Sports

Iowa State hires Pearson

From Staff Reports
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Travis Pearson has come a long way since his coaching days at Elmore County High School.

Pearson, who served as a defensive coordinator for the Panthers from 1999-2000 and as head coach from 2001 until 2004, was recently named assistant to the head coach in football operations at Iowa State University.

“To be able to work with (head) coach (Gene) Chizik at this level of college football was an opportunity I could not pass up,” Pearson said in a press release. “I have known Gene since our days at Auburn, and I’m really excited to get started.”

Pearson, a Gilbertown native, brings extensive experience to the Iowa State football program. He lettered three times in football at Alabama State University while earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education, which he was awarded in 1997.

Once out of college, he spent eight seasons in the Arena Football League at Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, establishing himself as on of the league’s all-time greats.

He was named to Arena Football’s 15th Anniversary Team as a fullback/linebacker.

Pearson got his first coaching experience as a defensive coordinator at Central High School in Mosses in 1997. In 1998, he was named head coach before moving on to Elmore County High School.

While at ECHS, Pearson was named the Metro 4A Coach of the Year after the Panthers’ 12-1 season in 2004. He also coached in the Alabama North-South All-Star Game that season.

From Eclectic, Pearson moved on to Oxford High School, where he has served as defensive coordinator for the past two seasons before moving on to Iowa State under new head coach Chizik.

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