FLORENCE, Ala. (January 28, 2026) – University of North Alabama head football coach
Brent Dearmon put the finishing touches on the 2026 coaching staff this month, making the official announcement during a press conference on Wednesday.
The Lions will roll into 2026 with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, as Dearmon officially introduced Clint Bowen as the new defensive coordinator on Wednesday. Bowen comes to UNA from Oklahoma State, where he was the interim defensive coordinator.
Bowen replaces Brock Caraboa, who recently became the first defensive coordinator for the new program at Texas A&M University – Texarkana. Bowen will join forces with new UNA offensive coordinator
Travis Partridge, who joined the staff after one season at Bowling Green.
Dearmon also announced a pair of new position coaches, including the return of Colby Ellis, who coached at UNA from 2020-22. He will lead the wide receivers group this season. Max Halpin also joins the UNA staff as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, coming over from Missouri State.
Some internal changes were also announced on Wednesday, including a natural move for UNA Hall of Famer Michael Johnson from running backs coach to linebackers coach — a position he played at UNA and earned two All-American honors.
Dearmon also announced the promotion of Vincent "Bo" Jackson to outside linebackers coach. Jackson lettered three seasons at UNA from 2005-07 and assisted the staff last season.
Luke Roth (Special Teams Coordinator),
De'Von Lockett (cornerbacks/pass game coordinator), DeeAndre Ervin (safeties) and Tiger Jones (Director of Football Performance) will remain in their positions from last season. Craig Schurig will move to tight ends coach. In December,
Josh Long was announced as the defensive line coach.
UNA Football 2026 Coaching Staff
Head Coach:
Brent Dearmon
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator: Clint Bowen
Offensive Coordinator:
Travis Partridge
Special Teams Coordinator:
Luke Roth
Wide Receivers Coach: Colby Ellis
Tight Ends Coach: Craig Schurig
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator: Max Halpin
Defensive Line Coach:
Josh Long
Linebackers Coach: Michael Johnson
Outside Linebackers Coach: Vincent Jackson
Cornerbacks Coach/Pass Game Coordinator:
De'Von Lockett
Safeties Coach: DeeAndra Ervin
Director of Football Performance: Tiger Jones
Director of Player Personnel: Ben Hamner
New Staff Biographies
Clint Bowen — Defensive Coordinator
Clint Bowen joins the UNA staff from Oklahoma State, where he was the interim defensive coordinator for 2025. He previously served as the head coach at Lawrence High School in Kansas from 2021-24.
In fact, most of Bowen's football career has been spent in Lawrence — including a few years with Dearmon while he was at Kansas as the offensive coordinator. Bowen played defensive back at Kansas from 1991-94 and went on to coach two decades over multiple stints with the Jayhawks in various roles.
"Clint Bowen is one of the smartest defensive minds I have been around in football," said Dearmon. "The experience and knowledge he will bring to our staff will be of great benefit. He has been a coordinator in the Big 12 on multiple occasions and has learned how to adapt his defense to best fit his players."
His career started in 1996 as a graduate assistant at Kansas. He left for the same position at Minnesota in 1997 before returning to Kansas for two more seasons. He was then elevated to special teams from 2001-05 while coaching various position groups. In 2006, he was named co-defensive coordinator then was promoted to defensive coordinator from 2008-09.
Bowen became the defensive coordinator for Western Kentucky in 2010 and North Texas in 2011. His journey brought him back to Kansas in 2012, where he spend the next eight seasons in various roles. He was the defensive coordinator and interim head coach in 2014, then became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator again from 2015-18.
He returned to North Texas in 2020 as the DC for one season, then took the high school gig in Lawrence for the next four seasons. He coached the team to a 26-15 record over that span while coaching both of his sons, Baylor and Banks. Banks is the younger son and committed to UNA to play quarterback earlier this month.
Bowen left the high school ranks for a position at Oklahoma State, where he was a quality control coach before being tabbed the interim defensive coordinator. Oklahoma State went from allowing 38.0 PPG to rank among the worst teams in FBS to allowing just 17.0 PPG over the final three weeks of the season once Bowen was moved to interim DC — ranking 25th.
"I'm thankful to Coach Dearmon for the opportunity to be a part of UNA football as the defensive coordinator," said Bowen. "I look forward to building relationships with our players and the UNA community. Work has already started building a defense that gets the UNA fans excited."
