January 8, 2026

Almond promotes Fleming to offensive coordinator

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman head football coach Tyler Almond has pushed down the first domino in constructing his staff in promoting Tanner Fleming to be his offensive coordinator.

Fleming coached QBs and B-Backs last season for C-N after mentoring the offensive line in 2024. He will continue to work with C-N's quarterbacks in 2026.

"I am extremely excited to promote Tanner Fleming to the role of offensive coordinator," Almond said. "For the last two years, Tanner has been a big part of our offensive success. He played in this style of offense at an extremely high level and has a great rapport with the players. While we promote Tanner. I appreciate Chuck Petersen's wisdom and am grateful that he will continue to provide assistance."

With Fleming moving to OC, Petersen shifts gears and will exclusively mentor C-N's receivers.

Fleming said that C-N will maintain its triple option identity that has been a part of the fabric of the program dating back to the days of Ken Sparks and Dal Shealy.

"I played for Ashley Ingram at Navy, I'm from the same branch of the tree that he's from," Fleming said. "It's not going to look a whole lot different from what we have been doing the last two years. Coach Almond said it in his press conference, he's not Ashley Ingram. I am also not Ashley Ingram. We will have our own flavor on the offense. Where we ended last year is what we will look to be moving forward. We're in a good spot for that and that means triple option football remains at Carson-Newman."

Fleming helped develop C-N QBs Zane Whitson and Teddy Gleaton last year. The duo combined to rush for 974 yards and 13 touchdowns. Furthermore, C-N QBs averaged 5.9 yards per carry averaging 2.8 yards a carry in 2024. The duo was a combined 53-for-100 through the air for 961 yards and 12 scores.

In 2024, Fleming oversaw the development of Turk Daniels into a fierce offensive lineman. Daniels became the first offensive lineman in league history to earn the SAC's Offensive Freshman of the Year award. He coached Daniels and Christian Jones to all-league honors. Fleming's offensive line cleared the way for the Eagles' to rush for a SAC best 265.8 yards per game, a figure that also ranked fourth nationally. The Eagles opened holes for Jayden Sullins to rush for more than 1,000 yards and All-America honors.

Fleming's previous coaching stops include last year at the Naval Academy Prep School where he was the program's offensive coordinator. He spent his first three years out of the Marine Corps coaching at Richlands High School in North Carolina, where he was the offensive coordinator, and Cocoa Beach High School in his native Florida, where he was the offensive line coach.

Before moving into the Marine Corps, he spent a year as a graduate assistant coach for the Naval Academy working with the Mids' defensive line.

As a player for the Naval Academy, Fleming started 35 games in his final three years with the program.

In 2012, he was an integral part of Navy's offensive unit that finished the year ranked No. 1 nationally in turnovers lost (10), No. 2 in rushing offense (325.4), No. 3 in tackles for loss allowed (3.62), No. 6 in passing yards per completion (15.09), No. 6 in third down conversion (51.1) and 11th in fourth down conversions (67.9). Navy rushed for 366 yards on 67 attempts against Middle Tennessee in the Bell Helicopter Armed Force Bowl, marking the sixth straight game the Mids topped the 300-yard rushing milestone – the first time Navy had pulled that off since 2007.

He was the starting center for Navy QB and future sixth round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens Keenan Reynolds. He helped block for Reynolds to set numerous records. Renyolds broke the NCAA Division I record for most career total touchdowns with 88 and most rushing yards by a quarterback with 4,559. Fleming started 12 of the 13 games Navy played in 2013 when Reynolds scored 31 rushing touchdowns, which are the most by a quarterback in NCAA history for a season and the most by a Navy player (any position) in school history. He helped pave the way for Renyolds to become just the fourth player in NCAA history to rush for 30 or more touchdowns in a season and just the seventh player in NCAA history to score 30 or more touchdowns in a season. Reynolds 1,346 rushing yards in 2013 were the 14th most by a quarterback in NCAA history and rank third at Navy for a season.

In his time as Navy's starting center, the Mids won two Commander-In-Chief's Trophies and two bowl games, while wracking up a 25-14 record that included a 3-0 record against Army and four wins against Power Five teams.

Fleming, famously, was a 63 overall in EA Sports NCAA Football 2014.