Tracking the Cats - Kyle Pifer - WCU Athletics Director

70 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Parish Metzger

                                                                                                       

It's now 70 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown will highlight another member of the coaching staff:

No player is currently assigned to #70, so we will highlight another member of the coaching staff:

Parish Metzger

 Title:   Assistant Coach / Quarterbacks

Parish Metzger, a former Western Carolina quarterback, Parish Metzger returned to his alma mater during the summer of 2025 to assist with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. He spent the previous season working alongside former WCU offensive coordinator Kade Bell at the University of Pittsburgh. In the spring of 2026, Metzger took control of the Catamount quarterback room as an assistant coach, leading the QBs.

A 2024 graduate of Western Carolina University, Metzger played in two games as a reserve for the Catamounts during 2022 before moving to the coaching side, where he spent the next two seasons. He completed three of his seven career pass attempts for 36 yards and a touchdown. Making his collegiate debut against Presbyterian in '22, Metzger tossed his first career touchdown pass on an 18-yard strike to DeAndre Tamarez late in the third quarter. He was named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll as a redshirt freshman.

Originally from Matthews, N.C., Metzger began his prep career at Providence High before finishing at Butler High, where he threw for 2,534 yards over his final two seasons.

71 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #71 Sawyer Nelson

                                                                                                       

It's now 71 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #71 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#71 Sawyer Nelson

Position Offensive Line
Height 6-3
Weight 270
Class Freshman
Hometown Lenoir, N.C.
High School Hibriten HS

Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football program as a preferred walk-on ... Four-year varsity letter winner along the offensive and defensive line, playing mostly at ... Three-time all-conference selection as a sophomore, junior, and senior.

Personal: Is the son of Paula Seagle and and Tyler Nelson, with stepfather Dustin Seagle ... Has a sister, Gracy Nelson.

72 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #72 Andrew Threatt

                                                                                                       

It's now 72 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #72 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#72 Andrew Threatt

Position  Offensive Line

Height  6-6
Weight  285
Class  Graduate Student
Hometown  Charlotte, N.C.
High School  Metrolina Christian Academy

College:  Gardner-Webb

Prior to Western Carolina: Mid-year transfer from Gardner-Webb 

At GWU… Played in 25 games between 2023-25 along the offensive line with 19 starts … Was a second-team All-OVC-Big South Association selection in 2025 … Named to the 2025 FCS All-North Carolina team by NC Football News … Originally attended the United States Naval Academy out of high school, but did not see game action; 

At Metrolina Christian: Was a two-time North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association All-State selection as a junior and senior … All-Conference lineman who served as team captain his senior year. 

Personal: Is the son of Amy and Rob Threatt.

73 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Jeremy King

                                                                                                       

It's now 73 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown will highlight another member of the coaching staff:

No player is currently assigned to #73, so we will highlight another member of the coaching staff:

Jeremy King

 Title:   Assistant Coach / Offensive Line

Jeremy King, spent the 2023 season as an offensive line assistant at the University of Georgia, joined the Western Carolina football coaching staff as the offensive line coach in January 2024.

A four-year starter along the offensive line at Valdosta State from 2014-18, King played three seasons under WCU head coach Kerwin Bell and won an NCAA Division II National Championship in 2018. A three-time team captain, King was an all-conference and All-America selection in 2018, finishing as a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award given to the NCAA Division II lineman of the year.

After graduating, King played in the Indoor Football League with the Green Bay (Wis.) Blizzard before transitioning into coaching back as his alma mater.

King comes to Cullowhee after spending the past year as an offensive line graduate assistant at the University of Georgia. Before moving to Athens, he coached for two years at his alma mater, Valdosta State, earning his start as an offensive line graduate assistant. He earned a full-time coaching role with the Blazers in January 2022 as the running backs coach through February 2023.

Originally from Macon, Ga., King graduated from Valdosta State in December 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and earned a Master of Public Administration from VSU in May 2023.

74 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Corey Headley

                                                                                                       

It's now 74 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No player is currently assigned to #74, so we will highlight another member of the coaching staff:

Corey Headley

 Title:   Assistant Coach / Wide Receivers

Corey Headley joined the Western Carolina football staff during the winter of 2024, taking the role as Director of Player Personnel. He came to Cullowhee after spending the previous year on staff as the running backs coach at Tusculum University under former head coach and former WCU defensive coordinator, Jerry Odom. Headley helped the Pioneers to the 2023 SAC Mountain Division Championship while on staff in Greeneville, Tenn.

