Gulf Coast elevates Shufelt, hires McDougal

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast football head coach Jack Wright has elevated Dr. Brett Shufelt to defensive coordinator and hired Clarence McDougal to be his new secondary coach.

"Brett brings a ton of experience having been a defensive coordinator in the MACJC South for a long time," Wright said. "Clarence knows everybody in South Mississippi and has been defensive coordinator in this league. They are exactly what our football team needs."

Shufelt has an impressive list of accomplishments in the coaching and education fields and he enters his second season at Gulf Coast. He was linebackers coach in 2018.

He came to Gulf Coast after having spent the 2017 season as outside linebackers coach at Oxford High School. He was the assistant director of Mississippi College's Equestrian Program the previous year after having been the secondary coach at Jackson Prep.

Shufelt was at Copiah-Lincoln Community College from 2004-15, where he was a history instructor as well as serving as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach from 2004-09 and linebackers, secondary and special teams coach in 2014-15. The Wolves won three MACJC South Division titles, made three state title game appearance and won a bowl championship during his tenure.

Shufelt has been awarded as Co-Lin Advisor of the Year, Co-Lin Alumni Instructor of the Year and Bradberry Teacher of the Year.

He was an instructor at Steve "Air" McNair Football Camps from 2004-09 and served as a graduate assistant and outside linebackers coach at Mississippi State from 1995-97.

"He knows the lay of the land and how competitive it is," Wright said. "He knows where all the honey holes in recruiting are. He brings a wealth of experience, contacts and energy to that side of the ball."

Shufelt also served a graduate assistant at New Mexico State, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Western New Mexico, linebacker coach at Silver City (N.M.) High School, assistant at Amphitheater and Sabino high schools in Tucson, Ariz.

He served as an intern for the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos.

Shufelt earned his bachelor's degree at Western New Mexico State University and his master's and doctorate's degree at Mississippi State University.

Shufelt was raised on working cattle ranches in the Southwest and has experience in many types of equestrian disciplines, including eventing, dressage, cutting, team roping and rodeo. Shufelt competes in both amateur hunters and jumpers.

McDougal spent the last five seasons as an assistant at Hinds Community College, where he was secondary coach from 2013-17 before being defensive coordinator for one season.

During his time as secondary coach, his squad averaged 10.4 interceptions per season and featured three NJCAA All-Americans. He has sent 22 players to play NCAA Division I football.

"Clarence is a Mississippi guy," Wright said. "He was a top-75 player in the country and Dandy Dozen in high school and played at Mississippi State. He's recruited the state of Mississippi forever. He seems like a natural fit here at Gulf Coast."

McDougal was the linebackers and safeties coach at Copiah-Lincoln Community College from 2008-12, where he coached with Shufelt. McDougal helped lead Co-Lin to the 2012 MACJC championship.

McDougal was a standout on the field during his playing career. He played at Clinton High School where he was a member of the Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen team as a defensive back and wide receiver. He was a first-team All-State selection and played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.

After being rated the No. 6 safety in the country, he played at Mississippi State where he played 34 games from 2003-2005. He had 173 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick. 

McDougal has a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from MSU and spent time in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp.

McDougal is married to his wife, Crystal, and they have three children: Cameren, 16, Lauren Crislyn, 5, and Clarence Jr., 4.

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