McKendree University Athletics

Aaron Whittington joined the McKendree University football coaching staff in the spring of 2016. Whittington serves as a graduate assistant coach and tutors the Bearcats’ defensive line.

In his first season with the Bearcats in 2016, the McKendree defensive line reached new heights. The Bearcats shattered the program record for quarterback sacks in a season with 53. Senior Lucky Baar played a big role in helping set the new record as he posted 17 1/2 sacks in just nine games to lead the way. The final sack of Baar's career enabled him to grab the NCAA Division II career record in sacks at 46 1/2. Baar went on to earn first-team AP Little All-America honors, as well as first-team All-America accolades from the American Football Coaches Association. Baar grabbed Super Region 4 Defensive Player of the Year honors along the way as he collected first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference mention for the third consecutive year.

Junior Darion Simmons had a breakout season as well along the Bearcats' defensive line, posting a career-best 11 1/2 sacks to go along with 15 1/2 tackles for loss. Fellow junior Tobias Cook joined Baar as a first-team All-GLVC honoree thanks to his 13 1/2 tackles for loss and eight sacks. 
 
Whittington joins the McKendree staff after serving for three years as the head varsity coach at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis. In addition to being the Spartans’ offensive coordinator in 2015, Whittington also coached the quarterbacks and linebackers. Under his guidance, Hazelwood East led the Suburban North XII League in scoring offense at 42 points per contest. He led Hazelwood East to a 6-4 record in 2015, including a 4-1 mark and a second-place showing in league play. Whittington guided the Spartans to the district semifinals in the MSHSAA playoffs. A pair of Hazelwood East players earned All-State accolades under Whittington’s watch.
 
In his three seasons at the helm at Hazelwood East, Whittington led the Spartans to 18 victories. The program averaged at least 30 points per game in each of those seasons. The Spartans’ defensive units during that span also ranked at or near the top of the conference as well. In 2014, Hazelwood East led all Suburban North XII teams in scoring defense, allowing just 11.6 points a game.
 
Whittington began his coaching career in 2009 at Hazelwood East as the B team coach and varsity linebackers/defensive line coach. Under his leadership, the Spartans’ B squad won 11 of its 12 contests. Whittington also helped Hazelwood East to a pair of post-season berths in his three-year stay.
 
In between stints at Hazelwood East, Whittington spent the 2012 season as the head varsity coach and linebackers coach at Creekside High School in Georgia. Whittington led the Seminoles to a 7-4 overall record. His squad led the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 9.8 points per contest for the season. The Seminoles’ defense ranked sixth in the state of Georgia among all 4A schools.  
 
Along with his on-field coaching expertise, Whittington worked with Elite Football Academy in St. Louis for nearly three years. During that time, Whittington helped train some of the top collegiate athletes from the St. Louis area, including future NFL players including Montee Ball and Sheldon Richardson, as well as his brothers Bernard and Daryl.
 
Whittington, a native of St. Louis, starred at Hazelwood East as a player earned a scholarship to play football at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was a two-year co-captain for the Bruins. He was a Freshman All-Pac 10 selection at linebacker in 2005 and finished his collegiate career as the only starter in UCLA history to go an entire season without giving up a completion. Along with his accomplishments on the football field, Whittington was named to the 2007 All-Fraternity All-America team as an honorable mention selection.
 
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA in 2008, Whittington moved on to earn a master’s of arts in teaching degree from Missouri Baptist University in 2016.