Ferrell Trimm, who spent the past two seasons at Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee-Martin, has been tabbed as the Lions' defensive back coach and special teams coordinator for the 2008 season.
In his first season at UTM, Trimm helped guide the Skyhawks to their first NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance after finishing with a 9-3 record and an Ohio Valley Conference championship.
His special teams units in 2006 were among the best in the OVC, ranking first in punt returns, second in the league in kickoff coverage and third in the conference in kickoff returns. Kickoff return specialist Jessie Burton led the league and was seventh in the nation in kickoff return yardage with 26.2 yards per return.
Safeties Kevin Rondo and Dontrell Miller each earned All-OVC honors for UTM while kicker Taylor Brown garnered all-league honors after making 10 of 16 field goals and 36 of 37 extra point attempts.
Before coming to UTM, Trimm served as a defensive graduate assistant at Southern Miss where he spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons at his alma mater.
Trimm, a native of Hamilton, Ala., served as the defensive coordinator at Itawamba Community College in 2004, helping the team make the playoffs and finishing as the No. 2 pass defensive unit in the state of Mississippi.
Prior to his stint at ICC, Trimm worked with defensive backs and special teams for one season at Hinds Community College. HCC was ranked first in the state in punt and kickoff returns and finished the season as the 12th-ranked unit in the nation.
Trimm, a former quarterback at USM, helped the Golden Eagles to the Conference USA title and a berth in the Liberty Bowl championship in 1999. He spent his first three years in college at Division II Alabama-Huntsville where he was a two-time, all-conference and all-region selection in baseball.
A 2000 graduate of USM, Trimm is married to the former Tessa Beacham and they are the parents of two daughters, Jordan (9) and Sydney (infant).
