STATESBORO - Georgia Southern head football coach Clay Helton has announced that former Florida State and West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett has been named as the tight ends and inside receivers coach, as well as the pass game coordinator, for the Eagles. He joins the program after successful coaching stops at Marshall and Florida Atlantic. Named to On3.com's 2022-23 Rising Stars List, Trickett has overseen offenses that played vital roles in two Power 5 wins (Notre Dame and Virginia Tech), coached a 1,000-yard rusher in back-to-back seasons and mentored a Mackey Award winner, given to the nation's best tight end.

"We are extremely excited to introduce Clint Trickett as our new tight ends/inside receivers coach," Helton said. "Clint will also serve as our pass game coordinator. Clint is known for his pass game knowledge as both a player and as a coach. He has been in multiple leadership positions in his coaching career and is one of the more talented young coaches in the game today. He has seen college football at the highest level and is very well respected for his recruiting success in the Southeast.  We will continue to bring in the most sought-after coaches in the country and Clint is a great example of that."

Trickett came to Statesboro after two seasons as Marshall's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2023, his offense averaged 358.5 yards per game, with powerful all-conference running back Rasheen Ali leading the way with 1,135 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as the Herd downed Virginia Tech and earned a postseason berth in the Frisco Bowl. In 2022, Trickett oversaw a Marshall offense that won its last five games of the season behind freshman quarterback Cam Fancher, who took over as the starter in the middle of the season. Trickett served as a mentor to Fancher, who turned spot duty in game action early in the season into an impressive second half of the year, which ended with a five-game winning streak that was capped by a 28-14 win over UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

"I'm fired up for this opportunity to join Coach Helton's staff at Georgia Southern," Trickett said. "Coach Helton has been synonymous with top offenses everywhere he's been, and I'm excited to work under him and Coach Ryan Aplin. I know the tremendous pride and traditions of this program run deep, and I am honored to be able to get this program back to the championship level that Eagle Nation is accustomed to."

Marshall's 2022 offense also featured explosive running backs Khalan Laborn, who finished in the top-15 in four different major NCAA statistical categories in 2022, and Ali, who came back from injury late in the season to earn MVP honors at the Myrtle Beach Bowl, returning to his 2021 form that had him tied for the national lead in touchdowns. The highlight of the season came on September 10 as the Thundering Herd went into South Bend and upset eighth-ranked Notre Dame 26-21 behind LaBorn's 163 yards rushing.

Trickett was named Marshall's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2022 after serving as its pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2021. In 2021, Trickett mentored wideouts Corey Gammage and Willie Johnson, who both earned honorable mention all-conference honors. The Thundering Herd's passing offense ranked 14th nationally with 3,830 yards through the air.

Trickett went to Marshall from Florida Atlantic, where he was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2020 after starting as the tight ends coach in February of 2017. The 2019 season would be a breakout year for the tight ends room and Trickett. Harrison Bryant, a John Mackey Award recipient (first non-FBS winner), tallied 1,004 yards receiving on 65 catches with seven touchdowns. Those first two marks were both tops among all FBS tight ends, with the seven scores fourth-highest. He was only the third C-USA tight end ever over 1,000 yards, as well as the third Owl all-time. John Raine was fifth on the team with both 31 catches and 270 yards and tied for second with a career-best five touchdowns. That year, Trickett was named to the AFCA 35-Under-35 list for his accomplishments.

The 2018 campaign saw Bryant continue to rise under Trickett's tutelage, with 45 catches for 662 yards and four scores, and Raine added another 99 yards receiving and a touchdown. Bryant would be selected first-team All-C-USA and be rewarded as well with Pro Football Focus second-team All-American honors.

In his first season, he saw Bryant earn second-team All-Conference USA honors. Bryant was the team's most consistent receiver, as he finished third in total receptions with 32 and led the Owls much of the season in touchdown receptions.

Trickett spent two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at East Mississippi Community College, one of the most successful JUCO programs in the country. Trickett's role at EMCC, a three-time NJCAA National Champion, was primarily tutoring EMCC's quarterbacks, among other coaching responsibilities.

Splitting his collegiate playing career between West Virginia and Florida State, Trickett completed 62 percent (470-of-758) of his passes for 5,837 career yards and 32 total touchdowns. The bulk of those impressive passing numbers came during the two years in Morgantown, where he threw for 4,890 total yards and 25 touchdowns in 19 games for the Mountaineers.

As a fifth-year senior at West Virginia, Trickett completed 67.1 percent (281-of-419) of his passes for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns in leading the Big 12 Conference and ranking 11th nationally in completion percentage. He also stood third in the Big 12 and No. 10 nationally, with an average of 298.6 passing yards per contest. He was a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist wearing a WVU uniform and was a member of the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll as well as the Big 12 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Trickett graduated from FSU in three years with a bachelor's degree in social sciences. Playing behind future NFL quarterback EJ Manuel during his three years at Florida State, Trickett completed 62.3 percent (66-of-106) of his career passes for 947 yards and seven touchdowns. As a redshirt freshman in 2011, he threw for 675 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games, including starting assignments against Clemson and Wake Forest.

He is the youngest of three sons of Rick and Tara Trickett. His father, a long-time, well-respected collegiate coach, has had notable stints at West Virginia, Mississippi State, Auburn, LSU, and Florida State under Jimbo Fisher, helping win the 2013 BCS National Championship. He is currently the offensive line coach at Jacksonville State and has nearly 50 years of coaching experience. His brother, Travis, is the offensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina, and his brother, Chance, is a scout for the Los Angeles Rams and was named to the 2023 BART list for the top seven college scouts in the NFL.He is married to Kaylee Trickett.

The hiring is pending a final successful background check.