East Mississippi Community College announced this week that former quarterbacks coach Preston Rice is returning to the team to take the mantle as its new offensive coordinator while also retaining his previous role.
Rice replaces Cade Wilkerson, who spent a total of 11 years on the football team’s staff before transitioning from calling the offensive plays for the Lions to the administrative responsibilities as EMCC’s new athletic director.
“Coach (Buddy) Stephens has established a program with a tradition of excellence, and I’m very thankful for having the opportunity to continue coaching with him and being able to keep learning and growing together,” Rice said.
Rice spent one year with the Lions during the 2025 season coaching up the quarterbacks room. He helped get starting signal caller Rodge Waldrop off to a solid start to the year before he went down with a season-ending injury. Trey Irving, the 2024 MHSAA Class 5A Mr. Football from Gautier, stepped in and closed out the year averaging 195 passing yards and 104 rushing yards per game as a freshman. At the end of the season, Rice departed the program for the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach jobs at Shorter University, a NCAA Division II program in Rome, Ga., but he has since returned to the Lions.
“I’m truly grateful for having the opportunity to return to EMCC,” Rice said. “There’s a championship standard here, and I’m excited to get back to work alongside a great coaching staff and talented group of players.”
Before his first stint at EMCC, Rice spent two years at the now shuttered Limestone University in Gaffney, S.C., as a graduate assistant working with quarterbacks and wide receivers in 2023, and then was promoted to the team’s quarterbacks coach, pass game coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the 2024 season. With Rice on staff, Limestone put together back-to-back eight-win campaigns.
He is a former football player himself and spent five years at Murray State University, three as the team’s starting quarterback. Rice is a Waynesboro, Tenn., native.
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