OK State running backs coach on board, says Oklahoma newspaper

Oklahoma State running backs coach Curtis Luper will join Gene Chizik’s staff, according to The Oklahoman.

His role with the Tigers has yet to be defined, according to the report, but it’s safe to say he won’t be the new defensive ends coach.

Luper has been with the Cowboys for the past four seasons. He was previously at New Mexico in the same position from 2002-04. He was a secondary coach at Texas A&M-Commerce from 1999-2001. Luper’s time at Stephen F. Austin as running backs coach (1995-97) overlaps with Chizik’s.

The Cowboys led the Big 12 and ranked seventh nationally in rushing offense (256 yards per game) this season and were eighth in 2007.

Luper would join Gus Malzahn (offensive coordinator) and James Willis (linebackers coach) as the third assistant coach on board for 2009.

Luper was a running back at Oklahoma State from 1984-87. Fun fact: he shared carries with NFL Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas at Sherman (Texas) High School.

Here’s some more personal info about Luper, courtesy of Oklahoma State’s athletic page, as we try to get some official confirmation on this.

Personal
Luper began his career at OSU but his stay was interrupted from 1988 to 1992 when he served as an air traffic controller for the United States Army. He then completed his eligibility at Stephen F. Austin as a second-team all-Southland Conference running back in 1993. He led the team in rushing and scoring.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Stephen F. Austin in 1996 and his master’s degree in communications from SFA in 1998. He has completed coursework toward a doctoral degree in secondary and higher education from Texas A&M-Commerce.

A 1984 graduate of Sherman (Texas) HS, Luper captured all-state honors as a senior and was the No. 2-rated prep running back in Texas behind his Cowboy teammate, Thurman Thomas.

Luper is married to the former Nikki Echols. They have three daughters, A’rielle, Charitie and Cheyenne, and two sons, Cameron and Chancellor.

Back in the ‘burn and still looking for coaches

Two coaches?

Two?

That’s all Auburn could come up with as I visited plenty of friends and family across the Buckeye State, nursed an illness, ate far too much good food and toasted the new year with college friends at the No. 5 party school in the country?

Oh well, at least I didn’t miss THAT much.

But we’re back here in Auburn and, according to the vacation total on the bottom of my pay stub, won’t be taking off any time soon. In the coming days, however, we’ll be plenty busy here at Fourth and Blog. The men’s and women’s basketball teams will both be taking the BEM-C floor tomorrow in their respective final tune-ups heading into SEC play. While that’s going on, defensive end Antonio Coleman will hold a press conference at his alma mater, Williamson High in Mobile, and will reveal whether or not he plans to return for his senior season. FAB is in the process of trying to acquire a phone interview with Coleman following the press conference because, as hinted at earlier, we’ll be on basketball duty.

All is quiet here today here at the Auburn Athletic Complex. I had to piggyback in with a construction crew just to get inside. Not many cars in the main parking lot, but plenty in the super secret gated portion, which means the important people are hard at work…or pretending to be.

New head tackle football coach Gene Chizik has just a couple days before he can hit the ‘cruitin’ trail again. It’d probably be easier with a few more coaches on board, but it doesn’t appear he’s in any sort of hurry. Common speculation suggests that Chizik will wait until the end of the bowl season to announce guys that are likely already on board, but don’t want to be a cause for distraction. But that sure didn’t stop the Gus Malzahn hire, did it?

Anyways, after that large dose of non-news, we’re going to continue shaking off the vacation hangover and get to work on some newspaper business.

Yes, those are sticking around for 2009.

Couple of picks

I’ll have a Sugar Bowl preview later, but here are my picks for the two afternoon games today:

Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech 52, Ole Miss 34
Liberty Bowl: East Carolina 17, Kentucky 10