Ahren Self, now in his second season with UTC, was hired Jan. 14, 2005, to coach the defensive backs for Head Coach Rodney Allison.
As a result, the Mocs’ defense showed drastic improvements from the previous year in several areas, including passing yards allowed and passing touchdowns. The Mocs ranked 25th nationally in pass defense.
One of Self’s pupils, cornerback Quintez Smith, earned Second-Team All-Southern Conference accolades in 2005. Smith led the Mocs with four interceptions and 10 pass deflections.
Self has deep roots in the Southern Conference. After graduating from The Citadel and playing football for the Bulldogs, he held coaching stints at his alma mater and at Elon, both SoCon members.
Self served on Paul Hamilton’s Elon staff for the 2004 season, coaching the defensive secondary and working as the special teams coordinator. While with the Phoenix, he coached cornerback Dwayne Ijames who was a Second-Team All-SoCon selection after leading the league in pass breakups with 12 and tying for second with four interceptions.
Self coached for eight seasons at his alma mater in Charleston, S.C., beginning his coaching career in 1995. He took over the outside linebackers in 1996 and tutored that group in 1997, 1998 and 2001. Self directed the Bulldogs’ linebacking crew in 2000 and was in charge of defensive backs in 2002 and 2003. He was also responsible for the kickoff coverage team from 2001-03.
Under his direction, four Citadel defenders earned All-SoCon honors, including linebackers Denny Haywood and Travis Stephens and safeties Kevin Howard and T.J. Rose. The Bulldogs’ kickoff teams ranked among the top three in the league over his last three years at The Citadel and limited opponents to 16.2 yards per return in 2003.
Self spent the 1999 season as a graduate assistant coach at Syracuse University. While at Syracuse, he was part of a staff which guided the Orange to a Music City Bowl title over Kentucky.
Self, 33, earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Citadel in 1995. He was a member of the Bulldogs football squad from 1991 to 1994 and helped The Citadel to a Southern Conference Championship in 1992.
He was named the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Back in 1994. He picked up SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors in 1992 and South Carolina Defensive Player of the Week accolades in 1993.
Self was born Feb. 26, 1973 in Princeton, W.Va. He is married to the former Caroline McCloud of Fayetteville, N.C. The couple has two children, a 20-year-old son, Chad, and a 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea Schott.
