Catawba Football Coaching Staff

Chip Hester : Head Coach


Chip Hester begins his seventh season as head coach of the Catawba College football program in 2008. He is the 20th head football coach at the College. Last season, he led the Indians to the second round of the playoffs with an 11-2 record and a South Atlantic Conference championship. Hester was named South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year and AFCA Region Coach of the Year.

In 2003, he guided the Tribe to a 9-2 record and a South Atlantic Conference Championship. Hester guided the Tribe to an 8-3 record in his rookie season at the helm and returned Catawba to the NCAA II playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Hester joined the Catawba football staff in 1995, serving under David Bennett for seven seasons. For three of those years, he was part of the South Atlantic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year. The Indians won back-to-back conference titles in 2000 and 2001 and qualified for the NCAA II Playoffs from 1999-2002, advancing to the semifinals in 2001.

Hester came to Catawba from Guilford College. His duties prior to becoming head coach was to coordinate the passing game, coach the wide receivers and coordinate all football recruiting. In addition to his football duties, Hester also served as assistant athletic director for compliance and remains an advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program.

For two seasons, 1996-98, Hester served as the head coach for the Catawba College men’s golf program. Hester guided the team to the 1998 South Atlantic Conference Championship and to NCAA II Regional berths in both seasons. He coached two All-Americans, a SAC Player of the Year and a SAC Freshman of the Year.

A 1992 graduate of Guilford College, Hester earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. He completed a master’s degree in sports management at Georgia Southern in 1993. While completing his master’s degree, Hester worked as an intern at Catawba, assisting football, sports information and athletic operations. He graduated from Millbrook High School in Raleigh in 1988.

Hester was a standout athlete in football and track at Millbrook. He earned honorable mention all-conference honors in football. At Guilford, Hester was a four-year football letterman (wide receiver), earning the Golden Helmet Award and Leadership Award as a senior. He was also a member of the Varsity Athletic Council and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Millbrook High School, working with receivers. He followed as a graduate assistant coach (receivers) at Catawba in 1993. Hester, a native of Raleigh, NC, resides in Salisbury with his wife, Trish. Trish is an assistant principal and volleyball coach at Carson High School. They have two daughters, Morgan (9), and Tori (5).The Hesters are active members of First Baptist Church in Salisbury.

John Fitz : Assistant Head Coach, Special Teams, Strength Coach

John Fitz enters his third season as a coach with the Catawba football program. He came to Catawba from New Hanover High School, where he spent six years. His duties at Catawba will include serving as defensive coordinator and strength coordinator.

Last fall, Fitz's defense led the South Atlantic Conference in turnover margin with 36 takeaways. He also led the Tribe to a second place finish in scoring defense by allowing only 21.4 points per game.

In 2006, Fitz steered the Catawba defense to a No.12 national ranking in total defense, allowing 248.5 yards per game. The Tribe pass defense led the South Atlantic Conference by surrendering only 121 yards per contest.

At New Hanover, Fitz served as head coach for the last four years. Prior to becoming head coach, he spent two seasons as defensive coordinator and strength coach. New Hanover qualified for the state playoffs each season with Fitz.

Fitz spent 12 years as defensive coordinator and strength coordinator at J.F.Webb High School before moving to New Hanover. He began his coaching career as an assistant at High Point Central High School.

Fitz resides in Granite Quarry with his wife, Anne. They have a son, Jackson.

Matt Barrett : Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers

Matt Barrett begins his ninth season with the Catawba Indians in 2008. He will serve as the offensive coordinator and coach the quarterbacks.

In 2007, Barrett's explosive offense scored 81 touchdowns, a total that was more than any Division I-A team last fall.

Under Barrett's guidance as a passing game coordinator, he has tutored two consecutive All-American and SAC Player of the Year quarterbacks in Luke Samples and Brad Roach.

Barrett came to Catawba as an offensive assistant in 2000. He coached the defensive scout team and was responsible for opponent scouting. He was the running back coach in 2001 and 2002 and coordinated the running game. Barrett coached the quarterbacks and coordinated the passing game in 2003 and 2004, while serving as the co-offensive coordinator.

Barrett began coaching at Orange County High School where he coached the defensive backs and special teams. He graduated from N.C. State in 1999 with a degree in business management and a minor in coaching education. He was active in Campus Crusade for Christ and Athletes in Action.

Barrett resides in Salisbury. He was born in Fayetteville, NC, where his family still resides.

DJ Summers : Recruiting Coordinator, Running Backs

D.J. Summers starts his seventh season as a coach at Catawba College. He returned to his alma mater after coaching at West Iredell High School. His duties will be to coach the running backs and coordinate recruiting.

