Patrick Toney has joined Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler's football staff to work with the Bearkat defensive secondary. Toney has been an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana the past three years, helping direct the Lions to two Southland Conference championships.
During his tenure in Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana finished first in the nation in pass efficiency defense, second in interceptions, fifth in red zone defense and eighth in scoring defense.
“Patrick Toney is an outstanding young coach who brings experience at the high school, junior college and FCS levels on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball as well as special teams,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “He has experience as a full time position coach and coordinator and is an outstanding recruiter. He will be a great fit with our staff and our goal to become the top FCS program in the country.”
Last season Toney served as Southeastern Louisiana's as safeties coach and special teams coordinator. He spent the previous two seasons as a defensive assistant, working with the Lion secondary. Toney was part of a coaching staff that took a program that went 3-8 in 2011 and turned the Lions into a team that has made back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances and rolled up a 20-7 record the past two years.
Toney's special teams ranked No. 1 in FCS kickoff return average, sixth nationally in blocked kicks and 13th in kickoff return defense. Among the players Toney oversaw during his time with the Lions are All-Southland performers Harlan Miller, Theo Alexander, Todd Washington, Marice Sutton and Tyler Stoddard. In his first season with the Lions, he worked with All-American corner Robert Alford, who would go on to be the 60th pick (2nd round) in the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Prior to Southeastern, Toney spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive backfield coach at La Costa Canyon High School. The team posted a 17-7 record over two years and made back-to-back playoff appearances. He served as wide receiver coach at Palomar Junior College in 2009 and 2010 and as defensive line coach at Fallbrook High School.
Toney earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Southeastern in 2013. He is a 2008 graduate of Poway High School in Poway, California.
