Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Football provides special bond for Stockstill family
11/18/2015 6:00:00 AM | Football
MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Brent Stockstill takes back-to-back snaps from a student trainer during practice.
He delivers two crisp throws that hits both receivers in stride.
One to senior receiver Ed Batties.
The next one to freshman standout Richie James.
The passes rip through the cool, autumn air as Brent's father, and MT head coach, Rick Stockstill observes.
A father-son combination like this has happened before, but not often.
After Brent started against Jackson State to open the season on Sept. 5, he became just the second head coach's son in C-USA history to start at quarterback.
The first father-son duo such as that came in 1997-98, when Tyson Helton started at quarterback with his father, Kim Helton, as the head coach at Houston.
As Brent throws a couple more passes, someone else is looking on, though.
And it makes this father-son combo a little more interesting.
It is Joel Stockstill, Brent's grandfather.
Rewind more than 50 years, and that's where the story of the Stockstill's truly begins.
Grandpa/Father Knows Best
Joel Stockstill currently resides in Fernandina Beach, Florida, but that doesn't stop him from attending almost every MT practice and home game.
In fact, Joel rents an apartment in the middle Tennessee area every year to be close to his son, and grandson.
"From what I've observed, he's a really good leader," Joel said as he looked on at his grandson, Brent. "He understands the offense well and he's a very tough kid."
Joel has an extensive background in football, starting with his early playing days in Ohio.
At Sidney (Ohio) High School, Joel lettered in football, basketball and baseball, eventually choosing the latter to play at the collegiate level.
He attended Bowling Green State University on a baseball scholarship, graduating in 1959.
After Joel's playing days were over, he made the decision to go back to football.
Right after college, Joel was offered his first coaching job as an assistant coach at Miamisburg (Ohio) High School, which is where he stayed for four years.
Following Miamisburg, he was offered his first head coaching job at Southeastern (South Charleston, Ohio) High School, which he accepted and held for two seasons.
After his coaching gig at Southeastern, Joel moved to the collegiate level.
He was an assistant coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at NAIA-level Georgetown College.
Joel stayed on staff for four years at Georgetown College, before taking a two-year hiatus from coaching.
Then, his son, Rick, made his ascension to the prep level.
Joel, eventually, got back into coaching after taking a head coaching job at Georgetown (Kentucky) High School for four years.
Going into his third year at Georgetown, Joel was finally coaching his son.
"Rick actually played two years for me at Georgetown High School in Kentucky," Joel said. "He got his knee torn up pretty bad his junior year. The state of Kentucky gave him a redshirt and allowed him to play an extra year."
Following his coaching stop at Georgetown High, Joel and his family packed up and moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida, where he accepted a coaching position that he held for seven years at Fernandina High School.
"We were in Georgetown for a total of 10 years," Joel said. "And then we came to Fernandina Beach and Rick ended up being there for two years with me."
After Rick graduated from Fernandina, Joel remained on the staff before he took another two-year break from coaching to watch his two sons play college football.
"That was when I was a head coach at Fernandina," Joel said about watching his two sons. "We'd play a game on Friday night, and as soon as the game was over, we'd take off and travel to wherever they went to see them play. We'd always have to switch it up."
Rick went on to play at Florida State, and Rick's brother, Jeff Stockstill, went on to play for Clemson.
"Nothing's been mentioned, but Rick's younger brother [Jeff Stockstill] was recruited and signed to Clemson as a quarterback," Joel said. "He was signed as a quarterback and wide receiver. When he got there, after a few practices the quarterbacks coach didn't like coaching a lefty, so Jeff moved to wide receiver and ended up starting his last three years, one of them being the 1981 national championship team."
Joel wound up getting back into coaching as he returned to the Fernandina staff as the head coach.
He kept his position for five years before leaving after the 1987 season.
After stepping down from his coaching job, Joel went back to doing what he loves the most.
Watching and supporting his family.
"I can't imagine having a better life than following your own kids in athletics like that," Joel said. "It was great… just really fun."
Fast forward to a few years ago, and Joel was supporting his grandchildren, just as he watched Rick and Jeff many years earlier.
"You go back to when Brent and Emily [Stockstill] were in high school, he was able to watch," Rick said. "Emily played volleyball on Wednesday, Brent played football on Friday night and then I'd coach on Saturday. I think that's a pretty special memory that he's been able to create."
