FLORENCE – After a month-long national search, the University of North Alabama is bringing Brent Dearmon back to the state to become just the 12th head football coach in UNA history.
Dearmon, offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic in the 2022 season, also has coaching stops at Arkansas Tech, Kansas, and Middle Tennessee State.
North Alabama Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney made the announcement Saturday evening. Dearmon will officially be introduced at a 2 p.m. news conference today in Flowers Hall on the UNA campus. The public is invited.
A 37-year-old Saraland, native, Dearmon was offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State in 2021 and was offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and senior offensive consultant at the University of Kansas in 2019 and 2020.
Dearmon, author of “The Evolution of the RPO,” a book on offensive strategy, said he is excited about the opportunity.
“My family and I are thrilled to lead such a decorated program and university into a new era,” Dearmon said. “We are going to build men of toughness, with high character and give the Shoals community a product to be proud of, on and off the field. I’m excited about the vision that Dr. Kitts and Dr. Looney have for the UNA football program.”
A graduate of Vigor High School in Prichard, Dearmon was a four-year starting quarterback at Bethel University in McKenzie, Tenn. He began his coaching career as a student coach at Bethel in 2007, before returning to Vigor as the offensive coordinator from 2008-10.
“From the start to the end of our search process, we never wavered in our expectations to hire someone who has demonstrated success as a head coach, possessed a high level of play-calling experience at the Division I level, and has displayed the ability to communicate effectively with student-athletes, the university, and the community,” Looney said. “Brent Dearmon comes from a championship football family in the state of Alabama, brings proven results in recruiting, and is regarded as an innovative offensive mind amongst his peers.
“Brent was not only on the top of our list when this search began, but he exceeded all the expectations we were seeking in the next leader of UNA football.”
Dearmon served as a running backs analyst in 2013 and a wide receivers analyst in 2014 at Auburn under Gus Malzahn. He joined the staff at Arkansas Tech in 2015 as offensive coordinator under former UNA assistant coach Raymond Monica.
In his season as head coach at Bethel in 2018, Dearmon guided the team to the best season in school history, posting a 10-0 regular season record, a No. 3 ranking, and was named Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year.
Dearmon then made the jump from the NAIA division to the FBS division when he joined Les Miles’ staff at Kansas in 2019 as a senior offensive consultant. Midway through the 2019 season, Dearmon took over as the program’s offensive coordinator.
Dearmon is a 2008 Bethel graduate with a B.S. in mathematics.
“This is an exciting time for the University of North Alabama, with record enrollment, expanding academic programs and ongoing facility projects,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “The success of our Division I athletic program is a key element of our strategic plan, and this hire is a big step in that direction.
“It says a lot about the success and stability of our program that Brent Dearmon will become just the 11th person to lead the Lion football program as head coach in its 74-year history.”
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