By Jacob Seawright
Over the past few months, Southern Virginia University has made a lot of new changes to various coaching staffs. With a lot of great new additions, I am going to highlight the new head coaches here at SVU so we can take an in-depth look at how they got to where they are today.
Football
Southern Virginia University recently welcomed Coach Joe DuPaix as the Head Coach of its Football program, bringing with him an impressive coaching career and a commitment to the philosophy of “Knight’s Edge”. Coach DuPaix’s dedication to helping student athletes make the right choices aligns perfectly with SVU’s values, emphasizing not only athletic excellence, but also personal, ethical, and spiritual growth.
When I asked in an interview why he wanted to come back to SVU, he stated,
“Southern Virginia University is an amazing place with great people.Knowing what we stand for was appealing to me to come back. Also knowing the kind of young men that I will have the opportunity to coach and be around, and I feel like we have a little unsettled business that we need to take care of from last time… we need to get this thing on the right track. Winning football games while developing men of character.”
During his time in the Navy, Coach DuPaix contributed to many successes, including a top-ten rushing offense in the nation and an impressive 11-win season in 2019. His emphasis on recruiting not only new players, but “the right players” to build a successful team is a testament to his commitment to excellence.
Coach DuPaix’s football journey began in 1998, at the University of Missouri-Rolla, and his collegiate playing career showcased his own commitment to excellence. Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, and a recipient of numerous accolades throughout his career, Coach Joe DuPaix is a great addition to the university’s football program and the SVU community. He reflects the core values of integrity and his one team rule of “choose the right”.
Another reason for coming to SVU is the love that his family has for the University. As he shares,
“My family loves Southern Virginia University, my kids have come to the university for some time of their College life. Our oldest daughter Madelyn graduated from SVU, our son Jackson was here for a year before going to the Naval Academy, and Scott is here now playing both Football and lacrosse, and my youngest Bryson has plans to come here someday, too.”
This solidifies his dedication to the institution and its mission of personal spiritual and academic growth through athletics. I am excited to see what Coach DuPaix can do to turn the program around.
Women’s Lacrosse
Southern Virginia University brought in Olivia Cope as SVU’s new women’s lacrosse coach, leading our team into an exciting new season. Cope brings a lot to the table; she played lacrosse at BYU and coached various teams in Utah, including: Bountiful High School, Pleasant Grove, and assisted at BYU. She also became referee certified in 2020 which she said “changed my whole outlook on lacrosse and coaching” and gave her a deeper understanding of the game.
Her coaching philosophy, which emphasizes respect, healthy communication, and teamwork, extends beyond the field and into personal and professional life. Cope’s transition to SVU was driven by the overwhelming support she felt from our community and her husband, which values not only her role as a lacrosse coach, but her identity as a mother and her family’s values.
Olivia’s approach to coaching focuses on unity and the joy of playing together. She believes in building on the team’s existing strengths while remaining open to feedback from the players.
She emphasized her motto and why it is important to her and her team.
“I tell each team that I coach that my motto is ‘lacrosse just isn’t life’ That may sound very backwards for someone who just got hired to coach lacrosse. My philosophy is that as we learn how to treat one another with respect and through good, healthy communication, that we will unify ourselves as a team, and those relationships will be what lasts our lifetime.”
She includes that learning these skills will help you be a better teammate, friend, and will ultimately help you in life. With Coach Cope in the lead, I am excited about the season ahead, one that promotes growth, teamwork, and success both on and off the field.
Men’s Basketball
This year, Southern Virginia University introduced Trace Bevell as the new men’s head basketball coach. Coach Bevell brings great experience and passion for college basketball to our team. Trace’s decision to accept this position was motivated by his love for the game and his desire to coach in an environment that values success and personal growth, perfectly aligning with the University’s mission of “Gather, Lift, and Launch.”
Coach Bevell’s coaching philosophy emphasizes defense, rebounding, and pushing the ball. He emphasizes on improving our team’s defensive capabilities and reducing turnovers. Coach Bevell thinks we have the keys to success with returning players and new additions,
“I like the balance of what we have so far, with returning players and new ones, and really look forward to having a successful year.”
Trace has an impressive coaching history, including a decade at Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah, and 17 years as a head junior college coach. Off the court, Trace is a family man married with four daughters, a son-in-law, and four grandkids. His interests span across various sports: jogging, biking, hunting, and golfing.
I think that with the right formula, SVU’s basketball can have great success on and off the court with the guidance and coaching from Coach Bevell.
Women’s wrestling
Southern Virginia University recently welcomed Jessica Casperson as our new women’s wrestling head coach who brings a ton of experience in coaching and wrestling and a deep passion for the sport to SVU. Casperson’s coaching philosophy is aligned with her family philosophy, and the belief that “WE > ME,” where collective success is greater than individual accomplishments.
Coach Casperson’s journey in wrestling began over 30 years ago when, as a fourth-grader, she joined her elementary school’s wrestling team. Despite facing challenges and the absence of opportunities for female wrestlers at the time, her dedication and love for the sport outweighed the challenges. In high school, she became a standout wrestler, winning several state titles and earning three All-American honors. Her collegiate journey took her to Missouri Valley College, where she had the opportunity to compete alongside some of the best female wrestlers who later became world team members and Olympians.
After a successful wrestling career, Coach Casperson set her eyes on coaching the sport she loves. Her connection to Southern Virginia University runs deep, as her husband, Nathan Casperson, helped establish the men’s wrestling program at SVU as a student. Nathan’s love for SVU and his role in its wrestling program eventually led Jessica to start coaching a club team of female wrestlers at SVU.
Now Casperson is the head coach of SVU’s official women’s wrestling program as it prepares for its inaugural competitive season. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes competition, integrity, and mental strength. She believes in nurturing, not just skilled wrestlers, but also individuals of high character, integrity, and faith. Casperson envisions a unified culture where each wrestler’s growth contributes to the success of the entire team. She says,
“At Southern Virginia University, our Women’s Wrestling team embodies a mission of gathering faithful, honest, and kind student-athletes, providing them with exceptional learning and athletic opportunities. Together, as Knights, we strive to uplift one another, equipping ourselves with a servant’s heart and a warrior’s spirit for success both on and off the mat.”
Casperson’s family, including her husband Nathan and their six children, Dusti, Seani, Ted, Luke, Natalea, and Marshall, plays a central role in her life and coaching journey. They exemplify the family-oriented spirit that she brings to our SVU community. Jessica Casperson’s coaching philosophy and dedication to wrestling and our university promise a great start and bright future for our women’s wrestling program.
With a lot of great new additions to various coaching staffs, Southern Virginia University has no place to go but up. Bringing in coaches who want to win, but are focused on providing skills that will help success in future careers and relationships… this embodies SVUs mission of “Gather, Lift, Launch.”
Get To Know the New Head Coaches at SVU was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
