On the same day that Charles Huff was formally announced as the new head coach at Memphis, sources tell FootballScoop his defensive staff is taking shape.
Sources confirm that Jason Semore, who has been Huff’s defensive coordinator at both Marshall and Southern Miss, will be making the move west with Huff. Adam Rittenberg has shared the same.
Semore spent two seasons as Huff’s defensive coordinator at Marshall before making the move with him to coordinate the Eagles defense, and prior to calling the Thundering Herd defense had served as linebackers coach at Georgia Tech for a season after being elevated from a defensive analyst role with the program.
During the 2024 regular season at Marshall, Semore helped the Thundering Herd to a Sun Belt Conference title by with an aggressive defense that ranked among the top in the country in third down conversions (11th), sacks (22nd), TFLs (22nd) while ranking 34th nationally in turnovers gained with 20.
This season at Southern Miss, his defensive unit helped immediately turn around the program, helping them to 7-wins after winning just four games in the two seasons prior to their arrival.
Sources also add that FootballScoop Defensive Backs Coach of the Year Finalist Dominique Bowman is also leaving the Southern Miss staff after a stellar season mentoring the Eagles secondary.
This season, his unit helped lead the country in interceptions, collecting 21 interceptions on the year, with two taken back for touchdowns. The 21 interceptions are tied for first nationally in elite company with Notre Dame.
Bowman joined Huff and Semore at Southern Miss after a few seasons on staff at Temple, where he started in 2023 coaching the corners before adding the responsibilities of the safeties in 2024 and handing the entire defensive backfield.
Before joining Temple, Bowman was a part of the Arkansas coaching staff in 2022, working with the team’s corners under Barry Odom. He previously spent the 2021 season at Marshall, where he mentored a unit that ranked among the top 30 in college football, and second in Conference USA, allowing just over 200 yards per game.
The job at Memphis marks a return for Bowman, who is a native of the Bluff City and began his career in the Memphis high school ranks capped by a stop at Cordova HS (TN), where he led one of the best defenses in the state before embarking on his college coaching journey. After starring in high school, Bowman was a two-time All Conference defensive back at Lambuth University, where he played under Hugh Freeze.