Abilene Christian University Men's Football

Collums fifth season as the 19th head football coach in ACU history. In four previous seasons as the head coach, Collums is 22-23 overall and 7-10 in the Southland Conference. He has led ACU through the first three years of transition to the NCAA Division I level with 2016 set to be ACU's final year before it eligible to win the conference championship and compete for an FCS playoff bid in 2017. Last season, the Wildcats had the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year in cornerback Jabari Butler and the Student-Athlete of the Year in middle linebacker Sam Denmark. The junior middle linebacker from Las Cruces, N.M., led FCS football in solo tackles (90) and was fourth in both total tackles (138) and tackles per game (12.5). In 2014 ACUs first season as a full member of the Southland at the NCAA Division I FCS level Collums led ACU to a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 conference mark. ACU finished tied for fifth in the league after a season-ending 37-35 road win over 24th-ranked Stephen F. Austin. Collums coached sophomore quarterback Parker McKenzie to a spectacular season in his first year as the starter. McKenzie threw for 3,084 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning honorable mention all-conference honors and becoming the fourth ACU quarterback under Collums tutelage to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season. The Wildcats were again one of the best teams in the conference and in the nation in turnover ratio as ACU was plus-9 in the category (16 turnovers and 25 takeaways). The Wildcats were among conference leaders in points per game (32.7), yards per game (438.0), passing yards per game (275.3) and rushing yards per game (162.7). ACU appeared on national television in its season-opener, dropping a 38-37 decision to Georgia State in the Georgia Dome that was broadcast on ESPNU. Two weeks later, the Wildcats went on the road to Troy, Ala., and knocked off the Troy Trojans, 38-35, recording their first win over an NCAA Division I FBS program since a win over UTEP in 1959. Under Collums direction, the Wildcats went on to beat Southland Conference foes Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist before a big neutral-site win over Central Arkansas in Plano. The Wildcats played the game without McKenzie (out with a concussion), but turned the game over to backup Kade Munden, who ran for 100 yards and threw three touchdowns in a 52-35 win over the Bears. The Wildcats ended the season two weeks later with McKenzie throwing for 267 yards and one score and redshirt freshman running back DeAndre Brown a second team all-conference selection rushing for a Southland season-best 256 yards and three scores in a win over the playoff-bound Lumberjacks. In his first season as the head coach (2012), he led the Wildcats to a 7-4 record in their final season as a member of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference. In 2013 ACUs first season at the NCAA Division I FCS level Collums offense was one of the nations most prolific. While he gave up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Nathan Young in 2013, Collums still had an impact on the design and implementation of game plans and play calls each week. ACUs 501 points scored were the fourth-most in a season in program history behind 2007 (639 points), 2008 (628) and 2010 (520). The Wildcats 84 points scored against Concordia (Ala.) in the season-opener are the second-most points scored in a game in program history behind the 93 scored on Nov. 22, 2008, in ACUs 93-68 NCAA Division II playoff win over West Texas A&M. The Wildcats scored at least 60 points in four games during the season, hit the 50-point mark in one other game and the 40-point mark in another. The Wildcats posted a plus-17 turnover margin, one of the top marks in all of NCAA Division I football. And for the fifth time since 2007, the Wildcats posted at least 5,300 yards of total offense as ACU finished with 5,359 total yards for an average of 487.2 yards per game. As the quarterbacks coach, Collums continued to display his mastery over the position as he led senior starter John David Baker to one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in ACU history. Baker finished his only season as the Wildcats starter with 3,376 passing yards in 2013, fourth-best single-season total in school history. His 247 completions are the fourth-most in a season, and his 369 attempts are tied for the 10th-most in a season. His 35 touchdowns are the fourth-most in a season in ACU history, and his 35-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the second-best behind the 38:3 ratio posted by Mitchell Gale in 2010. Collums the D2 Coordinator of the Year in 2010 served as the offensive coordinator at ACU from 2005-11, directing some of the most exciting and dominant offensive units in NCAA Division II history. Collums two starting quarterbacks during his tenur as the offensive coordinator Billy Malone (2005-08) and Mitchell Gale (2009-12) are two of the most productive quarterbacks in both ACU and NCAA Division II history. The pair combined to throw for 24,121 yards (12,012 for Malone and 12,109 for Gale), and Gale left ACU as the all-time leader in yards, completions and attempts in ACU and LSC history, while Malone is the LSC and ACU career leader in touchdown passes. In 2012 when Gale topped the 12,000-yard mark, it made ACU just the fourth program in NCAA history to have back-to-back starting quarterbacks accomplish the feat, joining Hawaii (Timmy Chang and Cole Brennan), Houston (Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum) and Louisiana Tech (Tim Rattay and Luke McCown). During their seven seasons with Collums as the offensive coordinator, the Wildcats averaged 468.4 yards of offense and 39 points per game, while achieving near perfect balance in run-pass play selection. In the 82 games the Wildcats played from 2005-11, they ran the ball 2,874 times and threw it 2,857 times while gaining 38,412 yards in those games. Since he re-joined the ACU coaching staff prior to the 2005 season, Collums offenses have ranked among the best in the nation. The Wildcats ranked in the top seven in NCAA Division II in total offense five times in the last eight years, including first in 2008, second in 2007, third in 2011 and fourth in 2006. The pass offense has ranked third twice and sixth twice, and the rushing offense has ranked as high as ninth in the nation (2008). The Wildcats scoring offense under Collums has ranked first in both 2007 and 2008 (when ACU scored a combined 1,267 points in 25 games), second in 2010 and sixth in 2006.  