By D. Orlando Ledbetter

 

Several HBCU football programs are filling out their coaching staffs during this spring season.

Brandon Varner was named Grambling State’s defensive ends coach by head coach Mickey Joseph.

 

In another big move, K.J. Black, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, was named offensive coordinator at S.C. State by head coach Chennis Berry.

 

Varner was at Holmes (Miss.) Community College as defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach. Varner has also coached Mississippi Valley State University, where he served as defensive line coach. He also was a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Grambling State University for two seasons.

 

He played at Grambling from 2015-18 and amassed 68 total tackles, including 41 solo stops. He had 17.5 tackles for a loss of 73 yards, including 9.5 sacks for a loss of 43 yards. In addition, the Atlanta, Ga. native recorded six quarterback hurries, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

 

Varner earned SWAC Preseason First Team Honors and Phil Steele Preseason First Team honors during senior season and was named to the All-SWAC All Conference First Team in 2017.

 

Prior to attending Grambling State, Varner played four years of football and one year of basketball at Kipp Atlanta Collegiate High School in Atlanta, Ga.

 

Black, who was a standout quarterback at Prairie View and veteran NFL offensive assistant, will replace Johnathan Williams, who left to join Mike Macdonald’s staff with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL as an offensive assistant.

As a quarterback, Black led the Panthers to the 2009 SWAC title, the program’s first since 1964 and most recent prior to last season. He was then an assistant on the PV staff for five seasons, working as grad assistant, then passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach.

Black moved to Florida A&M, where he served as passing game coordinator, quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator under Willie Simmons before taking an offensive position assistant with the Los Angeles Rams. He was with the Falcons for the past two seasons.

Here are some other hirings across the HBCU landscape.

–Former Florida A&M QB Mario Allen will be joining the Clark-Atlanta coaching staff as their Running Backs Coach.

 

–Fred McNair joins Southern Football Coaching Staff as Senior Advisor.

 

–Lamar Daniels was named the Assistant Recruiting Coordinator by Clark Atlanta University.

 

–Ryan Lewis was hired as Florida A&M’s defensive coordinator.