Gleeson Named Offensive Coordinator
Jan 04 | Football
New Jersey native returns home, will coach RU quarterbacks
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football has hired Sean Gleeson as offensive coordinator, head coach Greg Schiano announced. Gleeson, a native of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, will also coach the quarterbacks.
"Sean is one of the brightest young offensive minds in college football and we are happy to welcome him and his family to Rutgers," Schiano said. "He has worked his way up the ranks with a history of developing quarterbacks and highly productive offensive schemes. Sean has shown an ability to devise game plans each week that are adaptable and capitalize on what would bring success against a given opponent. This is an exciting hire for our program and having another New Jersey guy come home to represent his state is special."
"Growing up in New Jersey, I had an opportunity to watch and admire the job coach Schiano did during his time here," said Gleeson. "He was able to build a program that made the entire state proud and I'm excited to have the chance to help him do that again."
After six seasons at Princeton, Gleeson was hired by Oklahoma State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Jan. 2019. Last season the Cowboys' offense averaged 32.5 points (36th nationally) and 453.9 yards (22nd nationally) per game with two ranked wins and a berth in the Texas Bowl. The balanced unit (2,985 rushing yards, 2,916 passing yards) also ranked 17th in the country with 229.6 rushing yards per game and 27th with a 64.1 completion percentage.
Three offensive players earned All-Big 12 honors, including Big 12 Offensive Player Chuba Hubbard, Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Spencer Sanders and second-team wide receiver Tylan Wallace. Hubbard was also named a consensus All-America pick and a Doak Walker Award finalist after leading the nation with 2,093 rushing yards and 179.54 all-purpose yards per game. For Sanders, he passed for 2,065 yards to set an OSU freshman record and averaged 269.0 yards of total offense to rank third among Power Five freshmen during the regular season.
Gleeson engineered one of the most explosive offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision and helped the Tigers to an undefeated 2018 season. In Gleeson's six years on staff, Princeton won three Ivy League championships and averaged 36.9 points per game, which marked the program's highest output over a six-year stretch in program history.
In addition to posting a perfect 10-0 record in 2018, Princeton led the FCS in scoring offense by averaging 47.0 points per game and ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense (second with 536.8 yards per game), rushing offense (sixth with 295.5 yards per game), third-down conversion percentage (second with a mark of 53.4 percent) and pass efficiency (seventh with a mark of 161.26). The Tigers' 470 points scored set an Ivy League record.
Coached directly by Gleeson, Tiger quarterback John Lovett excelled as a dual-threat performer in 2018. Lovett led the Ivy League by averaging 303.0 yards of total offense per game, passing for 203.7 yards per game and rushing for 99.3 yards per contest. He ranked second in the league in both of those categories. Lovett, Princeton's first two-time first-team All-American since 1964, threw 18 touchdown passes against just three interceptions and completed 66.1 percent of his passes.
Lovett won 2018 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors over his teammate, Jesper Horsted, an All-American wide receiver who signed with the Chicago Bears. It marked the first time in Ivy League history that two teammates were finalists for the Offensive Player of the Year award.
In his first year as offensive coordinator in 2017, quarterback Chad Kanoff earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors, but did it in a different way than Lovett. Kanoff was a pro-style passer who set the Ivy League single-season record with 3,474 passing yards.
During Gleeson's time as offensive coordinator, 18 members of the 2017 and 2018 Princeton offenses earned All-Ivy League honors, including first-team honors for Kanoff in 2017, Lovett in 2018, Horsted (twice), and OL Mitchell Sweigart. Horsted ended his career with several single-season and career receiving records, while Sweigart became Princeton's first lineman to earn multiple first-team All-Ivy honors since 2000-01.
The 2018 Princeton recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the FCS by 247Sports.com and included four-star quarterback Brevin White, who turned down an offer from Alabama to be coached by Gleeson at Princeton.
Gleeson joined the Princeton staff in 2013 in the role of running backs coach. That team won the Ivy League and ranked second nationally in scoring offense with 43.7 points per game. He added the title of special teams coordinator in 2016 before being elevated to offensive coordinator in 2017.
Gleeson's first job after graduation came at Delbarton School in Morristown, where he taught English and algebra and coached football, baseball and bowling. His first job in college football came as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fairleigh Dickinson from 2011-12.
Gleeson played quarterback at Williams College, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in English. While at Williams, Gleeson was the highest-rated passer in the New England Small College Athletic Conference in 2005 (minimum 100 attempts), with a rating of 163.6. His team finished 8-0 in 2006. He received the Farley Award that year, which is presented to the member of the football team who demonstrates superior qualities of dedication, loyalty and sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
Gleeson also played first base for the baseball team at Williams.
Personal
Hometown: Glen Ridge, N.J.
Alma Mater: Williams, 2007 (English)
Wife: Lauren
Children: Two sons, Eamon and Patrick
Coaching Experience
2020-present: Rutgers (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2019: Oklahoma State (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2017-18: Princeton (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2016: Princeton (running backs/special teams coordinator)
2013-15: Princeton (running backs)
2011-12: Fairleigh Dickinson (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2007-11: Delbarton School (football, baseball, bowling)
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding football, follow the program on Twitter @RFootball.