Under Collums, ball security became one of the catch phrases surrounding the program, and the Wildcats turned the ball over only 122 times from 2005-11, including just eight times in 2010 and nine in 2006. In his 82 games as the Wildcats offensive coordinator, ACU scored between 30 and 39 points in 18 games, between 40-49 points 22 times, between 50-59 points 14 times, between 60-69 points three times, 70-79 points twice and hit 93 in a 2008 NCAA Division II playoff game against West Texas A&M. In 2007 and 208, Collums called the plays for one of the greatest offensive units in the history of college football. Under his guidance, ACU scored 1,267 points (50.7 ppg) and racked up 13,772 yards of total offense (550.9 ypg) in the 25 games covering those two seasons and ACU went 21-4 in those games, won the Lone Star Conference championship in 2008 and saw Bernard Scott win the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in NCAA Division II football and Sam Collins win the Gene Upshaw Award as the top lineman. In the greatest offensive game in LSC and ACU history, Collums led ACU to 93 points in a 93-68 win over West Texas A&M in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Division II playoffs. ACU posted a school-record 810 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on 13 of 15 possessions on their way to a remarkable 25-point win over the Buffaloes. ACUs offense set 29 NCAA Division II single-game, NCAA Division II playoff single-game, LSC and ACU records in the record-setting rout. In 2007, ACU became the first program in the history of NCAA football to boast a 3,500-yard passer (Billy Malone), 2,000-yard rusher (Bernard Scott) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Johnny Knox and Jerale Badon) in the same season. In fact, ACUs offense in 2008 set or tied or was part of 78 NCAA, LSC or Wildcat single-game, season or career records. While coaching at Central Arkansas, Collums led the Bears to some of the greatest offensive seasons in school history. Collums coached an offensive attack that averaged 300 yards passing per game in three of his last four seasons at UCA. The Bears were the nations top passing team in 2001, averaging 373 yards per game. UCA finished in the top 10 in total offense in four of the last six seasons. In 2002 Collums first year as offensive coordinator the Bears were No. 8 nationally in points per game (37.5), No. 3 in passing yards per game (310.5) and No. 9 in total offense (446 yards per game). In 2004, UCA featured a balanced attack that racked up 38 points per game (No. 14), 477.7 yards per game (No. 6), 269 passing yards per game (No. 19) and 208.5 rushing yards per game (No. 26). As a freshman at Central Arkansas, Collums led the Bears to the 1991 NAIA national championship. In four seasons as the starting quarterback, he directed his team to a combined record of 30-8-3. Collums graduated from Central Arkansas in 1995 with a B.S. in kinesiology. He received his masters in kinesiology in 1998. A native of Vernon, Collums played for the Vernon Lions of former coach Leo Brittain, leading his team to a 29-2-1 record in his final two seasons as the starting quarterback. Collums led Vernon to the Class 3A state title in 1990. He and his wife, Robyn, have two children, a daughter, Anna, and a son, Layne. KEN COLLUMS YEAR BY  YEAR   Head coaching record -- 19-15, 3 seasons (.559 winning percentage) Ken Collums Head Coach The 2016 season will mark Ken Collums fifth season as the 19th head football coach in ACU history. In four previous seasons as the head coach, Collums is 22-23 overall and 7-10 in the Southland Conference. He has led ACU through the first three years of transition to the NCAA Division I level with 2016 set to be ACU's final year before it eligible to win the conference championship and compete for an FCS playoff bid in 2017. Last season, the Wildcats had the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year in cornerback Jabari Butler and the Student-Athlete of the Year in middle linebacker Sam Denmark. The junior middle linebacker from Las Cruces, N.M., led FCS football in solo tackles (90) and was fourth in both total tackles (138) and tackles per game (12.5). In 2014 ACUs first season as a full member of the Southland at the NCAA Division I FCS level Collums led ACU to a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 conference mark. ACU finished tied for fifth in the league after a season-ending 37-35 road win over 24th-ranked Stephen F. Austin. Collums coached sophomore quarterback Parker McKenzie to a spectacular season in his first year as the starter. McKenzie threw for 3,084 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning honorable mention all-conference honors and becoming the fourth ACU quarterback under Collums tutelage to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season. The Wildcats were again one of the best teams in the conference and in the nation in turnover ratio as ACU was plus-9 in the category (16 turnovers and 25 takeaways). The Wildcats were among conference leaders in points per game (32.7), yards per game (438.0), passing yards per game (275.3) and rushing yards per game (162.7). ACU appeared on national television in its season-opener, dropping a 38-37 decision to Georgia State in the Georgia Dome that was broadcast on ESPNU. Two weeks later, the Wildcats went on the road to Troy, Ala., and knocked off the Troy Trojans, 38-35, recording their first win over an NCAA Division I FBS program since a win over UTEP in 1959. Under Collums direction, the Wildcats went on to beat Southland Conference foes Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist before a big neutral-site win over Central Arkansas in Plano. The Wildcats played the game without McKenzie (out with a concussion), but turned the game over to backup Kade Munden, who ran for 100 yards and threw three touchdowns in a 52-35 win over the Bears. The Wildcats ended the season two weeks later with McKenzie throwing for 267 yards and one score and