Jan. 18, 2012
SEATTLE - Eric Kiesau has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington, head coach Steve Sarkisian announced today. Additionally, Sarkisian announced that several veteran staff members have added new responsibilities. Johnny Nansen will now serve as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator. Jimmie Dougherty, the UW wide receivers coach, is now also the pass game coordinator, and running backs coach Joel Thomas has added the title of associate head coach - offense. Kiesau comes to the UW from California, where he spent last season as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He'd returned to Cal, where he'd previously worked from 2002-05, after having spent the 2006 through 2010 seasons at Colorado. "Eric is a great fit for our football program," Sarkisian said. "I've been following his career for a number of years. He comes from a similar offensive system as what we already run here at Washington and brings a wealth of knowledge in it." With the addition of Kiesau, the UW coaching staff for the 2012 season is now complete. "It's great to have our staff complete," Sarkisian continued. "We are going to turn our focus to the final two weeks of recruiting and then start attacking the 2012 season." Last season at Cal, Kiesau coached Bears wideout Keenan Allen, the No. 2 receiver in the Pac-12 in terms of receptions per game. Additionally, both Allen and teammate Marvin Jones finished in the top 10 in the conference in receiving yards. In his prior stint with the Golden Bears, Kiesau served as wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator. During those four seasons, Cal posted a 33-17 record, including four winning seasons and three bowl game victories. In 2003, Kiesau's second with the Bears, Cal broke a school record with 278 receptions and posted the fourth-best passing yards average in school history with 264.6 yards per game. Cal receiver Geoff McArthur earned second-team All-America and first-team All-pac-10 in 2003, when he was second in the nation with 115.7 receiving yards per game. McArthur set school records for receiving yards (1,504) and notched the second-best season in school history in terms of receptions (85). He finished his career in 2004 as Cal's all-time leader in career receptions and receiving yards. In 2005, Kiesau mentored Cal receiver DeSean Jackson in his freshman season when the future NFL All-Pro set Cal freshman records for receptions and receiving yards. In Kiesau's second season at Cal in 2003, the Bears broke a school record with 278 receptions and the passing game posted an average of 264.6 yards per game to rank fourth in school history. Prior to returning to Berkeley for the 2011 season, Kiesau was the passing game coordinator and receivers coach at Colorado from 2006 to 2008 before being named offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, working with quarterbacks each of those two years. At Colorado, Kiesau developed walk-on receiver Scotty McKnight, who finished his career in 2010 as the school's all-time leader in receptions (219), yards (2,588) and receiving touchdowns (22). Kiesau began his coaching career at Glendale (Calif.) Community College in 1998. His first Division I job came in 2000 at Utah State, where he was initially running backs coach before moving to receivers. He coached All-America running back Emmitt White, who led the nation in all-purpose yards in 2000, while at USU. In 2001, he coached receiver Kevin Curtis, the NCAA's leading receiver with 100 catches, to All-America honors. In 1996, Kiesau earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Portland State, where he played quarterback, starting in 1995. He began his college playing career at Glendale CC, where he earned All-America honors in 1992. A native of Pasadena, Calif., and a graduate of Glendale High in the Los Angeles area, he and his wife Wendy have two children. UW FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF |
