Syracuse has added one of the top offensive minds in football to its coaching staff, as former Broyles Award recipient Josh Gattis will serve as QC/Offensive Specialist.
Gattis joins Fran Brown's staff with 15 years of collegiate experience, including seven years as a coordinator at the power-four level. In addition to winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach in 2021, he has mentored a Biletnikoff Award winner and numerous All-Americans and all-conference performers. He has been part of four conference titles and has helped lead a team to the College Football Playoff at two different schools.
"I'm grateful to be here and build upon the 10-year relationship I have with coach Fran," Gattis said. "I'm privileged to be part of a staff with some great coaches and learn a new offensive system, that's really taking over college football in terms of excitement, under Coach Nixon."
Gattis' primary positional expertise is in coaching wide receivers. In addition to coaching wideouts at each school he was a coordinator (Maryland, Miami, Michigan, co-Alabama), he was the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach at Penn State (2014-17) and also coached the unit at Vanderbilt (2012-13) and Western Michigan (2011).
"I'm extremely excited to have him on our staff," Brown said. "When myself and Coach E first got into coaching, he was the name that everyone was talking about coming up. He's done some great things, won the Broyles Award at Michigan and went on to Miami and Maryland and had success. My goal with Josh is to keep getting closer with him and being able to understand football from a different perspective. I'm excited to get to work with him and help him get his name back into the position it should be, as someone who should be a head coach, because he's one of the brighter minds in college football."
During his most recent stint at Maryland (2023-24), the offense scored nearly 30 points per game. In Gattis' first season running the Terps offense, Maryland finished 8-5, culminating with a victory over Auburn in the Music City Bowl. Powered by their high-powered offense that led the Big Ten in nearly every statistical passing category, the 2023 squad ranked fourth in the Big Ten in scoring offense. Nine offensive players earned All-Big Ten honors in 2023, which was the most for the school since joining the conference.
In 2021, Gattis was named the nation's top assistant coach after guiding Michigan to its first College Football Playoff. His unit ranked No. 16 nationally in scoring offense and No. 24 in red zone offence en route to winning the Big Ten Championship. Gattis' offense in 2020 averaged 28.3 points and 381.8 yards per game during the COVID shortened season. Individually, running back Hassan Haskins averaged over six yards per carry and four players averaged over 10 yards per reception – led by Ronnie Bell (15.4 yards per catch) and Cornelius Johnson (15.9).
His first season at Michigan (2019) saw the Wolverines offense average more than 400 yards of total offense per game and score 31.7 points per contest. Wide receivers Nico Collins and Bell each had career-best seasons, along with quarterback Shea Patterson, who became just the third Michigan quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards (3,061) in a single season. Running back Zach Charbonnet also set the Michigan freshman record with 11 rushing touchdowns.
Prior to Michigan, Gattis spent one season at Alabama as the co-Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers coach, helping the program reach the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Gattis led one of the most talented position rooms in the nation, with Jerry Jeudy winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver. Additionally, he developed Jaylen Waddle, Henry Ruggs, future Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith, as well as tight end Irv Smith to all tally over 40 receptions and 500 yards. Running backs Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs also played a pivotal role in the passing game, each having 20+ catches and 200+ yards through the air.
Gattis spent four seasons as the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach at Penn State from 2014-17. He also led the recruiting efforts and landed the Nittany Lions four-straight top-25 classes, including a pair of top-15 ranked classes. He was named the 2015 Scout.com Big Ten Recruiter of the Year for his efforts. On the field, he led a pair of wideouts to All-Big Ten honors – DaeSean Hamilton (2014, 2017) and Chris Godwin (2015, 2016).
Before Penn State, he spent two years as wide receivers coach at the Vanderbilt (2012-13). During his time with the Commodores, Gattis coached Jordan Matthews to All-America honors twice. Matthews ended his career as the SEC's leader in receptions and receiving yards while also setting the single-season mark receptions with 107 in 2013.
He spent the 2011 season at Western Michigan as the wide receivers coach, mentoring Jordan White to consensus All-American honors. White led the NCAA in receptions with 140 for 1,911 yards during the 2011 season and broke numerous Mid-American Conference receiving marks. Gattis began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant coach at North Carolina in 2010.
Gattis played his collegiate football at Wake Forest, where he earned his bachelor's degree in sociology in 2006, while being a two-time All-ACC selection at safety. He went on to be a fifth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2007 NFL Draft, where he spent part of the 2007 season, before moving on to the Chicago Bears for the remainder of 2007 and 2008.