In 2007, Summers tutored two All-SAC running backs in Kory Fisher and George Bell. His group of running backs broke the school record for rushing yards in a single season with 2,616 yards and 41 touchdowns.

At West Iredell, Summers coached the wide receivers. He began coaching at Polk County High School in 1997. He coached the receivers and defensive backs at Polk County from 1997-01 and also served as basketball coach.

Summers was a four-year performer at Catawba, earning All-SAC honors in 1995 and 1996. During his four years, Summers totaled 68 receptions for 1,284 yards and caught 15 touchdown passes. He stands 12th on Catawba’s all-time receiving leaders and is second in career yards per catch at 18.9 per reception. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in physical education.

In high school, at West Iredell, Summers started all four seasons and earned a spot in the East-West All-Star Game. As a wide receiver, quarterback and defensive back, he was a two-time all-conference performer and was team MVP as a senior. He resides in Salisbury.

Bob Lancaster : Defensive Coordinator

Bob Lancaster is beginning his eleventh season at Catawba. He joined the staff in 1998 from North Mecklenburg High School. His duties this year will be to coach the cornerbacks. He has coached running backs and tight ends at Catawba in the past.

In 2007, Lancaster's secondary picked off a league-high 18 passes. Under his tutorledge, All-SAC cornerback Jasmon Carpenter was ranked among the top 100 defenders in the country with eleven passes defended.

A 1994 graduate of the University of Alberta, Lancaster earned a degree in business education. While at Alberta,he was quarterback of the football team. He was captain and helped Alberta advance to the Canada West Championship Game.

Lancaster began coaching at North Mecklenburg High School in 1996 and served as offensive coordinator. He has helped coach at the CFL Hamilton TigerCats pre-season camp since 1998, working with running backs, receivers, defensive backs, and quarterbacks. This past summer he served as an assistant coach with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe.

Lancaster was born and reared in Regina, Saskatchewan, and currently resides in Charlotte with his wife, Kimberly. She is a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte. They have a daughter, Alexus (4). Lancaster’s father is the Senior Director of football operations for the CFL Hamilton TigerCats. His brother, R.D., serves as the offensive coordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos.

Ben Hepler : Offensive Line

Ben Hepler is entering his fourth season with the Catawba College football program in 2008. He returned to his alma mater after serving as offensive line coach at New Hanover High School for four years. Hepler is 2001 graduate of Catawba, earning a degree in biology.

Hepler's offensive line was one of the best in Division II last season by allowing only 11 sacks in 13 games. The group finished fourth in Division II in sacks allowed and was an integral piece to an offense that finished fourth in the nation in scoring and eleventh in total offense. His offensive line had two All-SAC players and one was named to the Daktronics All-Region team.

Hepler played four seasons at Catawba and was a South Atlantic Conference Honor Roll student each year. He helped the Tribe to a conference title and a pair of NCAA II playoff appearances. He was a standout at South Stokes High School, earning all-conference honors in both football and track.

At New Hanover High School, Hepler coached the offensive line and was head JV Coach. He helped New Hanover to the playoffs in 2003 and 2004. Helper also served as head track and field coach last year after three years as an assistant.

Khanis Hubbard : Defensive Line, Video Operations

Khanis Hubbard starts his fifth season as an assistant with the Catawba football program in 2008. Hubbard will serve as defensive line coach and will oversee video operations. He is a 2004 Catawba graduate with a degree in communications.

In 2007, Hubbard's defensive line was second in the South Atlantic Conference in sacks with 32, which resulted in 225 yards lost. He mentored two All-SAC defensive lineman last season and one All-American. Ron Ellington was a three-time All-American, three-time All-SAC, and the 2006 SAC Defensive Player of the Year under Hubbard's watch.

While at Catawba, Hubbard was a two-time All-SAC and all-region selection and earned All-America honors as a senior. Over his four seasons, he was credited with 169 tackles, including 19.5 sacks and 50 stops for losses. Hubbard had 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss during his senior season. He was a standout at Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC, where he was an all-conference performer.

Calvin Hunter : Football Operations, Kickers

Calvin Hunter begins his seventh season with the Catawba College football program. He joined the staff from Guilford College, where he was an assistant. While at Guilford, he also served as an assistant women’s basketball coach. His duties at Catawba are to oversee the football operations and coach the specialists.

A 1992 graduate of Guilford, Hunter earned a bachelor of science degree in sports management. He played four years at Guilford as a quarterback, earning ODAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. He helped the Quakers to the 1991 ODAC Championship. He earned a masters degree at Georgia Southern University in 1994 and earned a doctoral degree in Sports Management from the United States Sports Academy (Daphne, Alabama) in 2005.

