COACHING STAFF SCOTT SYMONS
D EF EN SI VE CO O R D I N ATO R /L IN EBAC KERS COAC H L IN D EN WO O D, ’ 0 8
COACHING EXPERIENCE: 2019-P RESE NT – LI BE RTY (DC/S) 2018 – MEMPHI S (I LB) 2014-17 – WE ST GEO R GI A (DC/S) 2013 – ARKA NSA S T ECH (DC) 2012 – ARKA NSA S STAT E (DE F. QC) 2008 -11 – HA R DI NG (WR , DB, CO -DC, A ND R EC. CO O R D.)
EDUCATION: BACHE LO R ’S DEGR E E I N HI STO RY (LI NDE NWO O D, ’08); MA ST E R ’S DEG RE E IN KINES IOLOGY (HA R DI NG, ’10)
WIFE: KR I ST E N CHILDREN: PE YTO N, HUDSO N, A ND R HE T T HOMETOWN: HUR ST, T E XA S
Scott Symons joined Head Coach Hugh Freeze’s coaching staff as the Flames’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach in 2019. During the 2020 season, Symons shifted his focus to working with the linebackers, while continuing his role as defensive coordinator. Symons came to Liberty after spending the 2018 season as inside linebackers coach at Memphis, where he helped the Tigers advance to the Birmingham Bowl.
Prior to his one-year stint at Memphis, Symons served as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at West Georgia (2014-17).
Symons started to hone his craft as the head of the defense at Arkansas Tech when he served as defensive coordinator in 2013.
Working alongside fellow Liberty coaching staff members Josh Aldridge, Sam Gregg, and Rickey Hunley, Symons helped West Georgia to three NCAA Division II playoff appearances (2014, 2015, and 2017), back-to-back 12-win seasons, two NCAA Division II Super Region 2 titles (2014 and 2015), and a Gulf South Conference crown in 2015.
Symons began his coaching career at Harding, serving in a variety of roles as wide receivers coach, defensive backs coach, and co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 200811. He also served as a defensive quality control staff member at Arkansas State in 2012.
FLAMES FLASHBACK: 2019 AND 2020 SEASON REVIEW • Symons’ defensive schemes has played a vital role in Liberty winning back-to-back FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl titles in 2019 and 2020. • With the pair of Cure Bowl victories, Liberty became the second FBS transitioning team in NCAA history to win consecutive bowl games during its first two full seasons at the FBS level. • Liberty finished the 2020 season with a 10-1 record and ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press poll, its highest end-of-the-year national ranking in program history. • Symons’ work to transform Liberty’s defense into one of the top units in the country landed him on the 2020 Broyles Award Watch list, an annual award to honor college football’s top assistant coaches. • Liberty was one of three FBS teams in the country to rank in the top 20 in both total offense (No. 15) and total defense (No. 11) in 2020, joining BYU and Clemson. • The Flames finished the 2020 season ranked No. 11 in the country in total defense (317.7 yards allowed per game), No. 12 in passing yards allowed (184.0 per game), and No. 22 in scoring defense (20.5 points allowed per game). • Symons helped mold four Liberty defensive players that signed NFL free agent contracts after the 2020 NFL Draft: linebacker Solomon Ajayi, safety Elijah Benton, defensive lineman Jessie Lemonier, and cornerback Bejour Wilson. • Along with wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Symons’ four free agent signees, Liberty had five players sign with NFL franchises, the most in program history. • Lemonier finished his two-year career at Liberty with 20.5 sacks, which ranked third among FBS players nationally in total sacks recorded during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. • Benton, a former walk-on at Liberty, finished his four-year career with the Flames as the team’s active leader with 205 career tackles, including 123 career solo stops. • The Flames finished the 2019 season ranked No. 28 in the country in sacks (2.69 per game) and No. 31 in interceptions (12). • During his two seasons at Liberty, Symons has helped nine defensive players earn a spot on the Phil Steele FBS Independent All-Conference teams (four in 2019 and five in 2020).
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