PULLMAN — Nick Edwards, an NFL assistant who played and coached at Eastern Washington, is expected to become the new wide receivers coach at Washington State, according to a report Sunday evening from Bruce Feldman of Fox.
Edwards became an offensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons in March 2022 and worked with the team’s quarterbacks. He played a starring role as a receiver at EWU in the early 2010s and spent three seasons (2014-16) as WRs coach at his alma mater.
Edwards is the first new full-time assistant to be added to WSU’s staff since the team hired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle out of Western Kentucky earlier this month. Edwards would replace Joel Filani, who mentored the Cougars’ receivers for one season. Filani recently interviewed for the WRs coach job at Texas, per a report from Orangebloods.
A Tacoma native, Edwards walked on at EWU in 2009 and ended up as one of the Eagles’ best receivers of all time. He finished his career with 2,634 yards and 33 touchdown receptions on 215 catches — all top-five marks in EWU program history. Edwards helped the Eagles to an FCS championship as a sophomore in 2010 and raked in All-America honors after leading the FCS with 19 TDs in 2011.
After going undrafted in 2013, Edwards signed with the Minnesota Vikings, but didn’t make the cut. He had stints on offseason rosters with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals before transitioning to coaching in 2014. He was a strength and conditioning assistant at EWU for one year, then took over as the receivers coach.
According to an ESPN article, Edwards was instrumental in the development of Cooper Kupp, a four-time All-American wide receiver at EWU and now an NFL superstar with the Los Angeles Rams. While working under coach Beau Baldwin at EWU, Edwards also coached future NFL standout Kendrick Bourne.
Edwards and Baldwin linked up again at Cal. Edwards tutored Golden Bears receivers from 2017-18 and oversaw the running backs in 2019. Baldwin coordinated Cal’s offense during those season. The two coached at Cal Poly from 2020-21 — Edwards was the OC/WRs coach for the FCS Mustangs under Baldwin, the head man.
With Edwards aboard, it appears WSU has completed its offensive staff for 2023. Mark Atuaia announced on Twitter recently that he will remain WSU’s running backs coach. Various social media posts indicate that Clay McGuire is sticking around as offensive-line coach and tight-ends coach Nick Whitworth is returning for his second season as tight-ends coach.
WSU coach Jake Dickert told reporters last month that he was hoping to retain pieces from the 2022 staff and keep some continuity in the team’s offensive schemes. Arbuckle will introduce some wrinkles, but the Cougars won’t be installing a completely new offense. Arbuckle’s version of the Air Raid features some similarities in concepts to WSU’s last offense, a modified Air Raid led by former OC Eric Morris, now the head coach at North Texas.
Dickert also stresses the importance of hiring coaches with ties to this region or WSU. Edwards should help bolster the Cougars’ recruiting efforts in Washington and California — their two most significant recruiting areas. He is the second incoming WSU assistant with a background in the Inland Northwest. The Cougars’ defense next season will be coordinated by Jeff Schmedding, a Spokane native and former longtime EWU assistant who most recently coordinated defenses at Auburn and Boise State. Schmedding’s hire was made official Thursday.
Edwards will take over a new-look room of receivers. The Cougs lost four notable receivers from their 2022 roster — slotbacks Renard Bell and Robert Ferrel graduated, and outside receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Donovan Ollie transferred to Oklahoma State and Cincinnati, respectively.
The Cougars restocked their receiving corps with three Division I transfers, a junior college player with intriguing potential and two prep signees. WSU brought in experienced transfers Kyle Williams (UNLV), Josh Kelly (Fresno State) and Isaiah Hamilton (San Jose State) on Jan. 7. The Cougs may have found an immediate-impact addition in slot receiver DT Sheffield, who put up impressive numbers at Northwest Mississippi Community College.