Skylor Magee joined the Coastal Carolina football staff as the defensive line coach in February 2019 after two seasons in the same capacity at Georgia State.
Prior to his time in Atlanta, Ga., Magee coached the defensive line under current Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell at Charleston Southern (2013-16) and Delta State (2012).
In his time at Coastal, Magee has mentored three All-Americans in Tarron Jackson (2020), C.J. Brewer (2020 and 2021), and Josaiah Stewart (2021), and has seen both Jackson and Brewer continue their careers in the NFL.
In his third year at the beach in 2021, Magee’s defensive line unit again continued to set the tone for one of the top defenses in all Group of 5.
With a veteran-led defense in 2021, the Chanticleers outscored all their opponents 532-281 on the season. Coastal was one of only four teams in ALL of FBS to rank in the top-25 in both total offense (5th) and total defense (25th), one of only seven teams in ALL of FBS to rank in the top-30 in both most first downs on offense (25th) and fewest first downs allowed on defense (27th), and one of only eight teams in ALL of FBS to rank in the top-25 in both scoring offense (5th) and scoring defense (25th).
The defense ranked in the top 35 nationally in several categories, placing 16th in passing defense (190.3 ypg), 25th in scoring defense (21.6 ppg), 25th in total defense (339.5 ypg), and 32nd in red zone defense (77.5 percent).
True freshman defensive end Josaiah Stewart was named to the 2021 FWAA Freshman All-American team, The Athletic’s 2021 College Football Freshman All-American team, ESPN 2021 College Football True Freshman All-American team, 2021 247Sports True Freshman All-American team, and the 2021 Pro Football Network (PFN) All-American third team, while also picking up 2021 Phil Steele All-American honorable mention accolades and being named a semifinalist for the 2021 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
Stewart, who was joined on the All-Sun Belt first-team for defense by D’Jordan Strong, C.J. Brewer, and Silas Kelly, set all new Coastal Carolina single-season records.
Stewart shattered the CCU single-season sacks record with 12.5 sacks in his first collegiate season in 2021, which also led the Sun Belt, ranked fifth nationally, and was the most by a true freshman in all of FBS. His 12.5 sacks were also just one shy of the Sun Belt single-season record of 13.5 sacks. He finished the season with 15.5 tackles-for-loss, which was the second-most in a single season in CCU history, while his double-digit tackles-for-loss was the most by a true freshman nationally in 2021. His 15.5 tackles-for-loss also ranked sixth in the Sun Belt on the season and was just 0.5 tackles-for-loss shy of the school single-season record of 16.0.
Defensive tackle C.J. Brewer closed out his CCU career in 2021 by etching his name in the record books. His 230 career tackles rank eighth all-time in CCU history, while his 140 assisted tackles are fifth in Coastal’s career record books. He also ranks fifth all-time in career sacks with 16.0, fifth in tackles-for-loss with 32.5, and third in quarterback hurries with 20.
In his second season with the Chanticleers in 2020, Magee helped mentor not one, but two All-Americans in redshirt seniors Tarron Jackson and C.J. Brewer.
Jackson picked up 2020 Consensus All-American accolades as he was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation (first team), Associated Press (first team), FWAA (first team), American Football Coaches Association (first team), ESPN (first team), Reese’s Senior Bowl (first team), Phil Steele Publication (first team), Sporting News’ (second team), CBS Sports/247Sports (second team), and Senior CLASS (second-team) All-America teams, while Brewer earned Associated Press (third team) and Phil Steele Publication (honorable mention) All-America honors.
Jackson, who was also named the 2020 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, was named a finalist for the Lombardi Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He was also a Bednarik Award semifinalist, a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist, and earned a spot on the Ted Hendricks Award watch list before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round (191st overall pick) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jackson finished his career as the program’s career leader in sacks (26.5), tackles-for-loss (44.5), quarterback hurries (34), yards lost from sacks (176), and yards lost from tackles-for-loss (227).
Individually, both Jackson and Brewer were named to the All-Sun Belt first team and ranked in the top five of the Sun Belt Conference in total sacks with 8.0 and 6.5, respectively, on the season.
Magee also worked with first-year nose tackle Jerrod Clark who after making the transition from offense to defense tallied 31 tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss, and 2.0 sacks, as well as first-year Chant Travis Geiger who added 19 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss, and 0.5 sacks on the season.
In 2020, the Chanticleers won the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference title, posted an 11-1 overall mark, including an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference record, and played in the program’s first-ever FBS postseason bowl game.
The 2020 season marked Coastal Carolina’s first-ever undefeated regular season and the first time that the Chanticleers were ranked in either the Associated Press Top 25 Poll or the Amway Coaches Poll presented by USA Today Sports.
The Chanticleers posted two wins over FBS top 25 nationally-ranked opponents, the first two such victories in program history, four wins over top 50 opponents, and was ranked as high as No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 11 in the Amway Coaches Poll, both Sun Belt Conference records. The Chanticleers were also ranked as high as No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, also a Sun Belt record.
