Felker, Hallman Named To MSU Football Staff
May 25, 2016 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University head football coach JackieSherrill announced Saturday the addition of Rockey Felker and Curley Hallmanto his football staff, pending approval by the Board of Trustees,Institutions of Higher Learning.
Felker, 49, returns to his alma mater as coordinator of football operations,while Hallman, 55, who has 29 years of football coaching experience, willwork with the Bulldog defensive backs. Both are former collegiate headfootball coaches in the state of Mississippi.
Felker was the nation's youngest collegiate head coach when he was selectedto guide the Mississippi State football program in 1986. He directed theBulldogs to a 6-5 mark in his first season at the helm, the school's firstwinning season in five years. Felker's team won road games at Syracuse andat defending Southeastern Conference champion Tennessee during that '86season, and he became the first MSU head football coach to post a winningrecord in his initial season since the legendary Darrell Royal in 1954.Felker served as State's head football coach through the 1990 season,immediately preceding the current 11-year tenure of Sherrill.
He came back to State as the school's head coach following 11 years as anassistant coach on the college level. Immediately prior to rejoining theMSU program, he was an assistant at Alabama from 1983-85. He served as theCrimson Tide receivers coach in 1983-84 and the offensive backfield coach in*85. During his stay in Tuscaloosa, he helped Alabama to postseason bowlwins over Southern Methodist ('83 Sun Bowl) and Southern California ('85Aloha Bowl).
Prior to returning to the SEC, Felker worked two years each at Texas Tech(1979-80) and Memphis State (1981-82) under the guidance of the late headcoach Rex Dockery.
Felker began his coaching career at Mississippi State following his playingdays, working for head coach Bob Tyler. He worked with the junior varsity(1975) and the varsity receivers, quarterbacks and running backs (1976-78).
A native of Jackson, Tenn., Felker was a five-sport letterman at Brownsville(Tenn.) High School, earning all-state honors in football for his father,head coach Edwin "Babe" Felker.
Felker's first association with Mississippi State came in December 1970,when he signed a football scholarship to play quarterback for the Bulldogs.After playing one year of junior varsity ball, he was under center for mostof the next three seasons. In 1974, Felker led MSU to an 9-3 overallrecord, leading the SEC in total offense and directing the Bulldogs to a winover North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. He was named the Nashville Banner SECPlayer of the Year and the Birmingham Post-Herald Outstanding Senior Playerfor his stellar final season.
Following his five years as head coach at MSU, Felker worked nine more yearsas an assistant football coach. He had two terms as the offensivecoordinator at the University of Tulsa (1991-92 and 1997-99) and spent fouryears on the coaching staff at the University of Arkansas, working threeseasons (1994-96) as the school's offensive coordinator.
He helped Tulsa to a 10-2 record in 1991, coaching the quarterbacks and widereceivers. That Golden Hurricane team defeated San Diego State in theFreedom Bowl during that season. He also tutored the running backs duringhis stay at the Western Athletic Conference school.
While at Arkansas, Felker coached the running backs in 1993, then tutoredthe quarterbacks the next three years. He helped the Razorbacks win the SECWestern Division title and earn a berth in the '95 SEC Championship Game.The Razorbacks concluded that season with a bid to the Carquest Bowl inMiami, Fla.
Felker, a 1975 graduate of MSU, has worked in private business during thepast two years. He is married to the former Susan Tingle of Philadelphia,Miss., and the couple has three sons: Jay, David and Stephen.
Sherrill's hiring of Hallman reunites a pair that helped make history atTexas A&M University from 1982-87. Under Sherrill's leadership, and withHallman as his defensive secondary coach, A&M authored a transfer of powerin the Southwest Conference. During those six seasons, the Aggies won threestraight SWC championships (1985-87) and earned berths in three consecutiveCotton Bowls. During those six seasons in College Station, Texas, A&Mdefeated Texas four times.
Hallman also has seven years of collegiate head coaching experience in hisnearly three decades of football experience, including three at the head ofthe University of Southern Mississippi program.
