Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Stockstill talks philosophies, excitement as new coach
1/23/2021 9:00:00 AM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It hasn't been long since he was last in Floyd Stadium, but when Brent Stockstill next walks through the tunnel onto the turf, he'll look a little different.
He won't don the Middle Tennessee jersey and pads, this time. Instead, he'll have on a pair of headphones, khakis and a polo.
Stockstill was named Middle Tennessee's new wide receivers coach on Jan. 9. To say he's ready to come home to Murfreesboro would be an understatement.
"I'm extremely thankful," he said. "During my playing days here, I built a lot of good relationships, and I obviously have a great relationship with the head coach, since he's my dad.
"[Director of Athletics] Chris Massaro and [MTSU President] Dr. Sidney McPhee, I've always been really close with those guys throughout the years. For them to give me the opportunity to come back to a place that's special to me … is pretty neat. I'm really excited about it."
While he's young as far as full-time position coaches go, at just 26, Stockstill has spent the last two seasons learning the coaching ropes in Florida.
After his playing career ended, he accepted a position as offensive player personnel assistant at MT's Conference USA foe Florida Atlantic, where he got to learn under two of the brightest offensive minds in college football in head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
Kiffin left after the 2019 season to take over as head coach at Ole Miss, prompting Stockstill to take a job last year as offensive quality control analyst at South Florida. He was mentored there by first-year head coach Jeff Scott, who's also touted as an offensive guru, and Weis also made the move to USF at the same time.
Being able to learn under those incredible offensive coaches has only added to the high football IQ Stockstill showed as a quarterback. In fact, he proved his acumen during spring practice prior to his junior season, when he stepped in for former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin to run a few practices while Franklin was away from the team.
"I've been extremely blessed with who I've been around my first two years as a coach," Stockstill said. "Those are some of the brightest offensive minds and best coaches I've been around. To be able to learn from them — the way they operate, the way they think — I can't thank them enough."
Maybe the thing Stockstill learned the most during the unique 2020 season at USF was how to recruit.
Growing up a coach's son and having gone through the recruiting process in the last few years, he already had a grasp for how recruiting works and how important it is to the success of the program. He's now learning which players to focus on and how to bring those players into the fold.
"I really got to learn how the recruiting world works, and Coach Scott is one of the best recruiters in the country. To be able to learn from him and see how organized, detailed, creative he is, I learned a ton," Stockstill said.
Middle Tennessee hasn't named a new offensive coordinator yet after Franklin resigned earlier this month, but Stockstill already knows some of the characteristics he's looking for in a wide receiver.
"To me, the first thing is looking at their character and how good of a kid they are," he said. "Then, the next question is, do they love football? That's extremely important to me that these guys love the game and love coming to work every day.
"I think the neat thing that I'm looking forward to in recruiting are the ties I have to this school. Not too long ago, I was sitting in these guys' shoes. Every classroom that they'll go into, every workout, I've done all of that here."
Stockstill is blessed to be able to step into a situation where his position group has a lot of talent returning.
Thanks to the extra year of eligibility granted to players last season by the NCAA, MT will return every receiver from last season, including Jarrin Pierce, who got an All-C-USA Honorable Mention nod.
There are also a few guys — Yusuf Ali, CJ Windham, Jimmy Marshall and Brad Anderson — who Stockstill threw to when he was the Blue Raiders' QB.
"I spent a few days looking into everybody and everything they did the past year, and from top to bottom, they're a deep and talented group," Stockstill said. "I was thankful enough to play with four of our guys, which is special to me, because we had a tight bond and leaned on each other and really coached each other when I was here."
Stockstill at times still can't believe he gets to come home and coach at his alma mater, not to mention under his dad. Now all that's left is to get his new office arranged and remember which locker room is his.
"It's pretty surreal," he said. "Sometimes I catch myself walking by the locker room and wanting to turn left to go with the players, but I have to keep going to the coaches' locker room. … I'm getting the opportunity to be a full-time coach, and I couldn't ask for a better place to start my career."
