Troy University Athletics
Football

Jeff Beckles
- Title:
- Running Backs
- Email:
- jbeckles@troy.edu
- Phone:
- 3487
Jeff Beckles enters his fifth season as an assistant coach at Troy where he coaches the Trojan running backs.
Beckles joined the Troy staff in Feb. 2010 after three seasons (2007-09) in the same capacity at Central Michigan.
Troy’s running backs have had a string of accomplishments under Beckles with the most recent success coming in 2013 when true freshman Jordan Chunn found the end zone 14 times. He was named to the College Football News Freshman All-America Team after leading all freshmen in the country in rushing touchdowns.
In his first season Beckles worked with Troy’s talented pair of runners in DuJuan Harris and Shawn Southward. The duo combined to rush for over 2,000 yards and help Troy to a New Orleans Bowl championship.
Harris has gone on to a successful NFL career most recently helping the Green Bay Packers make a deep playoff run in 2012. Southward finished his career as the first Troy running back to lead the team in rushing in four straight seasons. Southward ranks third all-time in Troy history with 2,793 career yards and Harris is in fifth with 2,636 yards. The pair also rank second and fourth, respectively, in career rushing touchdowns with 33 and 27.
Beckles was charged with rebuilding the running game in 2012 and he did just that as Southward became the seventh Troy player to top the 1,000-yard threshold after rushing for 1,012 yards on 194 carries. Southward was named to the All-Sun Belt second team for his efforts.
In 2011, Beckles tutored a trio of running backs - Southward, D.J. Taylor, and Chris Anderson - who combined to rush for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns.
While under Beckles’ tutelage in 2009, CMU running backs combined for three 100-yard rushing efforts. The six running backs the Chippewas used during the season combined for 1,299 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
CMU used a combination of five different running backs in 2008, with the group combining to rush for 1,043 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ontario Sneed led the group with 548 yards and a team-high eight rushing touchdowns. Sneed finished his career eighth in school history in career rushing yards.
In 2007, five CMU running backs combined to rush for 1,392 yards and 16 touchdowns. Justin Hoskins was an All-MAC third team selection after running for 664 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and scoring 10 touchdowns.
Beckles, who coached receivers at CMU during the 2003 season, returned to CMU following one season as an assistant at Georgia Southern. He coached the Eagles’ receivers and served as recruiting coordinator for the 2006 season.
Beckles sandwiched a pair of stints at Georgia around his previous time at CMU. In 2002, he was part of a coaching staff that led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record and 26-13 win over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. The 2004 Georgia squad finished 10-2 and defeated Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, while the 2005 team was 10-3 and played in the Sugar Bowl against West Virginia. Beckles was a graduate assistant working with the wide receivers during each of those seasons. He was a part of two SEC Championship teams (2002 & 2005) while on the staff at Georgia.
Beckles began his coaching career by working at four high schools in Florida and Georgia from 1994-98. He broke into the college ranks in 1999, coaching running backs at Nicholls State. Beckles spent two seasons there before moving to South Florida, where he worked with the receivers and running backs as a graduate assistant in 2001. The Bulls finished 8-3 in 2001, their first full season at the Division I-A level.
Beckles earned a bachelor’s degree in social science education from Florida State in 1994 and a master’s degree in sport management from Georgia in 2005.
He was a wide receiver on Florida State teams that won five consecutive bowl games, the program’s first Atlantic Coast Conference championship under head coach Bobby Bowden and a national title in 1993. He was part of a Seminoles recruiting class that included Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward as well as Terrell Buckley. In four seasons at Florida State he played in the Sugar, Fiesta, Orange and Cotton Bowls.
Beckles joined the Troy staff in Feb. 2010 after three seasons (2007-09) in the same capacity at Central Michigan.
Troy’s running backs have had a string of accomplishments under Beckles with the most recent success coming in 2013 when true freshman Jordan Chunn found the end zone 14 times. He was named to the College Football News Freshman All-America Team after leading all freshmen in the country in rushing touchdowns.
In his first season Beckles worked with Troy’s talented pair of runners in DuJuan Harris and Shawn Southward. The duo combined to rush for over 2,000 yards and help Troy to a New Orleans Bowl championship.
Harris has gone on to a successful NFL career most recently helping the Green Bay Packers make a deep playoff run in 2012. Southward finished his career as the first Troy running back to lead the team in rushing in four straight seasons. Southward ranks third all-time in Troy history with 2,793 career yards and Harris is in fifth with 2,636 yards. The pair also rank second and fourth, respectively, in career rushing touchdowns with 33 and 27.
Beckles was charged with rebuilding the running game in 2012 and he did just that as Southward became the seventh Troy player to top the 1,000-yard threshold after rushing for 1,012 yards on 194 carries. Southward was named to the All-Sun Belt second team for his efforts.
In 2011, Beckles tutored a trio of running backs - Southward, D.J. Taylor, and Chris Anderson - who combined to rush for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns.
While under Beckles’ tutelage in 2009, CMU running backs combined for three 100-yard rushing efforts. The six running backs the Chippewas used during the season combined for 1,299 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
CMU used a combination of five different running backs in 2008, with the group combining to rush for 1,043 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ontario Sneed led the group with 548 yards and a team-high eight rushing touchdowns. Sneed finished his career eighth in school history in career rushing yards.
In 2007, five CMU running backs combined to rush for 1,392 yards and 16 touchdowns. Justin Hoskins was an All-MAC third team selection after running for 664 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and scoring 10 touchdowns.
Beckles, who coached receivers at CMU during the 2003 season, returned to CMU following one season as an assistant at Georgia Southern. He coached the Eagles’ receivers and served as recruiting coordinator for the 2006 season.
Beckles sandwiched a pair of stints at Georgia around his previous time at CMU. In 2002, he was part of a coaching staff that led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record and 26-13 win over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. The 2004 Georgia squad finished 10-2 and defeated Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, while the 2005 team was 10-3 and played in the Sugar Bowl against West Virginia. Beckles was a graduate assistant working with the wide receivers during each of those seasons. He was a part of two SEC Championship teams (2002 & 2005) while on the staff at Georgia.
Beckles began his coaching career by working at four high schools in Florida and Georgia from 1994-98. He broke into the college ranks in 1999, coaching running backs at Nicholls State. Beckles spent two seasons there before moving to South Florida, where he worked with the receivers and running backs as a graduate assistant in 2001. The Bulls finished 8-3 in 2001, their first full season at the Division I-A level.
Beckles earned a bachelor’s degree in social science education from Florida State in 1994 and a master’s degree in sport management from Georgia in 2005.
He was a wide receiver on Florida State teams that won five consecutive bowl games, the program’s first Atlantic Coast Conference championship under head coach Bobby Bowden and a national title in 1993. He was part of a Seminoles recruiting class that included Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward as well as Terrell Buckley. In four seasons at Florida State he played in the Sugar, Fiesta, Orange and Cotton Bowls.