A nine-year veteran of the Prairie View A&M coaching staff, John Pearce starts his second year as the team’s defensive coordinator after spending his first seven seasons as the team’s linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
In his first year as the team’s coordinator, the Panthers were an aggressive unit as they led the SWAC with 45 sacks and finished third in opponent third down conversion. Defensive end Adrian Hamilton closed out his career as the SWAC’s All-Time single-season sack leader with 20.5 sacks while defensive back Moses Ellis earned All-SWAC First Team honors for the second consecutive season. Several other Panthers had career-high campaigns as linebackers Raheem Cardwell, Marcus White and Chris Townsend posted career-highs in tackles while defensive linemen Jarvis Wilson, Ryan Love and Dwayne Chappell posted career-bests in tackles and tackles for losses.
For the second consecutive season entering the 2010 campaign, Pearce had to roll out a revamped linebacking unit which featured two redshirt freshmen. Despite the abundance of youth, three of the top seven tacklers on team were linebackers with senior linebacker Max Sencherey leading the unit with 75. Sencherey was selected to the 2011 All-SWAC Team for the second straight year as the Panthers finished with a 7-4 record.
Despite losing his entire starting unit that included a two-time All-American prior to the 2009 season, Pearce rolled up his sleeves and received career-best performances from a unit that finished with three of the top seven tacklers on the team. In their first season as starters, the trio of Chris Ford, Max Sencherey and Renoldo Revuelta helped the Panthers lead the SWAC in scoring defense and pass defense efficiency. In addition, the unit also played a major part in holding four teams to 74 yards or less on the ground.
From 2006 to 2008, Pearce had the opportunity to coach and mold one of the most decorated defensive players in school history in linebacker Zach East. Under Pearce’s watch, East completed his three-year career at Prairie View as a two-time AP All-American, the 2007 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time member of the All-SWAC Team. Along with East, fellow linebackers Van Sallier and Gary Hicks also earned All-SWAC honors as the duo played a large role on Prairie View’s nationally ranked defensive units over the course of their careers.
In addition to his linebacking duties, Pearce also coordinated Prairie View’s special teams for his first seven years on staff.
Since assuming command of the unit in 2005, Pearce has fielded one of the top units in the SWAC as Prairie View’s punters have finished no worse than second in punting amongst SWAC punters from 2007 to 2010 with a top ranking in 2009 from All-American and two-time All-SWAC punter Pedro Ventura. Ventura also finished the 2009 season ranked third nationally in the FCS ranks with a punting average of 43.8 yards.
In 2010, placekicker Kyle Mathews achieved perfection as he didn’t miss a single field goal or PAT. In 2009, placekicker Brady Faggard recorded his best season ever as he went a career-best 7-of-8 in field goals with 35-of-38 PATs for a total of 56 points.
In the return department, Prairie View finished 11th nationally as a team during the 2007 season in punt returns capped off by Anthony Weeden’s second-place ranking. During the 2008 season, Prairie View put together its best finish returning kicks under Pearce’s tenure as they averaged 20.3 yards per kick return to finish fourth in the SWAC.
Pearce has a wide variety of experience coaching within the high school and collegiate ranks. He started out as the line coach at Parkdale High School in Maryland before moving to Catholic University and then to Bowie State. At Bowie State, Pearce served as the team’s defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator.
After his stint at Bowie State, Pearce moved to Florida and coached at Santa Fe and Buchholz High Schools from 1996-2000. After four years in Florida, Pearce returned to the college level and coordinated recruiting efforts along with coaching the defensive line at Shepherd College from 2000-2003. In 2003, Pearce moved to Norfolk State of the MEAC and served as the defensive line coach along with coordinating film exchange.
In addition to his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, Pearce earned a master’s in secondary education from Bowie State University. He’s a member of the American Football Coaches Association and Texas High School Coaches Association.
The team’s community liaison, Pearce has spent a considerable amount of time bridging Prairie View A&M football with the surrounding community via service projects with Waller ISD, Campbell Middle School of Cy-Fair ISD and the Southwest Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Houston.
A 1991 graduate of the University of Delaware, Pearce is married to Samantha Krumpe of Medford, N.J., and the couple has two sons, Max (14) and Calvin (13).
THE PEARCE FILE
Hometown: Suitland, Md.
Wife: Samantha
Children: Max (14) and Calvin (13)
College: University of Delaware (1991)
High School: Suitland
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2004-2012 Prairie View A&M, defensive coordinator/linebackers/special teams
2003 Norfolk State/defensive line
2000-2003 Shepherd College, defensive line/recruiting coordinator
1998-2000 Buchholz (Fla.) H.S./assistant coach
1996-1997 Santa Fe (Fla.) H.S./assistant coach
1994-1996 Bowie State/co-defensive coordinator/defensive line
1993-1994 Catholic University
1991-1992 Parkdale (Md.) H.S./assistant coach