In the spring of 2024, Headley assumed the quarterbacks coach position in addition to his player personnel responsibilities. During the spring of 2026, Headley took over as the wide receivers coach for the Catamount offense.

Before Tusculum, Headley served as the offensive coordinator at Kenyon College, an NCAA Division III program in Gambier, Ohio. On staff, he helped guide the Owls to the third-best season in program history, transforming the offense into a Top 25 unit with an average of 445 yards per game while also breaking multiple school records.

In his first full-time position, Headley spent two seasons on staff at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., from 2015 through 2017 where he coached the wide receivers and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator in addition to handling football operations. Over his two seasons, he worked closely with one of the top offensive units in NCAA Division III football, helping lead the program to a 2016 conference championship and the school’s first trip to the NCAA playoffs.

In mid-July 2017, Headley took over as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., where he helped the passing game excel. Six of his wide receivers collected all-conference honors in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and he also mentored conference Newcomer of the Year Cole Blais.

Prior to Kenyon College, Headley served as the tight ends coach and director of football operations at Gardner-Webb University under former head coach Tre Lamb. He spent two years, from February 2020 until 2022, in Boiling Springs. Headley handled all football operations for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Originally from Erwin, Tenn., Headley is a 2013 graduate of Carson-Newman College with a degree in education. After earning his professional start as a graduate assistant at his alma mater for a season, Headley spent the 2014 season working with the Unicoi County (Tenn.) High School football program.

75 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #75 Renard Smith

                                                                                                       

It's now 75 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #75 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#75 Renard Smith

Position Offensive Line

Height 6-4
Weight 310
Class Redshirt Junior
Hometown Dallas, Ga
College:  University of Pikeville (UPike)

High School East Paulding HS

2025 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in seven of the team’s 12 seasonal games with one start … Made his WCU debut with his first start in the season-opener against Gardner-Webb (Aug. 30) … Did not record any official statistics, but helped guide a Catamount offense to record numbers in 2025, finishing with a school-record 5,920 total yards, including 4,268 passing yards and 1,652 yards on the ground.

Prior to Western Carolina: Played in 10 games at UPike during the 2024 season along the offensive line and on special teams … Named to the second-team All-Appalachian Athletics Conference in 2024;

High School: Played football and basketball, as well as field events in track & field as a prep.

76 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Malik Goodman

                                                                                                       

It's now 76 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No player is currently assigned to #76, so we will highlight another member of the coaching staff:

Malik Goodman

• Title

  Assistant Coach / Safeties

• 
  

Malik Goodman, who played collegiately at Tusculum University and earned his coaching start at his alma mater, joined the Catamount football defensive coaching staff in January 2024. Goodman will coach the safeties in the Catamount defensive secondary.

Goodman joined former Tusculum head coach – and former WCU defensive coordinator – Jerry Odom on the Catamount defensive staff after serving as the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator from 2021-23.

Goodman began his career as a defensive graduate assistant for the Pioneers in the COVID-abbreviated Spring 2021 season. Guided by a defense that limited opponents to just 17.6 points and 311.2 yards per game, Tusculum posted a 4-1 record and won the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) championship. The Pioneers allowed a league-low 84 rushing yards per game.


Between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Tusculum’s defense recorded a combined 36 interceptions including a SAC-leading 19 in 2022 that ranked third in the NCAA Division II rankings. The Pioneers ranked second in the conference with 17 picks in 2023 – a mark that also ranked among the Top 15 nationally. The 2022 Tusculum defense limited opponents to just 159.6 passing yards per game, ranked 15th in the country.

During his three seasons at Tusculum, he mentored two-time All-South Atlantic Conference selection in nickelback Ryan Dolce, with safety Jermaine Witherspoon, and cornerbacks Andrae Robinson and Tykorian Brown also earning postseason plaudits.

Originally from Jacksonville, Fla., Goodman was a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference (SAC) standout where he played in 39 career games for the Pioneers. He recorded 193 career tackles including 14 for loss with three sacks. He accounted for 19 passes defended, finishing his career tied for the 10th in program history. He added five career takeaways with three interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries while also forcing two fumbles.

Goodman earned All-Super Region 2 honors in 2018 as he tallied 48 tackles including five for loss with a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery, and two pass breakups. He was awarded SAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting eight tackles and forced a critical fourth-quarter force with the recovery to preserve a 31-28 win over Mars Hill in October 2018.

As a senior, Goodman collected All-SAC plaudits for a second consecutive season as he recorded 47 stops with an interception and three passes defended.

