Dover, Del. (Mar. 31, 2016) --- Delaware State head football coach Kenny Carter has announced two staff additions and a promotion.

Joining the Hornets as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach is Gerard Wilcher, who most recently served in the same position at Seton Hill University of the Div. II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Wilcher also spent 10 seasons, the last two as co-defensive coordinator, at Lehigh University.

His resume' also includes stops at Cornell and the University of Massachusetts, where he helped guide the Minutemen to the 1998 Div. I-AA national championship.

Wilcher was a four-year football letterwinner at Morehouse College before joining the coaching profession.

He replaces Jamie Bryant as DSU's defensive coordinator. Bryant accepted a coaching position at Colorado State University after one season with the Hornets.

Carter has also appointed Steve Atkinson as the new linebackers coach for the Hornets.

Atkinson also comes to Delaware State from Seton Hill University, where he worked with new Hornet defensive coordinator Gerard Wilcher.

Prior to his tenure at Seton Hill, Atkinson served five years as Director of Player Development at the University of Virginia. Before that, he was Director of Football Operations at the University of Richmond.

His college coaching experience also includes time at George Mason University as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 2003-07. Atkinson was defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Fitchburg State during the 2007 season.

Atkinson replaces Andrew Faison on the Hornet coaching staff. Faison is now on the staff of DSU's MEAC rival Norfolk State after two seasons with the Hornets.

In addition, Carter has announced that DSU running backs/tight end coach Vincent White has been promoted to Associate Head Coach.

White rejoined the Hornet coaching staff in 2015 after a one year stint at Delaware State in 2005.

Last season, White was instrumental in the development of freshman tailback Bryce Alleyne, who finished his rookie season as the Hornets' leading scorer with five touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving, one kickoff return), second-leading rusher with 249 yards and No. 2 on the team with 862 all-purpose yards.

Alleyne was named MEAC Rookie-of-the-Week after returning two kickoffs for 110 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown, in the Hornets' season-ending victory over Howard.

White has more than 26 years of collegiate coaching experience, including stints with ACC, Big East, PAC-10 and Mountain West Conference schools.  

As a player at Stanford, White was an All-PAC 10 First Team, All-West Coast First Team and Honorable Mention All-America running back in 1982. That season, he led all NCAA Div. I players with 68 receptions.

White was selected by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 1983 NFL Draft; and competed for the Denver Gold of the United States Football League from 1983 to '85.   

 Gerard Wilcher                             Steve Atkinson                            Vincent White

The Hornets will wrap up their 2016 spring camp with an offense vs. defensive scrimmage on Sat. Apr. 9 at 2 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Delaware State's 11-game 2016 schedule begins on Sep. 1 at the University of Delaware.