Jonathan Petty is in his first season as the program’s associate head coach and safeties coach and his second overall with the HCU program, serving as the team’s cornerbacks coach, passing game coordinator and academic liaison in 2023.
In Petty’s first season with the Huskies, HCU set a new school record for wins in a season and recorded two shutout victories. The Huskies’ defense ended the year 35th nationally in red zone defense.
Before joining the HCU staff, Petty spent two seasons as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M-Kingsville. In those two seasons, the defense made major statistical improvements from the 2019 season and finished fifth in scoring defense in 2021. Last season, the Javelinas improved to third in the LSC in scoring defense, allowing just 300 yards of total offense to rank 36th nationally in NCAA Division II. Additionally, TAMUK held opponents to a third down conversion rate of 31% to rank 29th in the nation. Petty was the architect behind a defensive unit that developed and featured First Team AFCA All-American cornerback Amos Coleman in 2022, the program's first in a decade. His defensive unit also featured all-conference safety Isaiah Jacobs and defensive end Ezrah Thibedeaux.
Prior to his time with the Javelinas, he was the secondary coach and director of football operations for three seasons at Hardin-Simmons. In 2017, HSU had a top 15 scoring defense in the nation and, in 2019, HSU posted its best scoring defense in school history at 13.1 points allowed per game.
A San Antonio native, Petty was a standout at Converse Judson High School and went on to play strong safety at Hardin-Simmons. He was a two-time team captain and was a three-time all-conference selection. He is HSU's career record holder with 11 forced fumbles, ranks among the top 15 with 30.5 tackles for loss and the top 20 with 202 career tackles.
Petty earned a bachelor of business administration degree in management for HSU in 2013, then a Master of Education in counseling and human development from the school in 2016.
