ATLANTA – Georgia State Athletics has announced the hiring of four coaches to the 2026 football staff and the elevation of three returning coaches, as announced by head coach Dell McGee on Thursday morning.
"We are thrilled to welcome Cam Clark, John Haneline, Cam Spence and Troy Douglas to our coaching staff," head football coach Dell McGee said. "These are high-character, high-energy coaches who are proven developers of young men and outstanding teachers of the game. Their experience, leadership and commitment to our culture will have an immediate impact on our program."
The Panthers welcome Cam Clark and John Haneline as co-defensive coordinators for the 2026 season. Clark will serve as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, while Haneline will serve as co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
Georgia State also adds Troy Douglas and Cam Spence as assistant coaches. Douglas will coach the cornerbacks and Spence will oversee the defensive line.
Georgia State has elevated the roles of returning staff members Zach Conowal, Casey Roddick and Troy Kruchten. Conowal, who served as the special teams analyst last season, has been promoted to Special Teams Coordinator. Kruchten, who coached the outside linebackers last season, has been elevated to nickels coach and will also serve on the special teams staff.
Roddick, previously an analyst, has been elevated to offensive line coach.
Additional staff changes include the hiring of Nyeja Warner in Player Relations and Daniel Minenok as a defensive graduate assistant. Staff elevations also include Maleak Bryant to Graduate Assistant to the Director of Player Personnel, Eli Peggy to running backs graduate assistant and Mike Eason to quarterbacks graduate assistant.
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Cam Clark, Co-Defensive Coordinator
Cam Clark joined the Georgia State football staff in January 2026 as the Panthers' co-defensive coordinator.
Clark brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to Atlanta, including five seasons as a defensive coordinator at the Division I level. Over his career, he has been part of five bowl games (2011 and 2012 GoDaddy.com, 2013 BCS National Championship, 2014 Outback and 2024 Gator), won the 2013 SEC Championship at Auburn and helped Arkansas State capture back-to-back Sun Belt Conference titles in 2011 and 2012.
Prior to arriving at Georgia State, Clark spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the Duke coaching staff as a senior analyst, working primarily with the quarterbacks. In his first year in Durham, he helped guide quarterback Maalik Murphy to a record-setting campaign. Murphy completed 254-of-421 (.603) passes for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns, setting or matching multiple Duke single-season records, including touchdown passes, multi-touchdown games, 200-yard passing performances and wins by a starting quarterback.
Clark came to Duke following a two-year stint (2022-23) as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Thomas County Central High School in Thomasville, Ga. During his tenure, the Yellow Jackets compiled a 27-1 overall record, capped by a perfect 15-0 season and the 6A Georgia state championship in 2023. That championship defense limited opponents to just 9.6 points per game while ranking well above national averages in tackles, sacks, quarterback hurries and interceptions.
Before returning to Georgia, Clark served as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Western Illinois University from 2020-21. There, he mentored safety Darius Joiner to FCS All-America honors in 2021. Joiner led the FCS in total tackles (142) and solo tackles (79) and finished sixth in voting for the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award.
Clark spent three seasons (2017-19) as co-defensive coordinator at Lamar University, coaching safeties in 2017 and linebackers in 2018 and 2019. During that span, Lamar improved from a two-win season to a 7-5 record and earned its first FCS playoff appearance in program history. He also helped develop linebacker Chaston Brooks, an Honorable Mention All-Southland Conference selection in 2018.
From 2015-16, Clark was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Faulkner University, adding special teams coordinator duties in his final season. In 2015, Faulkner led the nation in sacks, and Clark coached eight All-Mid-South Conference selections. He began his coaching career at Faulkner, serving in multiple roles from 2008-11.
Clark also spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Auburn University (2013-14) under head coach Gus Malzahn, working with the safeties, nickels and special teams units. He was part of Auburn's 2013 SEC Championship run and the Tigers' appearance in the BCS National Championship Game, followed by a berth in the 2014 Outback Bowl.
