Charleston Southern University Athletics

David Padilla, a native of Oxnard, California, begins his 16th season with the Buccaneers in 2024.

Coach Padilla also starts his sixth season as Assistant Athletic Director of Football Operations for the Buccaneers.  His responsibilities include serving as Chief of Staff for Football Operations and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the football program. These duties include coordinating all team travel, serves as the in-house recruiting coordinator, coordinating all official visits of recruit prospects which includes transcript evaluation, official visit approval forms, lodging, food, and student host. He also assists the head coach with budget management, coordinating all summer camps and coach’s clinics, pre-season training camp, and supervises all student assistants and managers, as well as any other duties assigned by the head football coach. 

Padilla also serves as the liaison to intra-departmental offices, including but not limited to, Director of Athletics, athletics business office, compliance, sports information, athletics training, strength and conditioning, facilities operations, marketing and Buc Club. He is also the inter-departmental liaison for food services, student success, counseling office, campus ministries, and physical plant, as well as ensuring that all assigned tasks are in compliance with all University, Big South Conference, and NCAA rules.

Coach Padilla also serves as the campus director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and functions as athletic department chaplain under the direction of the campus minister.  He is an avid baseball fan and is currently the Voice of Buccaneer Baseball, working the PA for all Buccaneer home baseball games. He is the founder of the Iron Sharpens Iron Leadership Academy which is a program designed to assist young men and women in their pursuit of acceptance into of the United States Service Academies.  As a result of the success of this program and the character and integrity of its alumni, Coach Padilla was recognized by the West Point community as one who supports the mission, goals, and ideals of the United States Military Academy.  In 2009 he was the recipient of the prestigious Friends of West Point Award and granted membership into the West Point Association of Graduates.

He earned an associate’s degree in Global Studies with an emphasis on foreign policy and diplomacy from Ventura College in 2009.  He is a 2011 graduate of Charleston Southern University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in American History with a minor in Christian Leadership. He earned his Master’s degree in Military History from Norwich University in February 2014.

During his six-year coaching career, Padilla oversaw continued success working with the specialists in the 2019 season as the Buccaneers posted a Big South-high three First Team All-Conference selections, while adding the Special Teams Player of the Year (Alex Usry). The Bucs earned five Player of the Week recognitions, while long snapper Ethan Ray was named the STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance against Gardner-Webb on November 2.

Among the records set by the Bucs include the second-most team field goals in Big South history, the individual most punts over 50-yards, and the CSU records for longest field goal (52 yards), field goals made (20), punting average (42.8), and total points scored (82).

2018 was another banner year for the Charleston Southern special teams unit paced by the strong legs of placekicker Tyler Tekac and punter Kyle Reighard. Reighard and long snapper Ethan Ray both earned All-Conference recognition, while Tekac finished second all-time in CSU history with 211 career points. Tekac finished his career as CSU’s all-time leader in made field goals (31). Reighard paced another strong unit that finished 29th in FCS in net punting (37.21).

2017 saw the Bucs special teams continue to earn national recognition led by sophomore First Team All-Conference punter Kyle Reighard pacing a unit that finished sixth in the FCS in net puting at 39.09 yards per attempt. Junior placekicker Tyler Tekac was instrumental in a pair of key Big South wins in 2017 with a game-winning 43-yard field goal in the final second at Gardner-Webb, as well as the game-winning 42-yard field goal in the season finale at Liberty. Ethan Ray took over long snapping duties and provided a steady hand for a unit that did not botch a snap all season, while David Kennedy was among the Big South kickoff leaders as well as serving as the team’s holder.

In 2016, Padilla was part of a CSU staff that steered the Bucs to a second straight Big South championship and FCS playoff berth. Truett Burns rounded out his career as a four-year starter at punter, and long snapper Joseph Smith again earned all-conference honors. David Kennedy also gave the Bucs’ a reliable leg handling kickoffs.

Padilla helped CSU capture an outright Big South Conference title and FCS Playoff bid for the first time ever in 2015. Burns continued to execute his role as CSU’s punter, and Tyler Tekac emerged to solidify the Bucs’ kicking game. Smith, meanwhile, earned second team All-American honors from STATS FCS. 

In his previous five seasons with the Buccaneers he spent time assisting with the defensive line and in 2012 was the Bucs’ tight ends coach.  Prior to coming to Charleston Southern, Coach Padilla spent two seasons with the Ventura College Pirates (CA), where in 2007 they won the Western State Conference championship.  Padilla started coaching football in 1995 at Adolfo Camarillo High School (CA) and in 2001 moved to Thousand Oaks High School (CA).