South Alabama

4-4

Program prestige

Zeitgeist statureRegional Program III#169 all-time– holding
one line from Regional Program II

Stature and coaches, 2012–2026

The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.

South Alabama is Regional Program today. Never reached Dynasty tier; Regional Program is its high, most recently in 2026.

2012: Regional Program2013: Regional Program2014: Regional Program2015: Regional Program2016: Regional Program2017: Regional Program2018: Regional Program2019: Regional Program2020: Regional Program2021: Regional Program2022: Regional Program2023: Regional Program2024: Regional Program2025: Regional Program2026: Regional Program2020
DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program
FBS medianbest: 2012program stature (★ = Dynasty-tier season)logosLogo, 2008–20172008Today's logo, since 2018since 2018Joey Jones · 2012–2017JonesSteve Campbell · 2018–2020CampbellKane Wommack · 2021–2023WommackMajor Applewhite · 2024–nowApplewhite2020

Run↔pass identity, by season

more passmore run20122014201620182020202220242026

Every coach, tenure by tenure, on the coaching page →

Program outlook

Program outlook

South Alabama played its first football game in 2009. By 2024, it had a bowl win over Western Michigan and a 7-6 record. In 2025, Major Applewhite's second year went 4-8. A program this young doesn't have the luxury of setbacks feeling normal yet.

Since Jun 14: W 52-35 vs UL Monroe; W 56-49 at Arkansas State; L 13-20 at Marshall; L 20-35 vs Louisiana Tech. 4-4 this season.

Read the full essay — 3 more paragraphs

Almost everything in the South Alabama record book is a 'first.' First game, first bowl trip, first win, first on-campus stadium — Hancock Whitney Stadium opened in 2020 after a decade of sharing Ladd-Peebles with the city. The Jaguars are one of the youngest programs in major-college football, which means the history is still being written and the fans who have followed from the beginning remember all of it: Joey Jones starting from nothing in 2009, the climb to the Sun Belt, Gerald Everett becoming the program's first marquee NFL Draft pick, Jalen Tolbert following him.

Applewhite's 2024 debut went 7-6 with a bowl win and the program's credibility was real. The 4-8 step back in 2025 (3-5 Sun Belt West) was the kind of regression that hits a young program differently than it would an established one — there's no forty years of winning history to absorb the fall. The fanbase split is between patience and alarm: one side says a program this young needs room to develop and a bad year is part of the building; the other tasted the 2024 bowl and won't accept it as the ceiling.

The 2026 question is the simplest one in Mobile: can Applewhite get back to the bowl? The Sun Belt conference title — the first in program history — remains the explicit target. A program writing its record book from scratch is at its best when it has something to write.

On the field

A modern Sun Belt spread identity still defining itself — South Alabama is young enough that its scheme fingerprint isn't fully inherited; it's being built. The Gulf Coast recruiting base around Mobile gives the Jaguars access to talent that flows into the SEC and beyond, which means the ceiling on the roster is real even if the program is still figuring out how to build around it consistently. Applewhite's background is offensive-line-driven and quarterback-centric; the 2026 version of the scheme will reflect his third year of implementation.

Program outlook · as of Jun 14, 2026

South Alabama has won 42% of its games since 2011 — 53% at home, 30% on the road.

79-110 all-time · 16 seasons · 2011–2026

Home 45-40
Away 27-64
Neutral 7-6
36% 2010s
50% 2020s
The era · 2014 through 2026

The CFP era

13 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.

Era record 67-89 13 seasons
Best season 10-3 2022
Trajectory · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program quality AP rank (inverted) CFP appearance
'14'16'18'20'22'24Now

Swipe left for earlier seasons

Chapters · 13 seasons · tap to open the archive
'14 6-7 '15 5-7 '16 6-7 '17 4-8 '18 3-9 '19 2-10 '20 4-7 '21 5-7 '22 10-3 '23 7-6 '24 7-6 '25 4-8 '26 4-4

South Alabama’s 2014–2026 record is 67-89.

Era win %
.429
Ranked seasons (AP)
0/13
Best AP finish
—

Major Applewhite

Major Applewhite is in year 3. The methodology is taking shape.

Era Major Applewhite · 2024–presentPrev: Kane Wommack (2021–2023)DC: Jason Washington (co) / Todd OrlandoPrev DC: Jason Washington (co) / Will Windham (2025)
The full CFP-era story →The full coaching lineage →
3 years · era

South Alabama and Troy, meeting by meeting

Troy leads the series 10-4-0 (since 2012); in the last 10 meetings, South Alabama is 2-8

evenSouth Alabama aheadTroy ahead2020

2025: Troy won 31-24. After this game, Troy led 10-4-0.

Last 14 meetings: ▲ South Alabama won, ▼ Troy won, by how much

2012: Troy won 31-102013: Troy won 34-332014: South Alabama won 27-132015: South Alabama won 24-182016: Troy won 28-212017: South Alabama won 19-82018: Troy won 38-172019: Troy won 37-132020: Troy won 29-02021: Troy won 31-242022: Troy won 10-62023: Troy won 28-102024: South Alabama won 25-92025: Troy won 31-242020: by 2920122025

Each step is one meeting: up when South Alabama wins, down when Troy wins, flat for a tie. Counts every game in our records since 2012. Tap the line for any season.

