Pepe Pearson is entering his third season at Tarleton State as the running backs coach in 2025.
“We’re very blessed to be able to hire Pepe, a highly, highly decorated player back in the mid-90’s,” head coach Todd Whitten said at the time of Pearson’s hiring, announced on June 23, 2023. “He’s been highly recommended by every head coach he’s ever worked for, so I feel very fortunate to get him at this late day. I think he’s going to be really good for our backs. It’s always good when a guy has played the position at the highest level to continue coaching that. He’s just a really good hire for us and he’s an equally good person. I’m excited and looking forward to working with him.”
Tarleton State’s running backs have been amongst the nation’s best over Pearson’s first two years leading the backfield. Over the span, Tarleton State’s running backs have covered 4,883 yards on the ground across 25 games, averaging 195.3 yards per game rushing, with 48 rushing touchdowns. Last season, Tarleton State posted its third most rushing yards in a single-season in program history with 2,675 and its most in the NCAA Division I era.
Under Pearson over the last two years, running back Kayvon Britten was consistently one of the best across all of college football, finishing with 3,132 yards on 523 carries (6.0 YPC) in 25 games (125.3 rush yards per game) and 34 rushing touchdowns. Last season, Britten shattered several program records, including single-season rushing yards (1,982), single-game rushing yards (273) and longest run (96 yards). He also added 18 rushing touchdowns across his 340 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 141.6 rush yards per game. He was named First Team All-American by four different outlets (Associated Press FCS All-America First Team, 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team, 2024 FCS Football Central All-American First Team, Phil Steele FCS 2024 All American First Team), Second Team All-American by one (2024 AFCA FCS Coaches All-America Second Team), on the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s All-Texas Non-FBS Team, plus United Athletic Conference First Team All-Conference. Britten finished eighth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award (national offensive player of the year award). He was one of 35 finalists for the 2024 Walter Payton Award, one of 15 running backs among the finalists, with an additional 16 quarterbacks, three wide receivers and one offensive lineman. Britten finished as the leading rusher across the FCS and second across all of NCAA Division I football. He also had a touchdown and 165 yards on 16 receptions, finishing with 2,147 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. Britten rushed for over 100 yards in 11 different games, and with 15 in his Tarleton State career, he had the most ever by a Texan. Britten was named the FCS Offensive National Player of the Week and UAC Offensive Player of the Week against North Alabama on Sept. 21 after 273 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 13.0 yards per carry. Britten set a new program record for single-game rushing yards, surpassing Ross' 269 yards rushing vs. Western New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2005. Britten tied the program record in scoring with his four touchdowns, joining six others. On Oct. 5 at Southern Utah, Britten crossed the 1,000-yard mark in the sixth game of the year. Only five FCS players have reached 1,000 yards in fewer games; South Dakota State's Zach Zenner in 2012, Portland State's Charles Dunn in 2000, Sacramento State's Charles Roberts in 1999, Siena's Reggie Greene in 1997, and Butler's Arnold Mickens in 1994. Britten is one of three players in program history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. In his first year at Tarleton State in 2023, Britten covered 1,150 yards on 183 carries (6.3 YPC) and 16 touchdowns in 11 games.
The Texans just posted a historic campaign in 2024, going 10-4 overall and 6-2 in United Athletic Conference play, winning their FCS Playoffs debut against Drake before dropping a tight contest at No. 4 South Dakota in Vermillion in the second round. On Nov. 30, 13-seed Tarleton hosted Drake in the first round of the FCS Playoffs winning 43-29 at Memorial Stadium. The Texans became the fifth team in the history of the FCS Playoffs (Division I-AA Playoffs), which goes back 46 years, to win their first playoff game at the FCS level in their first year eligible after reclassifying from NCAA Division II. Two of those five teams comprised of the four-team playoff field in that initial round of the FCS Playoffs – Florida A&M and UMass, in 1978. The other two programs are currently in the FBS; Troy in 1993 and UCF in 1990. The Texans earned the No. 13 seed in the FCS Playoffs among the 24-team field across 129 FCS programs in just their first year of championship eligibility. They had become just the first team fresh off of reclassification to make the playoffs since 2009 (South Dakota State). Tarleton State was named No. 12 in the final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of the season, and No. 13 in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll of the season. Tarleton State was ranked in both polls every single week of the 2024 campaign, from the preseason through the postseason. The Texans were just one of 11 teams nationwide to never leave the polls, joined by Idaho, Illinois State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UC Davis, UIW and Villanova. Tarleton State started 2024 7-1, with a six-game winning streak, their best start and their longest winning streak in the D1 era. Offensively, Tarleton ranked fourth in the country in pass yards per completion (14.5), fifth in red zone offense (.933), ninth in first downs (300), tied-13th in sacks allowed per game (1.14), 22nd in total offense (415.8 yards per game), 23rd in rushing offense (191.1 yards per game), 28th in scoring offense (30.7 points per game), 34th in tackles for loss allowed per game (4.71) and 42nd in passing offense (224.7 yards per game).