Earlier in his career, Clark worked at Arkansas State from 2011-12 under head coaches Hugh Freeze and Malzahn. The Red Wolves won consecutive Sun Belt titles and made back-to-back GoDaddy.com Bowl appearances, including a 2012 bowl victory over No. 25 Kent State.
A four-year letterwinner at Harding University, Clark played safety and cornerback from 2004-07 and earned the 2007 Iron Bison of the Year Award. He also lettered four seasons in track and field.
A native of Calhoun, Ga., Clark earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology and social sciences from Harding in 2007 and a master's degree in adult education from Auburn in 2014. Clark and his wife, Dana, have two children, Hutch and Davis.
John Haneline, Co-Defensive Coordinator
John Haneline joined the Georgia State football staff in January 2026 as the Panthers' co-defensive coordinator.
Haneline brings extensive defensive experience to Atlanta after spending four seasons on the Youngstown State coaching staff, including three as an assistant coach under head coach Doug Phillips. He most recently served as the Penguins' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, a role he held full-time in 2024 after serving as co-defensive coordinator during the 2023 season.
In 2023, Haneline helped guide a Youngstown State defense that played a key role in the program's return to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. The Penguins won eight games and featured one of the Missouri Valley Football Conference's top linebacker tandems in Alex Howard and Greg Benton Jr. Howard, an honorable mention All-MVFC selection, led the team with 76 tackles and a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss, while Benton added 66 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. The duo combined for six sacks on the season.
YSU's defense excelled against the run in 2023, holding nine opponents to 111 or fewer rushing yards and allowing just 102.2 rushing yards per game. That mark ranked 10th nationally in the FCS, represented the program's lowest average since 2012 and was the second-lowest since 1998. The Penguins also limited four opponents to fewer than 155 passing yards and held seven teams to three or fewer third-down conversions, including a perfect 0-for-10 performance by Indiana State.
During the 2022 season, Haneline oversaw a deep and improving linebacker unit that included Griffin Hoak, Benton, Howard, Keon Freeman and Devin Johnson. Benton started all 11 games and recorded 36 tackles after transferring from Western Illinois, while Howard finished with 34 tackles and earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors following a win over Illinois State. Hoak added 28 tackles, Johnson totaled 26 and Freeman contributed 21.
Prior to Youngstown State, Haneline spent four seasons (2018-21) at Western Illinois as the defensive line coach, with expanded responsibilities overseeing the defensive run game in his final three years. He coached an All-MVFC selection in each of his four seasons with the Leathernecks. In 2018, Haneline mentored Khalen Saunders to first-team All-MVFC and All-America honors. Saunders was later selected 84th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 NFL Draft, becoming Western Illinois' first NFL draft pick in a decade.
Additional All-MVFC honorees under Haneline at Western Illinois included Hunter Mason in 2021, Eryk Preston during the spring 2021 season and LaCale London in 2019.
Haneline joined the Western Illinois staff following two seasons (2016-17) at Mississippi State, where he served in a defensive quality control role assisting with the defensive line. He previously worked as a defensive graduate assistant at Mississippi State in 2014, coaching linebackers and serving as the interim linebackers coach leading into the 2015 Orange Bowl.
His coaching résumé also includes stops at Colorado School of Mines, where he coached linebackers in 2015, and Toledo, where he served as a graduate assistant in 2013.
A former standout at Bowling Green, Haneline was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter from 2004-09. He was part of the Falcons' 2004 GMAC Bowl championship team and the 2007 Mid-American Conference East co-championship squad.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Haneline graduated from St. Ignatius High School and earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Bowling Green State University in 2009.
Troy Douglas, Assistant Coach-Cornerbacks
Troy Douglas joined the Georgia State football staff as the assistant coach of the cornerbacks in January 2026. He comes to Atlanta after four seasons at Long Island.
Before serving as the defensive backs coach for the Sharks, Douglas served as the defensive coordinator at Howard University from 2020–21.
During his time at Howard, Douglas led the Bison defense and coached three players to All-MEAC honors following the 2021 fall season, continuing a long-standing track record of defensive development and player advancement.
