Tim Billings is in his first year as outside linebackers coach at Southeast Missouri, the place he landed his first college head coaching job.
Billings was SEMO’s head coach from 2000-05 and returns to Cape Girardeau after spending five seasons as part of Southern Mississippi’s coaching staff.
Overall, the 2022 season marks the 42nd year for Billings in an illustrious coaching career that has seen him excel at both the high school and collegiate levels.
At Southern Mississippi, Billings was part of three squads that ranked among the Top 25 nationally in total defense, including the program’s highest ranking since 2000 with a No. 3 showing (278.4) in his first season as defensive coordinator.
Billings was promoted to defensive coordinator following the 2017 season when the team finished 20th in total defense (331.9). He also coached the safeties.
In 2016, Billings coached the outside linebackers on a Golden Eagles defense that limited opponents under 300 yards of total defense five times. The defense held its opposition to 11 or less yards on the ground twice that year.
Billings ended his stint as Southern Mississippi’s interim head coach in 2020.
Before Southern Mississippi, Billings was head coach at North Lamar High School in Texas from 2014-15. Prior to North Lamar, he spent 34 years in the college ranks as a head coach, coordinator and position coach on both sides of the football.
Billings joined the University of Memphis defensive staff in 2012. In his first season at Memphis, Billings coached the defensive line. In 2012, Memphis led the league in total defense in conference games, and in 2013, Memphis was ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing defense.
Before joining the Memphis staff, Billings oversaw the Wake Forest wide receivers during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and then supervised the secondary in 2008 and 2009. He worked with the defensive ends in 2010 and coached outside linebackers while working as co-defensive coordinator in 2011.
Billings was head coach at SEMO for six years (2000-05). In 2002, he was named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 3 Coach of the Year.
Before taking over at SEMO, Billings spent 10 years (1990-99) as an assistant coach at Marshall. During his tenure, Marshall was the winningest program in college football, compiling a 114-25 record. Billings served as the Thundering Herd’s defensive coordinator during his final season in 1999. That year, Marshall completed a perfect 13-0 campaign and was ranked No. 10 in the final national polls. The Herd won Mid-American Conference titles in each of Billings’ final three seasons at Marshall.
Prior to taking the defensive coordinator role, Billings worked primarily with the Thundering Herd special teams.
Billings began his collegiate coaching career as a Missouri graduate assistant under Warren Powers in 1983-84. The 1984 Tigers played in the Holiday Bowl.
He moved on to Oklahoma as a graduate assistant coach under Barry Switzer for the 1985 and 1986 seasons. The Sooners played in the 1985 and 1986 Orange Bowls, winning the 1985 national championship. Billings returned to Missouri for the 1987, 1988 and 1989 seasons.
A native of Honey Grove, Texas, Billings began his coaching career as a secondary coach at Duncan (Okla.) High School in 1980. He served as head coach at Prairieland High School in Pattonville, Texas, in 1981 and was secondary coach at Norman (Okla.) High School in 1982-83.
A 1980 Southeastern Oklahoma State University graduate with a degree in physical education, Billings was an all-conference defensive back for the Savage Storm. Billings also played basketball for one season at Grayson County Junior College in Sherman, Texas.
Billings and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Taylor Kay and Trenton Wade.
