Mike Leach Names Inside Receivers Coach, Announces New Staff Roles

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach announced the finalization of the Bulldogs' 2022 on-field coaching staff Monday.

Drew Hollingshead, who boasts more than a decade's worth of experience in the record-setting Air Raid offense, has been named the new inside wide receivers coach.

Other role changes include Matt Brock coaching all linebackers, Eric Mele serving as special teams coordinator, defensive coordinator Zach Arnett coaching safeties, and Jason Washington coaching running backs. In addition, outside wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. adds pass game coordinator to his duties, while offensive line coach Mason Miller adds run game coordinator to his role.

"We're excited to have our 2022 coaching staff roles finalized here in Starkville," Leach said. "I'm thrilled for our program's direction with this staff of hard-working football coaches and outstanding recruiters who share a unified vision for achieving success. Our players are already hard at work in the weight room this winter preparing for next season, and we can't wait to get back on the field in a couple of months for spring practices."

No stranger to Coach Leach, Hollingshead has served as an offensive assistant under Leach for the last six seasons. Hollingshead is the latest branch of Leach's coaching tree. One of the greatest coaching trees in the game, Leach's coaching tree includes former and current head coaches Lincoln Riley, Dave Aranda, Sonny Cumbie, Dana Holgorsen, Seth Littrell, Art Briles, Ken Wilson, Neal Brown, Josh Heupel, Eric Morris, Sonny Dykes, Kliff Kingsbury, Ruffin McNeill, assistant coaches Wes Welker, Bill Bedenbaugh, Robert Anae, Alex Grinch, Brandon Jones, and more.

"Drew is one of the rising offensive minds in college football and a tremendous coach, teacher and tactician of the game," Leach said. "He is incredibly detail oriented, brings a great deal of energy and passion to our program, and has played a pivotal role in our offensive success over the years. He will continue to make a positive impact on our team, and we are fortunate to have him at Mississippi State."

Hollingshead has been instrumental in helping develop Air Raid quarterbacks Luke Faulk (WSU), Gardner Minshew II (WSU), Anthony Gordon (WSU) and most recently Will Rogers (MSU) into some of the most prolific passers in college football. Faulk, Minshew II, Gordon and Rogers have each posted 4,000-plus yard passing seasons while ranking top five nationally in passing yards per game. In fact, Minshew II led the nation in passing in 2018 (367.6 ypg) and Gordon continued the trend in 2019 (429.2 ypg).

"I'm incredibly thankful for this opportunity," Hollingshead said. "I want to thank Coach Leach and Mississippi State for putting their trust in me. I'm excited to continue helping develop our program, coaching our players to reach their full potential, and working with this incredible staff."

Hollingshead has helped mentor Rogers the last two seasons in Starkville. In 2021, Rogers – at only 20 years old – became the first MSU quarterback to lead the SEC in passing yards per game (364.5). His 4,739 passing yards are the third most in SEC single-season history (the two quarterbacks ahead of Rogers played in two more games than he did during their respective seasons). Rogers and 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow of LSU are the only QBs in college football over the last 22 seasons to throw for 4,700+ yards and 35+ touchdowns while completing at least 73 percent of their passes. After breaking nearly every freshman passing mark in MSU history in 2020, Rogers broke 25 more records during his sophomore season in 2021, including Dak Prescott's records for single-season total offense, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Prescott set those records as a fourth-year junior and fifth-year senior.

A native of Rockwall, Texas, Hollingshead joined Leach at Washington State in February of 2016. He began his stint on the Cougars coaching staff as an offensive graduate assistant before becoming a quality control coach in 2018, a season where WSU posted its first 11-win season in school history and earned a share of the Pac-12 North Division title. The Cougars were ranked in the top 13 of each of the College Football Playoff rankings, including four consecutive weeks at No. 8.

Before his time at WSU, Hollingshead spent three seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce, where he served first as a quality control coach/quarterbacks coach in 2013 before moving on to a more on-the-field coaching role working with the Lion quarterbacks for the start of the 2014 season. Prior to Commerce, Hollingshead coached at Hyde Park Baptist High School in Austin, Texas, under coach Dean Campbell. He served an internship in spring 2013 with the Toronto Argonauts football staff in the Canadian Football League.

Hollingshead attended the University of Houston, where he played quarterback and graduated in three years with a degree in sports administration in August of 2012.

For more information on the Bulldog football program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateFB" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Mike Leach Names Inside Receivers Coach, Announces New Staff Roles

Players Mentioned

Will Rogers

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