Feb. 3, 2009

Johnson “Jeep” Hunter has been named tight ends coach and assistant special teams coordinator at South Carolina, head coach Steve Spurrier announced today.

“Jeep has an outstanding record as an assistant coach and a reputation as a very good recruiter,” said Coach Spurrier. “I am pleased to announce that he has officially joined our staff.”

Most recently, Hunter spent two seasons (2006-07) as the tight ends coach at Georgia Tech where he mentored Michael Matthews, who was a member of the 2007 Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

“This is truly a blessing for me and my family,” said Hunter. “I look forward to working with Coach Spurrier and the entire coaching staff. I’m thrilled to be in the SEC and a part of this outstanding university, the staff and the entire Gamecock family.”

He came to Georgia Tech after working the previous three seasons on Tommy West’s staff at Memphis. While at Memphis, he helped coach all-America running back DeAngelo Williams, the nation’s leading rusher in 2005 with 178.6 yards per game. Williams rushed for more than 6,000 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career and finished as the NCAA’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards. Hunter helped the Tigers reach a bowl game each of his three seasons there.

Hunter served an NFL Minority Internship with the St. Louis Rams in the summer of 2001.

A native of Denver, N.C., Hunter went to Memphis in 2003 after two seasons at Eastern Kentucky, where he coached the secondary. In 2001, the Colonels ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division I-AA in all defensive categories. He also spent one season (2000) coaching defensive backs at UT-Chattanooga.

Hunter first worked with West at Clemson, where he served as a graduate assistant for two seasons (1996-97) and then spent one year as Assistant Athletics Director for Football Management.

Hunter played collegiate football at Catawba College, an NAIA Division II school, in Salisbury, N.C., for three years before suffering a career-ending knee injury. He remained at Catawba as a student assistant coach from 1987-1990 before moving on to Bandys High School in Catawba, N.C., as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator for three seasons (1991-93).

From 1994-96, Hunter was an assistant football coach at North Carolina A&T State University, where he worked with wide receivers, outside linebackers and defensive backs.

Hunter, 41, received his bachelor’s degree in business administration/physical education from Catawba College in 1991. He is married to the former Susan Potokar of Cleveland, Ohio, and the couple has a three-year-old daughter, Sophia Marie, and a 21-month-old son, Joshua.