redshirt freshman running back DeAndre Brown a second team all-conference selection rushing for a Southland season-best 256 yards and three scores in a win over the playoff-bound Lumberjacks. In his first season as the head coach (2012), he led the Wildcats to a 7-4 record in their final season as a member of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference. In 2013 ACUs first season at the NCAA Division I FCS level Collums offense was one of the nations most prolific. While he gave up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Nathan Young in 2013, Collums still had an impact on the design and implementation of game plans and play calls each week. ACUs 501 points scored were the fourth-most in a season in program history behind 2007 (639 points), 2008 (628) and 2010 (520). The Wildcats 84 points scored against Concordia (Ala.) in the season-opener are the second-most points scored in a game in program history behind the 93 scored on Nov. 22, 2008, in ACUs 93-68 NCAA Division II playoff win over West Texas A&M. The Wildcats scored at least 60 points in four games during the season, hit the 50-point mark in one other game and the 40-point mark in another. The Wildcats posted a plus-17 turnover margin, one of the top marks in all of NCAA Division I football. And for the fifth time since 2007, the Wildcats posted at least 5,300 yards of total offense as ACU finished with 5,359 total yards for an average of 487.2 yards per game. As the quarterbacks coach, Collums continued to display his mastery over the position as he led senior starter John David Baker to one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in ACU history. Baker finished his only season as the Wildcats starter with 3,376 passing yards in 2013, fourth-best single-season total in school history. His 247 completions are the fourth-most in a season, and his 369 attempts are tied for the 10th-most in a season. His 35 touchdowns are the fourth-most in a season in ACU history, and his 35-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the second-best behind the 38:3 ratio posted by Mitchell Gale in 2010. Collums the D2 Coordinator of the Year in 2010 served as the offensive coordinator at ACU from 2005-11, directing some of the most exciting and dominant offensive units in NCAA Division II history. Collums two starting quarterbacks during his tenur as the offensive coordinator Billy Malone (2005-08) and Mitchell Gale (2009-12) are two of the most productive quarterbacks in both ACU and NCAA Division II history. The pair combined to throw for 24,121 yards (12,012 for Malone and 12,109 for Gale), and Gale left ACU as the all-time leader in yards, completions and attempts in ACU and LSC history, while Malone is the LSC and ACU career leader in touchdown passes. In 2012 when Gale topped the 12,000-yard mark, it made ACU just the fourth program in NCAA history to have back-to-back starting quarterbacks accomplish the feat, joining Hawaii (Timmy Chang and Cole Brennan), Houston (Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum) and Louisiana Tech (Tim Rattay and Luke McCown). During their seven seasons with Collums as the offensive coordinator, the Wildcats averaged 468.4 yards of offense and 39 points per game, while achieving near perfect balance in run-pass play selection. In the 82 games the Wildcats played from 2005-11, they ran the ball 2,874 times and threw it 2,857 times while gaining 38,412 yards in those games. Since he re-joined the ACU coaching staff prior to the 2005 season, Collums offenses have ranked among the best in the nation. The Wildcats ranked in the top seven in NCAA Division II in total offense five times in the last eight years, including first in 2008, second in 2007, third in 2011 and fourth in 2006. The pass offense has ranked third twice and sixth twice, and the rushing offense has ranked as high as ninth in the nation (2008). The Wildcats scoring offense under Collums has ranked first in both 2007 and 2008 (when ACU scored a combined 1,267 points in 25 games), second in 2010 and sixth in 2006.  Under Collums, ball security became one of the catch phrases surrounding the program, and the Wildcats turned the ball over only 122 times from 2005-11, including just eight times in 2010 and nine in 2006. In his 82 games as the Wildcats offensive coordinator, ACU scored between 30 and 39 points in 18 games, between 40-49 points 22 times, between 50-59 points 14 times, between 60-69 points three times, 70-79 points twice and hit 93 in a 2008 NCAA Division II playoff game against West Texas A&M. In 2007 and 208, Collums called the plays for one of the greatest offensive units in the history of college football. Under his guidance, ACU scored 1,267 points (50.7 ppg) and racked up 13,772 yards of total offense (550.9 ypg) in the 25 games covering those two seasons and ACU went 21-4 in those games, won the Lone Star Conference championship in 2008 and saw Bernard Scott win the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in NCAA Division II football and Sam Collins win the Gene Upshaw Award as the top lineman. In the greatest offensive game in LSC and ACU history, Collums led ACU to 93 points in a 93-68 win over West Texas A&M in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Division II playoffs. ACU posted a school-record 810 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on 13 of 15 possessions on their way to a remarkable 25-point win over the Buffaloes. ACUs offense set 29 NCAA Division II single-game, NCAA Division II playoff single-game, LSC and ACU records in the record-setting rout. In 2007, ACU became the first program in the history of NCAA football to boast a 3,500-yard passer (Billy Malone), 2,000-yard rusher (Bernard Scott) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Johnny Knox and Jerale Badon) in the same season. In fact, ACUs offense in 2008 set or tied or was part of 78 NCAA, LSC or Wildcat single-game, season or career records. While coaching at Central Arkansas, Collums led the Bears to some of the greatest offensive seasons in school history. Collums coached an offensive attack that averaged 300 yards passing per game in three of his last four seasons at UCA. The Bears were the nations top passing team in 2001, averaging 373 yards per game. UCA finished in the top 10 in total offense in four of the last six seasons. In 