Temple Owls Add Stan Hixon as Wide Receivers Coach

New Temple Owls Head Coach Geoff Collins has added another assistant to his coaching staff as Stan Hixon will serve as the team's wide receivers coach.

The 36-year coaching veteran has coached some of the best wide receivers in both the NFL and collegiate level, most recently with the Houston Texans during the 2015 season.

"We are excited to add Coach Hixon to our Temple University Football staff," said Collins. "Stan has established himself as one of the great wide receiver coaches in the NFL and at the highest levels of college football over the past three decades. He brings a tremendous amount of experience and technical expertise to our outstanding group of receivers."

This is the third receivers coach that Collins has brought with him to North Broad. Collins retained Frisman Jackson from Matt Rhule's staff, but he took a job with the Tennessee Titans. He then hired Kieth Gaither, but he left for the East Carolina Pirates shortly after.

Hixon, 59, spent four seasons under Bill O'Brien (2012-2013 at Penn State and 2014-2015 in Houston), who Collins considers a mentor. Collins also knows Hixon from when he was a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech in 1999, where Hixon was the WR coach at the time.

The long list of wide outs that Hixon has coached is impressive. His most recent star is DeAndre Hopkins, but he has also worked with Andre Johnson, Allen Robinson while at PSU, Stevie Johnson's terrific seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Josh Reed's monster season with LSU in 2001 and a long list of other receivers.

Hixon was a standout receiver at Iowa State, and began his coaching career at Morehead State in 1980, working with running backs. Hixon has a bachelor's degree in physical education from Iowa State and a master's from Morehead State.

The Owls will welcome back their top receiving threats from a year ago in Ventell Bryant and Keith Kirkwood. Both have great size at 6-foot-3 and have shown the ability to dominate smaller corners. Many might recall Kirkwood's game-winning touchdown catch to beat Central Florida with one second remaining.

What remains to be seen is who will be the person getting them the ball. Temple, who is looking to defend their American Athletic Conference Championship, will begin spring practices Monday, and searching for a new starting quarterback is their top goal of the offseason. Whoever that may be, he will playmakers on the outside.