Elon University Director of Athletics Dave Blank introduced Jason Swepson as the new head football coach at Elon University on January 10, 2011. Swepson is the 20th head football coach in Elon history.
Last year, Swepson’s squad led the Southern Conference and ranked 12th nationally with 296.73 passing yards per game. On the defensive side of the ball, Elon rated fifth in the country in pass defense, surrendering just 156.91 yards per game through the air in 2012.
Leading the way on offense was wide receiver Aaron Mellette who captured All-America honors from five organizations. Mellette finished third in the country with 127.09 receiving yards per game and was second nationally with 8.82 receptions per contest. He placed eighth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top player at the FCS level. Mellette became the first Elon player to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl and also represented the maroon and gold at the NFL Combine. In April, Mellette was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2012, four Phoenix players collected All-SoCon accolades from the league’s coaches while four earned that honor from the media.
The Phoenix offense led the SoCon and rated 12th nationally with 296.73 passing yards per game. The program’s defense rated fifth nationally against the pass, allowing an average of 156.91 yards per game through the air.
In his first season as a head coach, Swepson guided the Phoenix to five victories, including a 41-34 victory over 17th-ranked Furman.Â
During his first year, Swepson helped Mellette to capture All-America honors from seven different organizations. Mellette, who led the nation in both receiving yards per game (149.0) and receptions per game (10.27) also finished fifth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award. Mellette’s 1,639 receiving yards set a new Elon and SoCon record. Also earning All-America accolades was senior linebacker Joshua Jones while linebacker Jonathan Spain collected freshman All-America distinction.
In 2011, five Elon players earned all-league honors from the league’s coaches while three Phoenix players collected all-conference nods from the media. On three occasions Elon players were named SoCon Player of the Month, the most for the program since the 2006 season.
The 2011 Elon squad led the Southern Conference and was 14th nationally by passing for 281.45 yards per game. Defensively, the maroon and gold boasted the third-ranked passing defense in the country.
Following the season, both Jones and offensive lineman Rodney Austin signed free agent contracts with NFL squads.
Swepson came to Elon after a four-year stint as the running backs coach at North Carolina State University under head coach Tom O’Brien where he helped the Wolfpack to two bowl appearances, including a 23-7 win over West Virginia University in the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl. In his final season with the Wolfpack, NC State ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring offense, averaging 31.8 points per game, and was fourth in total offense, averaging 338.5 yards per outing.
In 2008, Swepson helped to coach Andre Brown to over 1,000 all-purpose yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns. Brown was also second on the squad in receptions and third in receiving yards. Swepson’s unit accounted for a third of NC State’s receptions that year (66 of 197) as the Wolfpack rated third in the ACC in passing.Â
Brown was one of three members of the New York Giants Super Bowl-winning squad that has a connection to Swepson. The Elon head coach also recruited both cornerback Will Blackmon and linebacker Mark Herzlich to Boston College. During his time as a player at Boston College, Swepson played for Giants coach Tom Coughlin. One other Swepson-recruited player has played in a Super Bowl - safety Jamie Silva with the Indianapolis Colts.
Prior to his post at NC State, Swepson served under O’Brien at Boston College from 1999-2006 as the Eagles’ running backs coach. BC led the ACC in total offense in 2005 and was second in 2006. In each of Swepson’s first five years at BC a running back rushed for more than 1,000 yards. While there, Swepson coached the program’s all-time leading rusher in Derrick Knight as well as the nation’s second-leading rusher in 2001 – consensus first-team All-America selection William Green who carried for 1,559 yards and went on to be selected as the No. 16 pick in the 2002 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles made eight bowl appearances during Swepson’s tenure in Boston.
Swepson also recruited quarterback Matt Ryan to BC. Ryan was the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NFL draft and collected AP Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades that season.
Swepson has performed internships with three different NFL programs, serving as a wide receivers intern with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998 and as a running backs intern with both the San Diego Chargers (1999) and Miami Dolphins (2000). Swepson has experience at the FCS level as well, having coached at Northeastern University (1997-98), College of the Holy Cross (1996) and the University of Rhode Island (1993). He also coached at Boston University (1994-95) and got his first collegiate coaching opportunity at Bates College (1992).
The 1992 Boston College graduate played both running back and wide receiver for the Eagles. Swepson was a two-time winner of the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Week in 1991. Swepson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development.
A native of Seekonk, Mass., Swepson is a member of the Seekonk Hall of Fame and was a high school All-American in both football and track. He is married to the former Tanya Sparkes. The couple has two daughters, Kiana and Nadia, as well as a son, Payton.
