Tyler Hughes was named the head football coach of the Minot State University football program on April 19, 2014. He is the 20th head football coach in Beaver history and he is entering his third season at the helm of Minot State in 2016.
“I’m honored to be the Head Football Coach at Minot State,” said Hughes. “It’s a great opportunity within an outstanding university and community. We want to see our players be at their best on and off of the field while seeing them graduate and win championships.”
Hughes’ program is built on the core belief system featuring the values of leadership, teamwork and poise with the core purpose of player development. He has coached at varying levels of college football and has seen tremendous success as a coach and as a player as well.
In Hughes’ first season at Minot State, the Beavers went 1-10. Hughes picked up his first victory on October 25, 2014 with a 50-20 defeat of Minnesota Crookston. The Beavers featured seven NSIC All-Conference performers including two on the first team, Levi Freidt and Thomas Bryson. Minot State also saw academic improvement as 16 times during the year, Beaver football players were on either the Dean’s List (3.5-3.79 GPA) or President’s List (3.8 or above GPA) for academic achievement.
In his second season with the Beavers, Hughes earned his first victory over in-state rival Mary in an exciting comeback, overtime game to win his first Battle of the Big Lakes trophy. MSU ranked second in passing defense in the NSIC as four Beaver defensive players earned All-NSIC honors, two of whom ranked in the top five in tackles per game. Minot State also had wide receiver Porter Sturm (ranked fourth in NSIC in all-purpose yards) and punter Aaron La Deaux (ranked third in NSIC in yards per punt attempt) earn conference distinction.
Hughes came to Minot State after spending the 2013 season at The Ohio State University. At Ohio State, Hughes served as a Quality Control Assistant and assisting with the quarterbacks while working for Buckeye head coach, Urban Meyer. Hughes performed advanced scouting, film analysis and data analytics to increase offensive efficiency and productivity. The Buckeyes finished 12-2, second in the Big 10 and ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division I. The Buckeyes finished seventh nationally in total offense (511.9 yards per game) and third in scoring (45.5 points per game).
Prior to Ohio State, Hughes spent nine seasons at Snow College, a member of the NJCAA, in Ephraim, Utah. Hughes was the head coach during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the offensive coordinator from 2005-10 after being hired as the WR/TE coach in 2004.
As the head coach at Snow, Hughes led the team to a 20-4 overall record, two bowl game championships and one conference title. In addition, Hughes was named the WSFL Coach of the Year in 2012 following an 11-1 season and a #3 national ranking.
In 2012, Snow was the outright WSFL Conference Champion for the first time since 2008. The team featured six All-Americans, the offensive and defensive Player of the Year in the WSFL and twelve All-Conference performers. Snow’s offense finished in the top 10 nationally in total offense (470.6 yards per game) and points per game (49 points per game). Defensively, Snow finished in the top ten in sacks (52) and turnovers forced (43). The Badgers capped the season with a 47-21 victory in the Carrier Dome Bowl (Syracuse, NY) over ASA College.
During the 2011 season, Snow finished 9-3 and No. 12 in the nation. Snow defeated Eastern Arizona in the Top of the Mountains Bowl 36-9 at Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake’s stadium (Rio Tinto Stadium). The 2011 squad featured two All-Americans and eight All-Conference team members.
Hughes’ teams also featured significant success off of the field. In the classroom, Snow had seven Academic All-Americans and 27 Dean’s List recipients. The team has also performed big off of the field while donating over 400 hours of community service through reading programs at local elementary schools.
As an assistant coach at Snow, Hughes helped propel the team to a 70-13 record (.847 winning percentage) in seven seasons. He assisted the team to five consecutive 10-win seasons, five bowl game championships, five conference championships and two national championship game appearances. Hughes’ offenses were explosive and highly productive at Snow while leading a top ten offense nationally in four of seven seasons as an assistant including the nation’s #1 offense in 2006. Offensively, Snow featured nine All-Americans and 37 All-Conference performers under Hughes’ guidance. In 2006, quarterback Cade Cooper was the NJCAA National Player of the Year. Cooper is the only Snow College player to earn that distinction.
Player development is the central theme of Hughes’ program and he has developed some incredible players during his time as a coach including current NFL players Matt Asiata (Vikings), Tenny Palepoi (Chargers), Jordan Devey (Patriots) and Damond Powell (Cardinals). He’s coached over ten players that have played in the NFL. He also coached over 50 players who transferred from Snow College to NCAA institutions.
A number of Hughes’ quarterbacks have had significant success under his tutelage. Cade Cooper was the NJCAA National Player of the Year before transferring to Brigham Young University. Jon Eastman started at Snow during the 2007-08 seasons and was an All-Conference signal caller before transferring to Colorado State University. Quinn Mecham threw for 65 touchdowns in his career at Snow which allowed him to transfer to the University of Kansas. Christian Stewart was also All-Conference at Snow College and just concluded his playing career as the starter at Brigham Young in 2014. In all, Hughes quarterbacks threw for over 20,000 yards with 223 touchdown passes with a QB efficiency rating of 158.1.
As a player, Hughes started at wide receiver for Snow College winning the Badger Pride award which was given to the team member who best exemplified leadership and selflessness. During his prep career he played at East High School under Coach Chris Georgelas. East finished nationally ranked by the USA Today following a perfect 13-0 season and state championship.
Hughes is married to the former Lisa Adamson and the couple has four children: Kenyon, Isaac, Will and Max. They reside in Minot.
Coaching Experience
| Year |
Title |
School |
| 2014-Present |
Head Football Coach |
Minot State University |
| 2013 |
Quality Control Assistant |
Ohio State University |
| 2011-12 |
Head Football Coach |
Snow College |
| 2005-10 |
Offensive Coordinator/QB |
Snow College |
| 2004 |
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends |
Snow College |
| 2003 |
Offensive Coordinator/RB |
Murray High School (Utah) |
Head Coaching Record
| Year |
School |
Record |
Final Poll |
| 2015 |
Minot State |
1-10 |
NR |
| 2014 |
Minot State |
1-10 |
NR |
| 2012 |
Snow College |
11-1 |
#3 |
| 2011 |
Snow College |
9-3 |
#12 |
| Total |
4 years |
22-24 |
|
Tyler Hughes Quick Facts
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
High School: East
Alma Mater: Utah State, 2005
Years in Coaching: 14 (Third year at Minot State)
Wife: Lisa
Children: Sons Kenyon, Isaac, Will and Max