Moments in South Alabama history

What this program never forgets

Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.

2009

The first game

South Alabama plays the first football game in school history, beginning a program from a blank page

2020

Hancock Whitney Stadium opens

The Jaguars open their own on-campus stadium after a decade sharing Mobile's Ladd-Peebles — a young program finally putting down roots

2024 bowl win

Major Applewhite's debut season ends with a bowl victory over Western Michigan — the program's strongest recent statement

Moment of the year · 2026

Won 39-14 vs SE Louisiana

Week 1 of 2026. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.

Decisive margin
2022–2023

South Alabama has sent 2 players to the NFL Draft since 2022 — none in the first round.

Thin. Roster development still maturing.

2 picks · 0 in round 1
#88 Jalen Tolbert Wide Receiver · 2022 · Dallas Cowboys · #9/468 final season
#155 Darrell Luter Jr. Cornerback · 2023 · San Francisco 49ers · #199/322 final season

More in this tab

Ladder finishHow far up the ladder this season got.

Season standing · 2026 · 4-4

South Alabama is 4-4 — competitive, unranked, not yet bowl-eligible.

Competitive in FBS but not bowl-eligible — the close-loss tier.

Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
ConferenceWhere this team sits in this season's conference standings.

Sun Belt standing · 2026

9th in the Sun Belt

South Alabama is 9th of 14 in the Sun Belt at 2-2. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on bowl access and rivalry wins.

#ProgramRecord
1Louisiana Tech4-0
2James Madison4-2
3Georgia Southern3-1
4App State2-2
5Arkansas State2-2
6Coastal Carolina2-2
7Louisiana2-2
8Marshall2-2
9South Alabama2-2
10Southern Miss2-2
11Troy2-2
12Georgia State1-3
13UL Monroe1-3
14Old Dominion1-5
Coaching historyCurrent head coach Major Applewhite, hired 2024

Coaching history

  • Hired Major Applewhite2024
  • Kane Wommack departs22-16, 3 seasons
  • Steve Campbell departs9-26, 4 seasons
  • Hired Steve Campbell2018
  • Hired Kane Wommack2021
  • Joey Jones departs29-46, 6 seasons
  • Hired Joey Jones2012
Coordinator lineageOffense and defense under each coordinator.

South Alabama’s offense and defense, by coordinator

FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2026), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.

Offense2014–2026
2014201620182020202220242026
2014 · Bryant Vincent (interim) / Robert Matthews2015–2017 · Bryant Vincent2018–2020 · Kenny Edenfield2021–2023 · Major Applewhite2024 · Rob Ezell2025 · Paul Petrino
Defense2014–2026
2014201620182020202220242026
2014–2015 · Travis Pearson2016–2017 · Kane Wommack2018–2020 · Greg Stewart2021–2023 · Corey Batoon2024 · Will Windham2025 · Jason Washington (co) / Will Windham2026 · Jason Washington (co) / Todd Orlando
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Gameday customsThe gameday customs unique to this program.

Rituals

Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.

2009 Program Founding

since 2009

more

South Alabama football began in 2009 — one of the most-recent FBS-level program creations in CFB history. The program went FCS independent 2009-2011, FBS independent 2012, then Sun Belt 2013. The 2009 founding-from-scratch + rapid ascent to FBS make USA's institutional story unique.

Hancock Whitney Stadium 2020 Opening

since 2020

more

Hancock Whitney Stadium (built 2020) — South Alabama's first dedicated on-campus stadium — replaced decades at Ladd-Peebles Stadium (a shared off-campus venue). The 25,450 capacity + Mobile geographic setting + on-campus location + corporate naming-rights modernity create a venue distinct from the post-2009 founding era.

Mobile, Alabama Gulf Coast Identity

since 1963

more

South Alabama's Mobile, AL location + Gulf Coast regional identity + competition with Alabama / Auburn / Ole Miss / Mississippi State + the Senior Bowl host city create a unique geographic catchment. The program's positioning + the Senior Bowl proximity + Hancock Whitney corporate naming anchor identity.

Cultural identityWhat college football loses if this program didn't exist.
BowlsLast 5 bowls 2-3, 2-3 since 2014

Recent postseason (2014-2024): 2-3

Most recent: 2024 Salute to Veterans Bowl — win 23-30. Last 5 postseason: 2-3.

2024 W2023 W2022 L2016 L2014 L
Reddit blowupsThe plays that blew up on r/CFB.

r/CFB moments

250
[Postgame Thread] UAB Defeats South Alabama 42-10
Sep 2020 · r/CFB
152
[Postgame Thread] WKU Defeats South Alabama 44-23
Dec 2022 · r/CFB
135
[Game Thread] South Alabama @ Appalachian State (7:30 PM ET)
Sep 2024 · r/CFB

All-time top community posts

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