Hallman was the head coach at USM following his association with Sherrill atA&M (1988-1990), posting a 23-11 overall record. In just his first seasonas a head coach, he led the Golden Eagles to a 10-2 record and a 38-18 winover UTEP in the Independence Bowl. His 1989 squad pulled off one of thebiggest upsets of the season when it defeated Florida State in the seasonopener at Jacksonville, Fla. He culminated his stay in Hattiesburg byleading USM to an 8-3 regular season in 1990, a record that included winsover Alabama and Auburn, and ended with an All-American Bowl appearance.
His successful run at USM earned him a four-year stint as head coach at LSUfrom 1991-94.
Since his time in Baton Rouge, La., Hallman has served as defensivesecondary coach at the University of Alabama (1996-98) and as co-defensivecoordinator and secondary coach of the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL(2000-01). In his second tour of duty at Alabama, he helped lead the Tideto a '97 Outback Bowl win over Michigan.
A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., who was raised in nearby Northport, Hallmanbegan his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Texas A&MUniversity, in 1969. After two seasons at A&M, Hallman later coached fouryears on the staff of legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at theUniversity of Alabama, working with the defensive backs, running backs andquarterbacks. He was a member of UA coaching staffs that led the Tide tofour straight bowl games ('73 Sugar, '75 Orange, '76 Sugar and '76 Liberty).That '73 team earned Alabama's ninth national championship.
Following his initial stint in Tuscaloosa, he spent two seasons at MemphisState University (1977-78) and three seasons as defensive coordinator atClemson University (1979-81). Those CU teams ended the '79 campaign in thePeach Bowl and in the '82 Orange Bowl. On the staff of then-head coachDanny Ford, that Orange Bowl triumph over Nebraska capped an undefeatedseason and earned the Tigers a national championship.
That championship season proved to be the springboard to launch Hallman tohis head coaching positions. During his distinguished career, he hasparticipated in 13 postseason bowl games (one as a player, 12 as a coach)and has been affiliated with eight conference and two national championshipteams.
Hallman, who lettered three years as a defensive back for the Aggies andgraduated from A&M in 1970, was an all-conference performer who played inthe 1969 Cotton Bowl. He was named to the A&M 1960s all-decade team.
He has two daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, who both reside in Birmingham,Ala.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
February 23, 2002
Head Coach Jackie Sherrill:
"This is a great day for MSU. I've tried to hire these two guys for 11 years, and I guess I finally convinced them to come back. These two fit the criteria it takes to coach in the SEC and at Mississippi State. They are experienced, and they are also fair and firm. They care about their players, and they are both very respected in the state of Mississippi.
"I followed Curley's (Hallman) career and watched him start his career. I hired him away from Clemson, and I hoped that I wouldn't lose him to Southern Mississippi.
"Rockey (Felker) has a great background. He was one of Mississippi State's most-liked players. You have to be good to be Player of the Year in the SEC. This campus has made tremendous improvements since Rockey was last here.
"Our players are in for a shock. They will understand technique."
Curley Hallman:
"It's been a while since I've been at a podium like this. I appreciate the opportunity to come to Mississippi State. I'm excited about coaching and teaching student-athletes. My role is simple. I have to be loyal and dedicated to improving our players. I have to help with their progression as student-athletes. Without the athletes, most of us wouldn't be employed here. That fact makes me focus harder on improving our players personally and as athletes.
"I'm back doing what I love to do. I appreciate the opportunity, and I've always enjoyed the state of Mississippi. I want to emphasize my loyalty and dedication to this program. I'm excited, and I was also excited when Jackie told me that Rockey might be coming back."
Rockey Felker:
"Nobody is happier to be back at Mississippi State than me. I get to come back home. This is a special place to me. Jackie and I have talked several times about coming back. I felt it just wasn't the time, but the timing is right now. This is something I needed, and wanted, to do. I look forward to staying busy. A lot of time has gone by, and I look forward to seeing the MSU people. I can't believe how much the campus has changed. Everyone has done a great job getting this program to its current level. During my time away, I had the opportunity to reflect back. I realized that I am very thankful and fortunate to have been the head coach in the SEC at my alma mater. It didn't end like we would have liked, but I am very grateful for the opportunity.
"This state has grown in football, and the head coaches at the high schools have done a great job. This has really become a great state for high school football. There is a lot of talent here, and the coaches should be commended for doing such a great job."
