PERSONNEL & GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
2014 Georgia Tech Football Yearbook
BRAD WAGGONER
PRESTON PEHRSON
AAIRON SAVAGE
@CoachWaggonerGT Assistant Director of Player Personnel 1st season at Tech Liberty ‘97
@CoachPerson Graduate Assistant Coach 4th season at Tech Towson ‘09
Graduate Assistant Coach 1st season at Tech Auburn ‘08
Brad Waggoner, who began his association with Georgia Tech 20 years ago as a linebacker for the Yellow Jackets, enters his first season assistant director of player personnel. Waggoner comes to the Flats after serving the last 10 years as a high school head coach in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Most recently, he was head coach and athletic director at Lumpkin County (Ga.) High School after previously working as the head coach at Decatur HS (2012-13) and Chattooga (Ga.) HS (2009-12). From 1997 to 2000, Waggoner coached on the college level. In 1997 he served as an assistant coach and video coordinator at VMI, followed by two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Alabama in 1998 and 1999. He went on to work as an assistant coach at West Alabama through 2000. From 2000 through 2003, Waggoner was an assistant coach at Sandy Creek HS in Tyrone (Ga.), where he helped coach Georgia Tech standouts Calvin Johnson and Andrew Gardner. Waggoner grew up in Fayetteville (Ga.) where he attended Landmark Christian High School. After graduating, he attended Georgia Tech in 1994 where he played linebacker for the Yellow Jackets. He finished his career at Liberty University, where he played linebacker for the Flames in 1995 and 1996. Waggoner and wife, Mary Beth have a son, Brad, Jr.
Preston Pehrson begins his fourth year with the Georgia Tech football program as a graduate assistant coach, working primarily with the offense. Before coming to Atlanta in 2011, Pehrson worked one spring as a graduate assistant at Lamar University. In the fall of 2010, he served as outside linebackers coach and assistant tight ends coach at Houston Christian High School in Texas. Growing up in Annapolis, Md., Pehrson was an all-state performer in both football and baseball at Broadneck High School. After high school, Pehrson attended Jacksonville University for two years and played two seasons with the Dolphins baseball team. He then transferred to the University of Texas for one year before finishing his college career at Towson University. Pehrson earned his degree in sports management with a minor in business from Towson University in 2009. In 2007, Pehrson was taken in the 47th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and played two years in the minor leagues. Born Sept. 25, 1984, in Salt Lake City, Pehrson and wife, Kim, reside in Atlanta.
KEVIN REDDY Staff Assistant 1st season at Tech Georgia Gwinnett College ‘13
Kevin Reddy, an assistant coach at a highly successful local high school football program for six years, joned the Georgia Tech staff in March. Reddy helped coach linebackers and special teams at Buford High School, which won state titles during his tenure in 2008, ‘09, ‘10, ‘12 and ‘13. The 2011 team finished as the state runner-up. He also served as a special education teacher for the 2013-14 school year. After a standout career at Brookwood (Ga.) High School, Reddy attended Georgia Southern, where he played on the football team under head coach Brian Van Gorder in 2007. A native of Snellville (Ga.), Reddy obtained his degree from Georgia Gwinnett College in 2013. He is single and resides in Atlanta.
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Aairon Savage, who played defensive back at Auburn from 2005-10 and was a part of the Tigers’ run to the ‘10 national championship, is in his first season as a Georgia Tech graduate assistant coach. Savage will work with the Yellow Jacket defense, specifically with the safeties. In 2013, Savage was an assistant coach at Valdosta High School, where he was also a ninthgrade teacher. The previous two years, Savage was on the staff at Auburn. He was part of quality control in 2011 and was a graduate assistant in 2012. Savage was a Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-American (Rivals) defensive back in 2006. He missed all of the 2008 and 2009 seasons with injuries. In the national title season of 2010, Savage started the first seven games before a season-ending injury. Savage earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn in 2008, and his Master’s in 2010.
STEVEN SYLVESTER @s_sylvest34 Graduate Assistant Coach 2nd season at Tech Georgia Tech ‘11
Steven Sylvester, a former standout linebacker for Georgia Tech under head coach Paul Johnson, is in his second season as a Yellow Jacket graduate assistant coach. Sylvester works closely with assistant coach Bryan Cook in coaching the B-backs. As a player at Tech, Sylvester played in 52 career games, recorded 154 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and he caused four fumbles. He played as a true freshman in 2008 and was an instrumental part of the 2009 team that played in the ACC Championship Game and in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Sylvester served as a team captain as a senior in 2011. A native of McDonough (Ga.), Sylvester was an all-star performer at Union Grove High School. Sylvester is a 2011 Georgia Tech graduate with a degree in science, technology and culture. Born October 18, 1989 in Enterprise, Ala., Sylvester is single and lives in Atlanta.
17 CONSECUTIVE BOWL APPEARANCES