Coby Gipson joined the Lamar University coaching staff in January 2020 taking over as the recruiting coordinator and coaching the Cardinals’ running backs. Entering his fifth season with the program, Gipson is in his third season working with Big Red's receivers.
Following up on a year where he was named the 2022-2023 FCA Southeast Texas Coach of the Year, Gipson returned one of the top young receiving corps in the Southland, and that young group of receivers lived up to expectations. By season’s end, Lamar had hauled in 159 passes for 2,056 yards and 17 touchdowns. Big Red had three receivers who finished the year with at least 20 receptions. All of that without the services of top returning wideout Sevonne Rhea who missed the majority of the season due to injuries.
Upon Rhea’s return to the starting lineup – in week seven – he made his impact felt. Rhea hauled in six passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns to lead Big Red to a road upset of preseason favorite Southeastern Louisiana. Two days later, Rhea would be named SLC Offensive Player of the Week.
Gipson came to LU after spending the 2019 campaign as the defensive line coach at East Texas Baptist University.
While at ETBU, Gipson helped the Tigers record their fifth-straight winning season. In 2019, Gipson’s defensive front set the tone for a unit that recorded 82 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Â
Gipson produced two of the league’s more dominant players in 2019, a list that includes a first-team all-conference selection and a true freshman. Anton Clark led ETBU in tackles, tackles for losses and sacks on his way to being honored as one of the top linemen in the American Southwest Conference. As a true freshman, James Wright IV had an immediate impact with the Tigers recording 50 tackles, including 12 for losses, and tying for team-high honors with 6.5 sacks. Gipson joined the ETBU staff from Howard Payne where he spent two seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.
Â
During his time at HPU, Gipson's offense finished fifth in the American Southwest Conference in rushing yards per game in 2017 and set the HPU record for completions in a game with 39 in 2018. He was the position coach for the only freshman on the All-ASC first-team in 2017. The following year, Gipson’s offense finished third in the conference in completion percentage and his top receiver, Duntayvion Gross, led the league in receptions.
Gipson joined the HPU coaching staff after spending the previous five years as the head coach at Bishop T.K. Gorman in Tyler. During his time at Bishop Gorman, Gipson guided the Crusaders to three-straight playoff appearances. Bishop Gorman’s success included an area and regional championship to go along with the trip to the 2014 TAPPS State semifinals. Under Gipson’s direction, the Crusaders posted a 28-17 (.622) overall record, which was the program’s best four-year winning percentage in the team’s 60-year history.
During his time at Bishop Gorman, he coached 21 players that garnered all-state recognition, one Parade All-American receiver – Judah Bell – two District Defensive MVPs and a District MVP.
Before Bishop Gorman, Gipson served as the Offensive Coordinator at Grace Community High School in Tyler, Texas, where the Cougars made it to the state semifinals in 2011. There he was a part of a staff that was named TAPPS District 2 Coaching Staff of the Year in 2010 and 2011.
Gipson has also worked in football outside of the school setting, serving as the Head Coach of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of a Champion Bowl in 2016, Offensive Coordinator in 2011, and as the bowl game's assistant director from 2011-2016. In 2016-2017, he was honored with the Northeast Texas FCA Influence Award.
Gipson is a graduate of LeTourneau University and received his master’s degree from Concordia-Irvine. He and his wife Christy – a former ETBU All-American in softball – have three children, daughter, Camryn, and sons, Connor and Cassen.
Â
