Chennis Berry, the head coach of the South Carolina State Bulldogs and the 2025 HBCU Football National Championship winner, has been appointed as an assistant coach for the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl. He will be working with his own HBCU All-American defensive back, Jarod Washington, on one of college football’s most prestigious pre-draft events.

Washington is the only HBCU football player invited to participate in this exclusive all-star contest. Berry shared with HBCU Legends that he will serve as “an offensive assistant coach on the West Team,” focusing primarily on the offensive linemen during the Shrine Bowl week.

Dr. Alvin Parker, the head coach at Virginia Union, will be the HBCU assistant coach for the East team. The 101st East-West Shrine Bowl is set to take place at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, and will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network, showcasing some of the nation’s top NFL-ready prospects.

Berry’s Rise Brings National Spotlight to South Carolina State

As the 2025 HBCU Legends Coach of the Year, Berry has continued to elevate the national profile of South Carolina State. He led the Bulldogs to back-to-back MEAC championships and a thrilling 40–38 quadruple-overtime victory over Prairie View A&M in the 2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl, securing the program’s HBCU national title.

Since taking over as head coach in December 2023, following a successful tenure at Benedict College where he won two HBCU Football Division II national championships, Berry has transformed South Carolina State into one of the most consistent programs in HBCU football.

Over his first two seasons, the Bulldogs have compiled a 19–6 overall record and a perfect 10–0 mark in MEAC play, establishing themselves as a championship standard within the conference.

Berry and his staff will also coach one of the teams at the 2026 Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 21, 2026, where they will face a squad led by Coach Tremaine Jackson.

Jarod Washington: Shutdown Corner With Elite Production

Washington, standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 188 pounds from Fredericksburg, Virginia, anchored a championship secondary and delivered one of the most dominant defensive seasons in the FCS during the 2025 campaign.

He led the subdivision in passes defended per game (1.83) and finished first nationally with 20 pass breakups. Washington totaled 32 tackles (29 solo), two interceptions — including a 51-yard return for a touchdown — and one forced fumble across 12 games.

His performance earned him finalist honors for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) and Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Year, while also being named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and receiving the 2025 Aeneas Williams Award, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

Week 11 vs. Howard: A Defining Performance

Washington’s résumé-defining performance came in Week 11 against Howard, where he was named Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week.

“Jarod is competing hard,” Coach Berry said about his defensive back’s performance during the Shrine Bowl practices. “Proud of him.”

He became the only FCS player in 2025 — and one of the few in recent seasons — to record six passes defended in a single game, a feat he accomplished twice during the year. Against the Bison, Washington recorded:

• 27-yard interception return for a touchdown
• 56-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown
• Multiple pass breakups that disrupted Howard’s passing attack throughout the contest

The performance reinforced Washington’s reputation as a versatile boundary corner capable of impacting games in coverage and on special teams.

Continuing a Bulldog Defensive Back Tradition

Washington follows former South Carolina State All-American Cobie Durant, who played in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl before emerging as a key contributor for the Los Angeles Rams. Durant accounted for five turnovers during the Rams’ playoff run, which ended with a loss to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game.

For Berry, coaching in the Shrine Bowl alongside one of his own players represents both a developmental opportunity and a program-branding win, placing South Carolina State’s defensive philosophy directly in front of NFL coaches and scouts throughout a full week of practices, meetings, and game-day evaluations.

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