Jeff Bryant enters his eight season as the offensive coordinator at Fort Hays State in 2023. It is Bryant’s 10th year at FHSU. He returned to the program after serving as an assistant coach for the Tigers in 2007 and 2009. He specializes in coaching the offensive line.
In 2015, Bryant coached three offensive linemen to All-MIAA accolades and one to All-America status. Earning all-conference nods were Matt Erbert, Luke Edney, and Chico Feltenberger. Erbert was an All-America selection, the first offensive lineman to reach that achievement at FHSU since 2003. Mason Dickey earned All-MIAA honors in 2016 before three more Tiger offensive linemen, Travis Talley, Donald Blackmon, and Pat Kelly, garnered All-MIAA status in 2017. Talley earned All-America honors from two organizations, including first-team honors from the Don Hansen Football Committee. In 2018, FHSU netted two more All-MIAA selections on the offensive line with Amari Angram-Boldin earning second-team honors and Romello Burke landing on the third team. Angram-Boldin was also an All-Super Region 3 Third Team selection by the Don Hansen Football Committee. In 2019, Angram-Boldin repeated as an All-MIAA selection, receiving a third-team nod, while Ted Hessing earned second-team honors. In 2021, Bryant coached a trio of All-MIAA selections on the offensive line, including Angram-Boldin and Kelly as repeat selections and Kristopher Stroughter earning his first honor. Angram-Boldin was a first-team selection and went on to garner All-Super Region 3 and All-America honors. Kelly repeated as an All-MIAA selection in 2022, finishing his career with three all-conference selections. Bryant has now coached 15 All-MIAA selections on the offensive line in his first seven seasons as offensive coordinator.
In his first year as offensive coordinator in 2015, Bryant helped the Tigers break the school record for rushing yards in a season with 3,013, becoming the first team in school history to reach the 3,000 mark. The Tiger offense had three All-America selections, including Erbert on the offensive line with quarterback Treveon Albert and running back Shaquille Cooper who became the second 1,000-yard rushing duo in school history. Bryant helped the team to an appearance in the Mineral Water Bowl, the first postseason appearance for FHSU in 20 years. In 2016, the Tigers produced 4,594 yards of total offense using a more balanced attack with 2,727 passing yards and 1,867 rushing yards. The season culminated with a 45-12 win over Eastern New Mexico in the Heart of Texas Bowl, giving FHSU its first-ever win in a postseason game.
In 2017, Fort Hays State set a new school record for wins in a season with 11 as Bryant's offense produced a new school record 244 first downs and second-most total offensive yards (5,298), points (388), and pass completions (254) for a season in program history. The 2017 Tigers appeared in the NCAA Playoffs for the first time in 22 years, earning the top seed in Super Region 3 after an undefeated regular season that resulted in the program's first MIAA Championship. The Tiger offense had three All-America selections in 2017, including Talley on the offensive line with running back Kenneth Iheme and wide receiver Monterio Burchfield. In 2018, Bryant helped the Tigers to a second-consecutive MIAA Championship and appearance in the NCAA Playoffs. The Tigers broke the school record for first downs (261) for a second-straight year and produced 4,958 total yards, good for fourth-most in school history. In 2019, Bryant's offense broke the school record for first downs (270) for a third straight year, while also setting a new record for points scored with 455, breaking the mark of 446 that stood since 1995. The team averaged 41.4 points per game in 2019, while producing the second-most total offensive yards (5,342) and pass completions (279) in program history.
Bryant was the run game coordinator and offensive line coach for Fort Hays State in 2009. He was instrumental in Fort Hays State’s first winning season in 10 years. The Tigers ranked 29th nationally in scoring offense and he coached All-MIAA First Team selection Wesley Yarbough at left tackle, who went on to sign with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Colby McKinney earned All-MIAA Second Team honors at tackle that season, marking the first time the Tigers had two offensive linemen named All-MIAA in the same season. The two years prior, Bryant served as a graduate assistant coach, first at Fort Hays State in 2007 and then the University of North Texas in 2008.
After the 2009 season at FHSU, Bryant returned to the University of North Texas as the offensive line coach in 2010. He coached an offensive line that helped North Texas rank 22nd nationally in rushing offense (202 yards per contest) and help produce the fifth-best rusher in the nation, Lance Dunbar, who finished with 1,553 yards, 5.7 yards per carry, and led the Sun Belt Conference in rushing. Bryant coached three All-Sun Belt First Team selections on the offensive line that season, Victor Gill at left tackle, Kelvin Drake at left guard, and Esteban Santiago at right guard.
From 2011-2014, Bryant served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas, where he produced multiple all-conference first team linemen.
Bryant played three years collegiately at the University of Tulsa as an offensive lineman. He was part of teams that claimed the Conference USA Championship, won the Liberty Bowl in 2005, and participated in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2006. Bryant also played at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., where he was a member of a team that won a conference title and earned a playoff berth.
Bryant graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Tulsa in 2007.
