Arkansas State retains Drinkwitz

Friday, December 28, 2012

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Arkansas State’s position group most loaded with returning players will be playing for the same coach next season.

Newly hired Arkansas State Coach Bryan Harsin announced Thursday that running backs coach Eliah Drinkwitz will be retained in that same role for next season.

The hire keeps Drinkwitz, who was brought in last season when Gus Malzahn was hired, in charge of a group of running backs that helped Arkansas State rush for an average of 217.4 yards per game in2012, tops in the Sun Belt Conference and 21st in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.

“[Drinkwitz] did an outstanding job here this season, and he was instrumental in the development of the top offense in the conference,” Harsin said through a university news release. “He is young and energetic and an up-and-coming coach with not only a passion for coaching, but also for his players.”

Drinkwitz joins John Thompson as the second member of Malzahn’s staff to be retained by Harsin, who was introduced as Malzahn’s replacement Dec. 12 after serving two seasons as co-offensive coordinator at Texas.

Harsin announced last week that Thompson would be held over as defensive coordinator, the same title he held this season, after serving as interim head coach through ASU’s game against Kent State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Jan. 6 in Mobile, Ala.

Along with Drinkwitz and Thompson, Harsin also hired Blake Baker, who spent the past three seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Texas. Baker will be a defensive coach, with his specificduties being announced at a later date, and Jeff Pitman has been hired as strength and conditioning coach after spending the past three seasons at Western Carolina.

Drinkwitz also coordinated special teams for ASU this season, a group that struggled at times. The Red Wolves ranked eighth or below in the Sun Belt in kickoff returns, punt returns and punting. Thursday’s news release did not mention special teams duties, and an ASU officialsaid it will be decided at a later time.

Drinkwitz, an Alma native who went to Arkansas Tech and was a graduate assistant at Auburn before arriving in Jonesboro last year, should have plenty to work with in the backfield.

The group will be headed by David Oku, who rushed for 1,024 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. All six of ASU’s running backs who received carries this season are expected to return in 2013, including freshman Rocky Hayes, who averaged 9.6 yards per carry after being moved from defensive back.

Drinkwitz is the third of nine hires Harsin will make, with future hires presumably to be an offensive coordinator and coaches for the offensive line, wide receivers, defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs.

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, offensive line coach J.B. Grimes and strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell have joined Malzahn at Auburn, but Lashlee will help ASU through the bowl game.

Harsin hasn’t given a timetable for completing his staff, but coaches can begin contacting recruits again Jan. 4 following an almost threeweek dead period.

Sports, Pages 17 on 12/28/2012