2002 Collums first year as offensive coordinator the Bears were No. 8 nationally in points per game (37.5), No. 3 in passing yards per game (310.5) and No. 9 in total offense (446 yards per game). In 2004, UCA featured a balanced attack that racked up 38 points per game (No. 14), 477.7 yards per game (No. 6), 269 passing yards per game (No. 19) and 208.5 rushing yards per game (No. 26). As a freshman at Central Arkansas, Collums led the Bears to the 1991 NAIA national championship. In four seasons as the starting quarterback, he directed his team to a combined record of 30-8-3. Collums graduated from Central Arkansas in 1995 with a B.S. in kinesiology. He received his masters in kinesiology in 1998. A native of Vernon, Collums played for the Vernon Lions of former coach Leo Brittain, leading his team to a 29-2-1 record in his final two seasons as the starting quarterback. Collums led Vernon to the Class 3A state title in 1990. He and his wife, Robyn, have two children, a daughter, Anna, and a son, Layne. KEN COLLUMS YEAR BY  YEAR   Head coaching record -- 19-15, 3 seasons (.559 winning percentage)

Legendary Texas high school and Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell was announced on Jan. 28, 2025, as ACU’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator. He will also coach Wildcat quarterbacks. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Purdue in the Big Ten during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.  Harrell, announced on January 15 as a member of the 2025 induction class into the College Football Hall of Fame, is very familiar with ACU and its football program. His father, former head coach of Ennis High School Sam Harrell, played football at ACU under head coaches Dewitt Jones and Ted Sitton, graduated from ACU in 1979, and won Class 4A state championships in 2000, 2001, and 2004. His mother, Kathy (Stanton '80) Harrell, is also an ACU graduate, and his youngest brother, Clark, graduated from ACU in 2011 after playing for the Wildcats from 2008-2010. Harrell has coached at five Power 4 universities since 2014, working as an offensive quality control coach at Oklahoma State in 2009. He spent the next five years in the NFL and Canadian Football League before retiring and getting back into coaching. He coached with his Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach at Washington State in 2014 and 2015 before moving to North Texas, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2016-18. He held that position at USC for three seasons (2019-21), spent one year in the same role at West Virginia in 2022, and spent the last two seasons at Purdue.  Harrell solidified his legacy in Texas football on the evening of November 1, 2008, when he created one of the iconic moments in Red Raider and Big 12 football history. A thrilling final 90 seconds propelled the sixth-ranked Red Raiders to a stunning 39-33 upset over the No. 1-ranked Texas in front of more than 56,000 fans at Jones AT&T Stadium and a national television audience. With 1:29 remaining in the game, the Longhorns led 33-32, but one of the great moments in Texas college football history was about to unfold in Lubbock. On first and 10 from the Texas 28-yard line, the game appeared to be over when a pass from Harrell was tipped and nearly intercepted by Blake Gideon, a pick that would have preserved a Texas victory. But the drop gave Harrell and the Red Raiders another chance. With eight seconds left in the game, he dropped back and hit All-American receiver Michael Crabtree near the right sideline at the 6-yard line with about three seconds left. Crabtree broke a tackle and stepped into the end zone with one second to play, giving the Red Raiders a 39-33 win and setting off a wild post-game celebration. Harrell was among the 18 college football greats and four former coaches named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class. The induction ceremony will be on Dec. 9 at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. Over his three seasons leading Texas Tech's record-setting offense, Harrell torched opposing defenses for 15,793 passing yards over his Red Raider career. Harrell finished fourth in the 2008 Heisman Trophy voting, narrowly topping Tech receiver Michael Crabtree, who was fifth overall after a memorable season that saw the Red Raiders finish 11-1 in the regular season and rise to No. 2 in the national polls. Harrell was named the Sammy Baugh Trophy winner as a junior in 2007 before claiming the Johnny Unitas Award, AT&T All-America Player of the Year, and Sporting News Co-Player of the Year honors in 2008. He was also tabbed a first team All-American by the AFCA following a 2008 season where he threw for 5,111 yards and 45 touchdowns. Harrell broke seven NCAA records during his playing career and remains in the top five of seven FBS statistical categories, including career passing yards and touchdown passes. Harrell, a three-time All-Big 12 honoree, led Texas Tech to a share of the 2008 Big 12 South title. He still holds the conference's records for career completions and touchdown passes. He ranks second in Big 12 history for career passing yards, career attempts, and career completion percentage (69.4). He remains the only quarterback in Big 12 history to lead the league in passing yards in three seasons. Born in Brownwood, where his father, Sam, was an assistant coach to legendary high school coach Gordon Wood, Harrell played for his father at Ennis High School. As a sophomore, he led the team to the 2001 state title as quarterback. Harrell set Texas high school records in these categories: • Single-season passing yards (4,825 in 2003 over 13 games; the next two quarterbacks on the list set their records over 16-game seasons). The record stood until 2007, when former Lake Travis quarterback Garrett Gilbert broke it. • Career passing yards (12,532 from 2000 to 2003; broken by Gilbert in 2008). • Single-season touchdown passes (67 in 2003). • Career touchdown passes (167 from 2000 to 2003). • Single-season pass completions (334 in 2003; also broken by Gilbert, who recorded 359 completions in 2007). Coach Keith Patterson says... "Graham Harrell is one of the most competitive young men that I have been around in a long time. He is obviously a legend here in West Texas. He brings an Air Raid influence to our offense."  

