Texas State University President Denise Trauth and Director of Athletics Larry Teis announced Tuesday that Jake Spavital has been named the head football coach at Texas State. The school will hold an introductory press conference at 11 a.m. Nov. 30 in the Warren Reception Room of the Football End Zone Complex.
"I want to thank Director of Athletics Larry Teis for leading this search process and guiding the hiring of our new coach," Dr. Trauth said. "Texas State Athletics will have a great future as we move forward under Dr. Teis' leadership of our Department of Athletics and Coach Spavital's leadership of our football program."
Spavital comes to Texas State after being a play-caller for some of the nation's top offenses and developing some of the most talented quarterbacks in the country during the past six seasons when he was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has been in the coaching profession for the past 10 years.
"This was a quick, but very deliberative process and we got a great person to lead the Bobcat football program," Teis said. "He has one of the best offensive minds in the country and loves explosive offenses. I do want to thank Dr. Trauth, Parker Executive Search and everyone else who worked to make this happen. I knew that he was our guy when it took 22 hours to get here and he still wanted to take a tour of our facilities this morning at 1 a.m. We finalized the contract at noon today."
Spavital served the last two seasons at West Virginia when it had one of the best offenses in school history in 2018. The Mountaineers were nationally-ranked No. 8 in total offense during the regular season after accumulating 5,724 yards. They completed 272-of- 407 passes for 3,939 yards and 38 touchdowns with a bowl game left to play. West Virginia is ranked No. 15 in the latest AP poll and No. 16 in the coaches' poll. It has spent the entire season nationally ranked for the first time since 2007.
Spavital returned to West Virginia in 2017 when Will Grier threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns. West Virginia's offense ranked No. 3 nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage, No. 8 in fewest tackles for loss allowed, No. 13 in passing offense, No. 16 in passing efficiency, No. 20 in total offense and No. 25 in first-down offense, fewest sacks allowed and passing yards per completion.
He returned to West Virginia after serving as the interim head coach at California in January 2017 after serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Bears in 2016. He guided the Golden Bears to a Top-25 national ranking in eight different categories, including No. 4 in passing offense (358.8 yards per game), No. 8 in first down offense (335), No. 10 in total offense (518.3 yards per game) and No. 22 in scoring offense (37.1 points per game).
Cal established single-season school records for pass completions (383), fewest fumbles lost (3) and fewest turnovers (15), while equaling a school mark for most field goals made (22). The Golden Bears set NCAA FBS single game records with 118 plays and 40 first downs in a 52-49 double overtime win over Oregon.
Quarterback Davis Webb earned Athlon's Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year honors after passing for 4,295 yards and 37 touchdowns that season. He ranked No. 3 nationally in completions, points responsible for, No. 4 in total yards, No. 5 in passing yards and No. 8 in passing touchdowns.
Prior to Cal, Spavital spent three years at Texas A&M under Kevin Sumlin. He was a co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach his first season and the final two as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Aggies had a 25-14 record during Spavital's three-year stint, including 8-5 marks in his final two years as the offensive coordinator.
In 2014, the Aggies led the Southeastern Conference, tied for No. 7 nationally in passing touchdowns (39), and were No. 12 nationally in passing offense (305.5).
In 2013, the Aggies set single-season SEC and school records with 4,593 passing yards and had 6,999 total yards of offense to rank No. 2 in SEC and Texas A&M history, No. 4 nationally in total offense (538.4) and No. 7 in passing offense (353.3).
The Aggies broke the school record for completion percentage by connecting on 69.3 percent of their passes and finished No. 3 in SEC history. Quarterback Johnny Manziel threw 37 touchdown passes, tying for No. 4 in the nation, while passing for 4,114 yards, ranking No. 8 nationally.
Spavital went to Texas A&M after he was the quarterbacks coach for two seasons at West Virginia for Geno Smith. Smith finished his collegiate career in 2012 with 11,662 passing yards and 98 touchdowns. The Mountaineers ranked No. 9 nationally in passing efficiency (161.97) and scoring offense (39.5 ppg), No. 10 in passing offense (330.2) and total offense (502.0). Smith was No. 5 nationally in passing yards (4,205), passing yards per game (323.5 ypg) and No. 6 in passing efficiency (163.86).
In his first season at West Virginia in 2011, Spavital helped lead the Mountaineers to a 10-3 overall record and a win over Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. West Virginia ranked No. 6 nationally in passing offense (346.9) and was No. 13 in scoring offense (37.6), No. 15 in total offense (469.5) and No. 19 in passing efficiency.
Spavital spent the 2010 as an offensive graduate assistant at Oklahoma State and Houston in 2009, both under Dana Holgorsen. Spavital began his coaching career as an offensive quality control assistant under Gus Malzahn at Tulsa in 2008.
A native of Tulsa, Okla., Spavital was a two-year letterman as a quarterback and punter for Missouri State from 2004-07. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2008.
Spavital was a Consensus First-Team All-State quarterback at Tulsa's Union High School, posting a 26-1 career record as the starting quarterback and leading Union to the Class 6A state title in 2002.
Spavital is married to the former Mehgan Morris, one of the top Mountaineer gymnasts in school history. They have a daughter, Madison Grace, and a son, Landyn Zachary. His father, Steve, is a former high school football coach, while his brother Zac was a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas Tech.
