Newberry Observer

Varn hired as offensive coordinator

NEWBERRY — Todd Knight, head football coach at Newberry College, has announced the hiring of Todd Varn as Newberry’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Varn will be working alongside Knight for the third time in his career and will be in his third stint on the Setzler Field sidelines. Varn was Newberry’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the 2007-2009 seasons, which included Newberry’s South Atlantic Conference title in 2008. He also spent the 1995 season as Newberry’s running backs coach and mentored the linebackers in 1996.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Coach Varn back into the Newberry Family,” Knight said. “As good of a coach as he is, he’s an even better man, and that’s why I keep asking him to work with me again and again.”

“I’m really thankful to be back in Newberry and working with Coach Knight again,” Varn said. “I can’t wait to get started and to see what we’re able to accomplish as a team.”

Varn spent the past eight seasons as the offensive coordinator at nearby Presbyterian College, including the last six as an associate head coach. Under his tutelage, freshman running back Torrance Marable led the Big South Conference in 2017 with 1,038 rushing yards and was named to the all-Big South first team, while wide receiver DaShawn Davis earned a second-team nod.

Varn has worked with Knight on two previous occasions, spending three seasons as Charleston Southern’s offensive coordinator while Knight coached the Buccaneers’ defense along with his previous tenure at Newberry’s offensive coordinator, which saw him coach five first team all-SAC selections and an Academic All-American on the offensive side of the ball.

He also had an additional two-year stint as Presbyterian’s offensive coordinator, spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Western Carolina and a third as running backs coach, two seasons on the VMI staff coaching the defense and special teams, and two seasons on staff at Laurence Manning Academy.

The West Columbia native graduated from North Carolina State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He spent a season as a student assistant with the Wolfpack under Dick Sheridan after concluding a four-year playing career as a running back. Varn averaged 3.5 yards on 196 carries in his career and scored five times on the ground. A receiving threat out of the backfield, Varn also caught 83 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns during his playing days.

Varn was also a Shrine Bowl selection from Airport High School and was in the school’s first Hall of Fame class in 2004. He replaces Bennett Swygert, who was hired earlier this month to become the offensive coordinator at South Carolina State.

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Staff Report