A veteran coach with a wealth of experience returns to the UWG defensive staff for 2023. J.R. Dorman, in his sixth season at UWG will have multiple roles, topped by the title of Assistant Head Coach. He will again mentor the Wolves’ linebackers, serve as special teams coordinator, and will be the recruiting coordinator.
Through five previous seasons as UWG's linebackers coach, he has mentored three All-Gulf South Conference selections, including All-American Korie Rogers in 2018. On the special teams side, he guided returner Laperion Perry to All-American status, as well as kicker Omar Cervantes.
Another duty in Dorman’s laundry list of titles is to serve as the liaison for NFL scouts. Through this, he helped Malik Henry and Devontae Jackson in their path to a spot on NFL rosters in the summer of 2019. In the summer of 2020, he helped guide seniors John Hurst and Auzoyah Alufohai. Hurst was named to the 53-man roster with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fall of 2020 and Alufohai earned a spot with the Houston Texans on the practice squad before joining the 53-man roster late in the season.
This is not Dorman’s first tour of duty on the staff of head coach David Dean. He served with Dean during the 2015 season at Valdosta State, a campaign that saw the Blazers advance to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Dorman brings an impressive resume to the UWG staff. Prior to his stint in Valdosta, he coached at Fairmont State in West Virginia, and he spent five seasons coaching linebackers, secondary, and special teams at Georgia Tech. Also, Dorman coached at Wittenberg and Dennison in Ohio, and began his professional career as an intern with the Houston Texans of the NFL.
Dorman is a 2003 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. While at South Carolina he served as a student assistant on the staff of former coach Lou Holtz.
He is married to Jennifer and the couple has a daughter, Finnley.
