BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—New Samford Head Football Coach Chris Hatcher has finalized the majority of his coaching staff for the 2015 season, Hatcher announced Tuesday.
 
"I am very excited about this staff," Hatcher said. "They have great knowledge, years of experience and a passion to help young men better themselves."
 
Hatcher has hired many of the coaches that were on the staff of former Head Coach Pat Sullivan. Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Bill D'Ottavio, Offensive Coordinator Travis Trickett, Linebackers Coach/Director of Recruiting Ross Newton, Secondary Coach Sam Shade and Tight Ends Coach Trent McKnight will return to the staff.
 
Jay Chapman will remain as Director of Football Operations, and Bobby Blick, who coached tight ends last season, will serve as the Director of Player Personnel.
 
Hatcher also announced the hiring of four new staff members. Shawn Bostick will coach the team's offensive line, Victor Cabral will coach the defensive line, Russ Callaway will serve as the wide receivers' coach and Ben Ashford will be the team's director of strength and conditioning.
 
Bostick comes to Samford from Murray State where he served as assistant head coach/offensive line coach under Hatcher from 2010 to 2014. He also served on the staffs at both Georgia Southern and at Valdosta State. At GSU, he was offensive line coach from 2007 to 2009. At Valdosta State, he served as a student assistant (1994-95), volunteer assistant for running backs (1996), graduate assistant for the offensive line (1997) and offensive line coach (1998-2006). Bostick played alongside Hatcher at Valdosta State from 1991-93, and he earned his bachelor's degree in education from VSU in 1997.
 
Cabral has served on the staff at Georgia Southern since 2010. During his time at GSU, Cabral served as director of player personnel, defensive line coach and assistant defensive line coach. He also coached at Georgia Military College from 2007 to 2010. Cabral also served at GSU as a video/quality control coach in 2005 and a student assistant in 2006. Cabral played four seasons at GSU, serving as a team captain as a senior, and he earned both a bachelor's (2006) and master's (2013) degree from the school. He also played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 2005.
 
Callaway was also on Hatcher's staff at Murray State in 2013 and 2014, serving as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. He also worked as a defensive analyst at Alabama from 2011 to 2012, and as a student assistant at Valdosta State in 2010. Callaway played at Valdosta State under Hatcher from 2005 to 2006. He earned his bachelor's degree from VSU in 2010.
 
Ashford was on the strength and conditioning staff at Alabama from 2012 to 2014. He served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, working with the football, baseball and men's tennis teams from 2013 to 2014. In 2012 and 2013, he was a strength and conditioning intern at Alabama. Ashford received his bachelor's degree from Auburn in 2004, and his master's from Alabama in 2013.
 
The Samford football team will begin spring practice on Friday, March 6 at Seibert Stadium.
 
2015 SAMFORD FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
Chris Hatcher, Head Coach
Bill D'Ottavio, Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Travis Trickett, Offensive Coordinator
Shawn Bostick, Offensive Line
Victor Cabral, Defensive Line
Russ Callaway, Wide Receivers
Trent McKnight, Tight Ends
Ross Newton, Linebackers/Director of Recruiting
Sam Shade, Secondary
TBD, Running Backs
Jay Chapman, Director of Football Operations
Bobby Blick, Director of Player Personnel
Ben Ashford, Director of Strength and Conditioning