Goodman graduated from Tusculum in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He also earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Training & Performance Management from Tusculum in 2021.

Malik is married to Yoland Goodman.

77 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #77 John Hammond

                                                                                                         

It's now 77 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #77 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#77 John Hammond

Position Offensive Line
Height 6-5
Weight 295
Class Sophomore
Hometown Spartanburg, S.C.
High School Spartanburg HS

2025 (Freshman): Did not see game action, remaining eligible for a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina:  Two-time All-Region selection … Versatile offensive lineman who played center as a senior …Was among the Prep Redzone South Carolina’s Fab 50 breakdown of offensive linemen in the state.

Personal: His father, Vance Hammond, was recruited to and played at Clemson before playing professionally … Was a fifth-round draft pick by the Phoenix Cardinals and was in camp by the Los Angeles Rams … Played in the WLAF for San Antonio and Sacramento … Played for two US-based teams in the CFL – Sacramento and Memphis – before being drafted in the dispersal draft by Calgary.

78 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #78 J'evon Bush

                                                                                                         

It's now 78 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #78 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#78  J'evon Bush

Position Defensive Tackle

Height 6-5
Weight 330
Class Redshirt Freshman
Hometown Orlando, Fla.
High School Jones HS

2025 (Freshman): Did not see game action, remaining eligible for a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina: Started his prep career at Oak Ridge High before finishing at Jones High in Orlando … Listed as one of the top defensive tackles in Florida by the Florida Varsity Rivals … Was a two-way lineman on both the offensive and defensive front for part of his prep career … Credited with 93 total tackles as a senior including 16 solo stops and a pair of tackles for loss with a sack … Also had a fumble recovery in the 2024 season..

79 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #79 Vito Moriana-Sigel

                                                                                                         

It's now 79 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #79 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#79  Vito Moriana-Sigel

  
Position Offensive Line
Height 6-5
Weight 315
Class Senior
Hometown Estepona, Spain
College  Mississippi Valley State

High School Kiski School

2025 (Junior): Was a mid-year transfer from Mississippi Valley State after starting his collegiate career at Trinity Valley Community College … Saw action in eight of the team’s 12 games on the season with four starts along the offensive line … Made his WCU debut as a reserve at Wake Forest (Sept. 6) with his first of four-straight starts for the Catamounts coming against Elon (Sept. 13) … Did not record any official statistics, but helped guide a Catamount offense to record numbers in 2025, finishing with a school-record 5,920 total yards, including 4,268 passing yards and 1,652 yards on the ground.

Prior to Western Carolina: Mid-year transfer from Mississippi Valley State after starting his career at Trinity Valley CC … Started 12 games at Mississippi Valley State in the SWAC, helping MVSU rank fourth in the nation for the fewest sacks allowed; At Trinity Valley CC: Graduated from TVCC with honors earning his AA; 

High School: Was a two-way lineman at the Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pa.

80 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #80 Corey Swint

                                                                                                         

It's now 80 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #80 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#80  Corey Swint

Position  Wide Receiver
Height  6-0
Weight  170
Class  Freshman
Hometown  Miami, Fla.
High School  Killian HS

81 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #81 Emanuel Palmer

                                                                                                         

It's now 81 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #81 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#81  Emanuel Palmer

Position Wide Receiver
Height 5-8
Weight 165
Class Freshman
Hometown Collierville, Tenn.
High School Collierville HS

82 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #82 Matthew Keener

                                                                                                         

It's now 82 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #82 on the WCU Preseason Roster:

#82 Matthew Keener

Position Wide Receiver

Height 6-2
Weight 200
Class Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown Pilot Mountain, N.C.
High School East Surry HS

2025 (Redshirt Freshman): Did not see game action, missing the season sidelined by injury.

2024 (Freshman): Did not see game action, remaining eligible for a redshirt ... Named to the 2024-25 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll ... Earned a SoCon Commissioner's Medal.

Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football team as a preferred walk-on … Was an early enrollee, coming to WCU in spring 2024 … Two-year varsity letter winner at East Surry High, coached by Trent Lowman … Caught 46 passes for 723 yards and 13 touchdowns over his final two seasons as a prep – the bulk coming as a senior that saw him catch 42 passes for 72 yards and each of his TDs to earn all-conference honors … Tied a school record with four TD catches in a game against West Wilks HS … Named to the 2023 North Carolina East/West All-Star game … Also competed in basketball and track, while also earning all-conference honors in baseball as a prep, making 10 appearances on the mound with three starts.