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Camp Staff

Orlando Mitjans, Head Coach

Twitter: @omjr17

Orlando Mitjans Jr. was hired as Thomas University's first-ever Football Head Coach on January 25, 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience. In addition to head coaching responsibilities, Mitjans also serves as the defensive backs coach.

Mitjans comes to TU from The Citadel where he served as the secondary coach for six years. Under the Brooklyn, N.Y. native, the Bulldog corners registered 17 pass break-ups and a pair of interceptions. One of the top proteges under Mitjans was cornerback Dee Delaney, who went on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. During his All-American season in 2016, Delaney recorded six interceptions and added eight pass break-ups. The six interceptions were 10th nationally and the third-most in Citadel history. He twice picked off two passes in a game, including interceptions on back-to-back plays in the second round of the FCS playoffs. In 2016, the Bulldogs ranked seventh in FCS in pass defense and eighth in total defense, improving by more than 50 yards from the previous season.

Coach Mitjans also has completed the NCAA Expert Coaching Academy and participated in NFL internships with the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams and the New York Jets . In 2016, the Bulldogs ranked seventh in FCS in pass defense and eighth in total defense, improving by more than 50 yards from the previous season.

Prior to The Citadel, Mitjans spent two years at Army West Point. During his first season at Army, Mitjans tutored a unit that collected seven interceptions. He coached Josh Jenkins, who was selected to three postseason all-star teams following a tremendous sophomore season that included a team-best four interceptions and eight pass breakups.

Prior to arriving at West Point, Mitjans spent four seasons coaching the cornerbacks at Georgia Southern. While he was in Statesboro, the Eagles advanced to three straight NCAA FCS Playoff semifinals. In 2010, Mitjans helped the Eagles rank second in the SoCon and 11th in FCS in pass defense by allowing an average of 159.9 yards per game through the air. He helped mold Laron Scott into a two-time All-American and two-time All-Southern Conference selection. Scott was a free agent signee of the New Orleans Saints. Mitjans also helped Lavelle Westbrook to second-team all-conference honors and an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

Mitjans’ time in Statesboro was preceded by his second of two stints at Tennessee State. The Tigers had one of the best defenses in the Ohio Valley Conference, anchored by cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who went on to be the 16th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Before Tennessee State, Mitjans spent two seasons as the secondary coach at Eastern Kentucky where he helped produce five all-conference players and one All-American. The secondary in 2007 intercepted 24 passes and had the top defense in the conference. The group featured three all-conference picks, including OVC Defensive Player of the Year and All-America Derrick Huff. Additionally, Antwaun Molden played in the Senior Bowl before spending time with the Houston Texans, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Prior to EKU, Mitjans spent five years coaching at Towson, serving as the defensive coordinator in 2004 after coaching the secondary from 2001-03 and the running backs in 2000. The Tigers led the league with 21 interceptions in 2003, returning four for touchdowns.

He also served as the secondary coach at Kent State in 1995 and C.W. Post in 1996 before moving to Morgan State in 1997. After the Bears defense forced 28 takeovers in 1998, Mitjans was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1999.

Mitjans began his coaching career as a student assistant at Northeastern. He also coached the secondary at Cheyney University from 1992-94.

Mitjans has worked with three teams through the NFL’s minority internship program. His first opportunity was with the New York Jets in 1994. He worked with the St. Louis Rams in 1999 and 2000 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001. In 2006, he was one of 20 coaches across the country selected to attend the NCAA Expert Coaching Academy to prepare individuals for head coaching roles.

Mitjans began his collegiate career playing safety at Arkansas for head coach Lou Holtz and position coach Pete Carroll from 1978-80 before transferring to Northeastern and playing two seasons for the Huskies. He earned his bachelor’s degree in leadership from Northeastern in 1982.

Mitjans is married to the former Claire Simmons, and resides in Thomasville, Ga..

