Former Warren Central prep standout Chris Stamps added to EMCC’s football coaching staff

SCOOBA – Vicksburg native and former Warren Central High School standout Chris Stamps has been hired as an assistant football coach at East Mississippi Community College. The announcement was made this week by EMCC head football coach Buddy Stephens.

"Chris had a successful playing career and has earned impressive coaching experience," Stephens said. "He brings a tremendous amount of energy to our football program, and we're very excited about him joining our coaching staff."

Following a five-year collegiate playing career that kicked off at Mississippi State University and came to a close at Middle Tennessee State University, Stamps is set to begin his seventh season of a well-rounded coaching career that has gained him valuable experience at various levels. Upon the conclusion of his playing days in 2019, Stamps initially coached within the MACCC ranks for three seasons along with having spent a pair of coaching stints at the four-year collegiate level plus one season in the professional ranks.

"I'm blessed to be able to follow a long list of excellent football coaches who have represented East Mississippi Community College through the years, and I'm looking forward to making an impact that adds to the legacy of EMCC football," Stamps said. "I'm very excited about the collaborative efforts with the Lions' new defensive staff, as Coach (Justin) Lucas and Coach (Austin) Roberts both understand what it means to represent East Mississippi and what it takes to consistently compete at a high level."

Most recently within the Mississippi community college system, Stamps served this past season as the linebackers coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he helped mentor all-conference performer BJ Mitchell.

Prior to getting back into the MACCC coaching ranks, Stamps spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons as a defensive quality control coach at Mississippi State. During his coaching stint with the Bulldogs, he helped work with linebacker Nathaniel Watson, who earned 2023 Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a Butkus Award finalist as an ESPN and College Football Network All-American before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Stamps added professional coaching experience to his growing resume during the spring of 2023 when he served as a defensive quality control coach for the XFL's Orlando Guardians under the guidance of current Mississippi Valley State head football coach and NFL veteran player Terrell Buckley. Prior to that, Stamps earned his first coaching stint at the four-year level by serving as a graduate assistant at the University at Buffalo during the 2022 season.

After beginning his rising coaching career working with linebackers at Mississippi Delta Community College in 2020, Stamps had the opportunity to coach current Cleveland Browns cornerback Desmond "Dee" Williams and West Virginia University senior cornerback Michael Coats Jr. during the 2021 season at East Central Community College. Williams topped the NJCAA regular-season leaders with seven pass interceptions in being named NJCAA All-American First Team prior to signing with the University of Tennessee and then earning his way into the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

Stamps' collegiate playing career began in 2015 when he redshirted at Mississippi State before seeing limited action in nine games for the 2016 Bulldogs. He then spent the 2017 season helping lead Northwest Mississippi Community College to a conference championship-game appearance against EMCC and a subsequent postseason bowl game berth. During his bounce-back season at Northwest, Stamps was credited with 34 tackles, including 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, one pass interception and two forced fumbles for the 8-3 and seventh-ranked Rangers.

Stamps concluded his playing career by spending his final two seasons at Middle Tennessee State, where he totaled 39 tackles for the Blue Raiders. After making 10 stops with a fumble recovery for 8-6 MTSU in 2018, he registered 29 tackles with a pass interception and four pass breakups as a fifth-year senior. While completing his bachelor's degree in exercise science at Middle Tennessee State, Stamps stayed on the Murfreesboro campus to serve as an intern within the Blue Raiders' strength and conditioning program.

Much like his versatile coaching career has developed, Stamps was a two-way standout for head coach Josh Morgan at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg. As a two-time selection to the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) Class 6A All-State First Team, Stamps capped his prep career by participating in the 2014 Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star Classic. During his four seasons with the Vikings, Stamps had 65 career receptions for 902 yards and eight touchdowns. As a cornerback on the defensive side of the ball, he was credited with 112 career tackles, 13 pass interceptions, 21 passes defended, two fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal attempt.