Cougars announce four more assistant coaches, staff now finalized

PULLMAN, Wash. (Feb. 3, 2020) – Washington State head football coach Nick Rolovich announced Monday the hiring of four assistant coaches to work with the Cougar offense.

Andre Allen will coach the wide receivers, Brian Smith will serve as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach, Craig Stutzmann will be the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Mark Weber will coach the offensive line. All four coaches spent multiple seasons working with Rolovich at Hawai’i.

Andre Allen, Wide Receivers

“I have known coach Allen for a long time and I’ve respected his knowledge and desire to develop athletes into young men,” Rolovich said. “He is one of the best coaches at teaching the run-and-shoot offense and I know first-hand from playing for him at San Francisco City College. Coach Allen is a perfect fit for our offense and his loyalty as a man also makes him a perfect fit for our program and community.”

Allen worked the past two seasons in the same role for coach Rolovich at Hawai’i, helping UH to back-to-back winning seasons including a 10-5 mark and Hawaii Bowl win over BYU in 2019. The San Francisco native spent his previous 27 seasons coaching at the City College of San Francisco, helping CCSF to three national titles (2007, 2011, 2015) and eight Northern California Championships. At CCSF, Allen coached graduated Cougar wide receiver Easop Winston Jr., quarterback Anthony Gordon and offensive lineman Robert Valencia, and also coached Rolovich who played quarterback at CCSF (1998-99).

In the past two seasons, Allen saw the Hawai’i offense improve in total offense and passing offense while producing the country’s ninth-rated passing offense in 2018 and the fifth-best passing attack in 2019. This past season, three of Allen’s receivers recorded 1,000-yard seasons, just the sixth team in NCAA FBS history to have a trio of 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. A pair of Hawaii receivers earned All-Mountain West Conference accolades including first-team selection Cedric Byrd II and second-team pick JoJo Ward who caught 10 and 11 touchdowns, respectively.

In 2018, the Hawai’i offense finish ninth in the country in passing offense and wide receiver John Ursua led the country with 16 touchdown catches and fifth in receiving yards (1,343). Ursua was a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist, a Polynesian Football Hall of Fame College Player of the Year Finalist and was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

Prior to joining Rolovich in Hawai’i, Allen spent 27 seasons at the City College of San Francisco where he coached 26 players who earned FBS scholarships including recently graduated Cougar wide receiver Easop Winston Jr., quarterback Anthony Gordon and offensive lineman Robert Valencia. Allen was CCSF’s wide receivers coach (1992-96), passing coordinator and wide receivers coach (1997-2004) and offensive coordinator (2005-17). Allen helped CCSF capture three national titles (2007, 2011, 2015), eight Northern California championships, 21 conference titles and coached every Top-10 receiver in the CCSF record book led by Winston Jr.

At CCSF, Allen organized and managed the Athletic Scholastic Achievement Study Hall Program for student-athletes where 90 percent of his players successfully transferred into four-year schools.

Brian Smith, Offensive Coordinator / Running Backs

 “Brian is an excellent coach top-to-bottom on the offensive side of the ball. He brings a great perspective to our offense, he is one of the few former offensive line coaches that I’ve been around who also understands the route concepts and run-game concepts for all skill positions at a high level,” Rolovich said. “Brian is a great family man, is very loyal and trustworthy and has a lot of experience recruiting in southern California.”

Smith worked the past four seasons in the same role for coach Rolovich at Hawai’i, helping UH to back-to-back winning seasons including a 10-5 mark and Hawaii Bowl win over BYU in 2019. Smith, a former Hawaii offensive lineman (1998-2001), owns 14 years of coaching experience and has coached 20 NFL players and six All-Americans.

Smith guided a Hawai’i offense that improved in total offense and passing offense in each of the past four seasons, produced the country’s ninth-rated passing offense in 2018, the fifth-best passing attack in 2019 and averaged over 30 points-per-game in each of the past two seasons. The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native saw the Hawai’i offense earn 12 All-Mountain West selections in his four seasons highlighted by 2018 Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist and Polynesian Football Hall of Fame College Player of the Year Finalist wideout John Ursua who was later selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

With Smith at the helm of the run-and-shoot the past four seasons, Hawai’i saw a pair of 1,000-yard rushers and five receivers post 1,000-yard seasons including three in 2019, just the sixth team in NCAA FBS history to have a trio of 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. Smith mentored two-time All-Mountain West Conference quarterback Cole McDonald who finished 2019 third in the country in passing yards (4,135), seventh in passing yards-per-game (295.4), eighth nationally in touchdown passes (33) and was second on the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

In 2018, Smith saw the Hawai’i offense finish ninth in the country in passing offense, McDonald passed for the sixth-most touchdowns (36) and eight-most yards (3,875) nationally while wide receiver John Ursua led the country with 16 touchdown catches and was fifth in receiving yards (1,343).

In his first two seasons as offensive coordinator, Smith helped UH produce a dynamic rushing attack as well, averaging 163.8 rushing yards-per-game in 2016 and 168.2 rushing yards-per-game in 2017, Hawai’i’s highest averages since 1995. Smith also mentored running back Diocemy Saint Juste who recorded the first back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons on the ground in program history capped by a school-record 1,510 yard-campaign in 2017, breaking 18 school records along the way.

