@KliffKingsbury #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/TxJpjm4l2n. 2 in scoring offense (43.1) and No. Barry Lunney Jr., the former Arkansas quarterback, tight ends coach and interim head coach, was passed over in the head coaching search that yielded Sam Pittman in 2019. Visit WKU. Prior to his arrival at Appalachian State, Barbayspent the previous three seasons at Central Michigan and was the Chippewas' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021. 45 in the country in total offense and No. Tyler Shough hasnt announced whether he is coming back yet but they also have Donovan Smith, Behren Morton, Maverick McIvor, and Parker McNeil at quarterback. He most likely took this iteration of the play from his time learning under Kingsbury. Zach Kittley is 247Sports' Offensive Coordinator of the Year. For example, within two high zone structures, the defense can cheat the mike over to cover the spot. He earned his masters degree in interdisciplinary studies from the university in 2016. He most likely took this iteration of the play from his time learning under Kingsbury. Kittley, despite being a young coach, already has years of experience under his belt working with and developing NFL-caliber talent as well as running some of the most high-octane offenses in the country on his way to the Hill. Erik Ezukanma could return next year to increase his draft stock. I'm biased clearly, but I don't think there's a more important football player in the whole country than Bailey Zappe is to this football program and this team.". Riley came over from Dykes' staff at SMU and is considered one of college football's up-and-coming offensive gurus. Zappe became the highest-drafted quarterback in Western Kentucky following a record-setting final collegiate season where he snapped the NCAA FBS records for single-season passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62). Sterns, who played at Houston Baptist, leads the nation with an incredible 1,014 yards after the catch, according to Pro Football Focus. CLAY SERVIN, RICE. TCU and first-year coach Sonny Dykes will have to open the checkbook very soon for Garrett Riley considering his success this season on staff with the Horned Frogs. His offense led the nation in passing & was second in total offense. The day I took the job here we had a zoom call with the HBU football team and [coach Shealy] let the guys know that I was taking this opportunity here. Hambys praise of WKU seemed to have a strong effect on Kittley. ?? I was 26 but really felt good about it. I have three boys and I knew pretty early when they grew up that he was going to be my coach, Kittleys father said. Its not just the receivers, its not just the quarterback, the running backs are gonna get theirs too.. I felt he was going to be able to help me advance in my career as well this is a great family environment here at this program, and thats something thats important to me, having a wife and a two-year-old boy.. Led by transfers Brenen Thompson will run track and miss spring practice. #WreckEm https://t.co/S8w9ERrcNu, Strong endorsements on our new OC! The next play-caller will have notable personnel to work with in 2023 and beyond. Familiar staples of the system originally made famous by Hal Mumme and Mike Leach were omnipresent in WKUs offense, particularly a heavy dose of 4 verticals and Y stick (although they preferred the Y stick/slot fade variation). Zach Kittley was introduced as WKUs new offensive coordinator on Dec. 14, 2020 following the end of the regular season. Oklahoma and Texas Tech square off in Lubbock on Nov. 26, OUs last game of the regular season. 1), 2020Scoring offense: 19 ppg (No. Transfer quarterback Adrian Martinez will boost the Wildcats passing attack which ranked No. Kittleys pass heavy offensive philosophy is firmly rooted in the air raid, stemming from his time as a student assistant and GA under Kliff Kingsbury. Most recently, Kittley turned Houston Baptist into one of I think this offense can be successful in this conference, Kittley said. Please. The Chiefs eventually selected Mahomes with the No. Kittley is the son of Wes Kittley, Texas Techs longtime Director of Track and Field who led the Red Raiders to a national title at the 2019 NCAA Mens Outdoor Championships. It was an emotional deal for me. ?? He was a finalist for the prestigious Manning Award and a semifinalist for both the Davey OBrien and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards. Statistically, it's not even close, no one's in the same ballpark as he is. Texas Tech Red Raiders offensive coordinator Zach Kittley has been around the program since he was a small boy. If he bails to cover the corner route, throw to the flat (cover 4 rules): The exception to this would obviously be if the outside linebacker flies out fast enough to adequately cover the flat. Kittley was a late add to Texas Tech's first-year staff under Joey McGuireafter the Red Raiders first went after Sonnie Cumbie. ?? This is Kittleys second stint on the Texas Tech coaching staff as he previously served in various roles under Kliff Kingsbury from 2013-17, rising from a student assistant to graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach his final three seasons. