We all knew the obvious ones, but I forgot about Holman Wiggins, Galen Scott and Rohrk Cutchlow being on the Memphis staff...
From Memphis Commercial Appeal:
TULSA -- Tonight's game against Tulsa will be a homecoming for Memphis coach Justin Fuente, who was born in the city and graduated from Union High School here. But he is not the only member of Memphis' staff with Tulsa connections.
The most notable tie, of course, is Bill Blankenship, who coached Fuente in high school and was the head coach at Tulsa for the previous four years. He joined Memphis just before the season as an offensive analyst.
"To say that it won’t be different for him is a lie," Fuente said of Blankenship. "He recruited these kids, he knows these kids, their families. That’s obviously his alma mater and all those sorts of things. So I imagine it’ll be a little different for him.”
Brent Guy, who was Blankenship's defensive coordinator at Tulsa, also joined Memphis as safeties coach this year.
Fuente has long counted Blankenship as one of his closest mentors. The two have talked frequently since Fuente entered the profession, with each serving as a resource for the other.
On the day Blankenship was named head coach at Tulsa, for example, Fuente gave him a call.
"You need to hire Holmon Wiggins," Fuente said.
Wiggins was the running backs coach at Illinois State, where he had overlapped with Fuente a few years earlier. Blankenship hired him as Tulsa's running backs coach. One year later, when Fuente was hired at Memphis, he called Blankenship again.
"I know why you're calling me," Blankenship replied.
"You're right," Fuente said. "I'd like to talk to Holmon Wiggins."
Wiggins has coached the wide receivers at Memphis since 2012.
A similar situation occurred with director of athletic performance Rohrk Cutchlow. Cutchlow directed the strength and conditioning program at Illinois State for eight years. Fuente recommended him to Blankenship. He spent one season at Tulsa before Fuente called in early 2012. Cutchlow has been at Memphis, which is coincidentally his alma mater, ever since.
Memphis defensive coordinator Galen Scott, who was Fuente's roommate for several years when they were at Illinois State, also spent two years on the staff at Tulsa, before Blankenship was coach. He worked with the outside linebackers and safeties in 2008 and cornerbacks in 2009. He was already on staff when Fuente took over at Memphis and served as the lone holdover from the Larry Porter era.
Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Brad Cornelsen, offensive line coach Vance Vice and linebackers Jackson Dillon and Phillip Sumpter are all Oklahoma natives.
From Memphis Commercial Appeal:
TULSA -- Tonight's game against Tulsa will be a homecoming for Memphis coach Justin Fuente, who was born in the city and graduated from Union High School here. But he is not the only member of Memphis' staff with Tulsa connections.
The most notable tie, of course, is Bill Blankenship, who coached Fuente in high school and was the head coach at Tulsa for the previous four years. He joined Memphis just before the season as an offensive analyst.
"To say that it won’t be different for him is a lie," Fuente said of Blankenship. "He recruited these kids, he knows these kids, their families. That’s obviously his alma mater and all those sorts of things. So I imagine it’ll be a little different for him.”
Brent Guy, who was Blankenship's defensive coordinator at Tulsa, also joined Memphis as safeties coach this year.
Fuente has long counted Blankenship as one of his closest mentors. The two have talked frequently since Fuente entered the profession, with each serving as a resource for the other.
On the day Blankenship was named head coach at Tulsa, for example, Fuente gave him a call.
"You need to hire Holmon Wiggins," Fuente said.
Wiggins was the running backs coach at Illinois State, where he had overlapped with Fuente a few years earlier. Blankenship hired him as Tulsa's running backs coach. One year later, when Fuente was hired at Memphis, he called Blankenship again.
"I know why you're calling me," Blankenship replied.
"You're right," Fuente said. "I'd like to talk to Holmon Wiggins."
Wiggins has coached the wide receivers at Memphis since 2012.
A similar situation occurred with director of athletic performance Rohrk Cutchlow. Cutchlow directed the strength and conditioning program at Illinois State for eight years. Fuente recommended him to Blankenship. He spent one season at Tulsa before Fuente called in early 2012. Cutchlow has been at Memphis, which is coincidentally his alma mater, ever since.
Memphis defensive coordinator Galen Scott, who was Fuente's roommate for several years when they were at Illinois State, also spent two years on the staff at Tulsa, before Blankenship was coach. He worked with the outside linebackers and safeties in 2008 and cornerbacks in 2009. He was already on staff when Fuente took over at Memphis and served as the lone holdover from the Larry Porter era.
Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Brad Cornelsen, offensive line coach Vance Vice and linebackers Jackson Dillon and Phillip Sumpter are all Oklahoma natives.
