Zach Kittley
Current position
TitleOffensive coordinator
TeamTexas Tech
ConferenceBig 12
Biographical details
Born (1991-08-14) August 14, 1991
Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Alma materTexas Tech University
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2013–2014Texas Tech (SA)
2015–2017Texas Tech (GA)
2018–2020Houston Baptist (OC/QB)
2021Western Kentucky (OC/QB)
2022–presentTexas Tech (OC/QB)

Zach Kittley (born August 14, 1991) is an American football coach who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech University. He previously served in the same capacity at Western Kentucky University in 2021 and Houston Baptist University from 2018 to 2020.

Coaching career

Early career

Kittley initially committed to playing college basketball at Abilene Christian, walking on to the team in 2011, but opted to pursue a career coaching football and transferred to Texas Tech University.[1][2] From there, Kittley got a position on the football team as a student assistant to Sonny Cumbie.[3] He was later promoted to graduate assistant in 2015, where he was the program's assistant quarterbacks coach and worked closely with future NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.[4]

Houston Baptist

Kittley was hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston Baptist in 2018.[5] At Houston Baptist, he engineered a turnaround of an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the NCAA Division I FCS division prior to his arrival to one of the top passing offenses in the country behind an Air raid offense.[6] While at HBU, Kittley was intimately involved with the development of another quarterback prospect in Bailey Zappe, who would play a critical role at his next coaching stop.[7]

Western Kentucky

Kittley was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Western Kentucky on December 14, 2020.[8] Zappe would follow Kittley to Western Kentucky. In Kittley's first year with Western Kentucky, the Hilltoppers offense improved from 115th in scoring among FBS teams in 2020 to 2nd in the FBS in scoring in 2021.[9][10] During WKU's win in the 2021 Boca Raton Bowl, Zappe set new single-season FBS records for passing touchdowns and yardage.[11]

Texas Tech

Kittley was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech on December 5, 2021, joining head coach Joey McGuire in his first season.[12]

Personal life

Kittley is the son of Wes Kittley, who has been the track and field coach at Texas Tech since 2000 and was previously the track and field coach at Abilene Christian.[13][14] Kittley and his wife, Emily, have two sons.

References

  1. ↑ "Golding announces new Wildcats". Abilene Christian University Athletics. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  2. ↑ "WKU OC Zach Kittley and the road that led him to the Hill". College Heights Herald. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Dear Andy: Who are the under-the-radar coaches who might be Lincoln Riley-type wunderkinds?". The Athletic. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  4. ↑ "A branch from the Kliff Kingsbury tree: HBU's Zach Kittley". 247Sports. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Houston Baptist hiring Tech's Zach Kittley as offensive coordinator". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "Why Bailey Zappe and Houston Baptist are putting up 2020's wildest passing stats". The Athletic. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Hale, David M. (December 17, 2021). "Bailey Zappe's journey to a historic season for Western Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  8. ↑ "WKU Announces Zach Kittley as Offensive Coordinator and QB's Coach". Western Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "2021 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  10. ↑ "2020 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "Zappe gets records, WKU rolls past App St 59-38 in Boca Bowl". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  12. ↑ "College football: Zach Kittley chosen to be Texas Tech's offensive coordinator". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  13. ↑ "Abilene native Kittley carves out own niche as offensive coordinator for Houston Baptist". Abilene Reporter News. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "'Dream Come True': Texas Tech's Zach Kittley a Part of Red Raiders Family Tradition". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
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