Dowell Loggains, the offensive coordinator at South Carolina, has been hired as the new head coach of Appalachian State, receiving a five-year contract, athletic director Doug Gillin announced on Saturday.
Loggains, 44, takes over after Shawn Clark was fired on Monday following the Mountaineers’ 5-6 season, their first losing record since 2013.
Before coming to South Carolina, Loggains was an assistant at Arkansas for two seasons, his alma mater. He also spent 16 years in the NFL, working as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for teams like Tennessee, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami, and the New York Jets.
“He brings experience as a leader and play-caller at the highest levels of professional and college football,” Gillin said. “He is a great recruiter and believes strongly in building relationships. He is aligned with our core values of academic integrity, competitive excellence, social responsibility and world-class experience. This is a great day for App State.”
At South Carolina, Loggains helped lead an offense that featured LaNorris Sellers, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. These players helped the team achieve the third-best rushing offense in the Southeastern Conference.
Loggains also spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the tight ends coach at Arkansas and worked with NFL quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, Mitchell Trubisky, Brian Hoyer, and Vince Young.
Under Clark, App State finished 40-24, but the team did not reach a bowl game in two of the past three seasons. The Mountaineers, who were expected to win the Sun Belt Conference’s East Division this season, ended up tied for fifth with a 3-5 record in league play.
