T.J. Hollowell, who played four seasons of professional football, joined the Chanticleer football coaching staff in 2018. He will transition to working with the Chanticleer defensive ends as well as outside linebackers in 2019, after assisting with the defensive line in his first season at CCU in 2018.
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, while outside linebackers Cincir Evans (42 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 0.5 sack, and an interception) and Myles Olufemi (38 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack, and four quarterback hurries) both had career years.
Working with the defensive line in 2018, the Chants had two All-Sun Belt performers in first-team selection Jeffrey Gunter and third-team honoree Tarron Jackson. The duo combined for 107 tackles, 25.0 tackles-for-loss, 8.0 sacks, and 10 quarterback hurries from their defensive end positions on the season. Fellow defensive tackles Jonathan Clayton and C.J. Brewer each had 29 tackles or more on the season, while fellow lineman Jalin Walker came on strong towards the end of the season with 11 tackles and 1.0 tackle-for-loss on the year.
Prior to coming to Coastal, Hollowell spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic High School, helping the Eagles to a 7-4 record and a MaxPreps.com national ranking of 49th overall in 2017.
Before his two-year stint at Santa Margarita, Hollowell spent one season at Youngstown State in 2015. The Penguins’ linebackers had a solid all-around performance in 2015, which helped the defense have one of its best campaigns in years. Lee Wright and Armand Dellovade earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades for their standout performances.
Hollowell, who was an assistant coach at Huntsville (Texas) High School in 2014, got his first taste of collegiate football working in three capacities over four years at Nebraska.
While working with the Cornhuskers’ defense in 2013, Hollowell helped linebacker Lavonte David earn the Big Ten’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award, while Alfonzo Dennard was named the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year. In 2012, Nebraska played in the Big Ten Championship game and the Capital One Bowl while posting a 10-4 mark.
He spent the 2010 campaign as an intern after working with the Huskers’ strength and conditioning staff in 2008 and 2009.
A former starter at linebacker for Nebraska, Hollowell signed with the New York Giants as a free agent in 2004 and spent two seasons in the NFL. He played for the New York Giants in 2004 and the New York Jets in 2005, while spending two training camps with the Denver Broncos. He also spent parts of two years in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos.
During his time with the Cornhuskers from 2000-03, Hollowell compiled 173 career tackles in helping the Huskers to four bowl games, including the BCS National Championship Game in 2001.
As a senior, he earned honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition from the league coaches and Associated Press as he tallied 80 stops, including eight tackles-for-losses and two interceptions. He tied Nebraska’s school record with eight pass breakups by a linebacker and was part of a defense that forced a school-record 47 turnovers.
A standout at Copperas Cove High School in Texas, he finished his career as the school’s leader in career tackles with 311. As a senior, he had 159 tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss, and three sacks as he earned Class 5A all-state honors.
Hollowell received his degree in sociology from Nebraska in 2003. He and his wife, Jessica, have two sons, Tommy and Kingston.
T.J. Hollowell's Coaching History
2008-09: Nebraska (Volunteer Strength & Conditioning)
2010: Nebraska (Defensive Intern/Linebackers)
2011-13: Nebraska (Graduate Assistant/Linebackers/Defensive Backs)
2014: Huntsville HS (Texas) (Outside Linebackers/Safeties)
2015: Youngstown State (Linebackers)
2016-17: Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic HS (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Safeties)
2018: Coastal Carolina (Assistant Defensive Line)
2019: Coastal Carolina (Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers)