Al "Buzz" Preston, Offensive Coordinator

Twitter: @CoachBuzzPres

Al "Buzz" Preston serves as the Offensive Coordinator for Thomas University's football team. Preston brings a wealth of experience having coached 37 years, all at the NCAA Division I level.

Preston arrives to the Rose City after spending 14 seasons as the Wide Receivers coach at Georgia Tech. With the Yellow Jackets, Preston played a large role in GT being named college football’s “Best Wide Receiver Factory” by ESPN, as he has developed six NFL wideouts on The Flats — Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos), Stephen Hill (New York Jets, Carolina Panthers), DeAndre Smelter (San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars), Darren Waller (Baltimore Ravens), Kevin Cone (Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns) and Ricky Jeune (Los Angeles Rams). Four of the six (Thomas, Hill, Smelter and Waller) were selected in the NFL Draft, headlined by Thomas, who was picked by the Denver Broncos in the first round (22nd overall) in 2010 and has amassed 629 receptions for 8,653 yards and 57 touchdowns in eight pro seasons. Thomas, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos in 2016.

Under Preston’s tutelage at Tech, Thomas caught 46 passes for 1,154 yards, good for a remarkable 25.1 yards per reception, and was named first-team all-ACC as a junior in 2009. Hill collected more than 1,200 career receiving yards to go with nine touchdown receptions at Georgia Tech and led the nation in yards per reception (29.3) as a junior in 2011. He was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Jets. Preston also mentored both Smelter and Waller who were selected in the fourth and sixth rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft, respectively. Under Preston’s watch, Smelter became the 21st 1,000-yard receiver in school history in 2014, opposite of Waller, who also had a breakout year as a senior in ‘14 (17.0 yards per catch, six touchdowns). Most recently, Jeune caught 74 passes for 1,492 yards and 11 touchdowns under Preston’s tutelage from 2015-17. Jeune’s 21.8 yards per reception as a senior in 2017 led the ACC and ranked seventh nationally.

Prior to GT, Preston spent the 2007 season at New Mexico, helping lead the Lobos to their first bowl win in 45 years and coaching first-team all-Mountain West running back Rodney Ferguson (1,177 yards 13 TDs).

Before New Mexico, Preston completed his second stint at Stanford after spending three seasons as running backs coach at Notre Dame (2002-04), coaching two 1,000-yard rushers (All-American Julius Jones and Ryan Grant). In his first stint with the Cardinal, Preston assisted in the team's 1999 Pac-10 championship and 2000 Rose Bowl.

Previous to Stanford, Preston served different roles at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 1998 after spending 1994-97 as Washington State's running backs coach, leading the Cougars to one of the best seasons in program history when it went 10-2, won the Pac-10 title and earned its first Rose Bowl berth in 67 years in 1997. One of Preston’s pupils, Mike Black, ran for 1,157 yards and earned all-conference recognition that season.

Before WSU, Preston coached the defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Hawai'i, from 1987-1993. Preston’s seven-year stint included the first Western Athletic Conference championship (1992), the first bowl appearance (1989 Aloha Bowl vs. Michigan State) and the first bowl win (1992 Holiday Bowl vs. Illinois) in program history.

Previous to his return to Hawai'i, Preston produced nine all-conference honorees in three seasons at his first full-time job, coaching wide receivers and defensive backs at Southern Illinois (1984-86).

Prior to becoming a full-time coach, Preston was a graduate assistant at Hawai`i in 1980 and 1981, a part-time coach at UH in 1982 and a graduate assistant at Washington in 1983. During his career, Preston has also served as a guest coach for the Toronto Argonauts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.

A native of Los Angeles, Preston received a bachelor’s degree in speech from Hawai`i in 1982, where he was a two-year letterwinner (1978-79) for the Rainbows football team. He graduated from Banning High School in Los Angeles in 1975.

Preston and his wife, Audrey, have three children: Amber, Evan and Quinn. They also have a son-in-law Will Brown and a grandson, Joseph Roman (J.R.) Kanoa Brown.