Football

Brock Pursley joined the Tusculum University football staff in January 2025 where he serves as offensive coordinator while also mentoring the Pioneer slots. He also serves as the program's social media coordinator.

Pursley is no stranger to NCAA Division II and the South Atlantic Conference where he has amassed over a decade of college coaching experience. He served as offensive coordinator at Carson-Newman University and Clark Atlanta University as well as associate head coach at former SAC member Brevard College.

He served two separate stints at Carson-Newman, coaching the quarterbacks and receivers from 2015-2017 and later took over as coordinator and mentored the Eagle signal callers on his return to Mossy Creek in 2020.

In a run-first offense at Carson-Newman, Pursley coached three wide receivers to NFL rosters. His quarterbacks represented 25 percent of all 200-yard passing games in C-N history.

In 2022, Braxton Westfield garnered All-SAC and All-Region distinction and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Westfield later inked with the Indianapolis Colts.

He coached four All-Conference performers in 2022 including rookie running back Tyree Nelson, who was the SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year. During that season, his team won four of its final five games including a win over nationally-ranked Newberry.

In 2014, he served as offensive coordinator at Clark Atlanta as the Panthers led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in rushing offensive for only the second time in over a decade. His offensive starters, which consisted of eight true freshmen and three sophomores, ranked in the top-25 nationally in rushing yards per game, while also seeing an increase in point-production, yards per game, rushing yards per game, passing yards per game and red zone offense.

From 2009-2013, he served as associate head coach at Brevard where he was in charge of the running backs. The BC offense ranked sixth in the country in rushing yards per game and mentored one SAC Freshman of the Year, three All-Americans and seven All-Region performers.

Prior to Brevard, he was at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he serves as a student assistant under head coaches Butch Davis and John Bunting, offensive coordinator John Shoop, and defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano.

While at UNC, Pursley created motivation videos within the program, worked with the defense on game days and assisted with the offense during summer camps. Pursley was also a member of the Tar Heels’ nationally-ranked men’s fencing team.

Pursley, a native of McLeansville, North Carolina, established school records at Northeast Guilford High School where he was a quarterback and team captain.

He is married to the former Stephanie Rice of Brevard, North Carolina and they are the proud parents of two daughters.