University of Memphis Athletics
Sedrick Irvin Added As Memphis Running Backs Coach
Jan 14, 2010 | Football
Jan. 14, 2010
MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis head football coach Larry Porter officially announced today that he has hired Sedrick Irvin to serve as an assistant coach responsible for Tiger running backs.
Irvin joins the Tigers from the University of Alabama, where he served two seasons as an intern. In his position, he focused on Tide running backs, including Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Ingram, a sophomore, is the first Alabama player in history to win the Heisman Trophy. He was also the 2009 Sporting News National Player of the Year, and earned the National Championship Offensive MVP honor after leading Bama to a win over Texas with 116 yards and two touchdowns. Ingram shattered the Alabama single-season rushing record with 1,658 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. As a freshman, Ingram logged 728 yards and led the Tide in rushing touchdowns with 12.
"Sedrick has meant a lot to me," said Ingram. "He has been there for me from day one. He understands the game and the players and he is going to be a great coach. He has helped me elevate my game, and will be a great asset to the Memphis program."
In his first season with the Crimson Tide, Irvin tutored junior back Glen Coffee, who led the Tide's ground attack in 2008 with 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coffee is one of 10 Alabama players in the program's history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and ranked third in the SEC with 103.6 yards per game in 2008. He was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's best running back, and was a second-team All-SEC honoree. Coffee entered the NFL Draft following his junior campaign and was selected as the 10th pick of the third round by the San Francisco 49ers.
"The thing that makes Sedrick such a great coach is that he cares about the players more than he cares about the job," added Coffee.
Irvin's relationship with Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban began when Irvin played for Saban at Michigan State from 1996-98. He became only the second player in MSU history to record three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He was twice named second-team All-Big Ten ('97 & '98), and participated in the 1996 Sun Bowl and the 1997 Aloha Bowl. He continues to rank in the Top 5 in several categories at MSU including fifth in rushing attempts (755), fifth in yards (3,504), third in rushing touchdowns (35), fourth in all-purpose yards (4,833) and second in total touchdowns (42). In his three seasons, he also totaled 15 games of 100 or more yards rushing, including a career-best 238 yards in 1997 against Penn State. Irvin also logged an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown against Indiana as a sophomore.
Irvin left MSU after three seasons to enter the NFL Draft, and was selected in the fourth round (103rd pick) by the Detroit Lions. As a rookie in 1999, he logged 133 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries and also tallied 233 receiving yards on 25 catches. Plagued by injuries, he left the Lions after two seasons. He also saw action in NFL Europe and with the Arena Football League.
Irvin, the cousin of NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, served as the offensive coordinator at Gulliver Prep in 2006-08. The squad was District Champions in 2006 and 2007.
Irvin graduated from Alabama in December 2009 with a degree in human environmental science.
