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Appalachian State hires Dowell Loggains as new head coach

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp12/07/24
Three takeaways from Dowell Loggains' media availability
Arkansas tight ends coach Dowell Loggains chats on the field before a game on Sept. 17, 2022. (Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)

Appalachian State has tapped South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains as its next head coach, the school announced on Saturday afternoon.

Loggains emerged as the leading target for the program on Saturday mid-afternoon, when ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported just as the SEC Championship Game began that he was under serious consideration.

“My family and I are thrilled to join the Mountaineer family and build on the rich championship tradition of App State Football,” Loggains said in a press release. “Thank you to the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Norris, Doug Gillin, and all of App Nation for this incredible opportunity to lead such a storied program. We are eager to become part of the community, engage with the student-athletes and fans, and give our All for App State.”

The new Appalachian State coach has been the offensive coordinator at South Carolina for the past two seasons. He has also worked with quarterbacks.

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In that time Dowell Loggains has helped turn Spencer Rattler into a fifth-round NFL Draft pick, as well as molding redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers into one of the SEC’s most capable signal-callers.

In fact, Sellers’ development might be the biggest selling point for Loggains.

Despite fighting through injuries early in the season, Sellers emerged as the team’s top option, a capable dual-threat prospect who could keep defenses off-balance with his ability to run on a moment’s notice.

Sellers has run for 655 yards and seven touchdowns this season. His biggest breakout game came in the regular-season finale against Clemson, when Dowell Loggains got 166 yards rushing and two touchdowns out of the budding star. Sellers’ 20-yard touchdown run in the game’s final minutes sealed a vital 17-14 win.

Appalachian State has been looking for a coach since firing fifth-year coach Shawn Clark. Clark went 40-24 during his five seasons with the Mountaineers.

Dowell Loggains will replace him, hoping to bring back the magic to a Group of Five program that has been among the best at its heights.

“The expectation for App State Football is to annually compete for a conference championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff,” athletics director Doug Gillin said in a statement. “Mountaineer fans are among the most passionate in the country, and we are committed to providing a football program that builds upon the decades of previous championship tradition.”