Clint Trickett hired as assistant football coach at three-time NJCAA Champion East Mississippi

SCOOBA – Former West Virginia and Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett has been hired as an assistant football coach at three-time NJCAA National Champion East Mississippi Community College.  His hiring has been approved by EMCC President Dr. Rick Young and EMCC Vice President/Director of Athletics Mickey Stokes.

Trickett, who divided his four-year collegiate playing career between WVU and FSU, will primarily tutor EMCC's quarterbacks among other coaching responsibilities.  Under the leadership of eighth-year head football coach Buddy Stephens, the EMCC Lions have produced an NJCAA All-American quarterback every year dating back to the 2008 season.

"Clint is certainly one of the young, up-and-coming coaching stars in the game," said EMCC's Stephens, who guided the Lions to back-to-back NJCAA Championships the past two years as well as three national titles over the last four seasons.  "With his maturity, knowledge of the game and drive to succeed, he will fit very well into our system and should help maintain our tradition of excellence at the quarterback coaching position."     

A Davey O'Brien Award quarterbacking semifinalist last season at West Virginia after transferring from Florida State, Trickett graduated from FSU in three years with a bachelor's degree in social sciences.  The first-year EMCC assistant coach plans to complete his master's degree in communication studies this spring.  While at WVU, Trickett was a member of the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll as well as the Big 12 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.

"I am honored to be able to begin my coaching career at such a prestigious and dominant program as we have here at East Mississippi Community College," Trickett said.  "Coach Stephens and his staff of assistants have put everything into place, so now it's time to keep the tradition going.  I'm very excited to be a part of something special here at EMCC."

Splitting his collegiate playing career between WVU and FSU, Trickett completed 62 percent (470-of-758) of his passes for 5,837 career yards and 32 total touchdowns.  The bulk of those impressive passing numbers came during the past two years in Morgantown, where he threw for 4,890 total yards and 25 touchdowns in 19 games for the Mountaineers.

Last season as a fifth-year senior at West Virginia, Trickett completed 67.1 percent (281-of-419) of his passes for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns in leading the Big 12 Conference and ranking 11^th nationally in completion percentage.  He also stood third in the Big 12 and No. 10 nationally with an average of 298.6 passing yards per contest.

While playing behind current Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel during his three years at Florida State, Trickett completed 62.3 percent (66-of-106) of his career passes for 947 yards and seven touchdowns.  As a redshirt freshman in 2011, he threw for 675 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games, including starting assignments against Clemson and Wake Forest.

Having graduated early from high school with a 3.8 grade point average, Trickett helped lead North Florida Christian School to a 29-6 composite three-year record while carrying a three-star ranking from both Rivals and Scout.  In three seasons with the NFC Eagles, Trickett amassed more than 5,300 passing yards and tossed 59 career touchdowns for the perennial small school state power.  

Born in Starkville while his father was coaching at Mississippi State, Trickett is the youngest of three sons of Rick and Tara Trickett.  His father, currently the assistant head coach at Florida State and a 41-year coaching veteran, is considered one of the top and most respected offensive line coaches in all of college football.