MARTIN, Tenn. – Skyhawk head coach Jason Simpson has announced John Bond has joined the University of Tennessee at Martin football coaching staff as the offensive coordinator.
Bond brings 29 years of coaching experience to the Skyhawk football program, including each of the last 17 seasons as an offensive coordinator. His teams have made four Football Bowl Subdivision bowl appearances as well as four Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances. Bond has also mentored 10 current NFL players (Doug Free, Dallas Cowboys; Ulrick John, Indianapolis Colts; Albert Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs; Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos; Tashard Choice, Indianapolis Colts; Jonathan Dwyer, Arizona Cardinals; Emmanuel Ogbuehi, Miami Dolphins; Rob Blanchflower, Pittsburgh Steelers; Josh Nesbitt, Buffalo Bills; Anthony Dima, Cleveland Browns) and Kevin Glenn, whose 39,418 career passing yards ranks 10th all-time in Canadian Football League history.
“We had a great opportunity to bring in a guy with unlimited offensive coordinator experience,” Simpson said. “I’ve known Coach Bond since 1994 and I am looking forward to seeing what he can bring to our coaching staff.”
Bond first met Simpson when they were both on staff at Delta State in 1994. Bond was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator while Simpson was a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs.
“I have followed Coach Simpson’s career and I am proud of the things he’s been able to do,” Bond said. “His record speaks for itself and my offensive philosophies fall right in line with what he has done in the past. I have a good comfort level with him and I hope to add another Ohio Valley Conference championship or two to the program.”
Bond has served as the offensive coordinator at Massachusetts (2013), Georgia State (2008-12), Georgia Tech (2007), Northern Illinois (2004-06), Army (2000-03) and Illinois State (1996-99). He also made assistant coaching stops at Delta State (1994-95), UTEP (1991-93), Missouri State (1986-90) and his alma mater Arkansas (1983-85).
Bond presided over seven all-conference honorees at Georgia State, where he was selected by longtime collegiate head coach Bill Curry to be the first-ever offensive coordinator in the history of the program which began in 2008.
Prior to Georgia State, Bond was offensive coordinator for one season under head coach Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets defeated No. 13 Clemson posted impressive road wins over Notre Dame and Miami on their way to a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl. It was there where Bond coached Choice, who led the ACC in rushing with 114.9 yards per game.
Bond spent three seasons at Northern Illinois, helping the Huskies to a 23-14 record and appearances in two bowls (2004 Silicon Valley Classic Bowl, 2006 Poinsettia Bowl). Bond was directly responsible for a Northern Illinois offense that ranked 11th in rushing, 14th in scoring and 14th in total offense in the 2004 FBS ranks. He oversaw the progress of Garrett Wolfe, who ranked in the top-five nationally in rushing in all three seasons under Bond. Wolfe’s 1,976 rushing yards led the nation in 2006 and parlayed that performance into a third round draft pick selection (93rd overall) by the Chicago Bears.
Before his success at Northern Illinois, Bond was the offensive coordinator at Army under head coach Todd Berry, who was the offensive coordinator at UT Martin from 1986-88. Bond ran a wide-open offense that shattered 35 school records in his four years at West Point.
Bond also coached under Berry at Illinois State, where he was wide receivers coach in 1996 before being bumped up to offensive coordinator. Bond helped the Redbirds rank in the top-10 in scoring in each of his last two years, culminating with an FCS appearance in both years. Illinois State reached the first round of the FCS playoffs in 1998 before advancing all the way to the FCS national semifinals in 1999, the same year Bond was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award.
Bond also reached the FCS postseason at Missouri State, where the Bears claimed back-to-back conference championships in 1989-90. The Bears advanced to the FCS national quarterfinals in 1989 and reached the FCS first round in 1990.
Bond’s coaching career began at Arkansas, where he worked under head coaches Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield for two years as a student assistant and one year as a graduate assistant. That came after Bond played one season at Arkansas before suffering a career-ending injury. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Arkansas in 1985.
A Rogers, Ark. native, Bond was an all-state quarterback for his father Gary Bond at Rogers High School. John was inducted into the Rogers High Hall of Fame while his father is a member of the state’s high school federation Hall of Fame.
Bond will inherit a Skyhawk offense that will return six starters from 2013. That unit led the OVC in least sacks allowed (19 in 12 games) while ranking fourth in the league in total offense (397.1 yards per game).
“I have watched some film on our returners and from a talent standpoint, we rank in the top third of the OVC,” Bond said. “With that said, it’s important that everybody will have a clean slate with me. There will be no preconceived notions when it comes to personnel – the chips will fall where they may. I can’t wait to get started.”
UT Martin opens its 2014 campaign at Southeastern Conference member Kentucky at 11 a.m. CST. The game will be televised live on the newly-formed SEC Network, which is scheduled to launch on Aug. 14.
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