UCF WR Coaching Candidate Hotboard

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Dameyune Craig​

Parts unknown (unemployed)​

The former Texas A&M receivers coach is on the wish list for a lot of fans after not being retained by new Aggies coach Mike Elko. Craig is an elite recruiter and has been around the SEC landscape as a coach for over a decade. The previous six seasons he has led an impressive group of wide receivers with the Aggies including 3-star Ainias Smith (2019), 4-star Demond Demas (2021), 5-star Evan Stewart (2022) and 4-star Chris Marshall (2022). He also earned the commitment of Cam Coleman for the 2024 cycle who decommitted following the termination of coach Jimbo Fisher.

Kodi Burns​

New Orleans Saints​

The Fort Smith,Ark., native played his college ball at Auburn and was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks as a senior at Northside High School. Burns is in his second season with the Saints, which keeps him from having to worry about recruiting and the day-to-day duties of a college assistant. Luring an NFL assistant away for a potential homecoming with Gus will be a tall task. His receivers currently average 10.4 yards per catch which is in the bottom 10 among NFL franchises. They also rank in the bottom half in explosiveness with only 45 receptions exceeding 20 yards or more.

Craig Stutzmann​

Texas State​

One of the top offensive minds, Stutzmann’s group of receivers made their mark in the up-tempo, high-scoring Texas State offense in 2023. The Bobcats, who ranked 28th in the country in passing offense, featured 3 different receivers with 55 or more catches. Texas State also broke the program’s overall record for passing yards in a season. He was also one of six finalists for FootballScoop’s National Wide Receivers Coach of the Year. He also helped Hobert get named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list. A Hawaiian, Stutzmann coached Marcus Mariota in high school and makes $150k per year.

Ike Hilliard​

Parts unknown (unemployed)​

Former SEC great and 12-year National Football League veteran served as interim co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Auburn after the dismissal of Bryan Harsin. An All-American at Florida in 1996, Hilliard spent the previous 11 seasons coaching in the NFL, most recently as wide receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hilliard brought a degree of professionalism to the staff at Auburn and was a tireless recruiter.

Bobby Bentley​

Battle Ground Academy (TN) HS​

On Monday, Bentley was named head coach at BGA in Franklin, TN. The 2023 UCF analyst, who won four straight South Carolina high school state titles at James F. Byrnes from 2002-05, was named coach after a nationwide search. Bentley, 55, takes over a program that went 5-6 in 2023 with a TSSAA Division II-AA first-round playoff loss to Lausanne. That came a season after going 1-9.

Jeff Scott​

Parts unknown (unemployed)​

Before compiling a lowly 4-26 head coaching record over a three-year span at cow u, Jeff Scott served as one of the ACC’s most established wide receiver mentors for 12 seasons at Clemson. Scott mentored several Pro-Bowl caliber NFL pass catchers, including the likes of Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Hunter Renfrow, Tee Higgins, and Mike Williams.

I am tried of writing...

Gus is hiring Georgia Tech's Josh Crawford, who coached UCF backup Xavier Williams as Assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator at Colquitt County HS in 2020.

​

Josh Crawford

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

ramblinwreck.com

If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em. Dude makes only $250k.

I was going to write about more candidates. I just got wore out. The amount of difference Crawford made in one season at Georgia Tech is immeasurable. He is an obvious choice. I am certain Will Healy got Gus in contact with Crawford (Healy knew Crawford from recruiting), and Gus interviewed him at the coaching convention.

Other candidates included former Oregon WR coach Scott Frost, West Virginia WR coach Bilal Marshall, Boston College WR coach Darrell Wyatt, and former UCF quarterback MaKenzie Milton.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Why are so many former QBs listed as WR coach? Most of them can’t run routes perfectly. I’d rather have a former Receiver from NFL that can actually teach the position.

