Craig_Stutzmann

Craig Stutzmann

Craig Stutzmann

American football player and coach (born 1980)

Craig Keola Stutzmann (born July 14, 1980) is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive coordinator for the San Jose State Spartans. He was previously the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Washington State Cougars. He played college football for the Hawaii Warriors.

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Playing career

Stutzmann was a four-year letterman at the University of Hawaii, where he played wide receiver. He started in three seasons as a slotback in June Jones' run and shoot offense, garnering two honorable mentions in all-WAC selections on his way to 2,025 career receiving yards.[1] He made headlines in the final game of his college career in 2001 when he was ejected in the game against BYU for punting a football into the stands and jumping into them after scoring a touchdown.[2] Stutzmann has stated that he does not regret doing the punt and that he probably would've practiced to punt it higher.[3] He spent one season with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League after his college career before getting into coaching.

Coaching career

Early career

Stutzmann began his coaching career as Kalaheo High School in 2003, serving as the offensive coordinator for the football team. He was hired by his alma mater Saint Louis School in 2004 as a varsity assistant before being named the head coach of the junior varsity team in 2005.[4] He was named a graduate assistant on the coaching staff at Hawaii in 2008, before leaving to join Jerry Glanville's staff at Portland State in 2009 as a wide receivers coach. After Glanville resigned from Portland State in 2009, Stutzmann left and accepted a position at Memphis as a graduate assistant. He was named the wide receivers coach at Rhodes College in Memphis in 2011, only spending one season there before being named the wide receivers coach at Weber State in 2012.[5] He was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Emory & Henry in 2014, spending two seasons there before accepting a position on the coaching staff at Hawaii in 2016.[6][7]

Second stint at Hawaii

Stutzmann was hired at Hawaii as the team's passing game coordinator under former teammate Nick Rolovich.[1] He was also named the quarterbacks coach after Zak Hill left to be the offensive coordinator at Boise State.

After Rolovich left to be the next head coach at Washington State, Stutzmann was rumored to be a top candidate to replace Rolovich as head coach at Hawaii, garnering support from the Hawaii fanbase and received an endorsement from Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who played at Saint Louis while Stutzmann was coaching at the school.[8][9]

Washington State

After Todd Graham was hired as Rolovich's successor at Hawaii, Stutzmann was officially added to Rolovich's staff at Washington State.[10][11] He was named the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, sharing coordinator duties with Brian Smith. Washington State fired Stutzmann, along with Rolovich and three other assistants, for failing to comply with Washington's COVID-19 vaccination mandate.[12]

Utah Tech

In January 2022, Stutzmann was announced as the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah Tech, formerly known as Dixie State.[13]

Green Bay Packers

On May 11, 2022, Stutzmann was announced as a member of the Green Bay Packers Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program.[14]

San Jose State

Stutzmann joined San Jose State in 2024 as their offensive coordinator.[15]

Football strategy

After playing under the run and shoot for Jones and working alongside Rolovich as a coach, Stutzmann designed a spread offense variant called the "Spread-N-Shred" that he first implemented at Emory & Henry; the name was coined by Bristol Herald Courier writer Allen Gregory.[15][16] The system is described as a "wide-open offense" that places offensive players across the field to misalign defenses.[17][18]

Personal life and education

Born in Hilo, Hawaii and raised in Honolulu, Stutzmann attended Saint Louis School before attending the University of Hawaii.[6] He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Hawaii in 2002, and his master's in education from Hawaii in 2010.

Stutzmann and his wife, Briana, have one son.[19] His younger brother Billy Ray, also a wide receiver at Hawaii under Rolovich, was an offensive assistant at the US Naval Academy[20] before being terminated in September 2021, also for refusing to take a COVID vaccine.[21][22][23]

References

  1. [1]
    "Rainbow Warriors hire former WR Stutzmann as assistant". KHON2. January 30, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. [2]
    "Stutzmann's finishing kick was unexpected, but worth waiting for". the.honoluluadvertiser.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. [3]
    "To UH coaches and players alike, playing BYU still a deep source of motivation". KHON2. December 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  4. [4]
    Gregory, Allen (December 22, 2014). "E&H's Stutzmann has a Heisman connection". HeraldCourier.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  5. [5]
    "Rhodes College Football Hires Craig Stutzmann as Wide Receivers Coach". Rhodes College Athletics. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  6. [6]
    "Wright On: Hilo boy Stutzmann has a grasp for tradition in Xs and Os". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. July 19, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  7. [7]
    "Stutzmann tweets he's leaving Emory & Henry". HeraldCourier.com. January 29, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. [8]
    "Fans' vote: Online momentum swells for Stutzmann in UH vacancy". WarriorSportsNetwork.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  9. [9]
    "Marcus Mariota endorses Craig Stutzmann for University of Hawaii head football coach". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. January 16, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  10. [10]
    McInnis, Brian (January 23, 2020). "Hawaii football: Craig Stutzmann thanks islands in Twitter post". www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  11. [11]
    "Washington State football announces Nick Rolovich's first staff is finalized". CollegeFootballTalk. February 4, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  12. [12]
    "Cougars Make Leadership Change with Football Program". Washington State University Athletics. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  13. [13]
    "FB - Craig Stutzmann Tabbed as New Offensive Coordinator". dixiestateathletics.com. DSU Athletic Media Relations. January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  14. [14]
    "Wednesday's Transactions". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  15. [15]
    Weiner, Matt (January 22, 2024). "San Jose State Hires Craig Stutzmann As New Offensive Coordinator". USA Today. Mountain West Wire. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  16. [16]
    "'Bows Getting Reacquainted With Now-Coach Stutzmann In Spring Ball". Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. April 6, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  17. [17]
    Haag, Michael (August 31, 2023). "Baylor prediction: Can Bears protect home field, start year strong?". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  18. [18]
    Brice, John (January 22, 2024). "San Jose State makes bold offensive coordinator hire". Footballscoop. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  19. [19]
    "Idaho State Athletics - Craig Stutzmann - 2010 Football Coaching Staff - Idaho State University". isubengals.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  20. [20]
    Tsai, Stephen (January 15, 2019). "Former Hawaii receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann joining Navy coaching staff". The Star Advertiser. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  21. [21]
    Bumbaca, Chris (September 14, 2021). "Navy football fires assistant coach Billy Ray Stutzmann for not receiving COVID-19 vaccine". USA Today. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  22. [22]
    "Navy assistant coach Billy Ray Stutzmann fired after failing to receive exemption for COVID-19 vaccine". CBSSports.com. September 13, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  23. [23]
    Lawson, Theo (September 13, 2013). "'I'm not going to talk about that.' Washington State's Nick Rolovich remains mum on vaccine status with 36 days until deadline". NBC Right Now. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
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