LOGAN, Utah – Anthony Tucker, who has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience, has been hired as Utah State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, it was announced Friday by Aggie head football coach Blake Anderson. In all, Tucker has coached in seven bowl games and helped three teams win conference championships.
“Coach Anderson has put together a staff of quality people with great energy and football acumen,” said Tucker. “I’m extremely excited to be a part of this next great chapter of Utah State Aggie football.”
Tucker comes to Utah State after spending the past three years at UCF as he helped the Golden Knights to a 28-8 record, including a 19-5 conference mark, and three bowl games. Highlighting this stint was the 2018 season, as UCF won the American Athletic Conference with an 8-0 record and finished the year ranked No. 11 in the nation with a 12-1 record, culminating in an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
Tucker spent the 2018 season as the Knights’ running backs coach, added the title of passing game coordinator in 2019 and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2020. Under the direction of Tucker, the UCF running game produced the best three-year stretch in school history as the team rushed for a school record 3,448 yards (265.2 yards per game) and a school-best 43 touchdowns in 2018, 2,909 yards (223.8 ypg) and 34 touchdowns in 2019, and 2,107 yards (210.7 ypg) and 23 touchdowns in 2020.
“Anthony obviously did an outstanding job at UCF and was an important part of their success the last three seasons,” said Anderson. “His offensive style is cutting edge and dynamic, and his West Coast background is critical for our recruiting moving forward. Anthony’s energy and offensive knowledge will be a great asset for the rest of our staff.”
This past season, Tucker served as the co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach for a UCF team that ranked second in the nation in total offense (568.1 yards per game), third in passing offense (357.4 ypg), ninth in scoring offense (42.2 points per game) and 25th in rushing offense (210.7 ypg). Furthermore, UCF had seven offensive players earn all-conference honors in 2020, including wide receiver Marlon Williams, who was named a Pro Football Focus Third-Team All-American. The Golden Knights finished the 2020 season with an appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl.
During the 2019 season, Tucker helped UCF to a 10-3 record and a win in the Gasparilla Bowl. The Knights finished the season second in the nation in total offense (540.5 yards per game), fifth in scoring offense (43.4 points per game), eighth in passing offense (316.7 ypg) and 19th in rushing offense (223.8 ypg).
The Knights’ rushing attack in 2018 under Tucker set program records with 3,448 rushing yards, 265.2 rushing yards per game, 43 rushing touchdowns and 5.8 yards per carry. UCF ranked fifth in the nation with 347 first downs, eighth in rushing offense, fifth with 522.7 yards of total offense per game and sixth in scoring with 43.2 points per game.
Prior to UCF, Tucker spent two seasons as running backs coach at Maryland. In 2016, the Terps rushed for 2,594 yards and 26 touchdowns, and finished its season with an appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl. The 2016 season marked the first time UM had eclipsed 2,500 rushing yards since 2003, while its rushing touchdowns were the most since 2007.
Tucker also spent three seasons coaching the running backs (2014-15) and wide receivers (2013) at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves were extremely successful during Tucker’s tenure, winning the 2013 Sun Belt Conference title and earning trips to bowl games in all three seasons. In 2015, Tucker’s running backs helped set school records for points scored and touchdowns, while rushing for 3,007 yards and averaging 4.95 yards per carry to rank 15th in the nation for rushing offense. In 2014, the Red Wolves set a school record for total offense and ranked 25th in the nation in rushing offense.
At Idaho State during the 2011-12 seasons, Tucker coached wide receivers on a squad that was among the top 10 in the nation in passing in back-to-back seasons. He was also an offensive technical assistant at Colorado in 2010 and coached wide receivers and was the passing game coordinator at Lakewood (California) High School from 2006-09.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Tucker played professional football. He signed as a free agent with the New York Giants in 1999 and earned a practice squad spot in 2000. He later played for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 2001 and signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2002 before suffering a career-ending injury.
Tucker holds a bachelor’s degree from Fresno State, where he was a two-year starter at wide receiver. He was a Western Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete and a three-time member of the Dean’s List, and was once a member of the President’s List by virtue of having a 4.0 GPA.
ANTHONY TUCKER FILE
Coaching History
2021- Utah State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2020 UCF – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
2019 UCF – Passing Game Coordinator/Running Backs
2018 UCF – Running Backs
2016-17 Maryland – Running Backs
2013-15 Arkansas State – Graduate Assistant
2011-12 Idaho State – Wide Receivers
2010 Colorado – Offensive Technical Assistant
2006-09 Lakewood (Calif.) HS – Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Bowl Games (7)
UCF (3): 2020 Boca Raton Bowl; 2019 Gasparilla Bowl; 2018 Fiesta Bowl
Arkansas State (3): 2015 New Orleans Bowl; 2014 GoDaddy.com Bowl; 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl
Maryland (1): 2016 Quick Lane Bowl
Conference Championships (3)
UCF (1) – American Athletic Conference, 2018
Arkansas State (2) – Sun Belt Conference, 2015, 2013
Playing Experience:
2002 St. Louis Rams – Wide Receiver
2001 Amsterdam Admirals – Wide Receiver
1999-2000 New York Giants – Wide Receiver
1994-98 Fresno State – Wide Receiver
Education
1999 Fresno State – Criminology (B.S.)