PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University Head Football Coach Mike Leach announced Monday that Mason Miller, Matt Brock, Steve Spurrier, Jr., and Tyson Brown have been added to the Cougar football staff. With the most recent additions the 2018 coaching staff is complete.
“We are excited to have our coaching staff finalized and in Pullman,” said Leach. “The amount of interest in our program was overwhelming, validating that we continue to be heading in a positive direction. With the most recent hires we were able to secure some great football coaches who are hard-working, great recruiters and share a similar vision for success.”
For the 2018 season, the coaching staff will include Leach, Miller (offensive line), Brock (special teams), Spurrier Jr. (outside receivers), Tracy Claeys (defensive coordinator), Kendrick Shavers (safeties), Darcel McBath (cornerbacks), Eric Mele (running backs, a change after spending the past three seasons at special teams), Dave Nichol (inside receivers), Jeff Phelps (defensive line), Ken Wilson (linebackers) and Tyson Brown (strength and conditioning).
MASON MILLER
Miller recently completed his lone year serving as Nevada’s offensive line coach, under first-year coach Jay Norvell. No stranger to the Air Raid system, Miller has spent the majority of his career coaching in that style of offense, working with both Leach and Hal Mumme, two of the Air Raid’s architects.
As part of the coaching staff under Mumme at Southeastern Louisiana, New Mexico State and McMurry, Miller’s offenses have set numerous school records and have ranked in the top five in the nation in multiple offensive categories.
Before arriving at Nevada, Miller spent three seasons as the associate head coach/offensive coordinator at Tarleton State, where he guided one of the nation’s most high-powered offenses. For the 2014 season Tarleton State ranked third nationally in total offense, averaging 534 yards per game and put up 43 points per game. The same continued in 2015 with one of the most high-powered offenses in the country, averaging nearly 40 points per game.
Miller’s lone head coaching opportunity came in 2013 when he led a McMurry offense that set school records in multiple categories including total yards (5,775), yards per game (523.1) and most points scored (424). Miller previously had served as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at McMurry under Mumme from 2009-12.
Prior to McMurry, Miller was on Mumme’s staffs at New Mexico State (2005-08) and Southeastern Louisiana (2003-04). He began his coaching career working with wide receivers at Washington & Lee. Miller graduated from Valdosta State, where Leach served as his offensive coordinator, with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1999. He and his wife, Megan, have two daughters, Madison and Mallory.
MATT BROCK
Brock arrives in Pullman having spent the past two seasons at Bowling Green, where he served as special team’s coordinator and worded with linebackers. In 2017, he was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in the country. His special teams units ranked among the nation’s top 20 in three different categories: net punting average (4th), kickoff return defense (3rd) and punt return defense (20th).
In his first season at BGSU, Brock’s special teams ranked No. 1 nationally in kickoff defense, third in net punting average and No. 28 in punt return defense. Punter Joseph Davidson was a two-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist, in 2016 was a first team Academic All-American, and was named fourth team All-American by Phil Steele.
Prior to BGSU, Brock spent three seasons at Texas Tech as a defensive quality control assistant. He also coached the defensive line in the Texas Bowl against LSU in 2015. Brock was promoted to inside linebackers coach early in the 2014 season following the departure of defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt and served in that capacity during the remainder of that season.
He went to Texas Tech following two seasons at Baker University (2011-12), his alma mater, where he served as a graduate assistant coach, overseeing the team’s linebackers and assisted Baker defensive coordinator Jason Thoren in the coaches’ booth on game day. Brock graduated from Baker in 2011 while majoring in physical education. Brock is married to his wife, Alyssa.
STEVE SPURRIER JR.
Spurrier Jr. joins the Cougar staff having spent the 2017 season as the assist head coach/ quarterbacks at Western Kentucky University. Last season he helped develop quarterback Mike White into WKU’s first Senior Bowl participant at quarterback and just the second quarterback in school history to post multiple seasons of 4,000 or more passing yards. The Hilltoppers reached the Autonation Cure Bowl last season as White’s 4,177 passing yards were No. 4 nationally while his 368 completions led the nation.
Spurrier Jr.’s collegiate coaching career has included 16 postseason bowl games, including the Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, as well as five conference championships (three SEC and two Big 12) and two national championships (Oklahoma, 2000; Florida, 1996).
Spurrier spent the 2016 campaign at Oklahoma in an off-field role as a recruiting and offensive specialist, particularly with offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. Prior to his time in Norman, Spurrier spent 11 seasons at South Carolina on his father’s staff as the Gamecocks’ wide receivers coach. He added titles of passing game coordinator in 2009, recruiting coordinator in 2011 and co-offensive coordinator in 2012. During his time in Columbia, the Gamecocks went to nine bowl games and his pupils featured future NFL stars Sidney Rice, Alshon Jeffery and Kenny McKinley.
Prior to joining his father at South Carolina, Spurrier spent one season at the University of Arizona (2004) under head coach Mike Stoops, two seasons as wide receivers coach in the NFL with the Washington Redskins (2002-03) and was a part of Bob Stoops’ rebuilding project at Oklahoma (1999-2001), culminating with a perfect 13-0 record and national championship in 2000. He also worked alongside Leach during the 1999 season at Oklahoma.
A native of Palo Alto, Calif., Spurrier Jr. played collegiately at Duke where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1994. While working as a graduate assistant at Florida, Spurrier added his master’s in 1996. Spurrier Jr. and his wife, the former Melissa Beauchamp, are the parents of triplets, Luke, Gavin and Emmaline; Nolan; twins, Palmer and Hayden, and McKinley.
TYSON BROWN
Brown is no stranger to Cougar Football, having spent the past four seasons as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. He returns following a brief stint as the director of strength and conditioning at Elon College.
While at WSU, Brown has been involved with all facets of the football strength program, which has led to 26 wins over the past three seasons. Return to play and injury modifications, data tracking, nutrition and rehabilitation are all components of his time in Pullman.
Prior to WSU, Brown spent one year as associate director of strength and conditioning at the University of South Florida. At USF, Brown was the lead assistant strength and conditioning coach for the football program and the director of strength and conditioning for the volleyball program. Prior to South Florida, Brown spent two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Washington. In 2008, he was an intern strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater University of Sioux Falls, later worked a graduate assistant athletic performance coach at the Baylor University in 2009 and then as a strength coach intern for the NFL’s Houston Texans during the 2010 season.
A native of Bothell, Wash., Brown earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Sioux Falls where he was a two-year letterwinner, helping Sioux Falls to NAIA national championships in 2006 and 2008 and a runner-up finish in 2007. He earned his master’s degree in exercise science at California University of Pennsylvania. Brown has been certified by CSCS and USAW.
Brown and his wife, Kinzie have one son, Brody and two daughters, Bella and Briar.
