Vantz Singletary enters his first season at Prairie View A&M University, joining the Panthers as Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Ends Coach and Special Teams Coordinator.
With more than 25 years of professional and collegiate coaching experience, Singletary arrives to The Hill from Tennessee State University, where he spent one season as defensive ends coach for the Tigers. Prior to TSU, Singletary served as Senior Analyst and Special Assistant to the Head Coach for the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football league. While at Memphis, Singletary was responsible for film breakdown on offensive and defensive fronts as well as the compilation of scouting information for gameplan developments. Additionally, he conceptualized and implemented special projects as assigned by the head coach and assisted in a wide array of coaching functions.
A native of Houston, Texas, Singletary spent seven seasons at Liberty University, during which he helped the Flames grow into one of the most dominant teams in the Big South Conference. As defensive line coach, Singletary was a part of four Big South championship teams (2012-14, 2016), during which time Liberty ranked statistically among the best defenses in the nation, as evidenced by a No. 15 ranking in the country in total defense (314.7 yards allowed per game) in 2012 and a No. 9 rank in 2013 (313.9). In 2014, the Flames finished the season ranked No. 17 in the country, which was at the time the program’s highest year-end ranking since 2008.
Under Singletary, the Flames’ defensive line unit earned eight all-conference selections, three all-state honorees and the program's first-ever Big South Defensive Player of the Year honoree, Chima Uzowihe in 2015. With Singletary’s tutelage, Uzowihe left Liberty as the Big South’s all-time leader in sacks (25).
Four of Singletary's products on the defensive line have had the chance to showcase their talents at the professional level. Cory Freeman (Cleveland Browns), Francis Bah (Chicago Bears), Dominique Davis (Pittsburgh Steelers/Kansas City Chiefs) and Uzowihe (Detroit Lions/San Diego Chargers/Indianapolis Colts) have all been in NFL camps.
Prior to Liberty, Singletary spent the 2011 season as the linebackers coach at Kansas. That year, Jayhawk linebacker Steven Johnson led the Big 12 with 124 total tackles, with eight double-digit tackle games on the season. Johnson later enjoyed a six-year stint in the NFL and most recently led the XFL in total tackles during the 2020 season.
Before that, he spent a pair of seasons alongside his uncle, Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary as a member of the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff. Serving as inside linebackers coach, Singletary helped San Francisco finish the year ranked No. 13 in the NFL in total defense during the 2010 season, as the 49ers allowed 327.9 yards per game. The team also ranked No. 6 in the league against the run (96.7 yards per game allowed). In 2009, Singletary's inside linebackers helped the 49ers rank No. 6 in the NFL in rushing defense (97.0 yards per game allowed) and No. 3 in rushing yards per attempt (3.6 average per game).
Willis set career highs in 2009 with three interceptions and three forced fumbles and tied a career best with four sacks. After leading the NFL with 152 tackles, Willis was named the NFL's Alumni Linebacker of the Year and he won the Butkus Award, given annually to the best linebacker in the NFL.
Singletary was hired as defensive tackles coach for the University of Buffalo in 2008, later elevating into the role of interim defensive coordinator during the year. The season was marked with championship success for the Bulls, who captured the Mid-American Conference title and earn their first-ever bowl appearance that season. Buffalo's defensive unit finished among the nation's elite, ending the year ranked No. 7 in the country and No. 1 in the MAC with 33 takeaways.
During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Singletary worked as a defensive line coach at Chattanooga. In 2007, the Mocs led the Southern Conference in sacks, takeaways, passes defended and yards allowed per play. During his first year with the program, Chattanooga set a single game record with nine sacks against Elon.
Singletary also spent seven seasons as a defensive line coach at Hawaii, working with the Warriors from 1999 to 2005. During his first year, Hawaii put together one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NCAA history, as the team went 9-4 – Hawaii had lost 18 straight games prior to the 1999 campaign – and won a share of the Western Athletic Conference title as well as the 1999 Jeep Oahu Bowl.
Singletary guided Travis LaBoy to WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2003. LaBoy blossomed into one of the nation’s best pass rushers under Singletary, earning all-conference honors twice before being chosen by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. LaBoy played seven years in the NFL, totaling 202 tackles and 29.5 sacks. Additionally, Singletary coached defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga to all-conference honors in 2002. Sopoaga was a fourth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2004, and he went on to play 10 years in the NFL. Sopoaga was the highest selected Hawaii defensive lineman – Despite starring under Singletary at defensive end, LaBoy converted to linebacker after entering the NFL draft – in more than 15 years.
Singletary is no stranger to PVAMU Head Football Coach Eric Dooley, as the two coached together at Southern University during the 1997-98 seasons. Singletary served as defensive line coach for the Jaguars, where he coached NFL player Chris White, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1999. Southern won the NCAA I-AA Black College national championship in 1997 while ranking ninth in rush defense and third in takeaways. The Jaguars also won back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in 1997 and 1998.
Singletary began his coaching career at Trinity International University – then known as Trinity College – in Deerfield, Ill. During Singletary’s five-year run at Trinity (1992-96) – he served as defensive coordinator from 1993-96 – he helped lead the program to two Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference titles. Under Singletary, a pair of Trojan standouts in Brian Martin and John Lambert etched their names in the record books. At the time of their graduations, Martin and Lambert ranked first and second, respectively in program annals for most career sacks. Additionally, Singletary mentored standout Herb Coleman, who was drafted in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49ers in 1995 and went on to enjoy a 10-year professional career that included stops in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Arena Football League.
Singletary also participated in seven different NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship programs, initiated by NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh. Singletary's first fellowship was with Tony Dungy and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996, followed by additional fellowships with the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and two with the San Diego Chargers.
In 2004, Singletary was one of 12 hand-picked coaches to participate in the NCAA's Expert Coaching Program, a three-day coaching clinic in Indianapolis, Ind.
Singletary earned his Social Sciences undergraduate degree from Kansas State in 1990, where he played linebacker during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. He transferred to Kansas State after spending two seasons at Blinn College, where he earned All-America honors. Singletary enjoyed a decorated preps career at Worthing High School, where he garnered All-State distinction.
Singletary and his wife, Shawndra, have four daughters – Courtney, LaShea, Briauna and Keona.
