Tevin Lakes brings over a decade of experience from the NAIA, NCAA Division II, high school and Mississippi junior college to Ellisville as he enters his first season at Jones as its safeties coach.
The Drew, Mississippi, native is committed to player development, leadership and excellence both on and off the field.
Lakes most recently served as the defensive coordinator at Central Methodist University for two seasons and one as the cornerbacks coach at Henderson State University.
Henderson State went 8-3 in his lone season in 2022 and was fifth in the Great American Conference in total defense and fourth in scoring defense. Over the last five games of the regular season, the Reddies allowed 175.4 passing yards per game with 16 pass breakups.
Lakes was the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator for the 2021 season at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where his defensive unit ranked among the Top 5 pass defenses in the NAIA and was No. 1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. For his efforts, Lakes landed on FootballScoop's 2022 Minority/Rising Stars Watch List.
Prior to his time in northwest Oklahoma, Lakes served one season as a graduate assistant coach at Augustana (S.D.) where he helped build one of the nation's top secondaries — one that finished the 2019 season with 19 interceptions (10th NCAA), while also showcasing one of the top air raid defenses in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The performance by the secondary helped the Vikings reel off a 9-3 record and a trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Other coaching stops in Mississippi include Coahoma Community College, Yazoo City High School, West Bolivar and Ruleville Central, where he is an alumnus.
Lakes was a three-star athlete in football, basketball and a 3A state champion in 300-meter hurdles in track at Ruleville Central. The honors graduate was voted the best wide receiver in north Mississippi with 58 catches for 1,085 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year. As a senior on the basketball court, he averaged 22.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists/game to be named the Bolivar Commercial's best offensive player.
He continued his playing career in college as a defensive back at Mississippi Delta Community College (2011-12), Alcorn State (2013) and Mississippi Valley State (2014).
A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Alpha Phi Omega, Lakes earned his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation from MVSU in 2016 and completed his graduate work in sports administration at MVSU in 2019.
Lakes has a nine-year-old son, Tevin Jr.
