Drew Hollingshead enters his second season at WKU and will serve as the Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach in 2024.
In his first season on The Hill in 2023, Hollingshead was the Hilltoppers' Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach and led one of the most dynamic offenses in Conference USA. WKU finished the year second in the league in scoring with 30.5 points per game, and had the top passing offense across CUSA with 296.4 yards per game through the air and 38 passing touchdowns. WKU's 50 offensive touchdowns in 2023 ranked second in CUSA.
Hollingshead coached several offensive stars in his first year with the Hilltoppers, including CUSA All-Conference First Team receiver Malachi Corley, as well as quarterback Austin Reed and center Vincent Murphy, who both received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors. Reed was one of the top quarterbacks in the country under Hollingshead and finished the season second in CUSA in total offense (286.7), first in passing yards per game (278.3), fourth in total offensive plays (512), fourth in total offensive yards (3,440), second in total offensive touchdowns (35), first in total passing yards (3,340), first in completions (289), and second in passing touchdowns (31).
Hollingshead helped several players reach the professional ranks after his first season with the Hilltoppers. Corley was selected by the New York Jets with the first pick of the third round in the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the second-highest drafted player in WKU program history. Reed signed with the Chicago Bears after the 2024 Draft, and running back Markese Stepp signed with the New York Jets after receiving an invitation to rookie mini camp.
Hollingshead arrived at WKU in January of 2023 after a three-year stint coaching at Mississippi State.
With the Bulldogs, Hollingshead spent two seasons as an Offensive Quality Control assistant before being promoted to Inside Receivers Coach ahead of the 2022 campaign. While being mentored by legendary air-raid coach Mike Leach, Hollingshead helped Mississippi State finish 10th in the country in passing in 2022 and fourth in the country in 2021. He also helped MSU quarterback Will Rogers finish third in the country in passing yards in 2021 and 10th in the nation in 2022.
Before his time in Starkville, Hollingshead also spent time under Leach at Washington State. He arrived in Pullman in time for the 2016 season and was an Offensive Graduate Assistant for two years before being promoted to Offensive Quality Control Assistant in 2018. Hollingshead spent two seasons working in that capacity while helping the Cougars to an 11-2 overall record and top-10 finish in the final AP Top 25 poll during the 2018 season.
Washington State was quarterbacked by Gardner Minshew during that 2018 season. Minshew finished as the nation's second-leading passer with 4,779 yards, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Before coaching Minshew, Hollingshead helped mentor quarterback Luke Falk, who set the record for wins at WSU with 27. Falk also set Pac-12 Conference records and Washington State records in passing yards (14,486), total offense (14,086), passing touchdowns (119), pass completions (357), pass attempts (534) and total plays (2,306).
Ahead of his time at Washington State, Hollingshead coached two years at Texas A&M-Commerce. He was an Offensive Quality Control Coach in 2013 before becoming the team's Quarterbacks Coach in 2014. During that 2014 season, Commerce led all of college football in scoring offense at 54.1 points per game.
Hollingshead started coaching football at Hyde Park Baptist High School in Austin, Texas, and completed an internship with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 2013.
Like WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton, Hollingshead played quarterback at the University of Houston. His career with the Cougars lasted from 2009-2012, and there he earned his degree in sport administration in August of 2012.
The Rockwall, Texas, native is joined in Bowling Green by his wife, Brittany.