As Brent rifled a pass during a midweek practice, Joel watched.
"My dad being out here, to come and watch his son coach and his grandson play, I think it's a pretty special memory that he's been able to create in his life," Rick said. "I get enjoyment out of it because I can see him enjoying it."
Knowledge Passed On
Football started pretty quickly for Rick.
"It started really early for Rick," Joel said about his son. "Rick started in Pop Warner in about the third or fourth grade. He was a really, really good defensive player… he was actually a linebacker."
For a future quarterback, Rick knew how to make a tackle.
"He used to hit so hard that they had a Rules Committee meeting to check his helmet to see if it was an illegal helmet," Joel laughingly said. "He used to punish kids, it was unbelievable. But, that's how he is now. He's just a really competitive person."
Rick continued to play linebacker, and quarterback, up until his high school career.
When Rick arrived at Georgetown, Joel was already in his third year as head coach.
Rick played two years under his father before they moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida.
At Fernandina, Rick played two more seasons under his dad before graduating.
Upon his graduation, the future MT head coach committed to Florida State University, where he played from 1977-81.
After his playing days, Rick launched his own coaching career.
He began at Bethune-Cookman as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1983-84.
Rick had broken into the coaching field, and from there he had stops at Central Florida, Clemson, East Carolina, South Carolina and, eventually, Middle Tennessee.
Now at MT, Rick has his son at quarterback, and his father watching from the sideline.
"I think it's special that my grandpa gets to see my dad coach," Brent said. "I think it's special for him, but it's just a unique situation and it's awesome."
Like Father, Like Son
From an early age, Brent had a love for the game, just like his father did.
"When he was little, we lived maybe a mile from the Clemson practice fields," Rick said about his son. "Sara [Stockstill] would pick him up after school and drop him off at the gate and he'd come running out there to hang out with me."
Brent's passion for football started at a young age and it continued to grow with time.
But, as Rick's schedule became busier due to coaching, some moments of Brent's young career slipped by.
"I missed so much of his stuff when he was growing up," Rick explained.
Brent went on to play at Siegel where he led the Stars to a 12-1 record, throwing for 2,960 yards and 32 touchdowns his senior season.
His senior year became more impressive after he suffered an ACL injury, but continued to play late in the season.
"Of course, you know what he did in high school," Joel recalled. "He tore his ACL and continued to play."
After his stellar senior campaign, Brent was in the process of committing to the University of Cincinnati.
Brent, at first, thought it was the right choice for him.
His grandfather agreed with his decision.
"At the start, I thought [Brent's] Cincinnati commitment was the right choice," Joel said. "I didn't want them to go through it… listening to all the possible negativity. It gets pretty nasty and I didn't want to see that happen to either of them."
But after talking with his dad, Brent changed his mind and was granted a release from Cincinnati and returned to Middle Tennessee.
The reason behind him leaving Cincinnati?
Family.
"I love it because he's one of the best coaches in the country," Brent said about playing under his dad. "And he's also the best man I know. He's exactly who I wanted to play for, because I get to be around one of my best friends every day and I couldn't ask for anything more."
This season, with Brent squarely at the helm of the Blue Raider offense, he has thrown for 3,099 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Rick wants to see his son succeed on the field, but just seeing his son means something greater to him.
"Just to be able to see him and ask him how his day's going has been special," Rick explained. "To see him play how he is, you take a lot of pride in it though. I'm proud of him and I'm glad he's here."
Not only does Rick get to see his son play, but Brent's grandfather rarely misses a practice.
Joel and Brent text or talk on the phone three to four times a week, and most of the conversations don't involve Blue Raider football.
"We're very close," Brent said about his relationship with his grandfather. "I love him and he's a great man that sees things that a lot of people don't see."
"It gives me a lot of pride," Joel explained about their relationship. "I guess it is a granddaddy talking, but he's just a really good kid. He loves to win so badly and that was the same thing with Rick. He's a grown man now and he's playing a grown man's game."
Brent is only a redshirt freshman, but he is already planning to follow in his father's footsteps.
And Rick wants to continue in his dad's footsteps.
"Brent wants to coach and one day I hope I'm in a position that I'm able to come hang out at his practices and watch him," Rick said.
"As good of a player as he is, he's that much better of a person and that's what I'm most proud of."
He delivers two crisp throws that hits both receivers in stride.
