Ben McDaniels Named Wide Receivers Coach
Feb 11 | Football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (February 11, 2014) – Rutgers head football coach Kyle Flood announced Tuesday the hiring of Ben McDaniels as wide receivers coach. The former NFL assistant, who spent the previous two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fills the final vacancy for a full-time assistant coach on Flood’s staff.
“Ben is a bright, young offensive coach who will be a great addition to our Rutgers football family,” said Flood. “His experience both in the NFL and on the college level will be an asset to our coaching staff and players.”
During his time with the Buccaneers, McDaniels served as an offensive assistant for the previous two seasons. In 2013, he assisted with the development of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon. Glennon finished with the top passer rating (82.0) among rookies last year and was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. Glennon set rookie franchise marks for passing yards and touchdowns.
In 2012, the Tampa offense set team records for passing yards, total yards and points scored. McDaniels was part of an offensive staff that helped wide receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Doug Martin earn Pro Bowl invitations.
McDaniels also spent time on the coaching staff of the Denver Broncos, serving as a coaching assistant in 2009 and quarterbacks coach in 2010, before being hired as Columbia’s offensive coordinator in December of 2011.
During his tenure with the Broncos, McDaniels helped direct the seventh-best pass offense in the NFL in 2010 as quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow combined for 4,307 yards passing and 25 touchdowns. Tebow also totaled six rushing touchdowns as the two quarterbacks combined to throw just 12 interceptions.
In 2009, McDaniels was part of an offensive coaching staff in Denver that helped Orton to a career year, setting a personal best with 3,802 yards passing, the second-highest mark in the NFL among players in their first year with a team. The Broncos tied for seventh in the NFL with only 23 turnovers, marking the fourth-lowest total in team history at the time.
McDaniels is set to begin his second stint as a coach at a Big Ten school. He was a graduate assistant on Glen Mason’s staff at Minnesota from 2004-05. During his time with the Golden Gophers, McDaniels worked with the wide receivers in 2004 and the defensive backs in 2005. In both years with Minnesota, the Gophers finished 7-5 and appeared in two Music City Bowls.
The McDaniels File
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Alma Mater: Kent State, ‘03
Born: June 6, 1980
Wife: Kyle
Daughter: Kinley
Playing Exp.: Quarterback at Kent State
Coaching Experience
Rutgers
2014: Wide Receivers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2012-13: Offensive Assistant
Denver Broncos
2010: Quarterbacks
2009: Offensive Assistant
Jackson High School
2008: Quarterbacks
Canton McKinley High School
2006-07: Quarterbacks
Minnesota
2004-05: Graduate Assistant
Warren G. Harding High School
2003: Wide Receivers
