JIM CRAFT - OFFENSIVE LINE / RECRUITING COORDINATOR

Longtime Portland State Football Assistant Coach Jim Craft continues his tenure on the Park Blocks under new Head Coach Jerry Glanville.

Glanville named Craft to his staff as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. Craft, a Portland State alum and former tight end, remains at Portland State after working for six seasons under former coach Tim Walsh.

“Jim’s organizational skills and immediate response to requests reminds me exactly of an assistant coach that worked with me named Nick Saban,” said Glanville. “I look for Jim’s career to follow the same path of many of the other outstanding assistant coaches I have been able to work with. We’re fortunate to have him as a part of this staff.”

Said Craft: “I’m very excited about the opportunity to work under Jerry Glanville, and with this staff. There is an attitude that is all about winning football games within the office already, plus being a PSU alumni and Oregonian myself, the chance to work with a coaching legend like Mouse Davis is fantastic.”

Craft was tight ends coach for five seasons at Portland State and spent last year as the quarterbacks coach. He also assumed the duty of special teams coordinator the past four seasons. He has coached for PSU All-Conference performers Scott Weaver, Adam Whitehead and Tony Curtis. Weaver and Curtis each signed NFL free agent contracts.

Among the special teams’ accomplishments in 2005, PSU led the Big Sky Conference in punt return average (12.8), and ranked in the top 20 in the nation in both punt return average and kickoff return average (21.8). The Vikings were second in punt coverage in 2004 (38.5 net punting), ranked 19th in punt returns (12.4) and 22nd in kickoff returns (21.6).

Under Craft, Jordan Senn and Kenneth Mackins have each earned All-Big Sky Conference honors at the special teams position.

Individually, punt returner Brendan Ferrigno ranked 12th in the nation in 2004 (12.4 per return) and seventh in 2005 (15.2), and completed his career in 2006 with every significant punt return record at PSU.

Craft played for the Vikings from 1995 to 1998, catching 57 passes and scoring nine touchdowns. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from PSU in 1999. Craft completed his master’s of science in Teaching in June 2003.

Craft spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons as tight ends coach at Lewis and Clark College in Portland.

THE JIM CRAFT FILE
7th year at Portland State

Hometown: Tualatin, OR
Alma Mater: Portland State, 1999
Playing Experience: Tight End, Portland State, 1995-98
Date of Birth: July 23, 1976
Family: Wife, Kelley, daughter Kayla Grace (5), son Tyler James (1)

Previous Coaching Experience:
2007 Portland State Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
2006 Portland State Quarterbacks
2003-06 Portland State Special Teams Coordinator
2001-05 Portland State Tight Ends
1999-00 Lewis and Clark Tight Ends