In the 2016, UH featured a 1,000-yard rusher (Diocemy Saint Juste, 1,006) and 1,000-yard receiver (Marcus Kemp, 1,100) in the same season (2016) for just the second time in program history.

Craig Stutzmann, Co-Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks

“Craig is coming to Pullman as an outstanding quarterback coach, he is an excellent technician and has created a great foundation in coaching the run-and-shoot offense,” Rolovich said. “When we first started coaching together, it was tough for me to give up coaching the quarterbacks but Craig has been excellent at evaluating, teaching and developing the position. He helped coach Marcus Mariota in high school, he coached a 3,000-yard passer in each of the last two seasons, is a strong recruiter in the state of Hawaii and will be a great fit in Pullman!”

Stutzmann worked the past four seasons in the same role for coach Rolovich at Hawai’i, helping UH to three bowl games including a 10-5 mark and Hawaii Bowl win over BYU in 2019. The former two-time honorable-mention All-WAC selection as a wide receiver at Hawaii, helped direct a Warrior offense that improved in total offense and passing offense in each of the past four seasons, producing the country’s ninth-rated passing offense in 2018, the fifth-best passing attack in 2019 and an offense that averaged over 30 points-per-game in each of the past two seasons.

This past season, Stutzmann was named one of six finalists for the FootballScoop National Quarterback Coach of the Year after mentoring two-time All-Mountain West Conference quarterback Cole McDonald. The senior finished 2019 third in the country in passing yards (4,135), seventh in passing yards-per-game (295.4), eighth in touchdown passes (33) and was second on the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

In 2018, Stutzmann helped the Hawai’i offense finish ninth in the country in passing offense as McDonald passed for the sixth-most touchdowns (36) and eighth-most yards (3,875) nationally while wide receiver John Ursua led the country with 16 touchdown catches and was fifth in receiving yards (1,343).

The Honolulu native helped the Hawaii offense earn 12 All-Mountain West selections in his four seasons highlighted by 2018 Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist and Polynesian Football Hall of Fame College Player of the Year Finalist wideout John Ursua who was later selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

Stutzmann coached at Kalaheo High School in Kailua, O‘ahu, where he spent the 2003 season as a teacher and offensive coordinator before moving on to his alma mater, Saint Louis High School, where he coached for four years (2004-07), three as junior varsity head coach. At Saint Louis, he coached Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft for the Tennessee Titans.

Mark Weber, Offensive Line

“Mark is a veteran offensive line coach who is making his third coaching stop in the Pac-12 so he knows the league well. He has coached various schemes and his groups always play with great chemistry,” Rolovich said. “Mark has seen his groups earn a number of accolades during his career including seven-time Pro-Bowler Logan Mankins at Fresno State and Outland Trophy Winner Kris Farris at UCLA. Mark is well connected in recruiting throughout the northwest, Utah and California and will be a great fit in Pullman.”

Weber worked the past two seasons in the same role for coach Rolovich at Hawai’i where he helped UH to back-to-back winning seasons including a 10-5 mark and Hawaii Bowl win over BYU in 2019. Weber owns 38 years of coaching experience including in the Pac-12 Conference at UCLA and Oregon State and in the ACC at North Carolina. He has coached in 19 bowl games and put a number of offensive linemen into the NFL including 1998 Outland Trophy winner Kris Farris at UCLA.

Weber saw his offensive line block for a Hawai’i offense that improved in total offense and passing offense in each of the past two seasons while producing the country’s ninth-rated passing offense in 2018 and fifth-best passing attack in 2019. The Van Nuys, Calif. native produced four All-Mountain West Conference selections the past two seasons in Honolulu while protecting two-time All-MWC quarterback Cole McDonald. Hawaii also rushed for 2,009 yards and 21 touchdowns as a team in 2019 led by Miles Reed’s 908 rushing yards.

Weber joined the Hawai’i coaching staff after working the 2016 season as the run game coordinator and offensive coach at Fresno State, his second stint with the Bulldogs. During his first stop in Fresno (2004-05), Weber coached 2005 NFL first-round pick Logan Mankins who went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL and was named to seven Pro Bowls including six with the New England Patriots.

Weber spent three years at Utah State (2013-15) as offensive line and associate head coach, where he mentored 10 linemen who earned All-MWC honors, including second-team All-American and Rimington Trophy finalist Tyler Larsen. Weber has made four stops at Mountain West schools – Fresno State (2004-05, ’16), Utah State (2013-15), UNLV (1994-96) and Nevada (1993) and twice coached in the Pac-10/12 – UCLA (1997-2003) and Oregon State (1987-90). Weber also coached BYU offensive line from 2007-12 where the Cougars reached bowl games all seven seasons while producing six first-team All-MWC selections highlighted by All-Americans Dallas Reynolds and Matt Reynolds.

In Weber’s time at UCLA (1997-2003), he mentored three freshmen All-Americans and six players who garnered All-Pac-10 honors including 1998 Outland Trophy winner Kris Farris. Weber, who has coached on five conference championship teams, helped the Bruins capture the 1998 Pac-10 Conference title and earned a trip to the 1999 Rose Bowl.

Weber started his coaching career as an assistant at Los Angeles Valley College in 1979 and later worked as a graduate assistant on the Idaho State team that went on to win the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship in 1981.

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