Roy Tesh - Football Coach - East Carolina University Athletics

Roy Tesh

Title:
Assistant Coach - Defensive Line/Defensive Run Game Coordinator
Email:
teshr18@ecu.edu
Phone:
(252) 737-4570

A seasoned veteran coach that has helped ECU earn postseason eligibility in three of the last four years (2021 Military Bowl, 2022 TicketSmarter Bowl champions, 2024 Go Bowling Military Bowl champions). Tesh is entering his seventh year at East Carolina where he serves as the defensive line coach and was promoted to the defensive run game coordinator in the spring of 2025. Originally hired at East Carolina on Dec. 7, 2018, where he was the special team’s coordinator and coached the bandits.

In 2024, Tesh’s group employed the same four starters in all 13 games (Ryheem Craig, D’Anta Johnson, Elijiah Morris, Chad Stephens) that helped the Pirates to an 8-5 overall record and paced a defense that stood among the FBS leaders (Top 30) in defensive touchdowns (12th/3 scores), redzone defense (13th/74.5 pct.), tackles for loss (14th/7.2 pg), passes intercepted (27th/14) and turnovers gained (27th/22 total).

The four starters combined for 168 tackles (107 solo) with 22.5 TFLs (-73 yards) that included 8.5 sacks (-44), credited with five quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Craig stood fifth on the team in tackles with 53 (35 solo), while Stephens was seventh with 41 (26) solo. Johnson earned College Football Network Honorable Mention All-American Conference accolades, while Morris was an Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and Wuerffel Trophy nominee for his play on the field and contributions off the playing surface with his several community service initiatives.

J.D. Lampley tallied 26 stops (14 solo) with 5.0 TFLs (-18) which included 2.5 sacks (-14) and led the team with six quarterback hurries on his way to American Conference Honorable Mention accolades by the leagues head coaches. Others that made key contributions on the defensive line consisted of Samuel Dankah (24 tackles, 6.5 TFLs/-45, 3.0 sacks/-22, 1 INT/17 yards, 2 FF), Suirad Ware (24 tackles, 4.0 TFLs/-14, 1.0 sack/-7, 4 QBHs), CJ Mims (23 tackles, 4.0 TFLs/-14, 1.5 sacks/-10) and Jaden McKenzie (17 tackles, 0.5 TFLs/-2, 0.5 sacks/-2, 1 INT/0 yards).

The 2023 season for the Tesh’s group was highlighted by a pair of players earning post-season All-AAC honors by the leagues head coaches. Johnson, who was second on the team in TLFs with 9.5/-25 and ninth in tackles at 32 (15 solo), garnered second-team accolades. Stephens was an honorable mention selection after a team-best 12.0 TFLs/-58 and tallying 41 stops (19 solo) ranking sixth among the team. Morris booked 21 tackles (10 solo) with 5.0 TFLs for minus 17 yards.

ECU’s defense in 2023 established new season bests under Houston in points per game allowed (22.4), pass yards allowed (219.2) and total yards per game surrendered (341.1). The defense finished among the FBS leaders (Top 30) in seven statistical categories: fourth down conversion percentage (fourth/0.333), first down defense (11th/212), defensive touchdowns (15th/three), fumbles recovered (16th/10), tackles for loss (17th/7.0 pg), red zone conversion percentage (19th/0.762) and rush defense (29th/122.2 ypg).

Members of his 2022 defensive tackles group helped the Pirates rank 19th nationally in rush defense averaging just 112.5 yards per carry and stood 88th in total defense at 404.3 yards per contest. The Pirates, who won the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 53-29 over Coastal Carolina, forced 20 turnovers ranking 40th in FBS, while the squad stood 32nd in fourth down defense (43.5 percent) and 35th in red zone efficiency (80.0 percent).

His group combined for 22.0 TFLs (-90 yards) and 12.0 sacks (-75 yards) while holding six opponents under 100-yard rushing in a game (Old Dominion/15, Tulane/41, Memphis/84, Cincinnati/66, Houston/80, Temple/48). Shaundre Mims led the team with 5.0 sacks (-24 yards) standing eighth in The American with 0.42 sacks per contest. He ranked second on the team with 7.5 TFLs (-28 yards).