Prior to Howard, Douglas spent three seasons at Lamar University (2017–19), where he played a key role in the program's resurgence. In 2018, he helped guide the Cardinals to the FCS Playoffs after a 7-5 campaign, fueled by one of the nation's most opportunistic secondaries. Lamar ranked among the national top 10 with 17 interceptions, including a pick-six, and placed five defenders on the All-Southland Conference team. Consensus All-American Davon Jernigan ranked among the national leaders with four interceptions, while Rodney Randle Jr. later signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
In Douglas' first season at Lamar in 2017, he developed one of the nation's top cornerbacks in Nate Jones, who led the Southland Conference and ranked fifth nationally in interceptions, earning second-team all-conference honors. The Cardinals produced two all-conference defensive selections that season.
A coaching veteran with more than 30 years of experience—primarily at the FBS level—Douglas has coached nearly 20 players who have advanced to the NFL. His list of former players includes Tracy Porter, Mike Jenkins, Nate Allen, Da'Norris Searcy and Jerome Murphy.
Douglas' extensive coaching résumé includes stops at Pittsburgh, Iowa State, North Carolina, South Florida, Indiana, Michigan State, SMU, UTEP, East Tennessee State, Appalachian State and South Carolina State. He also spent three seasons at West Chester, where he began his full-time coaching career in 1989 and coached future Pro Bowl linebacker Lee Woodall.
At Pittsburgh, Douglas coached defensive backs, while at Iowa State he developed three All-Big 12 performers. During his three seasons at North Carolina (2009–11), the Tar Heels intercepted 38 passes across the 2009 and 2010 seasons, ranking among the nation's top 12 both years.
Douglas enjoyed notable success at South Florida from 2006–08, helping the Bulls to three bowl appearances. USF ranked among the national leaders in turnovers and interceptions during that span, and cornerback Mike Jenkins earned first-team All-America honors before becoming a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2008. The Bulls also finished in the national top 10 in total defense in 2008.
Earlier in his career, Douglas coached cornerbacks at Indiana, where Tracy Porter became an All-Big Ten selection and eventual second-round NFL Draft pick. He also coached at Michigan State, where the Spartans ranked among the nation's leaders in pass defense, and at SMU and UTEP, where he worked with both running backs and defensive backs.
A former standout player, Douglas was a four-year starter at wide receiver at Appalachian State from 1983–86. He finished his career with 90 receptions for 1,401 yards, numbers that still rank among the top five in school history. He earned his bachelor's degree from Appalachian State in 1988.
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Douglas and his wife, Rebecca, have two children.
Cam Spence, Assistant Coach- Defensive Line
Cam Spence joined the Georgia State football staff in January 2026 as the assistant coach of the defensive line.
Spence comes to Atlanta after spending one season at Georgetown.
Before serving as the defensive lines coach at Georgetown, Spence spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at the University of North Carolina, where he worked with the Tar Heels' defensive line. He joined the UNC staff as a defensive line graduate assistant in 2023 before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach in 2024. During his time in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ranked sixth nationally in team sacks (39), with two defensive linemen finishing among the top 50 nationally in sacks.
Prior to his time at UNC, Spence served as a defensive line graduate assistant at Ohio State during the 2022 season. While with the Buckeyes, he worked with several All-Big Ten performers, including First Team selections JT Tuimoloau and Zach Harrison, Third Team honoree Mike Hall Jr. and Honorable Mention pick Jack Sawyer.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Spence was selected as a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, gaining NFL-level experience working with a professional defensive front.
Before beginning his coaching career, Spence played defensive tackle at the University of Maryland from 2017–19. Following a medical retirement, he transitioned into a student assistant coaching role with the Terrapins' defensive line. During that time, he also founded Bear Spence Academy, a training company through which he worked with NFL defensive linemen Javon Kinlaw of the Washington Commanders and Derrick Brown of the Carolina Panthers.
Spence earned his bachelor's degree in communications studies from Maryland in 2021.
