Stephen Flynn enters his 14th season as the Newberry College defensive coordinator and his 21st year as an assistant football coach at Newberry in 2023. He was elevated to Assistant Head Coach prior to the 2017 season.
The Lancaster, S.C. native will oversee Defensive Operations and coaches, while operating Pressbox/Sideline duties, assisting with football/athletics fundraising, and serving as the student affairs liaison and security liaison.
The Wolves Defense helped win the second straight SAC championship for the first time in school history. Flynn’s Defense ranked No. 2 in the SAC in sacks per game with 2.82 sacks per game. The defense held their opponents to 22 points per game. Luke Taylor led the way with 71 tackles on the season. Devante Gambrell led the team with five sacks for a total loss of 25 yards on his way to earn first team All-SAC honors, giving Newberry 10 consecutive seasons with at least one first team defensive lineman.
In the fall 2021 season the Wolves defense led the SAC in total defense holding their opponents to 283.5 yards per game (ranked 20th in the nation). The team held opponents to 15.8 points per game which ranked 14th in the nation (1st in the SAC). The 2021 Wolves defense consisted of first team all-SAC member TyRan Dixon and all-American Defensive Back, Anthony Blue. Blue had seven interceptions (2nd Nationally) throughout the season including two in the 33-30 OT win against West Florida in the first round of the division II playoffs.
In the spring of 2021, The Wolves defense were a key to the 5-1 season ranking sixth in the nation allowing only 139.5 passing yards per game. The Wolves also were ranked ninth in the nation allowing 15.7 points per game. Flynn coached Alex Smith, who was a key piece of the Wolves defense in the Spring 2021 season. Smith led the Wolves with 39 tackles, 3.5 TFL’s and 2.5 Sacks in six games in the 2021 spring season.
The Wolves' defense attained a No. 8 national ranking in passing defense and led the league with 145.4 yards per game allowed in 2019. Newberry scored two defensive touchdowns and recorded a safety on the season and allowed just 22.6 points per game. The Wolves' 22 takeaways ranked third in the South Atlantic Conference, with its 12 fumbles recovered landing in the top 20 nationally. Keito Jordon represented the Wolves on the All-SAC First Team, giving Newberry seven consecutive seasons with at least one first team defensive lineman.
The 2018 season was a banner year for Flynn's unit as they ranked top-15 nationally in several categories, including passing defense, scoring defense, and total defense. The Wolves led the nation in passing touchdowns allowed with just five and seven of their opponents completed less than 50 percent of their passes.
Flynn's unit led the South Atlantic Conference in both sacks and tackles for loss per game in 2017, earning top-25 national rankings in both categories. The entire defense was named SAC Player of the Week after the season-ending 28-0 win over Mars Hill after limiting the nation's sixth-best passing attack to 8-for-25 through the air for 63 yards, a 5.3 passer rating, and a conference record-tying six interceptions.
The Newberry defense went 18 straight games without allowing a 250-yard passer and 17 consecutive without allowing a 100-yard receiver, a streak that began in 2016 and was active for over half of the 2017 season. Newberry ranked second in the SAC in total defense and allowed seven points or less four times, including the shutout win over Mars Hill and a 55-7 win over Virginia University of Lynchburg in which the Dragons' only touchdown came on special teams.
Flynn's defense was a major part of Newberry's 2016 South Atlantic Conference championship season. The Wolves finished the year ranked 10th in Division II in passing defense, giving up 166.6 yards per game. Newberry also attained top-25 national rankings in passing efficiency defense (21st - 108.88), scoring defense (22nd - 20.1 points per game), total defense (23rd - 316.1 yards per game), and sacks per game (25th - 2.92).
Defensive lineman Jamarcus Henderson was named to the Football Gazette's All-America second team. Fellow lineman Jimmy Holmes and linebacker Joe Blue joined Henderson on all-region squads, while five total Wolves' defenders earned all-SAC recognition.
Newberry had a three-week stretch in 2016 in which the Wolves allowed 213, 154, and 124 yards of total offense to Brevard, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Limestone, held four opponents below 100 rushing yards, limited four teams to under 100 pass yards, and set school records with 10 sacks and 14 total tackles for loss in a 34-19 win over Carson-Newman.
Flynn was named defensive coordinator prior to the spring of 2010 after seven seasons as the outside linebackers coach. In 2009, Flynn coached converted cornerback Andre Moyd at outside linebacker, where the senior went on to all-South Atlantic Conference honors and played in both the East Coast Bowl and Cactus Bowl postseason all-star games. He was also the position coach for future NFL linebacker Edmond Robinson in 2013-14 and was instrumental in the mentoring of three-time Academic All-District honoree and two-time SAC Player of the Week A.J. Booker.
Before arriving at Newberry, Flynn coached several years in the high school ranks. In 2002, he served as the Offensive Coordinator at Keenan High School. Along with his coordinating duties, he also coached the Quarterbacks, Running backs, and Defensive Secondary.
Prior to his stint at Keenan, Flynn coached five seasons from 1997 to 2001 at Lugoff-Elgin High School. Over that period of time he served as Receivers Coach, Quarterbacks Coach, and Running Backs Coach on the offensive side of the ball. His defensive duties included coaching the Secondary and Outside Linebackers.
In 1996, Flynn took on his second stint at his alma mater, Buford High School as the Quarterbacks/Running Backs Coach. He first coached at Buford on a volunteer basis in 1993, when the Yellow Jackets finished runner-up in Class A for the second consecutive season. He also volunteered with Socastee High School in 1994.
Coach Flynn played quarterback and free safety on the gridiron at Buford High School where he earned four varsity letters. He also played Free Safety at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. where he earned one varsity letter in 1992 under Defensive Coordinator Todd Knight.
Personal
Alma Mater: Newberry’06/’12M /USC-Lancaster ’94.
Family: Wife, Lauren; Sons, Sullivan (13) and Graham (10); Daughter, Maggie (8)
Years Coaching: 31
Recruiting Areas: York, Fairfield, Union, Chester, Lancaster, Kershaw, Chesterfield, and Marlboro Counties
Coaching Experience
Newberry College
2010-Present Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach.
2002-09 Assistant Coach/Outside Linebackers
Keenan High School
2002 Offensive Coordinator/QB’s RB’s and DB’s
Lugoff-Elgin High School
1997-2001 Assistant Coach/QB’s, RB’s, OLB’s, and DB’s
Buford High School
1996 Assistant Coach/QB’s and RB’s
1993 Volunteer Assistant Coach
Socastee High School
1994 Volunteer Assistant Coach
