Richard Kent
Encyclopedia
Richard Kent is the secondary
coach for the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
. He is a former college football
player with a recent scouting and coaching career in NFL Europe
. He most recently worked as defensive coordinator
for the Amsterdam Admirals
.
Richard Kent played for 16 successful years in the collegiate ranks of American football at Appalachian State where he also earned his Bachelor of Science degree. Later on he earned his Masters degree at Clemson. During the last 10 years of his college career, he helped his teams achieve a win-loss record of 88-25-1.
Kent joined the football staff at Clemson
as a graduate assistant in 1985. Over the years he has served at the following schools:
While he worked at Clemson, the Clemson Tigers
played in two Bowl games and won the ACC Championship Game
in 1986. Among the NFL players that Kent has coached over the years are Donnell Woolford
, Delton Hall and Deems May.
Since 1999 Kent has been active as a coach in NFL Europe
. He started at the Scottish Claymores
where he served for 3 years (1999-2001), followed by defensive backs coach at Berlin Thunder
(2002-2003), the Cologne Centurions
(2004) and finally the Amsterdam Admirals
(2005-present). In addition to his coaching duties, for several years Kent has worked closely in the off-season with NFLE Director of International Player and Game Development Tony Allen in scouting and developing home-grown prospects from around the world. In those years he helped lead Scotland (2000), Berlin (2002) and Amsterdam (2005) to the World Bowl
championship game, which resulted in a victory for the latter two. During Amsterdam's World Bowl-winning 2005 season, the defense, under Kent, led NFL Europe
in takeaways and interceptions.
The 2007 season marked Kent's third year with the Amsterdam Admirals
, his ninth in NFL Europe
, and his second campaign as Amsterdam's defensive coordinator
.
On January 27, 2009, Kent was announced as the new secondary coach for the Toronto Argonauts
rejoining his partnership with former Admirals head coach Bart Andrus, who had been recently hired as the new head coach for Toronto.
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
coach for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He is a former college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player with a recent scouting and coaching career in NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. He most recently worked as defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
.
Richard Kent played for 16 successful years in the collegiate ranks of American football at Appalachian State where he also earned his Bachelor of Science degree. Later on he earned his Masters degree at Clemson. During the last 10 years of his college career, he helped his teams achieve a win-loss record of 88-25-1.
Kent joined the football staff at Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
as a graduate assistant in 1985. Over the years he has served at the following schools:
- Lexington Senior High School (North Carolina) (1984)
- ClemsonClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
(1985-1986; graduate assistant coach) - Austin Peay State UniversityAustin Peay State UniversityAustin Peay State University is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools .-History:...
(1987-1988; linebacker and wide receivers coach) - Catawba CollegeCatawba CollegeCatawba College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Salisbury, North Carolina, USA. Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton, the college adopted its name from its county of origin, Catawba County, before moving to its current home of Salisbury...
(1988-1991; defensive and special teams coordinator and secondary, linebacker and defensive line coach) - Troy State (1992-1994; defensive coordinator, secondary coach and conditioning coordinator)
- Texas Southern UniversityTexas Southern UniversityTexas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
(1995; assistant secondary coach and special teams coordinator) - Catawba CollegeCatawba CollegeCatawba College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Salisbury, North Carolina, USA. Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton, the college adopted its name from its county of origin, Catawba County, before moving to its current home of Salisbury...
(1995-1999; assistant head and secondary coach and defensive and special teams coordinator)
While he worked at Clemson, the Clemson Tigers
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
played in two Bowl games and won the ACC Championship Game
ACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
in 1986. Among the NFL players that Kent has coached over the years are Donnell Woolford
Donnell Woolford
Donnell Woolford is a former professional American football cornerback who was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1st round of the 1989 NFL Draft. Woolford played in 10 NFL seasons for the Bears from 1989 to 1997, the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1997 to 1998 and Carolina Panthers from 1998-1999...
, Delton Hall and Deems May.
Since 1999 Kent has been active as a coach in NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. He started at the Scottish Claymores
Scottish Claymores
The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
where he served for 3 years (1999-2001), followed by defensive backs coach at Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
(2002-2003), the Cologne Centurions
Cologne Centurions
The Cologne Centurions were an American football team that played in NFL Europe. The Centurions began competing in the league in the 2004 season, having replaced the defunct Barcelona Dragons. They played their home games at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne....
(2004) and finally the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
(2005-present). In addition to his coaching duties, for several years Kent has worked closely in the off-season with NFLE Director of International Player and Game Development Tony Allen in scouting and developing home-grown prospects from around the world. In those years he helped lead Scotland (2000), Berlin (2002) and Amsterdam (2005) to the World Bowl
World Bowl
The World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg .-World League of American Football:When NFL Europe was...
championship game, which resulted in a victory for the latter two. During Amsterdam's World Bowl-winning 2005 season, the defense, under Kent, led NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
in takeaways and interceptions.
The 2007 season marked Kent's third year with the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
, his ninth in NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, and his second campaign as Amsterdam's defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
.
On January 27, 2009, Kent was announced as the new secondary coach for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
rejoining his partnership with former Admirals head coach Bart Andrus, who had been recently hired as the new head coach for Toronto.