What’s it like to come home?
Just months after helping lead the Philadelphia Eagles to another Super Bowl victory, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, ’84, MS ’86, returned to his alma mater, Southern Connecticut State University, on Monday, April 14.
He was accompanied by his wife, Allison Stoutland, MS ’88, SYC ’91; it was the couple’s first time back on campus in several years.
“Have you ever been away from home for a long time and come back?” Stoutland said in an interview with CT Insider. “It’s a little strange. It’s a little weird, but then it’s fun. It kind of brings it back to when you were young. I’m not young anymore.”
Jeff, a former team captain and standout on Southern’s football team, spent the day reconnecting with the university that helped launch his four-decade coaching career, meeting with Interim President Dwayne Smith, longtime mentor Carolyn Vanacore, and Athletics Director Terrance Jones.
The Stoutlands toured the College of Health and Human Services’ CHAMP Center and reunited with Coach’s former professor, Robert Axtell, professor of exercise science. Afterward, they visited the newly updated football field before heading to the Adanti Student Center theater. There, Coach Stoutland addressed current student-athletes with a clear and motivating message.
“Hopefully, they understand what their purpose is and how they need to go about their daily pursuit of success,” he said. “I was coaching some of the greatest players, Hall of Fame players, that have ever played the game. Yet, they wanted to be coached and treated like everybody else.”
“It’s just surreal,” said Dejavon Morrett, SCSU defensive back, while holding Stoutland’s Eagles’ Super Bowl ring. “I’ve always dreamt of playing for the Eagles or somehow being in the Eagles organization…you’re basically that close to the team.”
Stoutland’s coaching journey includes roles at some of the nation’s most prestigious programs. After two assistant coaching stints at Southern, he went on to serve at Michigan State, Syracuse, Cornell, the University of Miami, and the University of Alabama—where he helped guide the Crimson Tide to two BCS National Championships. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 and has since been a cornerstone of their coaching staff, contributing to two Super Bowl wins.
Allison, a lifelong educator and children’s book author, earned both her master’s degree in reading and sixth-year certificate in supervision and administration from Southern while teaching full-time. She is the founder of Inch by Inch Publications and the author of several inspirational books for young readers.
“When our student-athletes hear from alumni like Coach Stoutland, they see what’s possible,” said Terrance Jones, director of athletics. “That’s what we strive for: to develop individuals who not only succeed but also return to inspire the next generation. We’re proud to be part of their journey, and even prouder that they continue to be part of ours.”
