Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina head football coach Kerwin Bell today continued to fill his assistant coaching staff, promoting Cody Edwards to an assistant coach position working with the Catamount linebackers.
 
Edwards joined the WCU football staff as a quality control coach working primarily with the defensive unit a season ago. His experience includes coaching at Tusculum University from 2018 through 2021, progressing to associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

Edwards is a second defensive coach to be elevated by Bell this offseason to fill vacancies, joining WCU's first-year defensive coordinator Chazmon Scales who was a co-coordinator last fall. The Catamounts also welcomed defensive line coach Brian Cochran, offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau, and special teams coordinator Chris Norris to Cullowhee this spring.
 
Back in 2018, Edwards served as the Tusculum safeties coach while also serving as the program's defensive running game coordinator.  He took over coaching the Pioneer linebackers and was promoted to defensive coordinator in March 2019.
 
The 2020-21 Pioneers posted a 4-1 record during the COVID shortened spring campaign where TU won the SAC's Mountain Division and followed with a 28-23 win at defending league champion Lenoir-Rhyne to win the program its first SAC Championship since 2008. The Tusculum defense limited the opposition to 17.6 points per contest while holding teams to 311.2 yards per game including a SAC-best 84 rushing yards per outing.
 
In his first year as defensive coordinator, the 2019 Pioneers led the SAC in defensive touchdowns scored (3 – 23rd in NCAA Division II), first down defense (175 – 21st in NCAA D-II), and fourth down percentage defense (.286 - 10th in NCAA D-II). Tusculum was also 28th in the country in total defense (309 yards per game). He coached two All-South Atlantic Conference linebackers in Ivan Hogans – who finished his career at WCU last fall  –  and Jackson Cauthen, who was also recognized for his work off the field where he was an honors student and a two-time member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District Football first team.
 
A Haysi, Va., native Edwards earned his start in the coaching profession at Eastside High in Coeburn, Va., as the wide receivers and defensive backs coach, while also serving as the junior varsity head coach. He also has high school coaching experience at Pinecrest High in Southern Pines, N.C., in 2012.
 
Before making the move to Tusculum, Edwards served as the co-defensive coordinator at Keiser University and was defensive coordinator at The John Cooper School in 2016. He was the run game and defensive coordinator at Royal Palm Beach High School for two seasons and coached safeties and was the assistant secondary coach at John Carroll University in 2013, helping the team to a 9-2 record and a berth to the NCAA Playoffs. He mentored three all-conference players including one All-American.
 
Edwards served as an intern on the football staff at Tennessee during the 2012 season where duties included being a liaison for all NFL and professional scouts and the "Vol for Life" Program. He also aided the football operations staff and worked with the university's summer football camps.
 
Edwards is a 2010 graduate of the University of Virginia's College at Wise with a BS in business administration while also lettering on the football team. He earned his master's degree from Tusculum in May 2021.
 
Western Carolina continues its annual spring drills this weekend with its 11th practice session of the offseason. The squad anticipates holding its second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday morning beginning around 10 a.m. The WCU Football Spring Football Showcase, presented by UltraStar Multi-taiment Center at Harrah's Cherokee, is scheduled for Sat., April 9 beginning at Noon.
 
Unless otherwise noted, each WCU spring football practice is open to the public. It is respectfully requested, though, that spectators observe from the stadium seating area and avoid being either on the field or the sidelines.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount Football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports) and Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).