One to senior receiver Ed Batties.
The next one to freshman standout Richie James.
The passes rip through the cool, autumn air as Brent's father, and MT head coach, Rick Stockstill observes.
A father-son combination like this has happened before, but not often.
After Brent started against Jackson State to open the season on Sept. 5, he became just the second head coach's son in C-USA history to start at quarterback.
The first father-son duo such as that came in 1997-98, when Tyson Helton started at quarterback with his father, Kim Helton, as the head coach at Houston.
As Brent throws a couple more passes, someone else is looking on, though.
And it makes this father-son combo a little more interesting.
It is Joel Stockstill, Brent's grandfather.
Rewind more than 50 years, and that's where the story of the Stockstill's truly begins.
Grandpa/Father Knows Best
Joel Stockstill currently resides in Fernandina Beach, Florida, but that doesn't stop him from attending almost every MT practice and home game.
In fact, Joel rents an apartment in the middle Tennessee area every year to be close to his son, and grandson.
"From what I've observed, he's a really good leader," Joel said as he looked on at his grandson, Brent. "He understands the offense well and he's a very tough kid."
Joel has an extensive background in football, starting with his early playing days in Ohio.
At Sidney (Ohio) High School, Joel lettered in football, basketball and baseball, eventually choosing the latter to play at the collegiate level.
He attended Bowling Green State University on a baseball scholarship, graduating in 1959.
After Joel's playing days were over, he made the decision to go back to football.
Right after college, Joel was offered his first coaching job as an assistant coach at Miamisburg (Ohio) High School, which is where he stayed for four years.
Following Miamisburg, he was offered his first head coaching job at Southeastern (South Charleston, Ohio) High School, which he accepted and held for two seasons.
After his coaching gig at Southeastern, Joel moved to the collegiate level.
He was an assistant coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at NAIA-level Georgetown College.
Joel stayed on staff for four years at Georgetown College, before taking a two-year hiatus from coaching.
Then, his son, Rick, made his ascension to the prep level.
Joel, eventually, got back into coaching after taking a head coaching job at Georgetown (Kentucky) High School for four years.
Going into his third year at Georgetown, Joel was finally coaching his son.
"Rick actually played two years for me at Georgetown High School in Kentucky," Joel said. "He got his knee torn up pretty bad his junior year. The state of Kentucky gave him a redshirt and allowed him to play an extra year."
Following his coaching stop at Georgetown High, Joel and his family packed up and moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida, where he accepted a coaching position that he held for seven years at Fernandina High School.
"We were in Georgetown for a total of 10 years," Joel said. "And then we came to Fernandina Beach and Rick ended up being there for two years with me."
After Rick graduated from Fernandina, Joel remained on the staff before he took another two-year break from coaching to watch his two sons play college football.
"That was when I was a head coach at Fernandina," Joel said about watching his two sons. "We'd play a game on Friday night, and as soon as the game was over, we'd take off and travel to wherever they went to see them play. We'd always have to switch it up."
Rick went on to play at Florida State, and Rick's brother, Jeff Stockstill, went on to play for Clemson.
"Nothing's been mentioned, but Rick's younger brother [Jeff Stockstill] was recruited and signed to Clemson as a quarterback," Joel said. "He was signed as a quarterback and wide receiver. When he got there, after a few practices the quarterbacks coach didn't like coaching a lefty, so Jeff moved to wide receiver and ended up starting his last three years, one of them being the 1981 national championship team."
Joel wound up getting back into coaching as he returned to the Fernandina staff as the head coach.
He kept his position for five years before leaving after the 1987 season.
After stepping down from his coaching job, Joel went back to doing what he loves the most.
Watching and supporting his family.
"I can't imagine having a better life than following your own kids in athletics like that," Joel said. "It was great… just really fun."
Fast forward to a few years ago, and Joel was supporting his grandchildren, just as he watched Rick and Jeff many years earlier.
"You go back to when Brent and Emily [Stockstill] were in high school, he was able to watch," Rick said. "Emily played volleyball on Wednesday, Brent played football on Friday night and then I'd coach on Saturday. I think that's a pretty special memory that he's been able to create."
As Brent rifled a pass during a midweek practice, Joel watched.
"My dad being out here, to come and watch his son coach and his grandson play, I think it's a pretty special memory that he's been able to create in his life," Rick said. "I get enjoyment out of it because I can see him enjoying it."
