The world of college football is one of constant motion—players graduate, coaches ascend the ladder, and programs evolve in an endless cycle of competition and renewal. It is a realm where hometown dreams can be realized and, inevitably, where those same dreams must sometimes be left behind in pursuit of greater challenges. The recent career move of Jordan Dove, a young coach who rose from the grounds of Williams-Brice Stadium to the South Carolina Gamecocks’ defensive staff, encapsulates this very trajectory. His departure from Columbia to accept the position of defensive tackles coach at Kansas State University is more than a simple job change; it is a testament to professional growth, seizing opportunity, and the bittersweet nature of advancement in a high-stakes industry.
Dove’s story is intrinsically woven into the fabric of South Carolina football. A native of Winnsboro, South Carolina, his path began not with a whistle, but with a more humble toolset. As a student at the University of South Carolina, he entered the program’s ecosystem as an equipment manager. This role, often unseen by the public, is the lifeblood of any major football operation. It requires a meticulous attention to detail, an unwavering work ethic, and a fundamental understanding of the team’s needs. For Dove, it was a foundational apprenticeship, a way to immerse himself in the culture, grind, and daily rhythms of SEC football from the ground up. He wasn’t just observing; he was contributing to the machinery that allows athletes and coaches to perform.
This dedication and proximity to the game paved his way forward. Upon graduating in 2023, Dove transitioned from the equipment room to the coaching periphery, taking on a graduate assistant role under head coach Shane Beamer. For two years, he served in this capacity—a crucible for aspiring coaches that blends film study, on-field instruction, administrative tasks, and long hours into a formative professional gauntlet. His performance and potential were evidently recognized, leading to a promotion in 2025 to a full-time defensive assistant role, specifically working with the defensive line under position coach Travian Robertson. This promotion was a significant milestone, representing a vote of confidence from Beamer and a tangible step into the competitive ranks of Power 5 coaching.
However, the 2025 season would provide an unexpected and accelerated test of Dove’s readiness. Just before the start of the campaign, defensive line coach Travian Robertson was involved in a serious car crash, an event that sidelined him for the majority of the season. In an instant, the Gamecocks’ defensive line room lost its veteran leader. Into this void stepped Jordan Dove. From defensive assistant, he was thrust into the primary leadership role for the unit, tasked with game planning, daily instruction, and in-game management for a critical position group in the nation’s toughest conference.
This “baptism by fire,” as Dove himself described it, was a defining period. He was no longer just an assistant learning the ropes; he was the point person for a group of young men relying on him for guidance during a high-pressure SEC slate. The challenges were immense: preparing players to face elite offensive lines, making in-game adjustments, and managing the emotional ebbs and flows of a long season, all while his mentor Robertson recuperated. This experience, though undoubtedly stressful, proved invaluable. It forced Dove to synthesize everything he had learned, trust his instincts, and lead independently. The theoretical knowledge gained as a GA and assistant was now being applied under the stark, unforgiving lights of Saturday competition.
“This last year was a whirlwind,” Dove reflected. “Talk about getting thrown in the fire, but that really propelled me to being able to come out [to Kansas State] and really get to showcase what I know.” That season of unexpected responsibility became the most compelling line on his resume. It demonstrated to the broader coaching world—including the decision-makers at Kansas State—that he possessed not just potential, but proven capability under duress. He had managed a unit through adversity, a quality that resonates deeply in a profession defined by it.
Despite the professional growth that came from this challenge, Dove’s departure is underscored by a profound sense of gratitude and connection. His statements are layered with appreciation for his origins. “There was nothing more I loved than being able to work for the hometown team,” he said, acknowledging the unique fulfillment of contributing to the program he grew up near. He credited Shane Beamer for a philosophy of promoting from within, a belief that gave a former equipment manager a pathway to a coaching career. That loyalty to internal development fosters a powerful culture and, in this case, created a coach ready for the next level.
Perhaps the most poignant element of his farewell is his relationship with Travian Robertson. Robertson was more than a boss; he was a guide. “It was hard to leave him,” Dove admitted. “He means a lot to me football-wise and just in life. We got really close.” Even during Robertson’s physical absence last season, Dove leaned on him as a sounding board and confidant. “He was always a phone call or text away, which meant a lot to me.” This mentorship is a sacred thread in the coaching tapestry, where knowledge, philosophy, and personal support are passed down. Leaving that daily partnership is the personal cost of professional progress.
Dove now arrives in Manhattan, Kansas, to join a program in the midst of its own transition. He becomes part of the first staff assembled by new head coach Collin Klein, a legendary Wildcat quarterback returning home to lead his alma mater. Klein’s hire, after a successful stint as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, has injected excitement into the program. For Dove, this represents a fresh start within the competitive landscape of the Big 12 Conference. He moves from the trench warfare of the SEC to the high-paced, offensive spread systems prevalent in his new league. His task will be to develop a defensive tackle unit that can disrupt these schemes, demanding a blend of athleticism, technique, and tactical understanding.
The parallels are striking. Just as he once learned the ropes at his hometown university, he now joins a former player deeply connected to his own hometown program. In Klein, Dove will witness another manifestation of coming home, albeit in the lead chair. His specific role—defensive tackles coach—is a position of significant responsibility. The interior defensive line is the anchor of any defense, tasked with controlling the line of scrimmage, occupying blockers, and generating pressure up the middle. Dove’s experiences in Columbia, especially his trial-by-fire season running the entire defensive line room, have directly prepared him for this focused assignment.
In conclusion, Jordan Dove’s journey from South Carolina equipment manager to Kansas State position coach is a classic American football narrative, refined for the modern era. It is a story of humble beginnings, earned promotion, crisis management, and the pursuit of opportunity. His path underscores that coaching careers are not just drawn on whiteboards; they are built through hands-on work, forged in unexpected challenges, and guided by mentors who shape more than just football understanding. While South Carolina loses a dedicated, homegrown member of its football family, the move signifies a successful outcome of its investment in developing talent from within. For Kansas State, they gain a young, hungry coach who has already been tested in one of college football’s most demanding environments. And for Jordan Dove, the hometown chapter closes with gratitude, but the playbook is far from finished. The whistle blows on a new drive in the Little Apple, where the lessons learned in Columbia will be put to the test once again, this time on the plains of the Big 12.