Virginia Military Institute is turning inward to find its next offensive coordinator.
Keydets head coach Scott Wachenheim is promoting Patrick Ashford, most recently VMI’s wide receivers coach, to offensive play-caller and quarterbacks coach.
Ashford fills the role vacated when previous Keydets offensive coordinator Billy Cosh accepted the same post at Richmond University.
For Ashford, it’s another ascending move in a career that’s been on a direct climb.
A former University of Tennessee backup-quarterback and starting holder on Vols’ squads that won a pair of New Year’s Day bowl games, Ashford has previously coached at Austin Peay State University as well as in the Southeastern Conference in Derek Mason’s Vanderbilt University program.
A native of Morristown, Tennessee, some 40 miles east of Knoxville, Ashford also is part of Jason Simpson’s coaching tree from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Ashford, perhaps best known by Vols fans for his brilliant execution on fake-field-goal-touchdown-pass to Alex Ellis against Missouri, spent time as the Skyhawks’ quarterbacks coach before a two-year stint on Will Healy's APSU staff.
Ashford helmed a key role for Wacchenheim’s Keydets program during its break-through 2020 season – which was played in the spring of 2021. VMI set a bevy of program-records during that campaign, which included a Southern Conference championship and advancement into the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Ashford also helped coach wideout Jake Herres to All-America and top SoCon honors.