Former NFL player and SEC standout Cory Peoples is in his second season as the cornerbacks coach for Chad Lunsford after spending a season as the defensive coordinator at Albany State University.
Peoples made his impact felt immediately in 2018 as both of his starting corners earned All-Sun Belt honors and more. Monquavion Brinson earned second-team honors from the league and Kindle Vildor earned first-team honors from the league as well as second-team All-America plaudits and SBC Player of the year accolades from Pro Football Focus.
In his lone year at ASU as the defensive coordinator in 2017, three players were named All-SIAC as the Golden Rams allowed less than 290 yards of total offense per game. Zavondric Shingleton received first-team honors after leading an ASU defense that finished third overall in both total defense and scoring defense. Shingleton had 42 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss of 25 yards and led ASU in sacks with 3.5 for a loss of 10 yards.Â
Jaylin Boyd ranked tied for third in the league in passes defended and had two interceptions on the season returned for 57 yards. Marquez Thomas also garnered All-SIAC second-team honors after recording 55 tackles, 2.0 sacks and interception and five quarterback hurries last season.
Peoples went to ASU after serving as the defensive backs coach at South Carolina State University in 2016 and at Charleston Southern University for two prior years.
In 2015 Peoples guided cornerbacks Malcolm Jackson and Troy McGowens to All-Big South Conference honors. His secondary played a major role for a CSU team that led or ranked near the top nationally in total defense, claimed the Big South championship and advanced to the FCS Playoffs.
In 2014, Peoples’ secondary led the Big South in pass defense while the Buccaneers also finished first in run defense and pass defense. Defensive backs Troy McGowens and Demaris Freeman both went on to receive Big South’s second-team all-conference honors.
Prior to his time at Charleston Southern, Peoples spent one year as secondary coach at Saint Augustine University in North Carolina. His other coaching stints include Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Military College, and Keenan High School in Columbia, South Carolina.
Peoples was named an intern in 2012 by the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship and served as an intern for the Kansas City Chiefs in the same program 2015 and 2016.
A native of Bishopville, South Carolina, Peoples was an all-state quarterback and defensive back at Bishopville High School. After high school Coach Peoples attended Georgia Military College for two years where he won the NJCAA National Championship 2001, later securing a scholarship to South Carolina.Â
He starred in the defensive backfield as an upperclassman for Lou Holtz’s Gamecock squad, tallying 74 tackles over his final two seasons.
After graduating from South Carolina in 2005 with a degree in retail management, Peoples spent the two seasons on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster. He went on to play one season each with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
Peoples is married to the former Keilah Speed and the couple has two sons, Cory Jr. and Lucas, and a daughter, Isabella.
