Thomas Balkcom enters his second season as the safeties coach and special teams coordinator at Savannah State University.
In 2011, SSU’s special teams led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in kickoff return yards and were second in punt return average.
The eighteen-year coaching veteran comes to SSU from University High School in Orlando, Florida where he coached defensive backs and was the special teams coordinator. Prior, he spent one season (2009) as the head coach at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Fla.
The Miami native returned home and served as the head coach and offensive coordinator at Miami Jackson Senior High in Miami, Fla. from 2007-2008.
Balkcom’s last collegiate coaching job was from 2005-2006 when he served as a graduate assistant at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. He worked primarily with defensive backs and all aspects of special teams play. While at UCF, Balkcom assisted in the development of several C-USA 1st Team and All-American athletes. He also was instrumental in developing UCF turned NFL players like Brandon Marshall, Mike Sims-Walker Kevin Smith, Joe Burnett, Leger Douzable, Torrell Troup, Darcy Johnosn, Michael Merritt, Jah Reid and Bruce Miller. UCF’s punt return units finished ranked sixth and eighth nationally in two seasons under Balkcom.
Balkcom’s other collegiate coaching experiences include stints at Morehouse College (2001-2003) where he served as linebackers coach, specials teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator; and at Morris Brown (1999-2000) where he coached the secondary and special teams. As recruiting coordinator for Morehouse, he oversaw the signing of five SIAC 1st Team All-Conference players, three Division II 1st Team All-Americans and two SIAC Defensive Players of the Year. He has also coached at Decatur High School (2004) as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator in Decatur, Ga.
A 1993 graduate of Georgia Tech, Balkcom earned his undergraduate degree in Management, and then continued to earn his MBA in Business Management in 2000. While attending Georgia Tech, he was defensive co-captain of the 1990 national championship team and was named defensive MVP of the Florida Citrus Bowl. Coach Balkcom has completed two Bill Walsh NFL Coaching Fellowships that allowed him to work with some of the top minds in professional football.
He is married to Ellena and the couple resides in Savannah, Ga.