Thrash is in his fourth season as an assistant coach, and in his second season as the wide receivers coach after spending the first two seasons on staff as the tight ends coach. Last year, Wildcat receivers caught 157 passes for 2,018 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per catch. Cedric Gilbert led the team in catches (45), yards (688) and receiving touchdowns (seven). In 2014, Thrash coached Noah Cheshier to first team all-Southland Conference honors at tight end. He also coached Jonathan Parker and Jamie Walker, who were key blockers in ACUs offense. Before joining ACU prior to the 2013 season, Thrash spent the two previous seasons (2011-12) coaching the wide receivers at Texas A&M-Kingsville. In 2012, he helped Robert Armstrong tied the schools single-season reception record with 67 catches for 849 yards and 11 scores as he earned all-Lone Star Conference honors.  Kingsville wide receivers caught 25 TD passes in 2012 and averaged 12.4 yards per catch. His first season with the Javelinas (2011) was a very successful one statistically, in many areas. The single-season reception record was set at 67 catches. The receivers as a position group found the end zone 22 total times which was over half the total touchdowns. The wide receivers were also responsible for 54 percent of the total offense that the Javelinas gained in 2012. Thrash guided two receivers to all-LSC first team honors and the 2012 Kanza Bowl most valuable player. Prior to joining the Kingsville coaching staff, Thrash was the wide receivers coach at Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College in 2011. He had a pair of freshmen earn All-SWJCFC honors. He joined the Northeastern Oklahoma staff immediately following his playing career. As a wide receiver at Texas Lutheran University he was four-year starter, three-time all-conference player and all-America player. Thrash a Hubbard, Texas, native graduated from Texas Lutheran in 2010 with a degree in kinesiology. He and his wife, Chanel, have one daughter: Tatum.   Steven Thrash Assistant Coach - Wide Receivers Recruiting area: Southwest Dallas / Junior Colleges Steven Thrash is in his fourth season as an assistant coach, and in his second season as the wide receivers coach after spending the first two seasons on staff as the tight ends coach. Last year, Wildcat receivers caught 157 passes for 2,018 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per catch. Cedric Gilbert led the team in catches (45), yards (688) and receiving touchdowns (seven). In 2014, Thrash coached Noah Cheshier to first team all-Southland Conference honors at tight end. He also coached Jonathan Parker and Jamie Walker, who were key blockers in ACUs offense. Before joining ACU prior to the 2013 season, Thrash spent the two previous seasons (2011-12) coaching the wide receivers at Texas A&M-Kingsville. In 2012, he helped Robert Armstrong tied the schools single-season reception record with 67 catches for 849 yards and 11 scores as he earned all-Lone Star Conference honors.  Kingsville wide receivers caught 25 TD passes in 2012 and averaged 12.4 yards per catch. His first season with the Javelinas (2011) was a very successful one statistically, in many areas. The single-season reception record was set at 67 catches. The receivers as a position group found the end zone 22 total times which was over half the total touchdowns. The wide receivers were also responsible for 54 percent of the total offense that the Javelinas gained in 2012. Thrash guided two receivers to all-LSC first team honors and the 2012 Kanza Bowl most valuable player. Prior to joining the Kingsville coaching staff, Thrash was the wide receivers coach at Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College in 2011. He had a pair of freshmen earn All-SWJCFC honors. He joined the Northeastern Oklahoma staff immediately following his playing career. As a wide receiver at Texas Lutheran University he was four-year starter, three-time all-conference player and all-America player. Thrash a Hubbard, Texas, native graduated from Texas Lutheran in 2010 with a degree in kinesiology. He and his wife, Chanel, have one daughter: Tatum.  

Eddie Easterday, Jr., enters his second season on the ACU football coaching staff in 2025. He currently serves as an offensive assistant coach. During ACU's conference championship season in 2024, Easterday was a defensive assistant coach and worked directly under head coach Keith Patterson on day-to-day operations. Easterday spent the 2023 season as tight ends coach at Eastern University (Penn.), a Division III college. A graduate of Temple University, Easterday worked as a student equipment manager for the Owls from 2021-2023 and in the same role at Rutgers from 2019-2020. Coach Keith Patterson says... "Eddie has been one of the most pleasant surprises within our program. He does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work and assists offensive coordinator Graham Harrell with our quarterbacks."

