Ed Warinner Named University of Notre Dame Offensive Line Coach

Jan. 12, 2010

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Veteran offensive line coach Ed Warinner, who directed the University of Kansas offense to unprecedented heights as the Jayhawks’ offensive coordinator the last three seasons, has been named offensive line coach at the University of Notre Dame, Irish head football coach Brian Kelly announced Tuesday.

Warinner has 26 years of coaching experience and in 13 of the last 18 seasons he has coached the offensive lines at Army, Air Force, Kansas and Illinois. He has directed offenses that led the nation in rushing (Air Force, 2002), were tops in Big Ten Conference rushing (Illinois, 2006) and ranked second in the nation in scoring (Kansas, 2007).

At Kansas, Warinner served as offensive coordinator for three of the most successful offensive seasons in school history. From 2007-09, the Jayhawks posted the three highest yards-per-game averages and the three most prolific passing seasons in Kansas history. They also scored points in bunches, as three of the top seven scoring seasons in school history came under his direction. Under Warinner’s watch as offensive coordinator, the Jayhawks averaged 445.5 total yards per game, 302.1 passing yards per contest and 35.3 points on a combined basis from 2007-09. Kansas’ offensive players were recognized for the success on the field, as 18 players received all-Big 12 Conference honors from 2007-09.

Three Kansas players that particularly benefited from Warinner’s offense the last three seasons were quarterback Todd Reesing and wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. Reesing started all three years for Warinner and also worked with him as his position coach. Reesing set every major single-season and career passing record at Kansas, including career records in completions (932), attempts (1,461), passing yards (11,194), touchdown passes (90), 300-yard games (18), 200-yard games (31), total offense (11,840), total plays (1,796) and TDs accounted for (105).

Briscoe and Meier were on the receiving end of many Reesing passes and became the most prolific pass-catchers in Jayhawk history. Briscoe recorded 219 receptions for 3,240 yards with 31 receiving TDs to set school records in receiving yards and TD receptions. The 3,240 receiving yards are the fourth most in Big 12 history, while the 219 receptions rank second at Kansas. Briscoe set another school record by recording at least 100 receiving yards in 14 games during his Jayhawk career.

Meier caught 226 passes for 2,309 yards with 18 TDs and set the Kansas record for career receptions. Meier also ranked second in all-time receiving yards and TD receptions in Jayhawk history.

In 2009, Warinner was named one of three finalists for the American Football Coaches Association’s National Assistant Coach of the Year award, following a campaign in which Kansas finished seventh in the NCAA in passing offense and 25th in total offense. The Jayhawks set a school record by averaging 310.3 passing yards per game, and the 422.4 total yards per game were the third most in school history.

Reesing led the Big 12 in total offense (311.3 yards per game) and ranked sixth nationally in passing yards per game (301.3) in 2009. He completed 313 of 496 passes for 3,616 yards with 22 TDs in his final collegiate season.

Kansas was the only team in the nation in 2009 that had two players rank in the top 10 in receptions per game. Meier averaged 8.5 catches per game to rank fourth in the country and Briscoe ranked ninth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision after averaging 7.64 receptions per contest. Meier set a school record with 102 receptions and was named second-team all-Big 12 after adding 985 receiving yards and eight TDs. Briscoe led the Jayhawks with 1,337 receiving yards and nine TDs and ranked fifth nationally in averaging 121.6 receiving yards per game. He was selected a first-team all-Big 12 performer.

In 2008, Warinner’s offense averaged 432.4 yards per game and ranked eighth nationally in passing yards per game (305.6). The Jayhawks averaged 33.4 points per game, the third-best points-per-game average in school history. Reesing continued his assault on the Kansas record book as he completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,888 yards with 32 TD passes. Briscoe set a school record with 1,407 receiving yards and 15 TDs on 92 receptions, while Meier led the team with 97 catches for 1,045 yards and eight TDs.

Warinner’s 2007 offense was the nation’s second-highest scoring unit (42.8 points per game) and helped the Jayhawks to a 12-1 season including a victory in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Kansas set a school record by averaging 479.8 total yards per game and ranked eighth nationally in that category. The Jayhawks averaged 291.0 passing yards per game (17th in the nation) and 188.8 rushing yards per contest (31st in the nation). Twenty school records were set in 2007, including 17 offensive records, and offensive lineman Anthony Collins was named first-team All-America by Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

In his first season as a starter, Reesing learned from Warinner’s tutelage and passed for 3,486 yards with 33 TDs and seven interceptions in 2007. He set 20 different school records, was a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist and was named second-team all-Big 12.

Warinner’s offense in 2007 also produced a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver. Brandon McAnderson gained 1,125 yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry and totaled 16 rushing TDs. Wide receiver Marcus Henry caught 54 passes for 1,014 yards and 10 TDs.

Prior to his second stint at Kansas, Warinner was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator at Illinois in 2005-06. In his second season at Illinois, Warinner’s rushing attack led the Big Ten and finished 10th in the nation in rushing yards per game, averaging 188.3 in 2006. That average was the best output by an Illini team since 1973.

In his first stint at Kansas, he served as the offensive line coach in 2003 and added the title and role of running game coordinator in 2004. He was instrumental in the development of Jayhawks’ center Joe Vaughn, who was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2003. The Jayhawks improved their rushing average by nearly 40 yards per game in 2003 and scored nearly 10 more points per game while allowing 14 fewer sacks.

Prior to his arrival at Kansas, Warinner worked at two service academies from 1987-2002. He coached the offensive line under Fisher DeBerry at Air Force from 2000-02 and helped the Falcons lead the nation with 307.8 rushing yards per game in 2002.

Warinner spent 13 seasons at Army in a variety of coaching positions. He started as the centers and guards coach in 1987 and also coached the offensive line from 1992-97. Warinner was the recruiting coordinator from 1988-90 and coached the defensive line in 1991. His final two seasons were spent as the Cadets’ offensive coordinator in 1998-99. While at Army, the Cadets led the NCAA in rushing three times.

Warinner’s first coaching job was at Akron in 1984 when he coached the running backs. From there, he became the linebackers and secondary coach at Michigan State from 1985-86.

A native of Strasburg, Ohio, Warinner played football and baseball at Mount Union College from 1979-83. He led the team in rushing yards, receptions and scoring while earning his fourth letter in 1983. Warinner also received two letters in baseball at Mount Union.

He graduated from Mount Union in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and earned a master’s degree in education from Akron in 1985.

Born Aug. 5, 1961, Warinner and his wife Mary Beth have three children, Madisyn, Merideth and Edward.

THE WARINNER FILE