Georgia Southern Extra: Infusion of new football staff continues with hiring of Hassan

There are a lot of new faces in the Georgia Southern University Athletics Department, and it seems each week — each day, sometimes — there is another newcomer to the football program.

On Wednesday in Statesboro, new head coach Clay Helton announced that Matt Hassan has been named the assistant athletics director for football operations. Hassan served as the director of football operations at Troy (Ala.) University the past two seasons.

Hassan is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the football program, including team travel, meals, scheduling and controlling the program's budget.

Hassan thanked Helton, director of athletics Jared Benko and deputy athletics director Chris Davis in a press release.

"I've only heard about the traditions and deep roots of Georgia Southern football," Hassan said in the press release. "My wife Anna and I are excited to live it!"

Hassan moved to Troy for two seasons after working at Mercer for a year. There, he served as director of football operations and general manager. Hassan oversaw all the day-to-day organizational and operations aspects of the football program. He was in charge of maintaining all non-coaching activities including budget, team travel, special projects and Mercer's off-field personnel.

He was the Bears' liaison to the university's administration and oversaw Mercer's recruiting operations: official visits, game-day recruiting and staff.

Hassan joined the Bears' staff after a three-year stint with the football program at Auburn, where he served as a defensive analyst for the 2018 season and as an operations assistant from 2016-18.

Prior to Auburn, Hassan spent two seasons on the coaching staff at Concordia University Chicago, working with the running backs in 2014 and tutoring linebackers in 2015, as well as coordinating academics, video and social media.

He was the running backs coach at Alma College in 2013.

Hassan was one of 30 participants selected for the 2014 NCAA/AFCA Future Football Coaches Academy and is a Bronze-certified coach through the National Coaches Education Program.

As a player, he ranks second among career rushers at North Park University in Chicago, where he was a two-year captain, three-time offensive MVP and an All-CCIW running back in 2011 and 2012. He was vice president of the North Park Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and received the CCIW Merle Chapman Leadership Award.

A product of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he was a football and wrestling letterman at Glenbard West High School, Hassan received his bachelor's degree in history and education from North Park in 2013 and a master's degree in sports management and leadership from Concordia in 2015.

He is married to the former Anna Maria LaMantia, who played soccer at North Park while earning a degree in exercise science and received her PhD from Auburn in kinesiology.

For more coverage of Georgia Southern athletics — including a commentary on the dozen football players taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility to return to the team in 2022; and an examination of the salaries for the new football coaching staff — go to https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/college/georgia-southern/

Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Southern University athletics Eagles football team newsletter