Former Texas Tech defensive back Joseph Plunk enters his first season as a defensive assistant coach with the ACU football team in 2025. Plunk will help coach the secondary, and assist head coach Keith Patterson with day-to-day operations. Plunk starred at quarterback for two seasons at Amarillo Tascosa High School before playing safety and excelling on special teams as a walk-on at Texas Tech. Patterson recruited him to join the Tech program, and he played for five years, earning his roster spot with his effort on the scout team and then in the secondary and special teams.  As a senior at Tascosa in 2019, Plunk ran for 2,546 yards and 33 touchdowns as one of the top option quarterbacks in Texas. He was named District 2-6A MVP and earned two Class 6A all-state nods: second team by the Associated Press Sports Editors and honorable mention by the Texas Sports Writers Association. He played at Tascosa for his father, Ken Plunk, who was an assistant coach at ACU in the early 2000s. Coach Keith Patterson says... "Plunk is a young man I had the opportunity to coach at Texas Tech. He's a son of a coach and has a very good understanding of the game."

Conor Dubin, a longtime right-hand man to head coach Keith Patterson, enters his fourth season as ACU's linebackers coach in 2025. Dubin and Patterson have worked together since uniting at Arizona State in 2015. The pair spent three seasons in Tempe, then coached at Utah State (2018) and Texas Tech (2019-21).   Utah State transformed into one of the most opportunistic defenses in the country during Dubin’s one season in Logan, as the Aggies shared the FBS lead with 32 forced turnovers. The defensive production helped push Utah State to an 11-2 season, matching the program record for wins in a single season.    Utah State also led the country with 22 interceptions, and the Aggies were the nation’s leader in three-and-outs forced (5.7 per game) and ranked third in defensive touchdowns (6), 16th in third down conversion defense (33.0 percent), 19th in passing efficiency defense (113.76), 21st in fourth down conversion defense (41.9 percent) and 33rd in scoring defense (22.2 points per game). Dubin primarily worked with Arizona State’s linebackers prior to his arrival in Logan, as he helped mentor Pac-12 tackles leader Sam Christian in 2017 as well as fellow linebacker DJ Calhoun. Fellow linebacker Antonio Longino shared the FBS lead with 1.7 tackles for a loss per game in 2016, while Fiso Salamo led the Pac-12 in the same category (20.0 tackles for a loss) during Dubin’s first season on staff.   Prior to his time in Tempe, Dubin was the inside linebackers coach and varsity defensive coordinator at Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada, California, where he also served as an athletics department assistant.  A native of Los Angeles, Dubin graduated from Arizona State in 2016 with a degree in sociology. Coach Keith Patterson says... "Conor is probably one of those guys that's too smart to be coaching football. He does a tremendous job developing our linebackers. He has  passion and love for the game."  

A former first round pick in the NFL Draft, Jason Smith enters his second season on the ACU coaching staff in 2025. Smith became the Wildcats' running backs coach in January 2025. He spent the 2024 season as the tight ends coach. During ACU's United Athletic Conference championship season, Smith coached All-UAC tight end Jed Castles. Smith was selected No. 2 overall by the then-St. Louis Rams in the 2009 NFL Draft after a stellar playing career at Baylor. Smith was with the Rams until joining the New York Jets in 2012 and the New Orleans Saints in 2013. He finished his NFL career in 2014. Smith played tight end and tackle for Baylor, where he was a team captain, and earned All-American and All-Big 12 Conference honors.  Smith joined the North Texas coaching staff in 2022 as an analyst and coached with the Mean Green for two seasons. In 2022, North Texas advanced the Conference USA Championship game and earned a trip to the Frisco Bowl. The Mean Green finished in the top three in CUSA in total offense, scoring offense, and rushing offense. UNT finished No. 6 nationally in sacks allowed (0.79). A Dallas native, Smith was inducted into the Baylor Hall of Fame in 2020. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor in 2008. Smith and his wife, Dacie, have two children, Jate and Drue. Coach Keith Patterson says... "Smooth is one of those guys that brings a competitive edge. Being a first round NFL Draft pick, he carries that over to his coaching style and brings out the best in our players."

D.J. Williams enters his first season on the ACU football coaching staff in 2025. He is the defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Wildcats. Williams spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons as the cornerbacks coach at Northern Colorado, which played ACU twice in that time. At ACU, Williams reunites with current head coach Keith Patterson who recruited Williams to play at Utah State in 2018. A native of Smyrna, Tennessee, Williams played one season at the FCS level at Chattanooga before transferring to Independence (Kan.) Community College. Williams was a starting cornerback for the 2017 Indy team documented in the Netflix series "Last Chance U." He emerged as a Top-100 JUCO prospect by 247Sports after a year at Indy and was recruited to Utah State by Patterson, who was the Aggies' defensive coordinator in 2018. In two seasons at Utah State (2018-19), Williams had 114 total tackles, 6.5 for loss, six interceptions, and 18 pass breakups. He was an honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference selection in 2018, and at the end of that season, he was the Defensive MVP of the Aggies' New Mexico Bowl win over North Texas. He spent one season as a graduate assistant coach at BYU (2022) before joining Northern Colorado as the cornerbacks coach. Coach Keith Patterson says... "I had the opportunity to coach him in college and now hire him as a position coach. He's going to be a superstar in this industry. I love the way he takes the passion he had as a player, and converts it to be a great teacher and technician."

