The Chief Information Officer has operational, strategic and fiscal responsibility for advancement, implementation, and strategic planning related to technology at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Specifically, the Chief Information Officer is responsible for instructional and research computing for students, staff and faculty at all University of Southern Mississippi campuses; overseeing development and operation of the hardware and software infrastructure necessary to support emerging academic and administrative computing needs; recommending technology-related budget priorities; working closely with the university's executive team to establish institutional technology priorities; managing technology personnel and departments; establishing and convening academic and administrative user groups; and interacting with appropriate statewide technology organizations.

Reporting to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, the Chief Information Officer should offer leadership, vision, and a broad technical knowledge related to media, telephone, computing and other communication needs of the university, working closely with both technology professionals and the academic and administrative advisory groups.

Coffman received a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Southern Mississippi and an Executive Planning, Decision-Making, and Management education from Air Command and Staff College in Maxwell, Alabama, and Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas.  He earned a Master's degree in Organization and Development and Information Systems from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California; a Master's degree in Computer Information Resource Management from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri; and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Information Technology Management at Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Coffman's experience includes appointment, as Dean of Technology, at the American InterContinental University where he was responsible for the instruction and faculty of seven campuses. Coffman served as a Project Manager for a German Consumer Price Goods Software Company, where he implemented an 18-month multimillion-dollar project with Del Monte Foods in San Francisco, California. His experience also includes serving as Chief Technology Officer with Firstdoor.com, an HR Resource Company, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and serving as President and CEO of CyberHawk, a Web Development firm in which the City of Montgomery, Alabama, selected as one of the "Emerging 30" companies for two consecutive years.