South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry is not interested in a championship hangover.
Months removed from an HBCU national championship-winning season, Berry has made it clear the Bulldogs are starting over.
“It’s a new team, new season,” Berry told BCSN GameTime at MEAC Football Media Day. “We don’t talk about the 2025 season because they’re not the champions. This group has to create its own identity.”
Instead of dwelling on last year’s success, Berry said the program remains grounded in a simple philosophy: daily progress.
“We surrender the outcome and fall in love with the process of going 1-0 every day,” he said. “If you ask our team midway through the season what our record is, they don’t know. They’re just trying to go 1-0.”
That approach helped fuel a championship run built on discipline and cohesion, despite a roster that featured significant turnover. The same challenge exists again in 2026, with roughly half the roster made up of newcomers.
Last season will not be a springboard to 2026
Berry said that reality reinforces why last season’s accomplishments cannot carry over.
“We’ve got 52 newcomers and 52 returners,” he said. “So a lot of those guys weren’t part of that. This is a whole new team.”
Still, expectations remain high at South Carolina State, where Berry said winning is part of the institutional standard.
On the field, Berry said the Bulldogs will continue to build from the line of scrimmage. He highlighted center James Reddick and defensive end Jordan Dollard — both All-MEAC selections — as leaders heading into the season.
“We built our program with O-line and D-line,” Berry said. “Why not bring those leaders with us? They represent what we’re about.”
That identity extends beyond football. Berry emphasized a culture rooted in discipline, accountability and relationships — values he believes prevent complacency.
Berry said every aspect of the program — from recruiting to daily routines — is tied to maintaining that standard.
“There’s a standard in how we do things,” he said. “When we go to class, we sit in the first three rows. When we practice, there’s a standard. Everything we do, there’s a standard.”
Why South Carolina State stays winning
That consistency has translated into results. Berry has won 33 consecutive conference games across his stops at Benedict College and Norfolk State, a streak he credits to preparation rather than motivation.
“You can’t motivate 33 straight wins,” he said. “It’s about preparation.”
As the Bulldogs begin preparations for the 2026 season, Berry’s message remains unchanged: last year’s championship is in the record books.
The focus now is on what comes next.
“For such a time as this,” he said, “we’re ready to go to work.”
