Football Has Returned by: Brett Briggeman

Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) football is back once again. The Cowboys season has already begun, defeating Chapman University 37-30 in their first away game in Orange, California.

The Cowboys home games started with McMurry University on Sept. 13, and they will continue with Louisiana Christian on Sept. 22, Howard Payne University on Oct. 4, University of Mary-Hardin Baylor on Oct. 11, Nelson on Oct. 25, and ending with East Texas Baptist University on Nov. 15.

“I am responsible for the game plan, practice plan, and ultimately how our players perform each Saturday on the offensive side of the ball,” Coach Jeff Whitehead, offensive coordinator for the HSU Cowboys football team said. “The position that I coach is the quarterback, so I am responsible for how I prepare that position to play each week.”

“I also believe a major role of mine and all of our coaches is to take great care of our players on and off the field,” Whitehead said. “My favorite part of my role is to see our players succeed on and off the field. I am looking most forward to watching our players grow individually and collectively as a unit each week.”

Whitehead emphasized the team's dynamic as being strong this year and ready to continue to pursue excellence this season.

“This team is very dynamic due to our experience on offense, which allows us to put in more schemes because our players are very advanced,” Whitehead said. “We are very experienced in the offensive line, running backs, wide receivers, and quarterback. We have a lot of speed which allows us to stretch the defense.”

“I oversee and direct all defensive game planning, practice planning, defensive coach direction, defensive player academics and game day defensive calls,” Coach Craig Neece, defensive coordinator for the Cowboys said. “My favorite part about my role is getting to see our guys work hard all week and then put it all together on game day and have success. Seeing our guys enjoy the fruits of their labor is a fantastic sight. The most challenging part is having a large roster and getting every player an opportunity to play on gameday.”

Neece is excited for the team to continue to grow and learn throughout the rest of this current season.

“I am looking forward to seeing our football team attack each week with a great attitude and perspective to be better each day,” Neece said. “Our team is a very experienced team, returning a lot of starters from the 2024 season. With that experience comes high standards and expectations, but we have a great group that will look to always meet those standards.”

“My role is organization and game plan for all 4 Special Teams Units,” Coach Elkins, the special teams and wide receiver coach at HSU, said. “I am also responsible for organization and game plan for the pass game and the Wide Receivers. My favorite part is being able to build relationships with all the players I end up coaching. I’m looking forward to enjoying the process of everyday life in our program. Our guys are very close and will do anything it takes for each other to be successful.”

Be sure to come out and support our Cowboys this football season.

“Hardin-Simmons is a special place with special people,” Whitehead said, “and I hope that Cowboy nation will show up in huge numbers each Saturday for these players.”