CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta State University football program and head coach Todd Cooley have announced the addition of Robert "Boomer" Cunningham to the coaching staff.

Cunningham enters his first season as an assistant coach and will serve as the running backs and tight ends coach for the Statesmen.

Prior to joining the #DSUFamily, Cunningham served as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern Arkansas University. 

While at SAU, Cunningham mentored a talented offensive line unit that helped pave the way for one of the most prolific offenses in the GAC and all of Division II. The leader in the GAC in Total Offense each of his first three years at SAU, Cunningham's offensive line helped the team average over 450.0 yards per game and rank in the Top-25 statistically within DII.
 
On the ground, Cunningham's 2016 offensive line blocked for a running game that rushed for the most yards in a season since 2005 as Southern Arkansas ran for over 2,100 yards. The rushing attack followed that up with over 1,800 yards rushing in 2017.
 
Through the air, the offensive line unit that Cunningham led protected one of the top passing attacks in the GAC in recent history with an SAU signal-caller throwing for over 3,000 yards for the fourth-straight year in 2017. Additionally, the offensive line under Cunningham's direction yielded just six sacks the entire season. That mark was the best in the GAC and second-best in all of DII.
 
Individually, Cunningham coached four All-GAC honorees in Mason Grantz (2018), Colby Geissen (2017), Mark Jenkins (2016), and Chris Paul (2016).
 
Prior to coming to SAU, Cunningham was at LaGrange College where he spent one season as the offensive line coach/run game coordinator. In that year with the Panthers, Cunningham helped shore up an offensive line that allowed 42 sacks the year prior, to just allowing 25 in the 2015 season. Before LaGrange, Cunningham coached at Division I FCS-member, the University of Central Arkansas for six seasons. During his first three seasons, Cunningham served as an assistant offensive line and offensive quality control coach with the Bears.
 
Following the 2011 season, Cunningham remained as an assistant offensive line coach but added responsibilities as the recruiting coordinator and director of football operations. Cunningham would serve in those roles for three seasons from 2012-2014. In his time at UCA, Cunningham helped coach a pair of standout offensive linemen in Cole Caruthers (2014) and Corey Howard (2012).

Caruthers and Howard were All-Southland Conference First-Team selections as well as being named the Offensive Lineman of the Year in the SLC. Both also earned All-America honors from various FCS Football media outlets.
 
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Cunningham began his collegiate playing career at Division II-member Missouri Southern State University. After one season with the Lions, Cunningham transferred to UCA where he played three seasons (two as a starter) along the offensive line. Cunningham also handled deep snapping duties for both the Lions and the Bears.