 

[rainman614]

I highly doubt Frost would come back to UCF. If he did come back, it wouldn't be as a positions coach. I could see him coming back as a OC with the potential to be the HC again, but not as a positions coach. I could see him coming back if Gus was struggling or ready to retire and we were looking at a coach in waiting. Not that he couldn't do the job, just the blow to your ego. From being the man on top to a cog in the wheel. GOL and Frost are the reason UCF is on the map. GOL because he built the infrastructure for the program from the bottom up (stadium, practice field, facilities, grades, etc.) and Frost because he was able to install a winning mentality on the team. As a fan, I feel that Frost would be welcome back with open arms only because if he found success, I don't think he would go anywhere. He's said in several interviews he was happiest coaching when he was at UCF because he could find talent everywhere, he could recruit on a Friday and go to sleep in his own bed.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Why are so many former QBs listed as WR coach? Most of them can’t run routes perfectly. I’d rather have a former Receiver from NFL that can actually teach the position.

Ike Hillard should have been hired instead of Darrell Wyatt being retained in 2021.

Josh Crawford's career is trekking like former UCF coach Troy Walters' https://twitter.com/bengals_fandom

Crawford is destined to be an NFL wide receivers coach.

"Now, looking through these stats, I don’t want to focus on yards or touchdowns or any of that. I want to look at two things:

1. Improving catch rates. ... Crawford produced five receivers with more than 20 targets that eclipsed that number, with the top four in targets all in the 70s. In his second season, the catch rate took a huge jump with most of his receivers in the 80s and 90s.
2. EPA/Play. ...In his final season, he had one receiver with an EPA/play of 0.96.'

Georgia Tech Football: Coaching Profiles - WR Coach Josh Crawford

Let’s talk about one of Georgia Tech’s most intriguing hires.

www.fromtherumbleseat.com

"His high school pupils at wideout are highlighted by Darius Slayton, a high school all-American at Greater Atlanta Christian who went on to play at Auburn and is currently in his fourth season with the National Football League’s New York Giants."

Josh Crawford is giving early signs of being the right hire for Georgia Tech - Sports Illustrated Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets News, Analysis and More

Crawford has helped reshape the future of the Yellow Jackets wide receivers

www.si.com

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Kodi Burns

New Orleans Saints​

The Fort Smith,Ark., native played his college ball at Auburn and was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks as a senior at Northside High School. Burns is in his second season with the Saints, which keeps him from having to worry about recruiting and the day-to-day duties of a college assistant. Luring an NFL assistant away for a potential homecoming with Gus will be a tall task. His receivers currently average 10.4 yards per catch which is in the bottom 10 among NFL franchises. They also rank in the bottom half in explosiveness with only 45 receptions exceeding 20 yards or more.

Burns just fired at New Orleans. Tons of love coming his way from independent sources.

 

[PhDee]

I highly doubt Frost would come back to UCF. If he did come back, it wouldn't be as a positions coach. I could see him coming back as a OC with the potential to be the HC again, but not as a positions coach. I could see him coming back if Gus was struggling or ready to retire and we were looking at a coach in waiting. Not that he couldn't do the job, just the blow to your ego. From being the man on top to a cog in the wheel. GOL and Frost are the reason UCF is on the map. GOL because he built the infrastructure for the program from the bottom up (stadium, practice field, facilities, grades, etc.) and Frost because he was able to install a winning mentality on the team. As a fan, I feel that Frost would be welcome back with open arms only because if he found success, I don't think he would go anywhere. He's said in several interviews he was happiest coaching when he was at UCF because he could find talent everywhere, he could recruit on a Friday and go to sleep in his own bed.

Frost has to go down the Lane Kiffin path. Turn a mid G5 program into a conference champ to get back to HC status

 

[knight_01]

With Saban gone the coaching career rehabilitation center is now closed.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Another candidate to track ...


Kelvin Bolden
Ole Miss
Bolden, the current coordinator of recruiting strategy at Ole Miss, played wide receiver at Southern Miss and was a wide receiver assistant coach under Gus Malzahn at UCF before taking the job with Kiffin in 2022. As a player at Southern Miss, Bolden hauled in 1,393 receiving yards with 14 total touchdowns in two years. Kelvin brings years of playing and coaching experience to the table.

Kelvin Bolden

Kelvin Bolden

ucfknights.com