Jeff Comissiong enters his seventh season at ODU coaching the defensive line.
Comissiong coached the most decorated ODU defensive player in ODU history, Oshane Ximines, to 12.5 sacks, an ODU single-season record, which put him fifth in FBS. Ximines' 18.5 tackles for loss was 10th in FBS. He finished his ODU career holding records in sacks with 33, tackles for loss with 52.5, QB hurries with 33, and forced fumbles with nine. Ximines joined wide receiver Travis Fulgham as the first two Monarchs to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl, and also joined Fulgham as the first two teammates to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in the same year. It is the second-straight year ODU as sent a defensive lineman to the Combine, as Bunmi Rotimi went in 2018.
Tim Ward added 3.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2018. Jeremy Meiser was the only underclassman in the bunch and he started 10 games and totaled 21 tackles and had five tackles for loss.
Comissiong led an ODU defense that finished fourth in Conference USA with 31 sacks, and led the league in sacks before post-season play. Junior defensive end Oshane Ximines earned first-team All-Conference USA honors while Bunmi Rotimi earned honorable mention C-USA honors.
Rotimi became the second Monarch (Zach Pascal) to be invited to the NFL Combine.
The ODU defense registered 34 sacks in 2016, the most since the Monarchs joined FBS and tied for second in Conference USA. Of the 34 sacks, 27 came from the defensive front. Defensive ends Oshane Ximines and Bunmi Rotimi combined for 14.5 sacks, with Ximines setting the school single-season record, and Rotimi tying Ronnie Cameron's career record.
Defensive tackle Rashaad Coward finished fourth on the squad with 60 tackles, and had 7.5 tackles for loss, more TFL's than he had in his first three seasons at ODU.
Comissiong led a defensive line that featured one senior while the top two sacks leaders both return up front. Junior Rashaad Coward registered a single-season career-high 47 tackles and 1.5 sacks while sophomore Bunmi Rotimi also notched a career-best with 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Redshirt freshman Oshane Ximines led the team with 5.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss and was named to the C-USA All-Freshmen team.
The 26 sacks by the defense was the most in a single-season since the Monarchs transition year of 2013 with 17 of the 26 sacks coming from the defensive line. Terrell Reid's sack of Southern Miss quarterback Nick Mullens forced a fumble that linebacker Martez Simpson recovered for a touchdown.
For the second-straight season, Comissiong coached a young group featuring just two seniors and just one player that started every game.
Junior defensive end Andrew Everett started all 12 games for the second-straight season while senior Malik Gumbs started all 12 games while playing just seven games the year before.
Senior Chris Smith led all defensive lineman with 39 tackles while junior college transfer led ODU with 3.5 sacks and he led all defensive lineman with 6.5 tackles for loss.
Barnwell scored ODU's first defensive touchdown since 2010 when he recovered a fumble in the end zone.
Comissiong's defensive line group had just one senior in 2013, captain Nate Barnes, and was led in tackles by sophomore defensive end Andrew Everett and redshirt freshman Terrell Reid.
The Monarchs had 19 sacks on the year and 78 tackles for loss, 34 of which came from defensive linemen.
The ODU defensive line was a young group in 2013, as four true freshmen played a lot of minutes, including Scott Wiggins, Jude Brenya, Rashaad Coward and Kanyia Anderson.
Comissiong spent the last six years as defensive line coach at Boston College as well as having an integral part in special teams. During his tenure at BC, the Eagles led the ACC in rush defense three times and led the country in rush defense in 2010 and finished second in 2007. Comissiong and the Eagles ranked fifth in the country in defense in 2008 and finished 13th in 2010.
"I am honored to be joining the Old Dominion family and the football program. I have followed with great interest the progress that has been made by Old Dominion football from afar and it is truly remarkable. A 38-10 record and the transition to FBS and C-USA in only four years has me even more excited to get started," Comissiong said. "It is obvious to me the program has tremendous support from both the University and the community. Work will begin immediately in helping our student-athletes achieve at the highest level on and off the field."
