An ace recruiter who has pulled in his share of talent, Kyle Manley will have his first shot at being an offensive coordinator as Northwestern State enters the 2017 season.
A versatile member of Jay Thomas’ staff since coming to Natchitoches in 2013, Manley spent the past three seasons as the Demons quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator. Even with his new responsibilities, he will remain NSU’s quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.
In 2016, Manley mentored three different starting quarterbacks, working to the different strengths of Brooks Haack, J.D. Almond and Joel Blumenthal.
After losing record-setting quarterback Zach Adkins following the 2014 season, Manley massaged a group of four quarterbacks, shuffling a group that included transfer Stephen Rivers, who completed his career by earning a free-agent tryout with the Arizona Cardinals.
That group helped wide receiver Ed Eagan set school career records in receptions and receiving yardage.
In his first season working with the Northwestern State signal callers, Manley helped guide Adkins to a standout senior campaign that included NSU single-game records for touchdown passes (5), points responsible for (36), completions (31) and consecutive completions (19). Under Manley’s tutelage, Adkins rewrote school single-season marks for passing yards (2,821), total offense (3,004), completions (258), attempts (383), completion percentage (67.2), touchdown passes (28) and points responsible for (198).
Led by Adkins, NSU passers set team single-season records for first downs via pass (140), completions (262), completion percentage (67.2) and passing yardage (2,864).
Manley has remained a strong presence on the recruiting trail, helping the Demons nab at least 27 signees in each of the 2015. 2016 and 2017 recruiting cycles.
In his first season in Natchitoches, Manley was deeply involved in game-planning and game management last year as the Demons set seven school passing records with Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year Adkins spreading his throws around to 11 different wideouts. Five had at least 20 catches and three had 38 or more.
His management of the recruiting process in just over a month before 2013 Signing Day, and since, has helped the Demons bring in two strong classes filling needs and setting the foundation for years forward.
Manley’s background includes experience successfully coordinating an abbreviated 2013 recruiting class for the Demons in January. His background includes experience with accomplished coaches Chan Gailey and Derek Dooley, and he’s helped quarterbacks break school records for career passing and total offense. In 2012, Manley helped coach quarterbacks for the Volunteers in 2012 as Tennessee ranked 19th nationally in total offense, second in the SEC.
He was the quarterbacks coach at Tennessee-Martin in 2011 as Derek Carr set program records for career passing, passing touchdowns, completions and total offense, a year after tutoring Scott Buisson to similar feats at Arkansas-Monticello.
He was a quarterback at Georgia Tech. Manley graduated in 2008 and spent that fall and 2009 on Derek Dooley’s staff at Louisiana Tech.
“Kyle was a great fit for our system as we built our first staff, and he is an anchor guy for us on that side of the ball because of his versatility and deep knowledge of the game,” Thomas said. “He is an intellectual coach who as a former quarterback brings that special insight that is so beneficial.
“Kyle is a very, very classy guy. He’s been around really, really good football coaches. Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech, Jason Simpson at UT-Martin, Coach Dooley at Louisiana Tech and Tennessee, to name just three, and he’s picked up more than his share of coaching expertise from every opportunity.”
At Louisiana Tech, he helped coach quarterbacks and receivers in 2009 and was a strength and conditioning intern in 2008 as the Bulldogs notched an Independence Bowl victory under Dooley.
Manley was a quarterback at Georgia Tech from 2004-07, playing on Gailey’s teams, earning one letter as the Yellow Jackets played in four bowl games and the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game once. A Buford (Ga.) High School product, he quarterbacked three straight state championship teams. He made the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Top 50 prospects in Georgia after his senior year and was an All-Southeast Region selection by Prep Star. In a run-dominated offense, he threw for 1,312 yards and 11 TDs with two interceptions as a senior, earning first-team All-State Class AA honors from the AJC. He threw for 1,214 yards and 14 TDs in his junior year. Buford won 45 straight games during his career, including his last one, under coach Dexter Wood.
Manley, 31, graduated with a management degree from Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Halle, have two sons, Cooper and Cameron.
