MARSHALL, Texas—East Texas Baptist University has announced the promotions for the football program under head coach Calvin Ruzicka. Jeb Spinney has been promoted to Offensive Coordinator, and Donald Kinchen is the Run-Game Coordinator and offensive line coach.
 
"Being a part of ETBU the past seven years, I wanted to find an offensive coordinator that was Tiger Football. Someone who knew ETBU, our offensive identity, the desire to develop relationships with the players and staff, and what it meant to be East Texas Tough. Jeb Spinney is that person," Head Football Coach Calvin Ruzicka.
 
Spinney has coached for ETBU as a student coach on offense and defense since 2021. During that time, he learned the nuances of the top defenses and offenses in the American Southwest Conference and how to coach against them. He takes over an offense the led the ASC in four categories in 2024.
 
He will be the youngest offensive coordinator for ETBU since Scotty Walden, who is currently the head coach at UTEP, and the youngest in NCAA Division III.
 
"Over the past four years, Jeb Spinney has shown those qualities to us, and I've witnessed him grow his coaching skills and ability to build relationships among the players and our staff. He has done a great job coaching the running backs and tight ends room over the past two years and played an integral role in our offensive production. His players believe in him and trust him as he has a calling to invest in the lives of young men through football. I am excited for him being our new Offensive Coordinator and the direction of this program, the staff, and our offense is going."
 
Since 2021, four players —linebackers Justice Henson, Joey Johnson, Joey Verret, and running back Paul Woodard—have earned All-ASC awards under him. The 2021 and 2022 defenses combined to force 38 turnovers as he coached the linebackers. In 2023 and 2024, he converted to offense coaching Woodard to an All-ASC award. The 2023 offense averaged over 300 yards per game, and last season scored 37.1 points per game with 456 yards per game. He coached tight ends in 2024, developing Hayden Curry into one of the top tight ends in the ASC, averaging 6.8 yards per catch.
 
Spinney is from Haughton, La., playing for Haughton High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in December 2024 and married former ETBU softball player Allison Damiani in June 2024.
 
Kinchen was promoted to the Run Game Coordinator, helping Spinney with the offense. He enters his second year at ETBU and had four offensive linemen earn All-ASC awards, including first-team honoree Nathan Morris. The 2024 season brought 37.1 points per game as the offense averaged 182 yards per game rushing and 273 passing. Woodard averaged 6.0 yards per carry with rotating backs, while Hymond Drinkard averaged 6.4 yards.
 
"I'm excited for Coach Kinchen to take on added responsibility as our Run Game Coordinator. He has done a terrific job mentoring and developing our offensive line. He is a great recruiter for us finding the right student-athletes that desire to be a part of the Tiger Family," Ruzicka added. 
 
Kinchen is a former offensive lineman who played at Nelson University in Waxahachie, Texas. He coached for three years at the NAIA level after playing one year at Nelson and two years at NCAA Division II Mississippi College. 
 
ETBU went 6-4 in 2024 and led the ASC in yards per game (456), rushing per game (182.3), passing per game (273.7), and offensive efficiency (174.0).