JACKSONVILLE – After what has been an historic start to his tenure as Jacksonville State's head football coach, Rich Rodriguez will lead the Gamecocks through 2030.

The veteran coach and the sixth-winningest active coach in FBS signed a two-year extension on his previous contract with Jax State that will keep him in charge of the program for seven more seasons.

"We couldn't be more excited that Coach Rodriguez is committed to Jacksonville State and continuing to lead our football program into this new era," Athletics Director Greg Seitz said. "The growth of our program since the day he took over has been incredible, with a conference title in year one, the first bowl win by a transition team in history in year two and the opening of the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex this fall, it has never been a more exciting time to be a Gamecock. We can't wait to see the heights that Coach takes this program to in the next eight years."

Rodriguez is off to an 18-6 start to his Jax State career, going 9-2 and winning the ASUN Conference Championship in 2022 and 9-4 with a win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in 2024. He enters his third season at Jax State and 27th overall with a 181-125-2 (.591) career record that only trails five active coaches in wins.

On top of the success his teams have enjoyed on the field, Rodriguez has been making improvements to the Gamecocks' facilities and operations in his time at Jax State. The state-of-the-art Loring and Debbie White Football Complex is set to open at the end of the summer and will house all operations for Gamecock Football, as well as additional luxury seating for Jax State fans to enjoy on game day.

The Gamecocks are coming off an historic 2023 campaign that saw them burst onto the FBS scene like no program has done. Jax State won nine games and became just the sixth program since 1957 to post that many wins in its first season against an FBS schedule. The final win was in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in the Caesar's Superdome, making Jax State the first team to win a bowl game in its first season in FBS and just the fifth in history to play in a bowl game.

Under the guidance of Rodriguez, the Gamecocks boasted the fastest offense in the nation in 2023. They got each offensive snap off in an average of 20.3 seconds, 0.6 faster than the closest competitor.

They controlled the ground game in 2023, running for 236.7 yards per game and ranking third among all FBS teams in rushing offense. The Gamecocks' run defense was almost just as good, leading CUSA and ranking 14th nationally after giving up just 111.5 yards per game.

Success is something Rodriguez has been no stranger to in his 26 years as a head coach. He has won championships at every level and has taken four different programs to a bowl game, tied for the most among active coaches and for the fifth-most all-time.

He will guide Jax State into its first season as a full-fledged member of CUSA and the FBS in 2024, a season that will start on Thursday, Aug. 29 at home against Coastal Carolina. The Gamecocks will play six games at a newly renovated Burgess-Snow Field and six road games in 2024, including an eight-game CUSA schedule.

Fans can secure season tickets for the 2024 season now at JaxStateSports.com/Tickets or by calling the Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499. General admission season tickets are just $75, while season tickets in the Stadium Club are priced at $650 and include a chairback seat, as well as a pregame meal and unlimited snacks and soft drinks during the game.

With the upgrades to Burgess-Snow Field, there will be more premium seating available. Multiple suites overlooking the west end zone and other premium options will be available in the Loring and Debby White Football Complex, as will new outdoor concourse suites on the North side of the stadium. For more information on premium seating call the Jax State Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499 or email dcallan@jsu.edu.