The FAU Owls have their new head coach. After reports from Bruce Feldman and other college football reporters, the university officially announced the hiring of Zach Kittley as the new head coach of FAU on Monday night. Athletic Director Brian White spoke about the hiring in a press release that was put on the school’s website.
“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. 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.”
The school’s president, Stacy Volnick, also spoke about the hire.
“What was clearly evident to me was Zach’s passion and excitement for the potential at Florida Atlantic. He is an incredibly impressive person. I am excited about his authenticity, his energy, and his family-oriented approach. He is an ideal fit, and I welcome him, his wife Emily, and his family to our University. I look forward to the leadership he will provide to our program.”
FAU finds next head coach in Zach Kittley
Kittley made his first statement on the team website, highlighting his excitement about receiving the position.
“I am thrilled at this opportunity to be the head coach at Florida Atlantic [and] 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. [And] I know we can win here. We have tremendous leadership from the top down to create a championship program. I am excited to get to know the student-athletes, build a staff, get out in the community, and engage our tremendous supporters. My wife, Emily, and my family are excited and can’t wait to get to Boca Raton!”
Let’s get to work @ZKittley 💪#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/eT8G9rTJaK
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) December 3, 2024
Star NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised the hire for the Owls in a statement released on Monday.
“Coach Kittley played a huge role in my development on and off the field as my QB coach in college. Our relationship has continued, and I am beyond proud of the work he has done as OC and QB coach at Houston Baptist, Western Kentucky, and Texas Tech. He will do a tremendous job as head coach at Florida Atlantic. You got yourself a good one down there in Boca Raton!”
Before getting the FAU job, Kittley was the Texas Tech offensive coordinator and the Western Kentucky offensive coordinator. At WKU in 2021, Kittley helped future NFL quarterback Bailey Zappe break the single-season FBS passing yards and passing touchdown records. He also helped the Hilltoppers go from a bottom-tier offense to the second-best offense in the country.
At Texas Tech this season, Kittley has helped the offense lead the Big 12 in total offense and total scoring. They have averaged 38.6 points per game, rushed for 2,209 yards, and averaged 298 passing yards and three passing touchdowns per game.
After a season where the offense got stuck in the mud at times, the Owls are set to potentially take flight under the youngest FBS coach and his Air Raid offense scheme.
It will be fascinating to see how the staff and roster develop for FAU under Kittley. But for the new regime’s first step, it seems that FAU made a fun and exciting one.
