Johnson “Jeep” Hunter III was hired as the assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and co-special teams coordinator at Savannah State in the summer of 2022.
Hunter comes to Savannah State from Johnson C. Smith where he served as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. He joined the Johnson C. Smith staff in 2018 as the linebackers' coach.
Prior to Smith, Hunter was at Hampton University where he served as pass game coordinator for defense and teams coordinator, following a two-year stint at ASA Junior College in Miami, Fla. as quarterbacks' coach and offensive coordinator.
Hunter has coaching roots in FBS. He coached three seasons at the University of South Carolina—from 2009-2011—where he spent two seasons overseeing the tight ends, serving as assistant special teams coordinator and later moved to safeties coach. In 2012, he was hired as the secondary coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Hunter oversaw South Carolina's Patrick DiMarco's transition from fullback to tight end in 2010. The team captain was a key blocker for a much-improved Gamecock rushing attack. DiMarco also had a career-high three touchdowns among his 15 catches for 147 yards. He is currently on the New England Patriots roster after spending the 2016 season with the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2009, his first season in Columbia, Hunter's top tight end, junior Wesley Saunders, was among the Gamecock leaders with 32 receptions for 353 and three touchdowns.
Prior to his arrival in the Palmetto State, Hunter spent two seasons (2006-07) as the tight ends Coach at Georgia Tech, where he mentored Michael Matthews—who was a member of the 2007 Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Hunter went to Georgia Tech after working the previous three seasons on Tommy West's staff at Memphis. While at Memphis, he coach All-America running back DeAngelo Williams, the nation's leading rusher in 2005 at 178.6 yards per game.
Williams rushed for more than 6,000 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career and finished as the NCAA's all-time leader in all-purpose yards. He had a lengthy tenure with the Carolina Panthers in the NFL and spent the 2016 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunter helped the Tigers reach a bowl game each of his three seasons in Memphis.
A native of Denver, N.C., Hunter went to Memphis in 2003 after two seasons at Eastern Kentucky, where he coached a highly ranked Division I-AA secondary. In 2001, the Colonels ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division I-AA in all defensive categories.
At Eastern Kentucky, he coached safety Yeremiah Bell, who has gone on to a Pro Bowl career with the Miami Dolphins. Hunter served an NFL Minority Internship with the St. Louis Rams in the summer of 2001. Prior to that, he spent one season (2000) coaching Defensive Backs at UT-Chattanooga.
Hunter worked with Tommy West at Clemson, where he served as a graduate assistant for two seasons (1996-97) and then spent one year as assistant athletics director for football management.
Hunter played his collegiate football at Catawba College, an NAIA Division II school in Salisbury, N.C., for three years before suffering a career-ending knee injury. He remained at Catawba as a student assistant coach from 1987-1990 before moving on to Bandy’s High School in Catawba, N.C., as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator for three seasons (1991-93).
From 1994-96, Hunter was an assistant football coach at North Carolina A&T State University, where he worked with wide receivers, outside linebackers and defensive backs.
Hunter received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Physical Education from Catawba College in 1991.
He has three children, a daughter, Sophia Marie(17), and two sons, Joshua(15) and Jude(11).