"Sean is one of the brightest young offensive minds in college football and we are happy to welcome him and his family to Rutgers," Schiano said. "He has worked his way up the ranks with a history of developing quarterbacks and highly productive offensive schemes. Sean has shown an ability to devise game plans each week that are adaptable and capitalize on what would bring success against a given opponent. This is an exciting hire for our program and having another New Jersey guy come home to represent his state is special."
"Growing up in New Jersey, I had an opportunity to watch and admire the job coach Schiano did during his time here," said Gleeson. "He was able to build a program that made the entire state proud and I'm excited to have the chance to help him do that again."
After six seasons at Princeton, Gleeson was hired by Oklahoma State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Jan. 2019. Last season the Cowboys' offense averaged 32.5 points (36th nationally) and 453.9 yards (22nd nationally) per game with two ranked wins and a berth in the Texas Bowl. The balanced unit (2,985 rushing yards, 2,916 passing yards) also ranked 17th in the country with 229.6 rushing yards per game and 27th with a 64.1 completion percentage.
Three offensive players earned All-Big 12 honors, including Big 12 Offensive Player Chuba Hubbard, Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Spencer Sanders and second-team wide receiver Tylan Wallace. Hubbard was also named a consensus All-America pick and a Doak Walker Award finalist after leading the nation with 2,093 rushing yards and 179.54 all-purpose yards per game. For Sanders, he passed for 2,065 yards to set an OSU freshman record and averaged 269.0 yards of total offense to rank third among Power Five freshmen during the regular season.
Gleeson engineered one of the most explosive offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision and helped the Tigers to an undefeated 2018 season. In Gleeson's six years on staff, Princeton won three Ivy League championships and averaged 36.9 points per game, which marked the program's highest output over a six-year stretch in program history.
In addition to posting a perfect 10-0 record in 2018, Princeton led the FCS in scoring offense by averaging 47.0 points per game and ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense (second with 536.8 yards per game), rushing offense (sixth with 295.5 yards per game), third-down conversion percentage (second with a mark of 53.4 percent) and pass efficiency (seventh with a mark of 161.26). The Tigers' 470 points scored set an Ivy League record.
Coached directly by Gleeson, Tiger quarterback John Lovett excelled as a dual-threat performer in 2018. Lovett led the Ivy League by averaging 303.0 yards of total offense per game, passing for 203.7 yards per game and rushing for 99.3 yards per contest. He ranked second in the league in both of those categories. Lovett, Princeton's first two-time first-team All-American since 1964, threw 18 touchdown passes against just three interceptions and completed 66.1 percent of his passes.
Lovett won 2018 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors over his teammate, Jesper Horsted, an All-American wide receiver who signed with the Chicago Bears. It marked the first time in Ivy League history that two teammates were finalists for the Offensive Player of the Year award.
In his first year as offensive coordinator in 2017, quarterback Chad Kanoff earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors, but did it in a different way than Lovett. Kanoff was a pro-style passer who set the Ivy League single-season record with 3,474 passing yards.
During Gleeson's time as offensive coordinator, 18 members of the 2017 and 2018 Princeton offenses earned All-Ivy League honors, including first-team honors for Kanoff in 2017, Lovett in 2018, Horsted (twice), and OL Mitchell Sweigart. Horsted ended his career with several single-season and career receiving records, while Sweigart became Princeton's first lineman to earn multiple first-team All-Ivy honors since 2000-01.
The 2018 Princeton recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the FCS by 247Sports.com and included four-star quarterback Brevin White, who turned down an offer from Alabama to be coached by Gleeson at Princeton.
Gleeson joined the Princeton staff in 2013 in the role of running backs coach. That team won the Ivy League and ranked second nationally in scoring offense with 43.7 points per game. He added the title of special teams coordinator in 2016 before being elevated to offensive coordinator in 2017.
Gleeson's first job after graduation came at Delbarton School in Morristown, where he taught English and algebra and coached football, baseball and bowling. His first job in college football came as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fairleigh Dickinson from 2011-12.
Gleeson played quarterback at Williams College, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in English. While at Williams, Gleeson was the highest-rated passer in the New England Small College Athletic Conference in 2005 (minimum 100 attempts), with a rating of 163.6. His team finished 8-0 in 2006. He received the Farley Award that year, which is presented to the member of the football team who demonstrates superior qualities of dedication, loyalty and sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
Gleeson also played first base for the baseball team at Williams.
Personal
Hometown: Glen Ridge, N.J.
Alma Mater: Williams, 2007 (English)
Wife: Lauren
Children: Two sons, Eamon and Patrick
Coaching Experience
2020-present: Rutgers (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2019: Oklahoma State (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2017-18: Princeton (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2016: Princeton (running backs/special teams coordinator)
2013-15: Princeton (running backs)
2011-12: Fairleigh Dickinson (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2007-11: Delbarton School (football, baseball, bowling)
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding football, follow the program on Twitter @RFootball.
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