FAU makes Kittley youngest head coach in FBS

Florida Atlantic has hired Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley as its next head coach, the school announced Monday.

The 33-year-old is now the youngest head coach in the FBS.

“Following an extensive search with a tremendous amount of interest from candidates across the country, Zach emerged as the ideal choice to be our next head coach,” FAU athletic director Brian White said in a statement. “He is a man of high integrity and character, with an incredible reputation in the profession for player development. Zach is one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, and I am confident in his ability to build a championship program with an exciting brand of football that can be a source of pride for our fans, our alumni, and the FAU community.”

Kittley has led some of the top passing offenses in college football during his stints as offensive coordinator at Texas Tech, Western Kentucky and FCS program Houston Christian. The Red Raiders produced the No. 9 passing offense in the FBS this season during their run to an 8-4 regular season, and they ranked 12th nationally in passing in 2022.

Kittley, a Kliff Kingsbury protégé, returned to Lubbock, Texas, under coach Joey McGuire after one season at Western Kentucky, where he coached the No. 1 passing offense and No. 2 scoring offense in the FBS. Hilltoppers quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns in 14 games and became a fourth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots.

“I am thrilled at this opportunity to be the head coach at Florida Atlantic,” Kittley said in a statement. “I am extremely grateful. I want to thank Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White and President Stacy Volnick for believing in me to take over this nationally-regarded program. I know we can win here, and we have tremendous leadership from the top down to create a championship program.”

FAU fired coach Tom Herman on Nov. 18 amid an 0-6 start to AAC play and finished 3-9 this season. Herman, the former head coach at Texas and Houston, went 6-16 in less than two seasons.

Kittley served in various roles under Kingsbury from 2013 to 2017, rising from student assistant to assistant quarterbacks coach. During that time, he worked closely with Kingsbury in developing Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ three-time Super Bowl champion.

Kittley is the son of longtime Texas Tech track and field coach Wes Kittley and played basketball at Abilene Christian before finishing his degree at Texas Tech.