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. He began as a student assistant before moving his way up as an offensive intern and eventually a graduate assistant. Heres a look at seven candidates that could be on Arkansas radar as the next offensive coordinator. Zappe became the highest-drafted quarterback in Western Kentucky following a record-setting final collegiate season where he snapped the NCAA FBS records for single-season passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62). The success of the offense helped Kittley land the offensive coordinator role at Texas Tech under new head coach Joey McGuire. 39 in scoring offense in 2022. My philosophy is, whatever it takes makes us successful. Arkansas was No. The Hilltoppers find themselves near the top of this list after totaling 6,857 yards of total offense, most in the country by a team that played 13 games during the season. University Website. @ZKittley Congrats!! Zappe completed 141 of 215 of his passes for a completion percentage of 65.6%, throwing for 1,833 yards, 15 touchdowns and only one interception. Kittley helped lead the Hilltoppers to an 8-5 season and a birth in the C-USA Championship behind a strong offense. LUBBOCK, Texas Zach Kittley, the architect behind one of the nation's top offenses this season at Western Kentucky, has been named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech, head coach Joey McGuire announced Monday evening. There is where the real learning happened. Despite entering the contest as 40-point underdogs, the Huskies kept the game close and almost pulled out the win. Shough is experienced and has a cannon of an arm that could really show in Zach Kittleys offense. The quarterbacks progression was simply corner, shoot, spot. @PatrickMahomes LUBBOCK, Texas Zach Kittley, the architect behind one of the nations top offenses this season at Western Kentucky, has been named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech, head coach Joey McGuire announced Monday evening. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The mind-boggling numbers are impressive on their own, but compared to last season they're seemingly impossible to comprehend -- and it's a testament to head coach Tyson Helton, who saw the need to take a chance by hiring a then-29-year-old offensive coordinator with a creative approach. West Virginia will look like a much different team on offense next season. Through the air, the Chippewas averaged 265.4 passing yards a game. Zach left Texas Tech in 2018 to join Houston Baptist as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Tops rank No. WKU is doing it all behind a pass-heavy offense that is throwing the ball over 68 percent of the time. The Hilltoppers closed the 2021 campaign as the FBS leader in passing yards per game (433.7) and first downs (384) and ranked second for both scoring offense and total offense and then 13th in red zone offense after scoring in 90.9 percent of their appearances inside the 20. Our kids came to play, I think it really opened a lot of eyes across the country [to say] wow, these guys are legit and can really get it done.. First reported by @AaronDickens. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Zach Kittley offense spreads the ball, and the offense, around to the point that it is hard for a tight end to collect all-conference numbers. Behind the arm of Zappe, Kittley transformed the Western Kentucky into one of the nations most explosive offenses, averaging an impressive 44.2 points per game and 535.3 yards of total offense. If you include the new strength and conditioning coach, Ben Sowders, then its been a really good offseason for Pittman as far as staff turnover goes. I knew the regiment at football would either make him or break him., Sonny was gracious to take him on and Zach went to work and impressed him and the staff, Kittley continued. The 2021 Big 12 champions lost leading rushers Trestan Ebner and Abram Smith along with top wide receiver Tyquan Thornton to the draft but return four starters from their excellent offensive line. Oklahoma State lost a majority of its elite defense but Sanders and Gundy should have the offense in good shape. That was a telltale time I knew he was destined to be a coach.. Wes Kittley explained that his son had a deep understanding of the game of football from an early age, showing his ability to run an offense and help others comprehend different kinds of schemes and plays all the way back in high school. zach kittley offense playbook The Red Raiders also made a big move by hiring Zach