Kermit Buggs

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Kermit Buggs completed his fourth season as safeties coach for the Monarchs.  Buggs also holds the title of assistant defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Buggs coached a veteran group in 2017 that featured Sean Carter, Rob Thompson and Andre Bernhard, while Justin Noye earned his first career starts.

Carter finished fifth on the squad with 54 tackles, and had a team-best three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Thompson tied for second on the team with two interceptions.

ODU featured two safeties in the top-five of the team in tackles, Sean Carter and Justice Davila, with both returning for the 2017 season. Carter, a former walk-on, started all 13 games on the season.

Monarch safeties combined for five of the defense's 11 interceptions, as Carter and Denzel Williams hauled in two, and Rob Thompson had one. Williams recorded a big interception in the end zone in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.

Buggs led the safeties for a second-straight season in 2015, as Fellonte Misher and Justice Davila formed one of Conference USA's top tandems.  Combining for 188 tackles, Misher and Davila finished second and third respectively, on the team in tackles.  Misher was sixth in C-USA with 99 tackles and tied for the league lead with four interceptions and forced two fumbles. He received C-USA honorable mentions honors. Davila recorded 89 tackles on the year, finishing third on the team despite missing one game with an injury.

The ODU safeties were involved in 10 turnover plays on the year, led by Misher's four interceptions and two forced fumbles. Sean Carter recovered two fumbles while Davila forced a fumble and C.J. Bradshaw registered his first career interception.

In his first season at ODU, Buggs' safeties intercepted four passes and forced or recovered four fumbles.  Fellonte Misher and Christian Byrum had two interceptions a pass while Byrum was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.

Byrum and Davila, both true freshman, saw a lot of action for the Monarchs, gaining valuable Conference USA experience while Rob Thompson, the starter heading into the season, redshirted after suffering an injury during fall camp, allowing Byrum and Davila to gain experience.

Buggs helped Misher develop on his solid sophomore season, finishing third on the team with 79 tackles along with two tackles for loss, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Buggs coached the running backs and was the special teams coordinator in 2013 at Connecticut.  Prior to his UConn stint, he was the defensive coordinator at Lock Haven University in 2012, and also spent nine seasons at Penn State.

Buggs started his career at Penn State as an offensive graduate assistant, working with the tight ends and running backs.

In his lone season coaching the Nittany Lion tight ends in 2003, two of his players, Matt Kranchick and Sean McHugh, were taken in the NFL Draft.

Buggs was in charge of the running backs from 2004-06, mentoring Tony Hunt to one of the best careers ever by a Penn State running back.  Hunt rushed for 3,320 career yards ranking him third in school-history behind Evan Royster and Curt Warner.  Hunt rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice in his career and was a third round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Penn State went 11-1 in 2005 and defeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl and was 9-4 the following season, capping the year with a 20-10 win over Tennessee in the Outback Bowl.

He was hired as the coordinator of player personnel development at PSU in 2006 and moved to coaching the secondary in 2007.

He coached safeties Drew Astorino, Anthony Scirotto and Nick Sukay to All-Big 10 honors as well as returner Derrick Williams, when he oversaw the punt and kick return units.

Buggs was part of two 11-win teams while coaching the secondary and helped the Nittany Lions win a pair of bowl games, including a 19-17 win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl.  In all, he coached in seven bowl games at Penn State.

Buggs began his career as a high school coach, leading Surry County High School (Va.) to a 14-0 record and state championship in his first season and was named the Region A Coach and VHSCA Coach of the Year.  He led Surry to the Region A Division I Championship in 2000 and led the team to the semifinals in 2002.  He produced a 34-14 record in his five-year tenure from 1999-03 and was also the school’s head basketball coach during that time. 

A product of Hampton, Va., Buggs is a 1995 graduate of Norfolk State University, where he played football. He was the University's 1992-93 recipient of the Vince Lombardi Award for Leadership and Academic Achievement and graduated as the Spartans’ all-time leading passer

He holds a master's degree in educational administration from Penn State.