Knowledge Passed On
Football started pretty quickly for Rick.
"It started really early for Rick," Joel said about his son. "Rick started in Pop Warner in about the third or fourth grade. He was a really, really good defensive player… he was actually a linebacker."
For a future quarterback, Rick knew how to make a tackle.
"He used to hit so hard that they had a Rules Committee meeting to check his helmet to see if it was an illegal helmet," Joel laughingly said. "He used to punish kids, it was unbelievable. But, that's how he is now. He's just a really competitive person."
Rick continued to play linebacker, and quarterback, up until his high school career.
When Rick arrived at Georgetown, Joel was already in his third year as head coach.
Rick played two years under his father before they moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida.
At Fernandina, Rick played two more seasons under his dad before graduating.
Upon his graduation, the future MT head coach committed to Florida State University, where he played from 1977-81.
After his playing days, Rick launched his own coaching career.
He began at Bethune-Cookman as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1983-84.
Rick had broken into the coaching field, and from there he had stops at Central Florida, Clemson, East Carolina, South Carolina and, eventually, Middle Tennessee.
Now at MT, Rick has his son at quarterback, and his father watching from the sideline.
"I think it's special that my grandpa gets to see my dad coach," Brent said. "I think it's special for him, but it's just a unique situation and it's awesome."
Like Father, Like Son
From an early age, Brent had a love for the game, just like his father did.
"When he was little, we lived maybe a mile from the Clemson practice fields," Rick said about his son. "Sara [Stockstill] would pick him up after school and drop him off at the gate and he'd come running out there to hang out with me."
Brent's passion for football started at a young age and it continued to grow with time.
But, as Rick's schedule became busier due to coaching, some moments of Brent's young career slipped by.
"I missed so much of his stuff when he was growing up," Rick explained.
Brent went on to play at Siegel where he led the Stars to a 12-1 record, throwing for 2,960 yards and 32 touchdowns his senior season.
His senior year became more impressive after he suffered an ACL injury, but continued to play late in the season.
"Of course, you know what he did in high school," Joel recalled. "He tore his ACL and continued to play."
After his stellar senior campaign, Brent was in the process of committing to the University of Cincinnati.
Brent, at first, thought it was the right choice for him.
His grandfather agreed with his decision.
"At the start, I thought [Brent's] Cincinnati commitment was the right choice," Joel said. "I didn't want them to go through it… listening to all the possible negativity. It gets pretty nasty and I didn't want to see that happen to either of them."
But after talking with his dad, Brent changed his mind and was granted a release from Cincinnati and returned to Middle Tennessee.
The reason behind him leaving Cincinnati?
Family.
"I love it because he's one of the best coaches in the country," Brent said about playing under his dad. "And he's also the best man I know. He's exactly who I wanted to play for, because I get to be around one of my best friends every day and I couldn't ask for anything more."
This season, with Brent squarely at the helm of the Blue Raider offense, he has thrown for 3,099 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Rick wants to see his son succeed on the field, but just seeing his son means something greater to him.
"Just to be able to see him and ask him how his day's going has been special," Rick explained. "To see him play how he is, you take a lot of pride in it though. I'm proud of him and I'm glad he's here."
Not only does Rick get to see his son play, but Brent's grandfather rarely misses a practice.
Joel and Brent text or talk on the phone three to four times a week, and most of the conversations don't involve Blue Raider football.
"We're very close," Brent said about his relationship with his grandfather. "I love him and he's a great man that sees things that a lot of people don't see."
"It gives me a lot of pride," Joel explained about their relationship. "I guess it is a granddaddy talking, but he's just a really good kid. He loves to win so badly and that was the same thing with Rick. He's a grown man now and he's playing a grown man's game."
Brent is only a redshirt freshman, but he is already planning to follow in his father's footsteps.
And Rick wants to continue in his dad's footsteps.
"Brent wants to coach and one day I hope I'm in a position that I'm able to come hang out at his practices and watch him," Rick said.
"As good of a player as he is, he's that much better of a person and that's what I'm most proud of."
Players Mentioned
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference 1/17/26
Saturday, January 17
Introducing Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach - Anthony Scelfo
Tuesday, January 13
MTSU Football Signing Day Press Conference 12/3/25
Wednesday, December 03
MTSU Football at New Mexico State post-game press conference – 11/29/25
Sunday, November 30
