Mack Leftwich

Last updated

Mack Leftwich
Current position
Title Offensive coordinator
Team Texas Tech
Conference Big 12
Biographical details
Born (1994-11-18) November 18, 1994 (age 30)
Denton, Texas
Playing career
2013–2016 UTEP
Position(s) Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2016 UTEP (SA)
2017 Lehman HS (TX) (OC/QB)
2018 Incarnate Word (GA)
2019–2021Incarnate Word (QB)
2022Incarnate Word (OC/QB)
2023–2024 Texas State (OC/QB)
2025–present Texas Tech (OC/QB)

Mack Hays Leftwich (born November 18, 1994) is an American football coach and former player. He is the offensive coordinator for Texas Tech Red Raiders football team.

Contents

Early life and playing career

Leftwich was born in Denton, Texas and spent most of his childhood there while his father, Spencer Leftwich, was the offensive line coach at the University of North Texas. He moved to Wexford, Pennsylvania and enrolled at North Allegheny Senior High School prior to his junior year of high school. [1] As a senior, he was named the Pennsylvania Player of the Year and first team All-State after completing 177-of-268 pass attempts for 3,331 yards with 45 touchdowns and four interceptions and also rushing 128 times for 553 yards and 10 touchdowns. [2] Leftwich initially committed to play college football at Stephen F. Austin University. [3] He later flipped his commitment to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where his father was the offensive line coach, after receiving a scholarship offer from head coach Sean Kugler, whose son was a teammate at North Allegheny. [4]

Leftwich entered his freshman season at UTEP with the intention of redshirting but ultimately started the last four games of the season, completing 44-of-75 pass attempts for 458 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He then redshirted his true sophomore season. [5] Leftwich was named the Miners' starting quarterback entering his redshirt sophomore season. [6] He started seven games, missing five games due to two separate concussions, and passed for 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions. During spring practices Leftwich suffered a serious shoulder injury that ultimately led him to retire from playing. [7]

Coaching career

Leftwich spent his redshirt junior season at UTEP as a student coach and added additional coursework to graduate with a degree in math education with hopes of landing a teaching and coaching position. [7] After graduating, he was hired to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Lehman High School. [8]

Leftwich became a graduate assistant at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in 2018. He was elevated to the Cardinals' quarterbacks coach after one season. Leftwich identified and was the primary recruiter of future Jerry Rice Award-winning quarterback Cam Ward. [9] He was originally expected to be hired to an off-field coaching position at Washington State after UIW head coach Eric Morris was hired to be the program's offensive coordinator. [10] Leftwich ultimately decided to stay at UIW and was subsequently promoted to offensive coordinator by new head coach G. J. Kinne. [11] [12] Incarnate Word averaged 52 and 581 yards per game and led the FCS in scoring in 2022 while quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. won the Walter Payton Award. [13] [14]

Leftwich was hired to be the offensive coordinator at Texas State on December 13, 2022, after Kinne was hired as the Bobcats' head coach. [15] He was nominated for the Broyles Award during his first season at Texas State. [16]

On December 6, 2024, Leftwich was hired as the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Leftwich</span> American football coach and former player (born 1980)

Byron Antron Leftwich is an American former professional football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, twice receiving MAC Most Valuable Player honors, and was selected seventh overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 NFL draft. Leftwich held a starting role with the Jaguars during his first four seasons and spent the remainder of his career as a backup for the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Steelers, he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XLIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Applewhite</span> American football player and coach (born 1978)

Major Lee Applewhite is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for the University of South Alabama, a position he has held since 2024. Prior to that he was the head coach at the University of Houston from 2017 to 2018, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He started his coaching career in 2003 and in addition to South Alabama and Houston he has held various positions at Texas, Syracuse, Rice and Alabama.

Sonny Jack Cumbie is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Cumbie previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech University and was the interim head coach after the departure of Matt Wells in 2021. He also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Christian University (TCU). Cumbie played college football at Texas Tech and was the team's starting quarterback during the 2004 season, when he led the nation in passing and total offense and a guided the Red Raiders to win in the 2004 Holiday Bowl, earning MVP honors for the game. Cumbie played professionally in the Arena Football League (AFL), the Indoor Football League (IFL), and briefly in the National Football League (NFL).

Darrell Ray Dickey is an American football coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike McCoy (American football coach)</span> American football coach and player (born 1972)

Michael P. McCoy is an American football coach and former player who is the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously spent time as quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers, the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, and four seasons as head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016.

Eric Morris is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of North Texas. He was previously the head football coach at the University of the Incarnate Word and offensive coordinator at Washington State University.

