FootballScoop is proud to announce that Doug Meacham and Rusty Burns (TCU) are the 2014 FootballScoop Wide Receivers Coaches of the Year presented by ProGrass.
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin drew the praise and postseason honors for the Horned Frogs' seven-win turnaround from 2013 to 2014, but it was Doug Meacham and Rusty Burns' deep group of wideouts that made the team's Big 12 co-championship possible.
The Frogs' passing offense averaged jumped more than 100 yards per game - improving from 73rd to seventh nationally - thanks to one of the deepest wide receiver corps in college football. By the end of TCU's Peach Bowl date with Ole Miss, five separate wide receivers will have hauled in at least 30 passes and, equally important, all five took turns serving as Boykin's primary target at separate points this season.
Josh Doctson led the way with 59 grabs for 959 yards and nine touchdowns (including a monster seven catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-9 win over Oklahoma State), while Kolby Listenbee caught 38 balls for 709 yards and three scores, Deante' Gray nabbed 34 passes for 564 yards and eight scores, David Porter secured 36 receptions for 377 yards and three touchdowns, and Ty Slanina hauled in 29 grabs for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, eight total wideouts caught at least 10 passes this season.
Overall, TCU threw for an average of 332.8 yards per game and an average of 13.4 yards on its 298 completions - most of any team in college football with at least 290 completions - with 33 total touchdowns, which ranks 12th nationally.
The Frogs also ranked among the top 15 in completions of 10-, 20-, 30-, 40- and 50-plus yards.
“Their relationship is awesome,” head coach Gary Patterson said of his assistants this spring. “I think the whole group has meshed real well. They’ve brought a lot of energy and new ideas.”
Meacham is in his first season as the Frogs' co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach. He spent the 2013 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston, and prior to that spent eight seasons coaching wide receivers at Oklahoma State. An Oklahoma State graduate, Meacham has also coordinated offenses at Samford, Henderson State, Jacksonville State and Georgia Military. Burns has completed six seasons on the TCU staff, and prior to that spent four seasons across the Metroplex as the offensive coordinator at SMU. A Springfield College graduate, Burns also has coordinator experience at Cincinnati, Wyoming, Memphis and Connecticut.
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by ProGrass are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (David Beaty [Texas A&M], Kendall Briles [Baylor], Donnie Kirkpatrick and Dave Nichol [East Carolina], Billy Napier [Alabama] and Meacham and Burns) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Meacham and Burns will receive their award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January.
Previous winners of the Wide Receivers Coach of the Year award are Bobby Kennedy (Texas, 2008), Zach Azzanni (Central Michigan, 2009), Brent Pease (Boise State, 2010), Ted Gilmore (USC, 2011), Matt Lubick (Duke, 2012) and Lawrence Dawsey (Florida State, 2013).