The 2021 season was led by a group that played a key role helping the 2021 Pirates gain bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014 and holding three opponents under the 100-yard rushing mark (South Carolina/99, Houston/83, Temple/99) and two under the 100-yard passing clip (Temple/69, Navy/37).

His line provided a pass rush that racked up a combined 13 sacks (of 26 overall) in 2021, which included team co-leader Immanuel Hickman (4.0). Hickman (unit-best 7.5), Morris (4.0) and Ware (3.5) also collectively netted 15 tackles for lost yardage. Tesh tutored two (of four overall defensive) first-time starters in 2021 in Ware and Xavier McIver.

Tesh’s 2020 unit, comprised entirely of first-time starters, significantly contributed to Top 25 national (FBS) statistical rankings in total takeaways (18) and fumbles recovered (8; a program-best since 2012). He was directly responsible for the development of true freshman walk-on (Elijah) Morris in '20, who progressed into a full-time starting role in Week 3 before finishing the campaign with a No. 3 national rank in fumbles recovered (3) - most by a Pirate defensive lineman since 1998.

In his first year at ECU, he had oversight of a 2019 placekicking unit that, behind All-AAC selection Jake Verity, established a new school single-season standard with 24 field goals made, which included a record-breaking 13 consecutive threes from Oct. 3 to Nov. 23. On defense, Gerard Stringer as a first-year, full-time starter who finished as the Pirates' third-leading tackler with 63 stops.

Prior to coming to East Carolina, Tesh spent two years (2017-18) at James Madison where the Dukes made two FCS postseason appearances (2017 National Runner-Up, 2018 second round) posting a 25-5 two-year record. As the special team’s coordinator and bandits coach, he developed a combined seven All-CAA special teams’ performers while with the Dukes, including league player-of-the-year John Miller (punt returner) in ’17. JMU ranked second nationally (FCS) in punt return average (21.3 ypr) and third in kickoff return defense (14.3 ypr) in ’18, while standing fourth in punt return defense (3.3 ypr), ninth in net punting (38.8 ypp) and 10th in punt return average (13.0 ypr) during the 2017 campaign.

Defensively, the Dukes’ bandits played a key role for a unit which ranked among the FCS’s Top 25 in 11 statistical categories in 2018 after standing first in four categories – scoring (11.1 ppg), interceptions (31), pass efficiency defense (83.12) and turnovers gained (44) – in 2017.

Tesh coached three seasons (2014-16) at The Citadel as the defensive line coach where he helped the Bulldogs to successive SoCon titles and FCS playoff appearances the last two years. He was part of The Citadel squad which ranked seventh and eighth nationally in pass defense and total defense, respectively, in 2016, as the Bulldogs posted a perfect 8-0 league mark and earned a No. 6 overall postseason seed. Played an integral role creating pressure for a Bulldog defense that amassed a school-record 515 interception return yards (on 20 pass thefts) and five “pick-sixes”. He also coached the late Mitchell Jeter, a defensive tackle at The Citadel who earned SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors in 2015.

Prior to his move to Charleston, served on the Lenoir-Rhyne staff for six years from 2008 to 2013 (running backs coach/2008, defensive line coach/2009-13) helping the Bears to the 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Game after leading the South Atlantic Conference in total defense, rushing defense, sacks and scoring defense. He developed three Lenoir-Rhyne players who earned All-America status between the 2012 and 2013 seasons, as the Bears defense led the SAC in total defense from 2010-13.

Tesh began his coaching career as a linebackers and strength coach at alma mater Greensboro College as an undergraduate in 2003 before moving to Brevard (defensive line) in 2006.

He was a four-year all-conference offensive lineman for the Pride but was a defensive lineman and fullback during short stint with the Carolina Ghostriders (AIFL). Tesh graduated from Greensboro College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise studies. He and his wife Kimberly are the parents of one daughter, Sadie.