While at Boston College, Comissiong placed a pair of defensive linemen on the ACC All-Conference team in 2007 and 2008 and defensive linemen B.J. Raji (Green Bay Packers) and Ron Brace (New England Patriots) were taken in the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft. Damik Scafe, another defensive tackle coached by Comissiong at BC, is currently on the roster for the San Diego Chargers.
Before joining BC, Comissiong spent two years at Harvard, helping the Crimson to the No. 1 ranked defense in the Ivy league and also finishing first in sacks while leading the country in tackles for loss and sacks and coming in second in the country in run defense. Prior to his time at Harvard, he rejoined the staff at Maine, coaching the defensive line for five years. Comissiong helped the Black Bears to back-to-back conference championships and advancing to the FCS Quarterfinals in both seasons.
He started his collegiate coaching career at Maine in 1996 and was in charge of the defensive ends for three seasons, helping the defense set a school record 51 sacks in a season while Todd Williamson set the single-season record for sacks in a season with 13. Following his stint at Maine, he joined the staff at Bates College for three years where he was the defensive line coach as well as the strength and conditioning coach.
Comissiong was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for Maine.
Comissiong spent the last six years as defensive line coach at Boston College as well as having an integral part in special teams. During his tenure at BC, the Eagles led the ACC in rush defense three times and led the country in rush defense in 2010 and finished second in 2007. Comissiong and the Eagles ranked fifth in the country in defense in 2008 and finished 13th in 2010.
"I am honored to be joining the Old Dominion family and the football program. I have followed with great interest the progress that has been made by Old Dominion football from afar and it is truly remarkable. A 38-10 record and the transition to FBS and C-USA in only four years has me even more excited to get started," Comissiong said. "It is obvious to me the program has tremendous support from both the University and the community. Work will begin immediately in helping our student-athletes achieve at the highest level on and off the field."
While at Boston College, Comissiong placed a pair of defensive linemen on the ACC All-Conference team in 2007 and 2008 and defensive linemen B.J. Raji (Green Bay Packers) and Ron Brace (New England Patriots) were taken in the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft. Damik Scafe, another defensive tackle coached by Comissiong at BC, is currently on the roster for the San Diego Chargers.
Before joining BC, Comissiong spent two years at Harvard, helping the Crimson to the No. 1 ranked defense in the Ivy league and also finishing first in sacks while leading the country in tackles for loss and sacks and coming in second in the country in run defense. Prior to his time at Harvard, he rejoined the staff at Maine, coaching the defensive line for five years. Comissiong helped the Black Bears to back-to-back conference championships and advancing to the FCS Quarterfinals in both seasons.
He started his collegiate coaching career at Maine in 1996 and was in charge of the defensive ends for three seasons, helping the defense set a school record 51 sacks in a season while Todd Williamson set the single-season record for sacks in a season with 13. Following his stint at Maine, he joined the staff at Bates College for three years where he was the defensive line coach as well as the strength and conditioning coach.
Comissiong was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for Maine.
The Comissiong File:
2007 - 2013: Boston College - Defensive Line
2006 - 2007: Harvard - Defensive Line
2002 - 2006: Maine - Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator
2000 - 2002: Maine - Running Backs
1998 - 2000: Bates College - Defensive Line/Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
1996 - 1998: Maine - Defensive Ends
Hometown: St. Thomas, V.I.
College: Maine `97
Recruiting Areas:
Primary: Eastern Pennsylvania (Harrisburg over), New York (New Rochelle down, Five Boroughs, Long Island)
Secondary: Connecticut, Florida (North), Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Coaching History:
2007 - 2013: Boston College - Defensive Line
2006 - 2007: Harvard - Defensive Line
2002 - 2006: Maine - Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator
2000 - 2002: Maine - Running Backs
1998 - 2000: Bates College - Defensive Line/Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
1996 - 1998: Maine - Defensive Ends
All-Conference Monarchs Under Coach Scott:
2018: Oshane Ximines - First-Team All-C-USA
2017: Oshane Ximines - First-Team All-C-USA
2017: Bunmi Rotimi - C-USA HM
2016: Rashaad Coward - Second-Team All-C-USA
2016: Oshane Ximines - Second-Team All-C-USA
2016: Bunmi Rotimi - C-USA HM