SCOOBA – A pair of teammates from EMCC’s 2013 national championship team have joined Buddy Stephen’s coaching staff in Scooba.
Austin Roberts, a Georgia native will coach the defensive line and his former teammate Justin Lucas will take over as defensive coordinator.
“Austin played for us on the same 2013 national championship team as (new EMCC defensive coordinator) Justin (Lucas), so there is a familiarity there with our program’s standards and expectations,” Stephens said. “Austin is an up-and-coming defensive line coach who achieved success within the Kansas community college coaching ranks, and now we’re extremely excited to have him back with the Lions.”
Having spent this past season at the University of Arkansas at Monticello serving as the Boll Weevils’ defensive line coach along with having strength-and-conditioning coaching responsibilities, Roberts previously spent four successful seasons coaching within the talent-laden Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference ranks. Prior to earning NCAA Division II coaching experience a year ago at UAM, he coached defensive ends at Butler Community College during the 2024 season. Featuring first-team NJCAA All-America defensive tackle Seven Cloud, the Grizzlies claimed a share of the KJCCC regular-season title with a 5-1 league mark and ranked 12th nationally in the final NJCAA poll.
“I’m extremely excited to join Coach Buddy Stephens’ staff and for this special opportunity to coach alongside him and my former teammate (new EMCC defensive coordinator Justin Lucas) while being a part of the championship standard here at EMCC,” Roberts said. “I’m ready to work and compete for championships while also developing our guys on and off the field in helping them reach the next level.”
A native of Warner Robins, Ga., Roberts initially teamed with Lucas and current NFL veteran defensive linemen D.J. Jones and Jarran Reed to form one of the most dominant defensive units in EMCC’s football history during the Lions’ first of back-to-back undefeated national championship seasons. As an EMCC freshman in 2013, Roberts was credited with 22 total tackles, including 2.5 quarterback sacks, as part of the Lions’ vaunted defensive squad that allowed an average of less than four points per game with five shutouts during nine regular-season contests.
Roberts spent the next three years playing collegiately within the state of Oklahoma. After recording 40 total tackles with four quarterback sacks as a sophomore at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in 2014, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma to finish his collegiate playing career. As a 10-game OU starter during his senior season in 2016, Roberts was credited with 40 total tackles along with 1.5 sacks and a pair of pass breakups in helping lead the 11-2 Sooners to a second straight Big 12 championship followed by a Sugar Bowl victory.
Lucas tabbed as defensive coordinator
Aberdeen product and Troy University alum Justin Lucas, a former defensive standout and two-time national champion at East Mississippi Community College, has returned to the Scooba campus to serve as the Lions’ defensive coordinator.
“Justin was an excellent player for us on back-to-back national championship teams, so he understands our program’s expectations and standards,” Stephens noted. “We’re excited to hire someone who has done so well for himself within the college coaching ranks in addition to the loyalty he demonstrates for our program.”
Lucas, who was a standout linebacker on EMCC’s back-to-back unbeaten national championship teams in 2013 and 2014, most recently spent the past three years as the defensive coordinator at MACCC foe Itawamba Community College. Under Lucas’ defensive leadership, the Indians posted consecutive overall winning seasons with 4-2 division marks the past two years in cracking the NJCAA Division I Top 15 national rankings both seasons.
“Coach Stephens was the first head coach to offer me an opportunity to play college football, and I’ll be forever grateful for this opportunity to coach alongside him,” Lucas said regarding the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach. “It feels great to be back home on the Scooba campus to lead the Lions’ defense.”
Headlined by Temple University signee Orel Gray and current Murray State University defensive back Dylan Rowsey, ICC had a dozen defensive players earn all-conference honors during the past three seasons under Lucas’ guidance. Gray was an All-Region 23 linebacker selection this past season, while Rowsey collected honorable mention NJCAA All-America recognition a year ago after being chosen as the 2024 MACCC North Division Defensive Player of the Year.
During Itawamba’s 6-3 turnaround season of 2024, the Indians narrowly missed qualifying for the MACCC playoffs after leading the conference in turnovers forced, pass interceptions, quarterback sacks, fumble recoveries and defensive touchdowns during regular-season play. This past year in finishing third among the MACCC North Division standings, ICC again ranked among the league’s top-five team statistical leaders in several defensive categories.
Prior to his successful three-year coaching stint at Itawamba, Lucas gained his initial MACCC coaching experience serving as the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator at Coahoma Community College during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. During his stint with the Tigers, Lucas helped mentor first-team, all-conference linebackers Desmond Williams and Trayshon Jones.
Following his two playing seasons at Troy University in 2015 and 2016, Lucas began his collegiate coaching career as a defensive analyst for his alma mater before becoming the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Montgomery, Alabama-based Faulkner University, where he coached first-team, all-conference linebacker Daylon Fox.
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