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For years, South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry has been one of the most interesting stories in HBCU football. After a 5-5 season with Benedict College in 2021, his first season with the program, he turned the Tigers into a perennial Division II superpower.
They won back-to-back SIAC Championships and ranked at the top of Super Region 2 in the NCAA Division II Playoffs for two straight seasons. He then went on to South Carolina State, winning the MEAC Championship and clinching a birth in the Celebration Bowl in his first season.
Coach Berry says there are 44 newcomers to SC State Football, but they were very intentional in choosing those athletes.
Now with all that talent means a battle for spots in fall practice.@coachberry77 | @SCState_Fb | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/HbNhWuPrLu
— Claire Foley (@clairefoleytv) July 29, 2025
Now, ahead of the 2025 football season, Berry tells all about his recruiting philosophy. In a moment captured by WACH sports reporter Claire Foley, Berry spoke candidly about his roster construction.
“At Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, when we went out, we were very intentional about what we recruited, okay? We don't just take guys, we have 44 newcomers in this program, okay? 32 transfers and 12 really, really good freshmen. So we didn't just take guys, we don't just get into portal and just take guys. They have to fit our culture. They gotta fit what we all about.”
He also spoke about the depth on the team and the competition brewing in training camp.
“ There's gonna be a lot of competition in training camp and one of the most exciting things about our football team this year, to be honest, is the depth, I mean. At the end of the day, the cream is gonna rise to the top. And, the competition, this training camp is going to be pretty exciting and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.”
Chennis Berry and his South Carolina State Bulldogs are expected to be the best team in the conference, placing first in the MEAC predicted order of finish. If they were to repeat as MEAC Champions again, it will certainly be because of Berry and his coaching staff's philosophy on roster construction that has yielded major success in his head coaching career.
