Hampton has started to retool its football staff to tailor the operation for new head coach Van Malone.
The latest set of assistant hires is headlined by the expected additions of Clay Jennings as defensive coordinator and D.J. Boldin as offensive coordinator, according to ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg.
Jennings, a veteran defensive coach with more than two decades of FBS experience, most recently coached safeties at North Texas. His résumé includes stints at Texas State, UNLV, and Texas Tech, among several other programs.
Known for his player development and recruiting expertise in the South, Jennings is expected to lead the Pirates’ defensive turnaround after the unit allowed 419 yards and 36.7 points per game last season in the CAA. Only North Carolina A&T was worse on defense in the conference.
On offense, Boldin brings a blend of HBCU and head-coaching experience to Hampton. He previously served as wide receivers coach at South Carolina State and was the head coach at Division II Lake Erie College.
A former standout at Wake Forest, Boldin is expected to inject energy and creativity into the Pirates’ offensive approach to a group that averaged 17.9 points per game in 2025, which was good for 13th in the CAA.
In addition to the coordinator hires, Hampton is set to bring in Milo Austin as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. Austin, who spent the past four seasons coordinating special teams at Elon while also coaching cornerbacks this fall, previously made coaching stops at Texas Southern and Delaware State, among others.
The moves represent a sweeping effort by Hampton to strengthen its staff with seasoned recruiters and coordinators who have experience at both the FBS and FCS levels.
