Rocco adds former Virginia Tech grad assistant AJ Hampton to VMI football staff

VMI football Danny Rocco announced on Friday the addition of AJ Hampton as wide receivers coach.

Hampton, a Roanoke native and Lord Botetourt High School alum, most recently served as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach for the Hokies.

Prior to Virginia Tech, Hampton’s stops included West Virginia State, Midwestern State, Florida State and his alma mater, Emory & Henry, where he got his coaching start as an offensive quality control assistant in 2017.

Hampton’s playing career began at Mount Union, where he was a member of a Purple Raiders’ squad that went to back-to-back D3 national championship games. Transferring to Emory & Henry, Hampton would be a two-year starter for the Wasps, leading the ODAC in yards per catch (19.2) and yards per game (92.2), catching a career-high 25 catches for 476 yards and five touchdowns as a senior.

Double majoring in sports management and business, Hampton made the dean’s list four times and was a four-time academic all-conference honoree before graduating in 2018 and going on to have a short stint in the Arena League with the Carolina Energy.