He won't don the Middle Tennessee jersey and pads, this time. Instead, he'll have on a pair of headphones, khakis and a polo.
Stockstill was named Middle Tennessee's new wide receivers coach on Jan. 9. To say he's ready to come home to Murfreesboro would be an understatement.
"I'm extremely thankful," he said. "During my playing days here, I built a lot of good relationships, and I obviously have a great relationship with the head coach, since he's my dad.
"[Director of Athletics] Chris Massaro and [MTSU President] Dr. Sidney McPhee, I've always been really close with those guys throughout the years. For them to give me the opportunity to come back to a place that's special to me … is pretty neat. I'm really excited about it."
While he's young as far as full-time position coaches go, at just 26, Stockstill has spent the last two seasons learning the coaching ropes in Florida.
After his playing career ended, he accepted a position as offensive player personnel assistant at MT's Conference USA foe Florida Atlantic, where he got to learn under two of the brightest offensive minds in college football in head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
Kiffin left after the 2019 season to take over as head coach at Ole Miss, prompting Stockstill to take a job last year as offensive quality control analyst at South Florida. He was mentored there by first-year head coach Jeff Scott, who's also touted as an offensive guru, and Weis also made the move to USF at the same time.
Being able to learn under those incredible offensive coaches has only added to the high football IQ Stockstill showed as a quarterback. In fact, he proved his acumen during spring practice prior to his junior season, when he stepped in for former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin to run a few practices while Franklin was away from the team.
"I've been extremely blessed with who I've been around my first two years as a coach," Stockstill said. "Those are some of the brightest offensive minds and best coaches I've been around. To be able to learn from them — the way they operate, the way they think — I can't thank them enough."
Maybe the thing Stockstill learned the most during the unique 2020 season at USF was how to recruit.
Growing up a coach's son and having gone through the recruiting process in the last few years, he already had a grasp for how recruiting works and how important it is to the success of the program. He's now learning which players to focus on and how to bring those players into the fold.
"I really got to learn how the recruiting world works, and Coach Scott is one of the best recruiters in the country. To be able to learn from him and see how organized, detailed, creative he is, I learned a ton," Stockstill said.
Middle Tennessee hasn't named a new offensive coordinator yet after Franklin resigned earlier this month, but Stockstill already knows some of the characteristics he's looking for in a wide receiver.
"To me, the first thing is looking at their character and how good of a kid they are," he said. "Then, the next question is, do they love football? That's extremely important to me that these guys love the game and love coming to work every day.
"I think the neat thing that I'm looking forward to in recruiting are the ties I have to this school. Not too long ago, I was sitting in these guys' shoes. Every classroom that they'll go into, every workout, I've done all of that here."
Stockstill is blessed to be able to step into a situation where his position group has a lot of talent returning.
Thanks to the extra year of eligibility granted to players last season by the NCAA, MT will return every receiver from last season, including Jarrin Pierce, who got an All-C-USA Honorable Mention nod.
There are also a few guys — Yusuf Ali, CJ Windham, Jimmy Marshall and Brad Anderson — who Stockstill threw to when he was the Blue Raiders' QB.
"I spent a few days looking into everybody and everything they did the past year, and from top to bottom, they're a deep and talented group," Stockstill said. "I was thankful enough to play with four of our guys, which is special to me, because we had a tight bond and leaned on each other and really coached each other when I was here."
Stockstill at times still can't believe he gets to come home and coach at his alma mater, not to mention under his dad. Now all that's left is to get his new office arranged and remember which locker room is his.
"It's pretty surreal," he said. "Sometimes I catch myself walking by the locker room and wanting to turn left to go with the players, but I have to keep going to the coaches' locker room. … I'm getting the opportunity to be a full-time coach, and I couldn't ask for a better place to start my career."
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