CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian College football head coach Matt Rahl has announced another addition to the Blue Hose staff, introducing new Running Backs coach Brandon Linney on Thursday afternoon.

Linney – who worked alongside Rahl in the 2022 season at Missouri Southern State – comes to PC after a one-year stint at Bryant University where he held the same position.

Presbyterian becomes the fourth FCS institution that Linney will lend his services, following on from earlier segments at Norfolk State and Richmond.

"Coach Linney was one of the first calls I made after being named Head Coach", commented Rahl, who was Missouri Southern's Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator during Linney's stay there.

"I have so much respect for the way that he builds relationships with his players and the production he gets from them. He also brings a great reputation as a recruiter in key areas of Georgia and Florida to our staff."

Linney has directed four all-conference players among his position groups since his Missouri Southern days, coaching for the last three years in the CAA and the MEAC.


 
Norfolk State & Bryant (2023-25)
 

- In Linney's lone season at Bryant, running back Elijah Elliott produced 805 yards on the ground along with an extra 310 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns. He was chosen to the All-CAA Second Team unit, while his 12 rushing scores rank as the third-most in a sole season in the program's D-I history.

- Bryant's first victory with Linney on the sideline came over an FBS opponent, knocking off UMass on the road in a 27-26 thriller. The Bulldogs would also claim a tight win at UAlbany in conference play.

- Before his move to Bryant, Linney coached at Norfolk State for two years and worked with the running backs and returners. He was also the team's recruiting coordinator in that period.

- The Spartans eclipsed 1,900 rushing yards in both of his seasons, accomplishing 32 touchdowns on the ground and ranking inside the FCS top 30 in rushing yards per game during the 2023 campaign.

- Throughout a one-score triumph at Towson in Linney's first year at NSU, the squad ran for 350 yards to rank second in school history over a single contest. They also produced three rushing TD's in a road win over Delaware State that same year.

- Norfolk State return specialist Jaylen White was named All-MEAC First Team in both 2023 and 2024, while running back Kevon King was voted to the Second Team list in '24.


 
East Central, Missouri Southern, & Richmond (2021-23)

 
- Linney joined Norfolk State after a brief tenure with Richmond where he was an Offensive Quality Control Assistant during the 2022 offseason. Before Richmond came his opportunity with Rahl at Missouri Southern State.

- Focusing on running backs and special teams during his time in Joplin, Linney's Lions stacked up 17 rushing touchdowns and featured another all-conference rusher in Nathan Glades.

- Missouri Southern finished in the top four of the MIAA with 153 rushing yards per game, while Glades ranked third in the conference from an individual standpoint with 855 yards.

- Before Linney's hiring at Missouri Southern, he served as a Graduate Assistant at Division II East Central University in Oklahoma for the fall 2021 season. He coached special teams and tight ends.

- The Tigers captured four consecutive wins near the beginning of that campaign and would also close the slate with three W's in a four-game stretch. Tight end Rayvante Embry was an all-conference Second Team pick after posting 229 receiving yards on 16 catches.


 
Early Career (2016-20)

 
- Before his days at East Central, Linney served one season at Tyler Junior College in Texas for the spring '21 schedule as a running backs and special teams advisor. Roderick Hawkins was given an all-conference Honorable Mention nod, ranking 14^th in the nation with 1,136 yards on the ground.

- Linney spent the fall 2020 season at Independence Community College in Kansas, aiding the Pirates to an abbreviated 5-2 mark while coaching the linebackers and managing recruiting efforts.

- He started his coaching career at Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia across the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Linney worked with the freshman team as the Defensive Coordinator in his first fall and was then promoted to Freshman Head Coach the next year.

- In 2016, he was a student assistant for Old Dominion. The Monarchs collected an impressive 10-3 record in just their third season as an FBS school, closing the campaign on a six-game winning streak and defeating Eastern Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl.