Furman adds Faunteroy as defensive line coach

(STATS) -- Addressing a defense that struggled to stop the run in a conference that features two triple-option offenses, Furman head coach Bruce Fowler added Ramal Faunteroy to his staff Monday as his defensive line coach.

Faunteroy has spent the last seven seasons at Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia and succeeds Jimmy Lindsey, who took a similar post at Georgia Southern in January. He recently attended the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp last summer through the Bill Wash Minority Coaching Fellowship.

"We're happy to have Ramal join our staff and look forward to him working with our young men as (we) prepare for spring practice," Fowler said in a statement released by the school.

Shepherd led Division II in rushing defense four of the last five years and lost to Northwest Missouri State in the championship game this season, finishing 13-1.

Faunteroy will try to improve a Paladins run defense that ranked last in the Southern Conference and 108th among FCS teams, giving up an average of 222.3 yards per game. Furman, which finished 4-7, allowed at least 160 rushing yards in seven of its 11 games.

The Citadel and Wofford, which ranked second and fourth respectively in the FCS in rushing offense while using the triple-option, ran for 388 and 417 yards in victories over Furman in 2015.