Nick Holt, a veteran defensive coordinator with more than 30 years of experience at the collegiate level, joined head coach Keith Patterson’s staff in 2022 and enters his fourth season with the Wildcats. He has served as associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach.  Last year, he coached three players – Jerry Lawson, David Oke, and Kaghen Roach – to All-United Athletic Conference honors. Lawson was selected to the first team, while Oke and Roach were each selected to the second team. The Wildcats finished 9-5, won the UAC championship, qualified for the FCS playoffs, and beat Northern Arizona, 24-0, at Wildcat Stadium in program history’s first FCS playoff game. Before joining the Wildcat coaching staff, Holt spent the 2021 season as an offensive assistant coach at Texas Tech, where he met and worked with Patterson, the Red Raiders’ defensive coordinator. Before going to Tech, he spent the 202- season as the head coach of the Varese Skorpions, a professional team in Italy. From 2017-19, he was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Purdue, where he helped lead the Boilermarkers to two bowl appearances and memorable wins over No. 2 Ohio State and No. 19 Iowa in 2018. In the four seasons before, he coached at Western Kentucky as the defensive coordinator, associate head coach, and interim head coach. In December 2016, he was the Hilltoppers’ interim head coach, leading the team to a 51-31 win over Memphis in the Boca Raton Bowl.  Holt has 19 years of experience as a defensive coordinator at the collegiate level, having worked at Western Kentucky (2013-16), Washington (2009-11), USC (2006-08), and Idaho (1994-97). He was also the defensive coordinator for the Vandals during his two seasons as head coach from 2004-05. His tenure at Idaho split into two stints at USC. He was the linebackers coach from 2001 to 2003 before returning as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2006. During his six combined seasons on staff, the Trojans won the 2003 national championship and five Pac-10 titles, resulting in a 63-14 overall record. Holt has coached in 17 bowl games, including seven BCS bowls. He has additional experience as the defensive line coach at both UNLV (1988-89) and Louisville (1998-2000) and as the recruiting coordinator at Arkansas in 2012. A native of San Jose, California, Holt was a four-year letterwinner, a two-time captain, and Most Valuable Player as a linebacker at the University of the Pacific. He was named to the Associated Press All-West Coast team in 1984 and 1985 and was an honorable mention All-American in 1985. Holt graduated from Pacific in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political economics. He and his wife, Julie, have two adult sons, Nick and Ben. Ben Holt played linebacker under his father at Western Kentucky (2015-16) and then Purdue (2019). Coach Keith Patterson says... "Nick Holt brings the intensity. He's a guy who's been doing this for an extremely long time. He is very well respected within the industry. If I had to describe him in one word it is intense."

Joel Filani, a two-time first-team All-Big 12 wide receiver in 2005 and 2006 with ACU offensive coordinator Graham Harrell throwing him the ball, enters his first season as ACU"s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator in 2025. Filani was the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Northern Iowa in 2024. He also served as the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator at Northern Arizona in 2022 and 2023. Previously, he was the wide receivers coach at Texas Tech from 2019-2021, collaborating with Keith Patterson, the defensive coordinator, during those three seasons. Filani has also coached at Boise State, Washington State, and North Texas, collaborating with Harrell at Washington and North Texas.  As a junior at Texas Tech in 2005, Filani earned first-team All-Big 12 honors by catching 65 passes for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns, contributing to the Red Raiders' 9-3 record and appearance in the Cotton Bowl. In 2006, he again earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition after recording 91 catches for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the Red Raiders to an 8-5 finish and victory in the Insight Bowl. Filani was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft and played for Tennessee, Minnesota, Seattle, Detroit, St. Louis (Rams), and Tampa Bay through the 2009 season. Coach Keith Patterson says... "Joel is a tremendous recruit and a great coach. He was a great player and is very well respected. He also has a great connection with offensive coordinator Graham Harrell."

