Virginia State’s Football Coach Thweatt headed to JMU

Byron Thweatt is no longer head coach of the Virginia State football team.

Thweatt resigned his position with the Division II Trojans on Tuesday to become linebackers coach at FCS James Madison, a source confirmed Tuesday night.

VSU Homecoming Football Game 2011

Also joining the JMU staff will be Bryan Stinespring, a former Virginia Tech offensive coordinator, a source confirmed.

Thweattt went 6-4 and 4-3 in the CIAA in his only year in Ettrick.

He was the 24th head coach in school history, joining Virginia State after eight years on the University of Richmond staff, where he was the inside linebackers coach and director of high school relations in 2014. He also coached the defensive line, tight ends and special teams.

Thweatt is a Matoaca High School and University of Virginia graduate.

Thweatt was an all-ACC linebacker in his senior season and was a two-time captain as a Cavalier. He made appearances in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001) and the Tennessee Titans in 2001 and 2002.

Stinespring, a 1986 JMU graduate, spent the past 16 years on staff with the Hokies, starting as a graduate assistant in 1990. He served as offensive coordinator from 2002 to 2012 and spent the past three seasons as the team’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

JMU hired Mike Houston to be its new coach last week, replacing Everett Withers, who left after two seasons to take over at Texas State. Houston spent the past two seasons at The Citadel.

It’s unclear what role Stinespring, 52, will fill at JMU. The Citadel hired Houston’s offensive coordinator, Brent Thompson, as the new head coach there last week.