There was a complete overhaul of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane coaching staff a year ago, but head coach Kevin Wilson made further adjustments ahead of the 2024 college football campaign. Who makes up a Tulsa coaching staff with a history of high-octane offenses and dominant defenses?
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Kevin Wilson
After finishing the 2022 college football season with a 5-7 record that broke a run of bowl game appearances, Tulsa opted for a change at the head of their coaching staff, making Kevin Wilson the 34th-ever head coach of the Golden Hurricane. In his first season at the helm, the program recorded a 4-8 campaign.
Tulsa hired a coach in Wilson who has been considered one of college football’s most prolific offensive minds. During his six-season stint in Columbus, his Buckeyes’ offenses have been among the best in the nation. His 2022 unit ranked second in the country, averaging 44.2 points per game.
While he is most renowned for stints as an offensive coordinator across Northwestern, Miami (OH), and Oklahoma, the former North Carolina offensive lineman has twice been a head coach previously. He led Foard High School in 1989, and as the head coach at Indiana, he led the team to consecutive bowl games for the first time in 25 years. Wilson’s college résumé is listed below.
- North Carolina (graduate assistant, 1984-1986)
- Winston Salem (offensive line coach, 1987)
- North Carolina A&T (offensive coordinator and OL coach, 1988)
- Miami (OH) (offensive line coach, 1990-1991; OC and OL coach, 1992-1997; OC and QB coach, 1998)
- Northwestern (OC and QB coach, 1999-2000; OC, QB coach and assistant head coach)
- Oklahoma (co-OC and OL coach, 2002-2005; OC and TE/FB coach; 2006-2010)
- Indiana (HC, 2011-2016)
- Ohio State (OC and TE coach, 2017-2022)
- Tulsa (HC, 2023-2024)
Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach, Steve Spurrier Jr.
The son of one of the winningest coaches in college football history, Steve Spurrier Jr., has crafted his own coaching journey that is nearly 30 years in the making. Spurrier joined the Tulsa coaching staff for the 2023 college football season as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the Golden Hurricane, exchanging QBs for running backs in 2024.
Spurrier knows a thing or two about high-powered offenses. In addition to cutting his teeth on his father’s staff as a graduate assistant at Florida, the Tulsa offensive coordinator has spent time on staff with the late, great Mike Leach at two different programs. Most recently, he served as the passing game coordinator for Leach’s final season with the Bulldogs.
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A former WR at Duke, a large part of Spurrier’s coaching career, the résumé of which you can find below, has been given over to molding wide receivers — both at the college and NFL levels. His success stories at the position include Makai Polk, Deebo Samuel, and Alshon Jeffery.
- Florida (graduate assistant, 1994-1998)
- Oklahoma (WR coach, 1999-2001)
- Washington Commanders (WR coach, 2002-2003)
- Arizona (offensive analyst, 2004)
- South Carolina (WR coach, 2005-2008; passing game coordinator and WR coach, 2009-2010; WR coach, PGC, and recruiting coordinator, 2011; co-OC, PGC, WR coach, and recruiting coordinator)
- Oklahoma (offensive analyst, 2016)
- Western Kentucky (QB coach and assistant head coach, 2017)
- Mississippi State (WR coach, 2018-2019; outside WR coach, 2020-2022)
- Tulsa (OC and QB coach, 2023; OC and RB coach, 2024)
Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach, Chris Polizzi
After spending years wreaking havoc outside of the FBS level, Chris Polizzi brought his attacking defense to Tulsa for the 2023 college football season to revive what was once a staple of Golden Hurricane success. In addition to serving as the defensive coordinator on the Tulsa staff, Polizzi also coaches the Golden Hurricane’s safeties.
Polizzi spent the previous five seasons at UT-Martin, where his ascent from LB coach to defensive coordinator after just two years spoke volumes about the impact he has made on the program. He arrived in Tulsa having engineered an FCS-leading 17 interceptions and 28 total turnovers from a defense that proved pivotal in landing the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference title.
While his primary success has been at the FCS level with the Skyhawks, Polizzi boasts Power Five experience on his college coaching résumé, which can be found below. Most notably, the former college cornerback’s work with the secondary at Iowa helped mold all-Big Ten safety Micah Hyde. His full coaching resume can be found below:
- Central Methodist University (2005-2008)
- UCLA (quality control coach, 2009-2010)
- Utah (graduate assistant, 2011)
- Iowa (graduate assistant, 2012-2014)
- Western Carolina (cornerback coach, 2015)
- Tennessee Tech (defensive back coach, 2016-2017)
- UT-Martin (LB coach and co-special teams coordinator, 2018; assistant head coach and secondary coach, 2019; defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and secondary coach; 2020-2022)
- Tulsa (DC and safeties coach, 2023-2024)
Special Teams Coordinator, Joe Bolden
A captain on the 2015 Michigan Wolverines team who tallied 18.5 tackles for loss during his career, Joe Bolden has quickly picked up experience around the college landscape. He has served as an assistant at Michigan, USC, Washington State, FAU, and Ohio State before becoming the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Nevada in 2022.
Quarterbacks Coach and Passing Game Coordinator, Corey Dennis
A former colleague of head coach Wilson’s at Ohio State, Corey Dennis joined the Tulsa coaching staff in February 2024. After a 54-game college career playing for the Georgia Yellow Jackets, he got his coaching break with the Buckeyes, mentoring QBs like Dwayne Haskins, CJ Stroud, and Justin Fields, before arriving to take on QB coach and passing game coordinator duties.
Defensive Line Coach, Ron Burton
A former college teammate of head coach Wilson at North Carolina, Ron Burton, joined the Tulsa coaching staff in 2023 as the defensive line coach after one season at Miami (OH). He also serves as the assistant head coach for the Golden Hurricane.
While he has over 30 years of experience, Burton is best known for his stint with the Michigan State Spartans, where he was twice named Football Scoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year, the only multiple honoree.
Offensive Line Coach, Greg Frey
After serving as the tight ends coach and run game coordinator, Grey Frey transitioned to offensive line coach on the Tulsa coaching staff for the 2024 season. Frey boasts a Power Five pedigree, having worked with the Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Michigan Wolverines, Indiana Hoosiers, and West Virginia Mountaineers. He game to Tulsa from South Alabama.
Cornerback Coach, Dominique Franks
While the Tulsa coaching staff has had some external additions for 2024, Dominique Franks was promoted from within. After spending a year with the program as a defensive quality control analyst, Franks was elevated to cornerback coach for the 2024 campaign. A former all-Big 12 DB for the Oklahoma Sooners, he played five years in the NFL before turning to a coaching career.
Tight End Coach and Run Game Coordinator, Adrian Mayes
After spending his first season on the Tulsa coaching staff as the running backs coach, Adrian Mayes returns to his roots for the 2024 campaign. A former offensive lineman at Kansas, much of his coaching career has centered around coaching the o-line and tight end positions. He is now responsible for the Golden Hurricane’s tight ends and run game.
Linebacker Coach, Koy McFarland
Koy McFarland joined the Tulsa coaching staff in 2023 as the linebacker coach and defensive run game coordinator for the Golden Hurricane. A graduate assistant with the Buckeyes, at the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, and with his alma mater, Arkansas-Monticello, McFarland spent three seasons as the assistant linebacker coach with the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Wide Receiver Coach, Ryan Switzer
What better way to electrify your offense than by bringing in one of the most electric wide receivers and returners in recent college football history? Ryan Switzer set numerous North Carolina program records while establishing a benchmark in the ACC with seven career punt return touchdowns. His success led to a five-year NFL career, and he returns for a second year coaching at Tulsa.
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