An All-SEC center on Auburn's 2010 national championship team, Ryan Pugh enters his fourth season as the Wildcats' offensive line coach in 2025. Pugh has coached four ACU linemen to all-conference honors: Reese Moore, Alan Hatten, Jacob Thielen and Tay Yanta.  In 2024, the Wildcats' line led the way for one of the most productive offenses in the FCS. ACU finished fourth in the nation in yards per game (470), seventh in passing yards per game (304), and 16th in points per game (34). Pugh added the role of offensive coordinator for the 2023 season. Prior to working at ACU, Pugh was the offensive line and running game coordinator at Southern University, where he produced five all-conference linemen in 2021.   In his lone season at Southern, the Jaguars led the SWAC with 197.8 rushing yards per game and third down conversion percentage (41.4%). Southern set a new conference single-game record for rushing yards with 267 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff last October, and Ja’Tyre Carter was named the league’s Offensive Lineman of the Year.  Before coaching at Southern, Pugh spent nearly a decade coaching at the FBS level.   Prior to his time in Baton Rouge, Pugh spent two seasons at Troy, where he was a 2019 Broyles Award nominee and his offensive line was recognized by Pro Football Focus as the top-graded pass blocking FBS program in the nation. Troy went over 500 total yards a program-best six times in 2019, while Pugh coached eight players to Sun Belt All-Conference honors.    As the offensive line coach at BYU in 2018, Pugh coached two Freshman All-Americans in James Empey and Brady Christensen, as well as All-Independent First Teamer Austin Hoyt. The Cougars also found the end zone 27 times on the ground, an increase of 15 from the previous season.    Prior to moving to Provo, Pugh served as offensive line coach at UTSA for two seasons, where he coached the Roadrunners in the first bowl game in program history in 2016. UTSA turned in the highest-ranked signing class in Conference USA history in 2017, and the ‘Runners allowed 40% less sacks in 2017 than 2015.    Pugh’s stops also include LSU, Cincinnati and Virginia Tech, and he has coached a dozen offensive lineman who have gone on to play in the National Football League. As a student-athlete at Auburn, Pugh was a four-time Academic All-SEC player and a member of the Tigers’ National Champion team in 2010. A native of Hoover, Ala., Pugh graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Building Science in 2012.  Coach Keith Patterson says... "Ryan is one of the most cerebral offensive line coaches I've ever been around. He has a great grasp on offensive concepts in the run and the pass game."  

Zeke Lott enters his fourth season as the ACU football team's chaplain and head of player relations in 2025. Lott provides an outlet for players to focus on their spiritual formation through weekly team chapels and Bible studies. Lott started at ACU as a student-athlete, walking-on to the football team as a linebacker from 2020-21. He earned his bachelor's in Kinesiology from ACU in 2024. 

Ty Morris enters his second season on the ACU football coaching staff in 2025. Morris was promoted to be the Wildcats' special teams coordinator and safeties coach in Feb. 2025. In 2024, Morris worked as a special teams assistant, guiding transfer kicker Ritse Vaes to All-America status. Vaes was voted Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America, and also earned a spot on College Sports Communicators' Academic All-America 2nd Team. He connected on 14-of-20 field goals, which tied for the most made field goals in ACU single-season history. Vaes finished with 97 points on the season -- good enough for fourth most by an ACU kicker. Three other special teams players -- long snapper Devan Daugherty, and punters Grant Nickel and Hugo Nash -- also made CSC Academic All-District. Morris was named part of Our Coaching Network's 30 Under 30 list of the nation's top young college football coaches in 2025. From 2022-24, Morris was the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Division III Eastern University (Penn.), where he completed his Master's in business administration and management. Morris started 15 games at Alvernia University in Reading, Penn., and recorded nearly 100 tackles in his collegiate career as a defensive back. He was on the Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll multiple times. A native of Sussex County, Del., Morris graduated from Alvernia with a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education.  Coach Keith Patterson says... "Ty is a bright, young coach. He has a passion for special teams which is hard to find."

Stanton Keane enters his first season as ACU's tight ends coach in 2025. Keane has spent the past five seasons with new ACU offensive coordinator Graham Harrell at USC (2020-21), West Virginia (2022), and Purude (2023-24). At each stop, Keane worked with Harrell coaching quarterbacks. At Purdue, Keane was the senior offensive quarterbacks analyst. With the Boilmakers, Keane and Harrell were responsible for coaching and mentoring quarterbacks. He worked directly with Harrell on implementing weekly game plans and led recruiting efforts. In 2022, while at West Virginia, he organized and analyzed all practice, game, and opponent film for the offensive staff. He also planned and developed self-scout and opponent scouting reports. He also coached with Harrell at USC in 2020 and 2021, working as an offensive graduate assistant. In 2020, USC's passing offense ranked 11th nationally (first in Pac-12) at 319.3 yards per game. Quarterback Kedon Slovis made the All-Pac-12 first team while ranking in the national Top 20 in completions (first at 29.5), passing yards (sixth at 320.2), total offense (13th at 310.7), and completion percentage (18th at .670), all tops in the Pac-12.  He spent the 2018 season as an offensive graduate assistant at Texas Tech and was in private business in 2019. He was also a student coach at Texas Tech in 2016 and 2017.  Keane was a fullback at Texas Tech in 2014, when he redshirted, and 2015, when he appeared in 3 games (primarily on special teams) before suffering a season-ending knee injury.  He earned his bachelor's in energy commerce from Texas Tech in 2018. He starred in football and baseball at Lubbock-Cooper High School.  He and his wife, Pamela, were married in July 2021. Coach Keith Patterson says... "Stanton brings a West Texas mentality to our right end room. He also has a great understanding of the expectations that offensive coordinator Graham Harrell has for our offense."