After going three of the last four seasons below .500, the Lions have made a change, announcing Ron Roberts as head football coach on Dec. 19.

Roberts also brings in a new offensive and defensive coordinator to join his staff. Offensively the Lions attack will be led by Greg Stevens, former offensive coordinator at Utah State University (USU). Stevens led a balanced attack at USU as the team averaged 33.6 points per game while averaging over 400 yards in total offense per game. He plans to use the same wide-open attack with the Lions.

“It’s going to be an aggressive attack on the offensive side of the ball and exciting to watch,” said Roberts during the press conference where his position was announced. “We’re going to show a lot of formations and movement and motion and try to scheme people to get the matchups we want.”

Defensively the Lions bring in Hammond native and Hammond High School alum Pete Golding as defensive coordinator.

“We’re going to be an aggressive odd man attack and  blitz and pressure to try to cause turnovers and get the ball back for our offense,” said Roberts.

The 44-year-old Roberts brings over 20 years of coaching experience to Southeastern, including the past seven seasons at Delta State where he spent two seasons as defensive coordinator before being named head coach of the Statesmen in 2007.

Roberts built an impressive resume in his time spent at Delta State, posting a 47-16 overall record and a 29-7 record in the Gulf South Conference (GSC), winning GSC titles in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

“Ron Roberts has been a win at all sorts of levels. He was involved in several searches, so we kind of got in there and got our recruit so to speak,” said Athletic Director Bart Bellairs. “He won with a business man’s approach. He’s a no nonsense kind of guy, and I think that’s just what the doctor ordered.”

His first 10 wins as head coach at DSU in 2007 were the most of any first year coach in DSU history. Roberts most notable season came in 2010 when the Statesmen posted an 11-4 record and finished the year as NCAA National Runner-Up, after posting a 5-5 season the previous year.

Roberts also spent a season in the Southland Conference at Texas State as Defensive Coordinator in 2003.

Roberts is a native of Visaliam, Calif. He attended College of the Sequoias from 1985-86 where he was an all conference linebacker before graduating from Tennessee-Martin in 1988 with a B.S. in sociology. Roberts went on to receive his master’s in education from the University of Memphis in 1992.

Roberts is married to the former Didi Walker of Germantown, Tenn. They are the parents of three children: Reed, Reilly and Ryan.