WKU Football has brought in a new face to the offensive coaches room, with the Hilltoppers announcing the hiring of Ryan Aplin as co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Aplin comes to The Hill after two seasons as offensive coordinator at the University of North Alabama.
This past year, the Lions averaged 26.2 points per game as the aerial attack shined. UNA averaged 285 pass yards per game as the team eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark over the 11-game season. Quarterback Christian Lopez went to many different options, as there were four different wide receivers with at least 25 receptions, 550 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2018, he helped lead the Lions to a 7-3 record in the program's first season in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
That year, the Lions mastered four fourth-quarter come-from-behind wins, while and the team set a school record with the fewest turnovers in a season in school history with only nine. UNA quarterback Christian Lopez also set a school individual record by throwing 253 consecutive passes without an interception.
Aplin was previously UNA’s receivers coach in 2016, then took a position as receivers coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2017 before returning to UNA as offensive coordinator.
During his previous stint with the Lions in 2016, UNA posted an 11-2 record, won the Gulf South Conference and Super Region 2 Championships and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.
Prior to coming to UNA, Aplin served as a graduate assistant coach at Auburn University under Gus Malzahn for two years from 2014-15 while earning a master’s degree in adult education. He spent the 2013 as an administrative assistant at Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze.
A former two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year at quarterback for Arkansas State University where he played under both Freeze and Malzahn, Aplin led the Redwolves to back-to-back conference championships in 2011 and 2012. He became the first in Sun Belt Conference history to earn the Male Student-Athlete of the Year award twice.
Under Freeze's tutelage in 2011, Aplin threw for 3,588 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 10 more scores. With Malzahn's help in 2012, Aplin upped his accuracy to 68 percent and threw only four interceptions. He was responsible for 30 total touchdowns; throwing for 24 while rushing for six more.
He completed his four-year career with more than 25 combined single-game, season and career school records and became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leader in completions, passing yards and total offense.
Aplin is originally from Tampa, Fla., and graduated from Fleming Island High School near Jacksonville. He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from ASU in 2012 with a cumulative GPA over 3.3.
He is married to the former Victoria Price of Fleming Island, Fla., and they have two sons, Maverick and Hawkins, and a daughter, Naomi.
THE RYAN APLIN FILE
PERSONAL
Born: May 8, 1990
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
College: Arkansas State, '12
Wife: Victoria
Children: Maverick, Hawkins and Naomi
PLAYING CAREER (Quarterback)
College: Arkansas State (2008-12)
COACHING CAREER
2013: Ole Miss (Administrative Assistant)
2014-15: Auburn (Graduate Assistant)
2016: North Alabama (Wide Receivers)
2017: UT Chattanooga (Wide Receivers)
2018-19: North Alabama (Offensive Coordinator)
2020: WKU (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)
