walk-on football years under former head sistant strength and condi- player and undergraduate coach Billy J. Murphy dur- tioning coach. assistant coach, will be en- ing the late 1960s and early Yerty, who works tering his second season as 1970s, has returned to the with all sports under the di- the offensive graduate assis- University as the head rector of strength and condi- tant for Tommy West's Tiger strength and conditioning tioning, had served one year football program. White will coach. Stark is entering his fourth year with the Ti- as an administrative assistant for women's athletics assist the offensive line and will work with coach Rick ger athletic department. before he was appointed to his new position. Mallory. A native Memphian, Stark comes to The U of M Yerty, a 1986 graduate of Washington State Uni- White came to the University of Memphis in after serving as defensive coordinator and head versity, was the assistant strength coach at WSU 1998 after spending one year at Bethel College. He strength coach at Cordova High School for two years from 1985-90 before accepting the job of marketing lettered as a freshman linebacker at Bethel where (1998-99). In addition, he worked as the head wres- director at Eastern Washington in 1991. Yerty was he registered 87 tackles as a freshman. White spent tling coach for the Wolfpack. elevated to assistant athletic director in 1993 before three semesters at the U of M as a player before Prior to joining the staff at Cordova High, Stark becoming the recruiting coordinator for volleyball in deciding on a career in coaching. spent 10 years as the defensive coordinator and 1995. A native of Munford, TN, White lettered for two strength coach at Bartlett High School in Memphis. Yerty is the husband of Carrie Yerty, Memphis' years in football. He was credited with 117 tackles as During his tenure at Bartlett, the Panthers posted a head volleyball coach. They have two sons, Weslee, a senior and had three fumble recoveries. Playing 87-39 record, made seven appearances in the state who is five years old and Jace, who was born in for coach Mark Fisher, White had 202 career stops playoffs and reached the quarterfinals four times. As November of 2002. and three pass interceptions. He was named to the strength coach, his teams won eight City Who's Who Among American High School Students Weightlifting Championships and three Tennessee as a senior at Munford High. Weightlifting Championships. GERARD ARNOLD White and his wife, Mary, have two sons, Tyler Stark began his coaching and strength career and Tucker. at Trezevant High School in Memphis. From 1983- Graduate Assistant 89 the Bears posted a 42-8 record, made the state Gerard Arnold, who J.C. MOREAU playoffs three times and won a state championship. lettered for three years for the A 1972 graduate of The University of Memphis University of Memphis, is en- GRADUATE ASSISTANT (then Memphis State University), Stark played foot- tering his second season as ball for the Tigers for four years serv- Moreau, who will be a graduate assistant at The ing as an offensive lineman.