Other Duties: NSU Camp coordinator; graduate assistant coordinator
Recruits: East Texas south of I-20
Coaching Experience: Last year, Offutt coached senior guard Michael Booker to All-America honors. Offutt’s offensive lines from 2006-08 paved the way for Byron Lawrence to become the Demons’ No. 2 all-time leading rusher with over 3,300 yards. Offutt’s ability to quickly teach and mentor players has been proven over and over - with the rapid development of neophyte offensive tackle Demetrius Bell, now a starting left tackle for the Buffalo Bills, and in Offutt’s ability to hustle new faces into the lineup. In 2008-09, injuries forced Offutt to use six first-year players as starters, including five who were learning the offense in their first seasons. In 2008, Zach Case and Jesse Hernandez became the first true freshmen offensive linemen to start for NSU since 1998. In 2009, Larry Calcote and converted defensive lineman Destry Hesskew also started as true freshmen. Four more true freshmen played last season -- Blayne Cole, Josh Cunningham, John McLendon, and Tchissakid Player, who started vs. Tarleton State. Only a total of nine true freshmen linemen have started for the Demons since 1985.
Offutt joined the Demons in the summer of 2006, taking over perhaps the youngest offensive line group in school history. While bringing that group along in preseason, he also took charge of Bell, who had never played offensive line before, and within three weeks, Offutt had Bell playing effectively as a starter in the season opener at Kansas. The opening two games in 2006 vs. Big XII Conference foes were familiar territory for Offutt, who spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, working in 2004 under current LSU head coach Les Miles, who strongly recommended to Peveto that he retain Offutt at NSU. He worked with the Oklahoma State offensive line for two years before being named coordinator of football operations for Coach Mike Gundy’s program in January 2006. He helped coach an Oklahoma State offense that in 2004 reached the Alamo Bowl and ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring (15th, 34.5 points per game), rushing (9th, 245 yards per game) and pass efficiency (9th, 156.9 rating) while leading the Big XII Conference in red zone offense with a scoring rate of 93.3 percent.
Offutt worked with the interior offensive linemen at OSU in 2004 and tackles in 2005. In 2004, one of his players earned All-America honors and a year later, one of his tackles was an All-Big XII selection. He was responsible for all aspects of the offensive scouting report and organizing the offensive game plan at the direction of the offensive coordinator. Offutt recruited all states west of the Mississippi River for OSU, excluding Texas and Oklahoma.
Playing Experience: A two-time All-Big XII Conference selection as a center (1997, 1998), Offutt was a four-year starter and a co-captain for the 1998 Cowboys. Offutt won the Captains Award for leadership, the Stallion Award for consistent performance, the Hang Tough Award for fighting through injury and adversity, and the Lifter of the Year award during his OSU career. He was ranked among the top 10 center prospects for the 1999 NFL Draft, signing with Detroit. He played in the Senior Bowl, the East/West Shrine Game and the Blue/Gray Classic. Offutt started two years at center, one at guard and one at tackle. He helped OSU reach the 1997 Alamo Bowl.
Personal: 35 years old, born Oct. 28, 1975. He and his wife, April, have two daughters, Brynn (13) and Reese (6). Offutt graduated from Oklahoma State with a sociology degree in 2004. Prior to returning to the Oklahoma State program as a coach, he was information technology director for the city of Paris, Texas.
