PULLMAN — Ben Arbuckle, a fast-riser on the college football coaching ladder who led Western Kentucky’s offense to a highly productive season in 2022, has been named the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Washington State.
The hire was first reported in late December, and the Cougars made it official Friday. Arbuckle, 27, is now the youngest primary coordinator in the Power Five.
He replaces Eric Morris, who accepted the head coaching job at North Texas on Dec. 14 after one season as WSU’s OC/QBs coach.
Arbuckle is coming off his first season in a coordinator role. He served as Western Kentucky’s co-OC/QBs coach last year and put himself on the major college football radar as the Hilltoppers put up big numbers. WKU finished its season ranked No. 6 nationally in total offense (497.3 yards per game) and 15th in scoring offense (36.2 points per game).
WKU quarterback Austin Reed threw for a nation-leading 4,746 yards this season in Arbuckle’s modified Air Raid, tossing 40 touchdowns against 11 interceptions on 603 passing attempts.
The Hilltoppers amassed 677 yards during a 44-23 win in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 21 against South Alabama, which entered the game with a top-20 defense in the country. WKU finished its season with a 9-5 record.
“Through an extensive search, Ben stood out as the best fit for our program to help our offense reach new heights,” Cougars coach Jake Dickert said, quoted in a news release. “The continuity in scheme and teaching of what our guys know as well as his track record for explosive passing offense fits the skill set of our returning players as well as an exciting brand of football to recruit to. His energy, passion and vision for WSU and what we can accomplish together here will have all Coug fans excited for the 2023 season.”
Dickert told reporters last month that he was hoping to keep some continuity on offense heading into the 2023 season, and was planning to hire an OC who jells with WSU’s remaining offensive assistants and fits the style of quarterback Cameron Ward, who threw for 3,232 yards and 23 touchdowns against nine interceptions this season in Morris’ version of the Air Raid.
A Texas native, Arbuckle played quarterback at West Texas A&M from 2016-17 and began his coaching career as a quality-control assistant at Houston Baptist (2018-19) before a one-year stay as OC at Seminole High in Texas.
He followed former Houston Baptist OC Zach Kittley to WKU in 2021. Arbuckle learned the Air Raid scheme from Kittley, a Texas Tech graduate who began his coaching career with the Red Raiders under former head coach Kliff Kingsbury — a disciple of the late Mike Leach, who pioneered the Air Raid and oversaw the pass-heavy system during head coaching stops at Texas Tech (2000-09), WSU (2012-19) and Mississippi State (2020-22).
Arbuckle spent 2021 in a quality-control role at WKU, working with the Hilltopper quarterbacks. He helped mentor former WKU QB Bailey Zappe, who broke FBS records with 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdowns that season. WKU’s 2021 offense led the nation in passing yards (433.7 per game) and finished second in total offense (353.3 ypg) and scoring offense (44.2 ppg).
Arbuckle earned a promotion to co-OC/QBs coach in January 2022 after Kittley left the program to take the OC gig at Texas Tech. During the preseason, Arbuckle was named to 247Sports.com’s “30 under 30” list, which recognized the top young coaching minds in the country.
Arbuckle’s offense opts to throw on about 60% of its plays, but the system includes tight ends and a capable rushing attack. The Hilltoppers totaled over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on 287 carries this season. WSU’s offense under Morris also leaned toward the pass while stressing the importance of establishing an effective run game — WSU ran the ball 237 times and passed it on 497 plays.
Overall, WSU’s offense had a streaky season in 2022, finishing in the bottom half of the Pac-12 in most statistical categories. The Cougs finished with a 7-6 record after stumbling offensively in a 29-6 LA Bowl loss to Fresno State on Dec. 17.
Dickert said recently that he is looking for a boost in production next year from WSU’s downfield passing game after the Cougs struggled to stretch the field in 2022. Arbuckle’s offense featured plenty of deep balls last season. The Hilltoppers averaged 7.9 yards per passing attempt and led the nation with 98 plays that gained 20 or more yards — 10 more explosive plays than the No. 2 team in that category.
With Arbuckle in place, the Cougars can focus their attention on recruiting talent for their offense, which is in need of receiving options after losing four pass-catchers of note — slotbacks Renard Bell and Robert Ferrel graduated and outside receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Donovan Ollie transferred out of the program. The Cougs added three receivers last month during the NCAA’s early signing period, including juco transfer DT Sheffield, who has a good chance to carve out a role in the slot next season.
Arbuckle might be bringing in a player or two. According to Cougfan.com, former WKU tight end Joey Beljan will visit WSU this weekend. Beljan recorded 191 yards and four touchdowns last year.
Maile named ‘edges’ coach
The Cougs also announced Friday that Frank Maile has been hired to coach the WSU edge rushers after a two-year stay at Boise State, where he served as the Broncos’ assistant head coach and defensive line coach.
Maile’s hire was first reported last month.
“I couldn’t be more excited to add Frank Maile to our staff as it was easy to see why Frank has been one of the most well-respected defensive line coaches in our region for a long time,” Dickert said. “I know he will have an immediate impact on all our (edges) and possesses the ability to raise the level of play and will enhance our ability to rush the passer.”
Boise State went 10-4 this year, finishing ninth nationally in total defense and 16th in scoring defense. Buoyed by impressive defensive line play, the Broncos notched 30 sacks and 81 tackles for loss — both top-40 marks in the FBS.
WSU finished its 2022 campaign with 30 sacks — 38th nationally and fourth in the Pac-12 — and 80 TFLs, good for second in the conference and 41st in the country. Five edge rushers combined for 30½ TFLs and 17 sacks this year, and all of them are set to return in 2023.
Maile replaces A.J. Cooper, who coached the WSU edges for the past three seasons but left the program earlier this month to tutor linebackers at Arizona State.
Raised in Utah, Maile played for Utah State and worked on the Aggies’ staff from 2009-13 before a two-year stint as Vanderbilt’s D-line coach. He returned to his alma mater in 2016 and spent six seasons with the team.
He was Utah State’s assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and D-line coach from 2016-18. Maile led the Aggies as interim coach for the 2018 New Mexico Bowl after coach Matt Wells took the top job at Texas Tech. Maile coached the Utah State tight ends and was the team’s assistant head coach in 2019, then returned to his post as co-DC and D-line coach in 2020. He led the team again as acting coach for the final three games of the 2020 season after coach Gary Anderson was let go.