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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Houston Hires Fontel Mines as Inside Receivers Coach
4/7/2017 9:55:00 AM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Head Coach Mike Houston announced Friday the hiring of Fontel Mines to the football coaching staff as the new inside receivers coach. In his role, Mines will coach both the tight ends and slot receivers.
"The opportunity to work for one of the top programs in FCS football and in my home state of Virginia was a major attraction for me," Mines said. "Coach Houston has demonstrated to be a proven winner at many levels and I look forward to the opportunity to improve myself as a coach. We have a great group of receivers and tight ends and I'm ready to get to work. I also have previous relationships with several guys on the staff and I see this as a seamless transition."
"Fontel is an outstanding character man," Houston said. "He'll be someone who is a positive influence on our players, and he brings a wealth of playing experience, not just at the collegiate level at Virginia but also at the professional level as a tight end with the Chicago Bears. He's an experienced coach and his ties to Virginia will be really important when it comes to recruiting, so we look forward to having him help us sign the top players in the state."
A native of Richmond, Va., Mines is no stranger to JMU and the Colonial Athletic Association, having spent the previous five seasons at Richmond, as well as the last three months at Delaware.
During his time with the Spiders, he coached both wide receivers (2012-13, 2015-16) and tight ends (2014), helping guide the team to three straight FCS playoff appearances, including a berth in the 2015 national semifinals. Richmond has set nearly every passing record during his tenure with the program, turning in one of the nation's best offensive units in terms of scoring and total offense. He additionally served as Richmond's director of high school relations.
Mines coached three-time All-American Brian Brown, who finished his career in 2016 as UR's all-time leader in every statistical category for a receiver and the eighth-most total yards by any player, with 4,203 career yards. As a senior, Brown set program records for receiving yards (1,485) and receiving touchdowns (11), en route to his third straight season earning All-CAA and All-America awards. He was a finalist for the Bill Dudley Award and also named the best pass-catcher in the state by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.
Under Mines' tutelage, two Spiders earned professional contracts with Ben Edwards (New York Giants) and Reggie Diggs (Washington Redskins) both signing free agent deals following their collegiate careers. Five Richmond receivers earned multiple All-CAA accolades while he was with the program.
Prior to Richmond, Mines spent the 2011 season at Division II Chowan in North Carolina. He began his coaching career in 2010 at Hermitage High School in Richmond, where he was a standout high school player. He additionally participated in the Minority Internship with the Washington Redskins during the 2015 preseason and coached in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl later that year.
A 2007 graduate of Virginia, Mines was a four-year letter winner for the Cavaliers (2003-06) where he starred as a wide receiver. He made 20 starts and recorded 68 receptions for 737 yards and five touchdowns. After earning his degree in anthropology, Mines played four years in the National Football League as a tight end with the Chicago Bears before transitioning to coaching.
With the addition of Mines, Drew Dudzik will now move into his new role of outside receivers coach. Following the departure of Jamal Powell, Bryan Stinespring moved from tight ends to offensive line while maintaining his role as the run-game coordinator.
"Having someone who played tight end in the NFL and receiver in college, it's a natural fit to have Fontel in this role with our team," Houston said. "He's also coached both positions, so it makes it easy for us to take the inside guys and coach them together. The slot receivers will still work with the outside receivers a bit and the tight ends with the offensive line a good bit. It also allows for more fluidity and more one-on-one coaching because you have a better coach-to-player ratio. It will be a great advantage for our offense."
JMU will hold its annual Spring Game, presented by United Bank, on Saturday, April 8. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium, and admission is free for all spectators.
"The opportunity to work for one of the top programs in FCS football and in my home state of Virginia was a major attraction for me," Mines said. "Coach Houston has demonstrated to be a proven winner at many levels and I look forward to the opportunity to improve myself as a coach. We have a great group of receivers and tight ends and I'm ready to get to work. I also have previous relationships with several guys on the staff and I see this as a seamless transition."
"Fontel is an outstanding character man," Houston said. "He'll be someone who is a positive influence on our players, and he brings a wealth of playing experience, not just at the collegiate level at Virginia but also at the professional level as a tight end with the Chicago Bears. He's an experienced coach and his ties to Virginia will be really important when it comes to recruiting, so we look forward to having him help us sign the top players in the state."A native of Richmond, Va., Mines is no stranger to JMU and the Colonial Athletic Association, having spent the previous five seasons at Richmond, as well as the last three months at Delaware.
During his time with the Spiders, he coached both wide receivers (2012-13, 2015-16) and tight ends (2014), helping guide the team to three straight FCS playoff appearances, including a berth in the 2015 national semifinals. Richmond has set nearly every passing record during his tenure with the program, turning in one of the nation's best offensive units in terms of scoring and total offense. He additionally served as Richmond's director of high school relations.
Mines coached three-time All-American Brian Brown, who finished his career in 2016 as UR's all-time leader in every statistical category for a receiver and the eighth-most total yards by any player, with 4,203 career yards. As a senior, Brown set program records for receiving yards (1,485) and receiving touchdowns (11), en route to his third straight season earning All-CAA and All-America awards. He was a finalist for the Bill Dudley Award and also named the best pass-catcher in the state by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.
Under Mines' tutelage, two Spiders earned professional contracts with Ben Edwards (New York Giants) and Reggie Diggs (Washington Redskins) both signing free agent deals following their collegiate careers. Five Richmond receivers earned multiple All-CAA accolades while he was with the program.
Prior to Richmond, Mines spent the 2011 season at Division II Chowan in North Carolina. He began his coaching career in 2010 at Hermitage High School in Richmond, where he was a standout high school player. He additionally participated in the Minority Internship with the Washington Redskins during the 2015 preseason and coached in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl later that year.
A 2007 graduate of Virginia, Mines was a four-year letter winner for the Cavaliers (2003-06) where he starred as a wide receiver. He made 20 starts and recorded 68 receptions for 737 yards and five touchdowns. After earning his degree in anthropology, Mines played four years in the National Football League as a tight end with the Chicago Bears before transitioning to coaching.
With the addition of Mines, Drew Dudzik will now move into his new role of outside receivers coach. Following the departure of Jamal Powell, Bryan Stinespring moved from tight ends to offensive line while maintaining his role as the run-game coordinator.
"Having someone who played tight end in the NFL and receiver in college, it's a natural fit to have Fontel in this role with our team," Houston said. "He's also coached both positions, so it makes it easy for us to take the inside guys and coach them together. The slot receivers will still work with the outside receivers a bit and the tight ends with the offensive line a good bit. It also allows for more fluidity and more one-on-one coaching because you have a better coach-to-player ratio. It will be a great advantage for our offense."
JMU will hold its annual Spring Game, presented by United Bank, on Saturday, April 8. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium, and admission is free for all spectators.
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