Former assistant Chris Hampton named Tulane’s new Defensive Coordinator

Hampton returns to Tulane after one season at Duke

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane University football head coach Willie Fritz announced today the return of Chris Hampton as the Green Wave’s new defensive coordinator.

“We are so excited to welcome back Chris Hampton to our staff,” Fritz said. “Coach Hampton is a true student of the game, who truly cares about developing young men on and off the field. He has a great defensive mind and we look forward to having him back.”

Hampton spent the 2020 campaign at Duke University where he served as the Blue Devils cornerbacks coach.

Prior to his tenure at Duke, Hampton spent four seasons at Tulane (2016-2019) where he coached five all-conference defensive backs and three players that went on to be selected in the NFL Draft.

“I would like to thank Coach Fritz for providing me with this incredible opportunity,” Hampton said. “Tulane University is a special place and this program has a strong foundation for even more success and I could not be more excited to be part of our team’s future.”

In 2019, Hampton guided a defensive backs unit that ranked fifth in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in pass defense efficiency (123.4). The Green Wave finished third in the league in interceptions (12) as safety Larry Brooks posted a team-best four picks. Tulane registered 51 pass breakups and 23 quarterback pressures, while safeties Chase Kuerschen (76) and P.J. Hall (68) led the team in tackles. Both Kuerschen and P.J. Hall combined to record 144 tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass breakups, 6.0 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.

During the 2018 campaign, Hampton helped mentor one of the AAC’s top pass defenses as Tulane paced the nation in passes broken up with 74. The unit also led the league and ranked second nationally in total passes defended with 88. In the Green Wave’s matchup with East Carolina on November 10, Tulane carded an NCAA single-game record 20 pass breakups.

Under Hampton’s guidance, cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. and Roderic Teamer Jr. both received second team All-AAC honors in 2018. In April, both Lewis and Teamer Jr. entered professional football as the Cleveland Browns selected Lewis in the seventh round of the NFL Draft while Teamer inked a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Following the 2018 campaign, he was honored with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 35 Under 35 Award.

In Hampton’s first two seasons, he coached a cornerbacks unit that was among the top in the AAC. In 2017, that unit limited opponents to just 225.7 yards per game through the air, which ranked fourth in the conference. Tulane’s secondary accounted for nine interceptions with Parry Nickerson, a 2017 First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection, leading the way with six. Nickerson also received Second Team All-AAC honors following the 2016 season.

Prior to Tulane, Hampton spent four years as the defensive backs coach at McNeese State.

Following the 2015 season, three Cowboy defensive backs earned All-Southland Conference honors, including Defensive Player of the Year and First Team all-league selection Wallace Scott. In addition to conference honors, Scott was named to the AFCA’s FCS All-America Team, while earning Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Louisiana honors from the Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association.

In 2014, Hampton helped coach free safety Aaron Sam to First Team All-Southland Conference honors as well as fellow safety Brent Spikes, who led the team in both tackles and interceptions. Spikes set new McNeese, Southland Conference and Louisiana single-game records with 148 interception return yards on three picks at Incarnate Word on October 25. Those three interceptions tied a school single-game record as well.

In 2013, he mentored Guy Morgan to First Team All-Southland Conference honors as well as Third Team All-America accolades from The Sports Network.

Hampton began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State in 2008 and followed that up with two seasons as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech (2009-10). He then spent one season as the safeties coach at Central Arkansas (2011) before joining the McNeese State staff.

Hampton, a Memphis, Tenn., native played collegiate football at South Carolina where he was a four-year letterwinner and a two-year starter at safety for the Gamecocks (2004-07).

He also earned the team’s Harold White Award, an honor given annually to the player with the highest grade point average. Hampton graduated from South Carolina in 2007 with a degree in Criminology.

THE HAMPTON FILE
PROFILE
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

EDUCATION
Bachelor’s – South Carolina, 2007

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
2004-07, South Carolina – Football

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2008, Arkansas State – Graduate Assistant
2009-10, Georgia Tech – Graduate Assistant
2011, Central Arkansas – Defensive Backs
2012-15, McNeese State – Defensive Backs
2016-2020, Tulane – Defensive Backs
2020, Duke – Defensive Backs
2020-present, Tulane – Defensive Coordinator

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE (7)
2020, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl – Tulane
2018, AutoNation Cure Bowl – Tulane
2015, NCAA Playoffs – McNeese State
2013, NCAA Playoffs – McNeese State
2011, NCAA Playoffs – Central Arkansas
2010, Independence Bowl – Georgia Tech
2009, Orange Bowl – Georgia Tech