Kittley as offensive coordinator (well get to that) and is rumored to be considering hiring Ewers high school coach. The Hilltoppers averaged 527.5 yards per game (second-best) and 7.07 yards per play (third-best). One downside is that he hasnt been anything less than a head coach since 2008, so getting him to slide back into a coordinator role might be a tough sell. Stephen Hamby returns home to coach the unit after making WKU one of the better offensive lines in all of college football. The Jayhawks also return their leading rusher Devin Neal who had over 700 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman. Kittley was an offensive interim for the Red Raiders in 2013 and 2014 before moving up to become the assistant quarterbacks coach from 2015-2017. Zach Kittley, the architect behind one of the nations top offenses this past two years at both Houston Baptist at Western Kentucky, enters his first season on the Texas Tech staff as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. When coach Helton reached out to me to gauge my interest, coming here to lead this offense, I had already known how great it was hearing from coach Hamby, Kittley said. Kittley helped coach Super Bowl Champion and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes for three years at Texas Tech. By The offense averaged a whopping 33.8 points per game. WebZach Kittley, the architect behind one of the nations top offenses this past two years at both Houston Baptist at Western Kentucky, enters his first season on the were also second nationally in total offense and scoring offense in 2015. After the Birmingham bowl, literally sitting on the bus, wrapping my head around, A, the last second loss we had, but B, what am I going to do. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Please check your email for a confirmation. Turner has built quite a resume of tight ends that have gone on to be successful in the NFL and is also regarded as a great recruiter. But the Red Raiders talent wasnt just confined to the coaching staff. Now that Kittley had proven himself as the leader of an offense, it was time to make the jump to the FBS level. #WreckEm https://t.co/S8w9ERrcNu, Strong endorsements on our new OC! But getting on the phone and doing some zoom calls with coach Helton over a couple week period, he was just a guy that I really felt a connection with. WebZach Kittley was named HBUs offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Jan. 10, 2018. In this case, the under coverage gets distorted as the flat defender expands with the pre-snap motion and jumps the swing, allowing the spot to settle in the open void between the flat and hook defenders: The same play with the same result against Old Dominion: Hitting the spot route in the red zone out of a compressed set, shared by @_MoveTheChains_: WKU running snag in the red zone for a score pic.twitter.com/q9je5HN4HN. While there are some questions regarding fit Kittley comes from an Air Raid, pass-heavy background this is the kind of hire that would be most intriguing. The pandemic-shortened 2020 season, however, was when Kittleys high-octane air raid offense began to draw national attention. Zappe, who Western Kentucky football announced Monday it has hired Zach Kittley as the Hilltoppers' new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His father, Texas Tech track & field head coach Wes Kittley, served as Zachs first window into the world of coaching collegiate athletics. 2019 showed signs of improvement as the Huskies put together a 5-7 record with a pair of wins over Southland Conference opponents. Zappe actually broke the previous FBS record set by Texas Techs own B.J. I personally got to recruit those three so I developed a relationship with them and their families, and I just felt that the relationship that we had was something that was very important in their decision making.. The Mountaineers do have many question marks personnel-wise, but Harrells offense will be exciting nonetheless. Maybe Ruggiero is looking to do the same. Zappe is 342-of-483 (70.8%) for 4,170 passing yards, with 42 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions. 90 in scoring offense and No. The move was first reported by @AaronDickens. I had a quality control position available for me there at Texas Tech to stay if I wanted to but it was tugging at my heart that maybe I needed to move on., I was sitting on the airplane at this point after the bowl game, I checked my email and I had an email from the head football coach at HBU just reaching out for interest in possibly becoming the offensive coordinator, Kittley continued. Have confirmed that Zach Kittley has agreed to return to Texas Tech as offensive coordinator. Zappe completed 69.2% of his passes for 5,545 yards with 56 touchdowns and 11 interceptions before the bowl game. Bailey Zappe left. 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