Pearson finished his first year as the running backs coach in 2023, Tarleton State’s final year of their four-year reclassification period, where he helped the Texans finish 8-3 overall and 4-2 in conference play. They finished second in the inaugural United Athletic Conference, despite being picked to finish sixth in the 2023 Preseason UAC Coaches Poll. Pearson helped engineer the most dynamic rushing attack in the UAC. The unit amassed 201.7 rushing yards per game (first in UAC), 25 rushing touchdowns (first in UAC) and 5.2 yards per carry (second in UAC). Britten led the pack with 1,170 yards (second in UAC, 104.55 per game) on 183 carries, reaching the end zone 16 times (first in UAC). His 6.3 average yards per carry tied for the fourth best mark in the conference. This production earned him a UAC First Team selection on the All-Conference team. Derrel Kelley III spelled Britten as the second RB for 567 yards of his own on 109 carries. He averaged 60 yards in his nine games on 5.0 yards per attempt, reaching the end zone four times. Caleb Lewis finished third on the team in yards (372) and carries (67), averaging 5.0 yards per attempt and scoring two touchdowns.
Pearson arrived in Stephenville with 22 seasons of collegiate coaching experience, with stops at Tennessee State (2021-22), Marshall (2016-20), Youngstown State (2015) and Ohio Dominican (2001-14). Pearson starred as a running back himself in the 1990s, playing for several NFL teams after rushing for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns at Ohio State.
Pearson coached under his former Buckeye teammate Eddie George his last two seasons at Tennessee State. In 2022, his main two running backs totaled 1,153 yards on 245 carries (4.7 YPC). In 2021, he helped his lead back to Second Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors.
“I would like to thank Coach Whitten for giving me this amazing opportunity to coach in the great state of Texas and work with an outstanding group of coaches,” Pearson said at the time of his hiring. “I am also excited to work with a talented group of players. I have had amazing support in my short time here and the people at Tarleton State University have certainly extended a warm welcome to me and my family. I am ready to get to work and help this team achieve a high standard of success on the gridiron. Go Texans!”
Pearson spent five years as the running backs coach at Marshall prior to his stint at Tennessee State. He helped lead the Conference USA’s Most Valuable Player, Brenden Knox, to the tune of 1,387 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019. The Herd made a bowl game in each of Pearson’s last four seasons in Huntington. Pearson also helped Thundering Herd running back Keion Davis to a Gasparilla Bowl MVP award following a 94-yard, two touchdown performance in a win over South Florida in 2018. Pearson tutored a stable of running backs in 2018 as Tyler King led the team in rushing yards with 665 while Anthony Anderson led the team with nine rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, Brenden Knox led all of college football in rushing yards in the month of December with 297 as a freshman.
In his lone season at Youngstown State in 2015, Pearson guided the FCS Penguins to over 2,000 rushing yards. He coached Jody Webb to MVC All-Second team honors while backfield mate Martin Ruiz ended the season ranked sixth in school history in rushing yards with 3,153.
Before the one season spent at Youngstown State, Pearson served 14 seasons at Ohio Dominican, where the Panthers won four conference championships. He was the running backs coach and added the title of special teams coordinator throughout his final four seasons. In 2014, Pearson and the Panthers advanced to the NCAA D2 playoffs while Brandon Schoen helped lead the way with 1,134 rushing yards. The Panthers finished 11-2, losing to Colorado State Pueblo in the Super Region Four Final. The 11 wins were the most for the team since joining D2 in 2010 and the most by a Panther team since 2007. Under Pearson’s guidance, Schoen became the school’s all-time leading rusher. In 2013, Pearson had two 1,000-yard rushers, the first time in school history a pair reached the 1,000-yard mark in the same season. Running back Mike Noffsinger was named a Harlon Hill Trophy semifinalist as one of the best Division II players in the country in 2011-12. 2011 was the best rushing offense in Panther’s program history as Noffsinger carried the ball 246 times for 1,242 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 112.9 yards per game.
As a running back himself, Pearson spent time with the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. George and Pearson shared the backfield at Ohio State for two seasons (1994-95), and in 1996, Pearson became a preseason Heisman candidate. That year he exploded for 1,484 yards on 299 carries (5.0 YPC) and 17 touchdowns in 12 games. He led the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl win in 1997. Across his four-year career at Ohio State, Pearson was twice All-Big Ten, twice the team’s MVP, and the Buckeyes went 41-10.
The Euclid, Ohio, native, was the runner-up Mr. Ohio at the prep level. He rushed for nearly 4,500 yards and 49 touchdowns in high school, earning a USA Today All-American award and Northeast Ohio Player of the Year honors.
Pearson and his wife, Semoine, have three children.