Colby Ellis — Wide Receivers Coach
A familiar face in Florence, Colby Ellis rejoins the staff as the wide receivers coach. This will be his first time working under Dearmon, who took the head coaching job before the 2023 season. Ellis was at UNA for three seasons from 2020-22.
"Bringing Colby Ellis back to UNA will greatly benefit UNA Football," said Dearmon. "His attention to detail in coaching wide receivers and in recruiting is unmatched. Colby has been a player and also coached at the Power Four level. Colby turned down other job opportunities for the chance to come back to Florence, Alabama and UNA."
Like Bowen, Ellis also joins the staff from Oklahoma State where he spent last season as an offensive analyst. Ellis also spent his playing career at Oklahoma State from 2010-13 where he played defensive back, wide receiver and special teams. He was part of the 2011 Big 12 Championship team that went on to win the Fiesta Bowl.
Prior to OSU, Ellis worked three seasons at the associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Nebraska-Kearney. Prior to his time at UNA, Ellis was also in the Cornhusker state working at Nebraska. He was an offensive graduate assistant working primarily with running backs.
Other coaching stops for Ellis includes Missouri Southern State (2017), Northeastern Oklahoma State (2014 and 2016) and West Georgia (2015).
"My wife and I are very excited to be back in the Shoals area and to be a part of the University of North Alabama football program," said Ellis. "(I'm) looking forward to hitting the ground running and developing our players on and off the field."
Max Halpin — Offensive Line Coach / Run Game Coordinator
Max Halpin joins the staff from Missouri State, where he coached five seasons beginning in 2021. He was the offensive line coach for the Bears, coaching four seasons at the FCS level before helping the team successfully transition to FBS.
"Max Halpin has been a successful DI offensive line coach for multiple years," said Dearmon. "His offensive lines at Missouri State were always tough, sound and smart. Max connects well with his players, which is a huge trait for an OL coach to have. Max will elevate our offensive staff the moment he walks in."
Last season, the Bears finished 7-6 in their first season of FBS competition, earning an invite to the Xbox Bowl to play Arkansas State. In 2024, the Bears went 8-4 and eclipsed 5,000 total yards and 400 points on offense for just the fourth time in team history. Halpin also helped Missouri State finished fourth in FCS for passing offense (306.2 ypg) and pass efficiency (169.98).
From 2018-21, Halpin was a graduate assistant coach at Purdue. This was his first job after a successful playing career at Western Kentucky, where he was a two-time conference champion, three-time bowl game winner and a First Team All-Conference USA selection. He was invited to rookie minicamps with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.
Halpin's playing career also includes two nominations for the Rimington Trophy, given to the top center in FBS each season, and a nomination for the 2016 Burlsworth Award, given to the nation's best player each season that started as a walk-on.
"I am excited for the opportunity to coach at the University of North Alabama," said Halpin. "UNA's strong football tradition and commitment to excellence align with my passion for developing disciplined, physical and fundamentally sound offensive linemen. I look forward to contributing to the continued success and tradition of this historic program."
Vincent "Bo" Jackson — Outside Linebackers Coach
A former defensive back for the Lions, Vincent Jackson joined the UNA staff last season and was promoted to a full-time coaching role with the outside linebackers and nickels this offseason.
"I am thrilled to announce the addition of Bo Jackson as our outside linebackers coach," said Dearmon. "Adding another UNA Lion to the staff was important to me. Bo has a great deal of pride in this place, and it shows through his passion and coaching."
Jackson lettered at UNA from 2005-07 for head coach Mark Hudspeth. Jackson was part of a senior class that finished with a 44-8 overall record — the third-best record for a senior class in program history. The other two classes with a better record were the three-time national championship winners in 1995 and 1996.
Following his graduation from UNA in 2010, Jackson spent the better part of a decade working in education and coaching. He is originally from Demopolis, Ala.
"The level of excitement being on this UNA staff is a dream come true," said Jackson. "The staff that Coach Dearmon has assembled is top-notch, and I am excited to work with a group of men that are on the same page as I am. We are in the business of turning young men into better men on and off the field. This staff has a lot of knowledge amongst the years of FBS and FCS coaching experience that will make us a better team this upcoming season. The love I have for UNA goes back 20 years ago when I first stepped on campus as a young freshman. Playing for this university from '05 to '08 was some wonderful years of my life, and now I have the opportunity to coach on this staff — it's a dream come true. UNA was already a part of my life as a young adult, and now UNA will forever be near and dear to my heart."
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