Prince Pearson enters his 11th season with Prairie View A&M, serving as the Panthers’ assistant head coach, offensive line/tight ends coach and run-game coordinator. Pearson joined the Panther coaching staff in the spring of 2004 following a four-year stint at Texas Southern.
Since his arrival, Prairie View has fielded one of the top rushing attacks in the Southwestern Athletic Conference as the Panthers have rushed for 1,700-plus yards in five of his 10 seasons at the helm.
The offensive line played a major role in Prairie View A&M’s offensive success last season as the they paved the way for over 6,000 yards of total offense while also finishing third in the SWAC in sacks against as Dillon Bonnet received first team honors. With the line’s protection, the Panthers ranked sixth nationally in total offense (517.2), ninth in scoring offense (39.0), ninth in completion percentage (66 percent), ninth in third down percentage (48 percent), 10th in passing offense (301.7) and 10th in first down offense (319).Â
The Panthers had nine games of 450-plus yards of total offense and seven games of 500-plus yards as they helped set 28 school records last fall. On the ground, the offensive line had a career season by paving the way for 2,591 rushing yards which included two games of 400-plus yard performances. In the passing game, the Panthers moved to another level behind the line’s protection with two games of 400-yard-plus passing performances.Â
After a productive 2011 campaign, the Panthers exploded offensively in 2012 as they led the SWAC with 414.7 yards per game while also finishing first in pass efficiency (140.3), second in pass offense (228.0) and third in rush offense (186.7). Offensive tackle Tre Glover was named to the 2012 All-SWAC Team as a result while several offensive performers posted career highs at their respective positions. With the blocking of the offensive line, the Panther offense rolled up plenty of yards with seven games over 400 yards of total offense, including three games over 500 yards and one with 600-plus yards. In addition, the offense had a knack for coming through in key situations as they ranked first amongst SWAC teams in third down conversions. Once again, the team’s quarterbacks were relatively safe as Pearson’s unit finished second amongst SWAC programs in sacks against.
The foundation of the SWAC’s third-ranked offensive unit, the offensive line had another productive season in 2011 as the Panthers led the SWAC in rushing with 174.3 yards per contest. Prairie View A&M rushed for over 100 yards in 10 of its 11 contests while eclipsing the 300-yard mark on two occasions. In addition, the line had no problem moving the chains as the team amassed 109 first downs via rushing the ball. With a very young offensive backfield behind them, the offensive line also put forth a solid effort in pass protection as they ranked fourth amongst SWAC institutions in sacks against. As a result, senior tackle Tim Tusey capped off his career with another prestigious honor as he earned All-SWAC First Team honors.Â
During the 2010 campaign, Pearson’s line helped the Panthers achieve the SWAC’s third-ranked pass offense as PV averaged 222.2 yards per game in the air. Led by All-SWAC guard James Dekle, the offensive line paved the way for running back Donald Babers to rush for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns. Babers also etched his name into the record books as he finished second all-time on the Prairie View A&M rushing charts with 3,404 yards and 35 touchdowns. As a team, the Panthers had four games with 125 yards or more on the ground with a season-high 217 yards at Alabama A&M.
In 2009, Prairie View’s offensive line clicked on all cylinders as the team’s offensive unit put together four games of 400 or more total offensive yards. In addition, the line blocked for the SWAC’s third-ranked offense while also helping the unit finish third in rush offense and fourth in pass offense. The Panthers also finished second in time of possession (31:51) and sacks against (19) in addition to helping the team rush for 100 or more yards in seven-of-10 contests with two games over 200-plus yards.
For the second straight season and only the fourth time in 23 years, two members of the unit earned All-SWAC honors in Tusey and Dekle. The duo helped Prairie View A&M win a SWAC Championship and produce the SWAC’s Offensive Player of the Year whom also finished as the nation’s leader in passing efficiency among the Football Championship Subdivision ranks.
In 2008, the Panthers made history on the ground as they rushed for 1,727 yards and 23 touchdowns en route to a 9-1 campaign. For only the third time since 1986, Prairie View had two offensive linemen (Cleveland Collie and Dekle) receive All-SWAC honors as they paved the way for the team’s first 1,000-yard rusher (Babers) in 20 years. In addition, opposing defenses found Prairie View’s offensive line tough to get around as they finished tied for first in sacks against with only 17 allowed.
Led by their ground game, the Panthers made history in 2007 as they clinched their first winning season in four decades en route to rushing for nearly 1,400 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Offensive linemen Maurice Robinson and Daylan Deal earned Second Team All-SWAC honors for the Panthers as they led a line that only allowed 12 sacks.
Prairie View’s ground game enjoyed a breakout season in 2005 under Pearson as the duo of Arnell Fontenot and Kerry Wilson helped the Panthers combine to rush for over 2,000 yards. The Panthers doubled their output from the previous season as they averaged 4.4 yards per carry and scored 15 touchdowns.
Prior to Prairie View, Pearson spent four seasons as the offensive line coach, run game coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Texas Southern. While at TSU, the Tigers leaned heavily on their ground game during his tenure there as they consistently ranked among the top five teams in the league under his watch from 2000 to 2003 in rush offense. As a result, several of his recruits received the opportunity to participate in NFL Training Camps.
Born in Lake City, Fla., Pearson had a successful high school career as an offensive lineman at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was recruited by the University of Minnesota and finished his career as an All-Big 10 nominee.  After graduating from Minnesota in 1993, Pearson returned to Florida and eventually became the offensive coordinator for Boyd Anderson High School in Fort Lauderdale.
In 1997, Pearson moved to the college ranks and became an assistant football coach at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. While at Holy Cross, he assisted with the team’s film breakdown and coached the defensive line. After one season at Holy Cross, Pearson returned to Florida in 1998 and assumed the head coaching duties at Hallandale High School.  Pearson quickly made his mark at Hallandale by leading the team to their first playoff berth in 16 years.  For his efforts on the field, Pearson was selected to coach in two all-star games and was nominated for Coach of the Year in 1998.
A student of the game of football, Pearson participated in the Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship program with the Minnesota Vikings in the summer of 2012 and also participated in the prestigious NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy in the spring of 2012. Pearson was one of only 30 coaches selected to network and learn from former NFL coaches, general managers and current NCAA head coaches.
Pearson is married to the former Evangeline Suarez of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They have one child Morgan (7).
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THE PEARSON FILE
Hometown:Â Â Â Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Wife:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Evangeline
Children:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Morgan (7)
College:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Minnesota (1993)
High School:Â St. Thomas Aquinas
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2004-2014 Â Â Â Prairie View A&M, assistant head coach/offensive line/tight ends
2000-2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Texas Southern, offensive line
1998-1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Hallandale (Fla.) H.S., head coach
1997-1998Â Â Â Â Â Â College of the Holy Cross (Mass.), defensive line
1993-1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Boyd Anderson (Fla.) H.S., offensive coordinator
