Jeff Conway served four seasons as the co-offensive coordinator, running backs and tight ends coach at Texas State .
Conway coached one of the Top seven rushing leaders in the Sun Belt Conference last season when Robert Lowe who fijnished the season rushing for 915 yards and seven touchdowns on 175 carries despite missing the final game and sitting out most of the previous game with an injury. Lowe also caught 18 passes for 145 yards and three TDs out of the backfield.
The previous season, Conway produced two of the top 10 rushing leaders in the Sun Belt Conference during each of the last two seasons. Last season, Phil Steele and College Sports Madness named Robert Lowe an All-SBC Third-Team selection after he became the first Bobcat since 2009 to rush over 1,000 yards when he ranked fifth among league leaders with 1,091 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries. Terrence Franks also ranked 10th among SBC rushing leaders with 712 yards and eight TDs on 107 carries.
In 2013, Lowe earned All-SBC Second-Team honors after ranking second among league leaders with 945 yards and nine touchdowns on 164 carries. Chris Nutall also gained 477 yards and scored six TD’s on 83 carries to rank 10th among league leaders.
In his first season, Conway tutored Second-Team All-WAC tight end Chase Harper, who finished the season second among Bobcat reception leaders with 28 catches for 315 catches and three touchdowns.
In addition, running back Marcus Curry was an Honorable Mention All-WAC selection after leading the Bobcats in rushing with 685 yards and 10 touchdowns on 113 carries in 2012.
He also coaches kickoff returns on special teams and has produced two of the top kick returners in the nation each of the last two seasons. Last year, record-setting Brandon Smith ranked fifth nationally after averaging 29.9 yards per return and tied a NCAA record when he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game at UL Lafayette. In 2012, Jafus Gaines led the WAC in kickoff returns and ranked 10th nationally with 28.9 yards per return.
Conway came to Texas State after serving as the assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Sam Houston State during the two previous seasons when the Bearkats posted a combined record of 20-6.
In 2011, Sam Houston State was a Division I FCS Finalist and ended the season ranked No. 2 nationally with a 14-1 overall record. The Bearkats also won the Southland Conference with a 7-0 league record.
One of his receivers at Sam Houston State was 2011 SLC Offensive Player of the Year Richard Sincere, who caught 25 passes for 449 yards and rushed 120 times for 965 yards and nine touchdowns when lining up behind center in the “Wild Bearkat” formation.
Conway went to Sam Houston State after serving as the associate head coach and wide receivers coach at Central Missouri for six seasons.
During that span, the Mules compiled a 41-24 record, including an 8-3 mark in 2009. Central Missouri also had four seven-win campaigns in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
He also worked six seasons as a special teams and recruiting coordinator at the University of New Mexico, where he began his tenure coaching tight ends in 1998-99, running backs in 2000-01 and wide receivers from 2002-03.
During the 2001 season as running backs coach, New Mexico enjoyed its best season in four years as the Lobos averaged 191 yards per game and produced a NFL Draft selection, Jarrod Baxter.
Conway went to New Mexico from Blinn College, where he was a first-year head coach in 1997 and led the Buccaneers to an 8-3 record and a No. 14 national ranking.
He was named head coach after serving as the offensive coordinator for four seasons when Blinn posted a 47-8-1 record, won 26 consecutive games and won back-to-back national championships in 1995 and 1996.
Conway also served as the offensive coordinator at Missouri Western State in 1991 and 1992 after serving in the same capacity at Houston’s North Shore High School in 1990.
He began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, Northwest Missouri State in the spring of 1984 before moving to Sam Houston State as a wide receivers coach in 1984-85. The Bearkats finished 8-3 both seasons and won a Gulf Star Conference championship. He also served as a quarterbacks and receivers coach at Lamar from 1986-89.
Conway is a 1981 graduate of Northwest Missouri State where he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and played football as a free safety from 1978 to 1981. He was named an All-Conference selection as a senior. A native of Knoxville, Iowa, Conway and his wife, Jolene, have three daughters - Callie, Patsy and Bobbi.
