BOONE, N.C. — App State Football has hired Geep Wade to be the Mountaineers' offensive line coach, head coach
Shawn Clark announced Wednesday.
"We're excited to welcome Coach Wade, his wife Amy, and his children to the High Country," Clark said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge from his previous stops. He knows what we want to do and what my expectations are for the offensive line. He brings value to our whole organization, and I know our linemen will enjoy playing for him."
Wade (whose first name is pronounced like Jeep) arrives at App State from Tulane of the American Athletic Conference. He also has spent considerable time in the Southeast as an offensive line coach at Georgia Southern, East Carolina, Middle Tennessee and Marshall during the last decade to go along with a stint as UT Martin's offensive coordinator/offensive line coach in 2018.
"My family and I are fired up for this opportunity," Wade said. "I've known Coach Clark for a long time and I believe in him. The winning tradition and the mentality of the players at App State are second to none. I can't wait to get started."
Last season, despite significant offensive injuries, Wade helped Georgia Southern average 193.5 rushing yards per game. Prior to his arrival in the Sun Belt, in his coordinator role at UT Martin, the Skyhawks averaged 400-plus yards of offense and gave up just 19 sacks in 11 games. A year earlier, East Carolina's line allowed just 1.25 sacks per game (12th-best average nationally) while throwing frequently enough to rank among the national leaders at 317.9 passing yards per game.
Raised in Franklin, Tenn., Wade has spent a lot of his life playing and coaching in the Carolinas and Tennessee.
He was a team captain as an offensive lineman at Chattanooga from 1999 to 2001 and earned his bachelor's degree in business management in 2002.
Wade coached offensive linemen at Mars Hill, Tennessee (as a graduate assistant for a team that won the SEC East Division title), Western Carolina and Midwestern State before his first stint at UT Martin, which ran from 2006-09 and included a season as the offensive coordinator before he returned to Chattanooga for the 2010-11 seasons.
With a proud family history, Wade's full name is Gideon Pillow Wade IV — he was called G.P. immediately after being born. He and his wife, Amy, have two children: Emma Kate and Jackson.
WADE AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2022: Tulane (Offensive line)
2021: Georgia Southern (Offensive line)
2018: UT Martin (Offensive coordinator/Offensive line)
2016-17: East Carolina (Offensive line)
2013-15: Middle Tennessee (Offensive line)
2012: Marshall (Offensive line)
2010-11: Chattanooga (Offensive line/recruiting coordinator)
2009: UT Martin (Offensive coordinator/offensive line)
2006-08: UT Martin (Offensive line/Run game coordinator)
2005: Midwestern State (Offensive line)
2005: Western Carolina (Offensive line)
2004: Tennessee (Graduate assistant)
2003: Mars Hill (Offensive line/Recruiting coordinator)
2002: Chattanooga (Restricted earnings)
Playing Experience
1999-2001: Chattanooga (OL)
Alma Mater: Chattanooga, 2002
Hometown: Franklin, Tenn.
Birthdate: March 18, 1978
Wife: Amy
Daughter: Emma Kate
Son: Jackson
Twitter: @GeepWade
