AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State head football coach Gene Chizik has hired Utah's Jay Boulware as special teams coordinator and running backs coach. Boulware, who has been the Utes' co-special teams coordinator and tight ends coach the past two seasons, has made previous coaching stops at Stanford, Arizona, Northern Illinois and his alma mater, Texas.
Under Boulware's supervision, Utah's kickoff return unit led the Mountain West Conference, averaging 21.81 yards per return. Kickoff returner Brice McCain was second in the league in kickoff returns, averaging 22.44 yards per return. Utah's Marquis Wilson ranked second in the Mountain West Conference and 23rd in the nation with an average return of 11.2 yards per effort. In 2005, the Ute kickoff return team finished second in the Mountain West Conference and 30th in the nation last year (22.1 average).
“Jay has extensive experience coaching in four different college conferences,” Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik said. “He did a great job with special teams at Utah. He also has Big 12 ties and that played a part in his decision to come here.”
On an individual front in 2005, Boulware helped freshman kick returner Brent Casteel earn honorable mention Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News. Casteel averaged 23.2 yards on 20 returns.
“I played at Texas when we won the first Big 12 Conference championship (1996),” Boulware said. “I want a chance to win another Big 12 title and along with the opportunity to work with Gene Chizik, getting back in the conference I coached in was a factor in coming to Iowa State.”
His coaching career began while he was still a student-athlete at the University of Texas. After earning two letters, he became a student-assistant coach for the Longhorns and participated in that capacity in two bowl games: the 1994 Sun Bowl and 1995 Sugar Bowl. He spent the 1996 season as a Longhorn graduate assistant working with the tight ends. One of the players he coached--Pat Fitzgerald--was named a first-team All-American. The Texas tight ends caught 51 passes that year and helped the Longhorns win the Big XII championship, beat No. 3 Nebraska in the first Big XII Conference championship game and play Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.
A year later, Boulware embarked on a full-time coaching career that would take him from Northern Illinois to Arizona and Stanford, before joining the Utah staff in 2005.
He spent the 1997-2000 seasons at Northern Illinois, coaching the tight ends for one season and earning a promotion to co-offensive line coach. In 2000, Boulware helped develop one the best offenses in college football as the Huskies ranked 12th in the nation in rushing and scoring and 19th in total offense. NIU's center, McAllister Collins, was named first-team all-Mid-American Conference. Ryan Diem, a three-year starter for Boulware, was a two-time all-MAC selection. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2001.
Arizona lured Boulware away from NIU and he served a three-year tenure with the Wildcats. He coached the tight ends in 2001 and the running backs from 2002-03, including second-team all-conference running back Mike Bell. He was also the Wildcats' special teams coordinator in 2003. He spent the 2004 season at Stanford coaching the running backs.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2005- Utah
Tight Ends
Co-Special Teams Coord.
2004 Stanford
Running Backs
2001-03 Arizona
2001 Tight Ends
2002 Running Backs
2003 Running Backs
Special Teams Coordinator
1997-2000 Northern Illinois
1998-00 Co-Offensive Line
1997 Tight Ends
1994-96 Texas
1994-95 Student Assistant
1996 Graduate Assistant
Tight Ends
BOWL EXPERIENCE
1994 Sun Bowl
1995 Sugar Bowl
1996 (1997) Fiesta Bowl
2005 Emerald Bowl