Gary Joe Kinne III is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach at Texas State University. He played as a quarterback and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Wells (American football coach)</span> American football player and coach (born 1973)

Matthew Scribner Wells is an American college football coach and former quarterback. He is the associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kansas State University. Wells previously served as offensive coordinator and then head coach at Utah State University, where he was named Mountain West Conference coach of the year in 2013 and 2018. Wells was named head football coach at Texas Tech University on November 29, 2018, and led the team until his firing midway through the 2021 season. He also served as an offensive analyst at the University of Oklahoma under head coach Brent Venables during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Hill (quarterback)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Kenneth Wade Hill Jr. is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently the associate head coach and running backs coach at Incarnate Word. He previously played for the Texas A&M Aggies and TCU Horned Frogs. In his first start with the Aggies, he broke Johnny Manziel's school single-game passing yards record with 511 yards.

Brent Forrest Stockstill is an American football coach and former player who is currently a defensive analyst for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). A former quarterback at Middle Tennessee, he set multiple career program records including passing yards, touchdown passes, completed passes, and pass attempts. Stockstill had also obtained a reputation for being one of the toughest players in college football for his ability to play while being hindered by injuries.

Zach Calzada is an American football quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats. He previously played for the Texas A&M Aggies, the Auburn Tigers, and the Incarnate Word Cardinals. Calzada attended and played high school football at Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, Georgia and began his college career at Texas A&M before transferring to Auburn in 2022.

Cameron Anthony Ward is an American football quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes. He previously played for the Incarnate Word Cardinals, winning the 2020 Jerry Rice Award, and the Washington State Cougars. He won the 2024 Davey O'Brien Award with Miami.

Kai Locksley is an American professional Canadian football quarterback and wide receiver who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Locksley played college football at Texas, Arizona Western College, Iowa Western Community College and University of Texas at El Paso.

Lindsey Scott Jr. is an American professional football quarterback for the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). He began his career with the LSU Tigers before transferring to the East Mississippi Lions, where he threw for over 3,400 yards and 29 touchdowns. After one year he transferred for a second time to the Missouri Tigers where he sat a year due to an injury. He transferred once again for a third time to FCS team, the Nicholls Colonels. Scott transferred as a graduate transfer for a fourth and final time to the Incarnate Word Cardinals and set FCS records for touchdown passes and touchdowns responsible for.

Justin Burke is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the UTSA Roadrunners football team.

Bryan Ellis is an American college football coach. He is the tight ends coach for the University of Alabama, a position he has held since 2024.

Clinton Killough is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Incarnate Word.

Jordan Davis is an American college football coach who is the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for North Texas Mean Green football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Texas State Bobcats football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Texas State Bobcats football team represented Texas State University as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first-year head coach G. J. Kinne and played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas. The Texas State Bobcats football team drew an average home attendance of 21,543 in 2023.

Conner McQueen is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Incarnate Word Cardinals football team.

References

  1. "Gorman: North Allegheny led by return of Mack". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . December 15, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  2. "North Allegheny QB named state's player of the year". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . December 20, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  3. "North Allegheny QB Leftwich commits to UTEP". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . December 12, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  4. Shanker, Jared (December 12, 2012). "QB Leftwich follows teammate's father". ESPN.com . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  5. "Miners aim to get big, just like Hogs". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . September 1, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  6. "UTEP Football: Mack Leftwich Named Starting Quarterback". KVIA.com. August 31, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Broaddus, Adrian (May 2, 2017). "Ex-starting QB embarking on teaching and coaching journey". The Prospector. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  8. "Former UTEP QB Mack Leftwich begins life as a coach". El Paso Times . April 14, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  9. Olson, Max (January 26, 2022). "The rise of a quarterback enigma: Cameron Ward's journey from zero-star prospect to FCS to Washington State". The Athletic . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  10. "Report: Washington State plans to hire two new assistants in receivers coach Joel Filani and running backs coach Mark Atuaia". The Spokesman-Review . December 20, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  11. "Incarnate Word aims to maintain success under new coach". San Antonio Express-News . September 2, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  12. "Kinne settling in through first spring at UIW". San Antonio Express-News . April 12, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  13. Cohen, Jason (December 16, 2022). "In San Antonio, the Geriatric College Quarterback Reigns Supreme". Texas Monthly . Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  14. "Incarnate Word North? Texas State's Kinne reshapes new coaches staff". Austin American-Statesman . January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  15. Craven, Mike (December 13, 2022). "Texas State hires Mack Leftwich as offensive coordinator". Dave Campbell's Texas Football . Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  16. "Leftwich nominee for 2023 Broyles award". San Marcos Daily Record . November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  17. Williams, Don (December 6, 2024). "Texas Tech football takes Mack Leftwich from Texas State to be OC". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved January 1, 2025.