In 2020, the Chants’ defense led the Sun Belt in fumble recoveries (9) and was second in interceptions (16), which also ranked third nationally. CCU led the Sun Belt in turnovers forced (25) and was second in turnover margin (+13), which both ranked among the nation’s best at the end of the 2020 season.
The defense was also second in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (20.2 points per game), second in sacks per game (2.83), second in fourth-down conversion percent defense (44.4 percent), third in first downs defense (223), third in fewest passing yards allowed (204.2 yards per game), third in fewest rushing yards allowed (147.7 yards per game), third in tackles-for-loss per game (6.4), third in total defense (351.9 yards per game), and fourth in third-down conversion percentage defense (38.0 percent).
In just his first season at CCU in 2019, the defense improved in every area from 2018 to 2019, as the “Black Swarm” defense led the Sun Belt in fewest first downs allowed (241), was third in interceptions (11), fourth in scoring defense (30.5 points allowed per game), fourth in total defense (383.6 yards per game), fourth in rushing defense (160.1 yards per game), fifth in fewest passing yards allowed (223.5 yards per game), and sixth in red-zone defense (85.7 percent).
Junior defensive end Tarron Jackson led the Sun Belt and set a new Coastal single-season record with 10.0 sacks on the season and also led the team and ranked fifth in the Sun Belt with 13.0 tackles-for-loss, of which 9.5 came in conference play. For his efforts, Jackson was named to the All-Sun Belt first team, becoming only the second Chant to earn first-team all-conference honors since Coastal Carolina joined the Sun Belt in 2017.
Defensive tackle C.J. Brewer and nose tackle Sterling Johnson were both named to the All-Sun Belt third team. Brewer, who was also named to the 2019 Phil Steele SBC All-Conference third team, ranked third on the team with 54 total tackles, which included 16 solo stops. He also recorded 7.5 tackles-for-loss, which was also third on the team, 3.0 sacks, and seven quarterback hurries. Johnson, who was also a 2019 Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference third team pick, totaled 41 tackles, 10.0 tackles-for-loss, and 3.5 sacks on the year. His 10.0 tackles-for-loss were tied for ninth overall in the Sun Belt, while his 3.5 sacks on the year ranked 19th overall in the league.
Johnson signed an unrestricted free agent contract with the New York Jets in April 2020.
At Georgia State, Magee helped coach a defensive unit that set GSU season records for fewest points per game (24.75 ppg), fewest rushing yards per game (136.4 ypg), fewest yards per rushing attempt (4.13 ypa), and most sacks (24). Senior nose guard Julien Laurent and junior defensive end Marterious Allen earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors under Magee in 2017.
Laurent was a first-round selection in the 2018 CFL Draft, while defensive end Mackendy Cheridor signed an NFL free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
In his four seasons at Charleston Southern from 2013-16, Magee helped the Buccaneers to back-to-back Big South Conference championships and FCS playoff berths while featuring one of the nation’s top defenses. CSU averaged nine wins per season in his four years there.
Magee’s defensive line was the foundation of a Charleston Southern defense that led the Big South and ranked among the FCS leaders in total defense his last three years on the staff.
In 2016, Magee’s line helped CSU rank seventh nationally in all of FCS in total defense, allowing just 294.1 yards per game. The unit was particularly strong in the playoffs, allowing just 185 total yards and 2.9 yards per rush to Wofford, the nation’s third-best rushing team. CSU defensive end Anthony Ellis earned All-America honors and was named the Big South Player of the Year.
In 2015, the Charleston Southern defense finished No. 10 in the nation in all of FCS, helping the Bucs to their first outright Big South title and FCS playoff berth. In 2013’s 10-3 campaign, CSU led the Big South with 27 sacks.
He also worked as the defensive line coach at Delta State in 2012 and was the co-defensive coordinator at North Greenville in 2009. In between, Magee spent two years as the defensive line coach at Petal (Miss.) High School, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the MHSAA state playoffs.
Magee began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina in 2005 and then spent two years as the defensive line coach at Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La.
He was a standout defensive lineman at Southern Miss, where he was a Freshman All-American (2001), a three-time All-Conference USA Academic selection, and a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree.
Magee earned his bachelor’s degree in human performance and physiology from Southern Miss in 2005.
He and his wife, Leslie, have two daughters, Kayla and Gabby, and one son, Dax.
Skylor Magee's Coaching History
2005: South Carolina (Graduate Assistant)
2006-08: Nicholls State (Defensive Line)
2009: North Greenville (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line)
2010-12: Petal (Miss.) HS (Defensive Line)
2012: Delta State (Defensive Line)
2013-16: Charleston Southern (Defensive Line)
2017-18: Georgia State (Defensive Line)
2019-present: Coastal Carolina (Defensive Line)
