N.C. State hires RB coach, shifts staff

Everette Sands will leave The Citadel to coach running backs at N.C. State, coach Tom O’Brien announced this afternoon.

Sands has spent the past six years coaching running backs at The Citadel and replaces Jason Swepson, who left N.C. State to become Elon’s head coach.

“He’s a winner, a great educator, a great communicator and he will do an outstanding job coaching our running backs,” O’Brien said in a statement.

O’Brien also announced that assistants Jim Bridge and Don Horton will swap positions. Horton has been coaching the offensive line and will direct the tight ends.

Bridge will take over the offensive line.

“With Jason’s departure and Everette’s arrival, we decided it was time to move some folks around and give our offensive staff a different look,” O’Brien stated. “After eight years with the same offensive staff, this was a good time to do that. We are looking forward to this new structure and putting together some new concepts and coming up with new ideas.”

Sands was a four-time All-Southern Conference selection as a running back and ranks second in The Citadel history in career rushing yards (3,926) and points (204). He served as team captain in 1993.

He has been an assistant coach at Elon (1996 to 1998), and Ohio University (2001 to 2001) in addition to serving two stints totaling eight years on The Citadel’s staff.

Ken Tysiac