As confetti rained down and the sounds of celebration echoed through Mercedes-Benz Stadium, South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry stood in the moment that defined his journey — one built on patience, faith, and belief.
Berry, in his second year at SC State, had just led the Bulldogs to an improbable 40–38 four OT victory over Prairie View A&M in the Celebration Bowl on Saturday after it looked all but hopeless through the first two quarters, down 21 points.
Berry, who spent more than two decades as an assistant before earning his first head coaching opportunity at Benedict College, was overwhelmed with emotion reflecting on the long road to the top.
“People told me no,” Berry said to the media after the game. “I was an assistant coach for 26 years and finally got an opportunity to be a head coach — to be able to submit my legacy. That means everything.”
Much of Berry’s gratitude centered on longtime Bulldogs legend Buddy Pough, the man he followed in South Carolina State’s head coaching lineage.
“I follow a legend — a living legend,” Berry said. “Coach Pough is like a father to me because I can lean on him for so many things. He gave me an opportunity and believed in me. When someone believes in you, you never want to let them down. I’ll never bite the hand that feeds me. I’m just grateful.”
That sense of humility and faith underscored Berry’s message to his players all season. Despite returning just one offensive starter and two on defense, South Carolina State defied expectations to capture the program’s first Celebration Bowl under his leadership.
“As we stand here, a lot of people didn’t believe in us,” Berry said. “You might’ve said you picked us to win, but deep down, you didn’t. But these young men believed. We lost some games along the way, but we learned from them. There were lessons in all of it.”
For Berry, Saturday’s win was more than a championship — it was a testament to perseverance, belief, and the power of faith.
“I’m a praying man,” Berry added. “I just give God all the glory because of the journey we had to go through to get here today.”