Hunter served as wide receivers coach at Lenoir-Rhyne College for two years before returning to Guilford in 1997. Hunter has served as Event Services Coordinator for the Greensboro College Complex and was Sector Coordinator and assisted the Venue Manager at the Georgia International Horse Park for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA.

A native of Greenville, NC, Hunter resides in Greensboro with his wife, Tiffany, and their son, Logan (8). Tiffany is an early childhood education instructor at Rowan Cabarrus Community College.

Todd McComb : Linebackers

Todd McComb starts his third season as an assistant coach at his alma mater. He returns to Catawba after serving as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina in 2005. His duties will include coaching the linebackers and serving as academic coordinator.

In 2007, McComb had two linebackers named All-SAC in Joe Brown and Charles McAfee. His linebackers played a primary role in the team's 18 forced fumbles, which ranked second in the conference last fall.

A four-year standout at Catawba, McComb earned the Kirkland Award in 2003 as the top senior male athlete and helped the Indians to four straight NCAA II playoff berths and a pair of SAC titles. He was a consensus All-American as a senior and was a four-time All-South Region performer. McComb, who earned a degree in mathematics, was also twice named to the academic all-district squad.

At Thomasville High School, McComb was named league Player of the Year as a senior. He helped the Bulldogs to four conference titles in both football and basketball. An outstanding athlete, McComb also earned all-conference honors in baseball.

McComb began his coaching career at Coastal Carolina in 2003,serving as a defensive graduate assistant. He coached inside linebackers for the Chanticleers for two seasons. He earned his masters degree in education from Coastal Carolina in 2005.

Radell Lockhart : Defensive Line Assistant, Defensive Ends

Radell Lockhart will enter his fourth season as an assistant coach at his alma mater in 2008. A 2001 Catawba graduate, Lockhart earned a degree in recreation. His duties will be to assist with the defensive line, concentrating on the ends. He also helped coach the Tribe last season and in 2002.

At Catawba, Lockhart earned South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2000. He was also named to three All-America teams as he recorded 10 sacks and 31 stops for losses. Lockhart holds the school record with 103 tackles for loss and had 27
sacks.

Lockhart played professionally over four year, including stints with the New York Giants, New York Jets and San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in NFL Europe, two with the Scottish Claymores and one with the Frankfurt Galaxy. He helped the Galaxy to an appearance in the 2004 World Bowl.

Lockhart was a three-year starter at Independence High School and still resides in Charlotte, NC.

Derrick Lloyd : Linebackers Assistant

Derrick Lloyd will begin his second season as an assistant linebacker coach with Catawba College. He played for the South Georgia Wildcats of Arena 2 in the summer of 2007. He spent two seasons with the af2 Macon Knights.

As a senior at James Madison University, Lloyd was named the Buck Buchannan NCAA I-AA Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named A-10 Player of the Year and a first team All-American. Lloyd finished his career with the Dukes with 320 tackles, ranking 10th all-time.

Lloyd played for State Champion Independence High School and resides in Charlotte.

Bob Casmus: Head Athletic Trainer

He earned a bachelor's degree in health education from Temple University in 1983 and during his time in the Pennsylvania area, he worked as an athletic trainer for St. John Neumann High School, and as a summer intern for the Philadelphia Eagles. In addition, Casmus completed the Advanced Athletic Training Program at West Chester University in 1983 and is a certified EMT in the state of North Carolina.
Prior to his current position, Casmus was the head athletic trainer at Chowan College (1985-1990). He also volunteered at the 1987 Pan American Games and was an intern at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in 1988. He served on the athletic training staff for the 1990 Olympic Sports Festival in Minneapolis, MN. Casmus was head athletic trainer for the United Football League exhibition game in Taipei, Taiwan in July of 1994. He served as a test site administrator and is currently on the practical examination development committee for the Board of Certification. Bob served two terms as the District III Representative to the NATA Public Relations Committee from 1998-2005. He is currently the District 3 Representative to the NATA College and University Athletic Trainers Committee.

In 2006, Casmus was named to the NC Board of Athletic Training Examiners which is the licensing board for athletic trainers practicing in North Carolina. In June of 2005, Bob was named as the District III representative to the NATA Research and Education Foundation Board of Directors. At the NATA National Convention in June 2005, Casmus received the Athletic Training Service Award from the NATA and the Dan Libera Service Award from the Board of Certification. In 2007, Bob was named the NATA College and University Division II Athletic Trainer of the Year. He is also a two-time recipient of the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association College and University Athletic Trainer of the Year Award for 2003 and 2008. Bob also serves as a member of the Catawba College Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Casmus and his wife Teresa reside in Salisbury. Teresa is a pharmacist with the Medicine Shoppe in Salisbury. They have a son, Will, who was born in March of 1999.