Jeff Faris enters his second season as Austin Peay’s head football coach after being named the 22nd head coach in program history on Dec. 9, 2023.
A Knoxville, Tennessee native with over a dozen years of Division I experience at the FBS level, Faris spent two seasons as the tight ends coach for head coach Chip Kelly at UCLA. Before his time in Los Angeles, he was on head coach David Cutcliffe’s coaching staff at Duke, where he was named the 2018 American Football Coaches Association’s FBS Assistant Coach of the Year. By the end of his 10 seasons in Durham, North Carolina, Faris had become the Blue Devils’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Faris helped return the Blue Devils to national prominence as they reached six bowl games and won the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl, the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl, and the 2018 Independence Bowl. At UCLA, Faris helped guide the Bruins to the 2022 Sun Bowl and the 2023 LA Bowl.
Faris is a three-time Duke graduate, earning his bachelor’s degree in economics in 2011 before earning a master’s degree in economics in 2012 and a second master’s degree in Christian Studies in 2014.
Faris and his wife Natalie welcomed twin sons, Jack and Eli, in June 2023, before having their third son, Cal, in Dec. 2024.
FARIS’ CAREER SUMMARY
Austin Peay (2024-CURRENT)
2024: Named Austin Peay’s head coach on Dec. 9, 2023, his inaugural roster for the 2024 season featured 55 newcomers, comprised of 34 transfers and 21 true freshmen, and just two returning starters – one on offense and one on defense. His first win, and first win at Fortera Stadium, came in a 59-16 victory against Alabama A&M, Sept. 21. His first United Athletic Conference win came in a 20-16 victory at West Georgia, Oct. 5. Led Austin Peay to four victories, with three coming in UAC play. Had six student-athletes earn All-UAC honors, including Jaden Lyles, who was named a First Team All-UAC selection at defensive back. Wide receiver Jaden Barnes earned Second Team All-UAC honors after recording the third-most receiving yards (1,083) and ninth-most receiving touchdowns (9) in a single season in APSU history. Chandler Kirton also received the league’s highest academic award, earning UAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
UCLA (2022-23)
2023: In his final season in Los Angeles, Faris’ tight ends recorded 32 receptions for 613 yards and seven touchdowns. Carsen Ryan led the unit with 13 receptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns while All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection Moliki Motavao recorded 12 receptions for 266 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, Hudson Habermehl added seven receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Per PFF, the Bruins had the No. 1 tight end unit in the Pac-12 with Ryan and Motavao grading out as the No. 1 and No. 2 tight ends in the conference, respectively, while Habermehl graded out as the No. 12 tight end in the league. At 7-5 overall, the Bruins earned a bid to the 2023 LA Bowl, but Faris departed for Austin Peay before the bowl game.
2022: Named UCLA’s tight ends coach by head coach Chip Kelly in Jan. 2022 and helped the Bruins’ tight ends combine for 41 receptions for 475 yards and six touchdowns during his first season in Westwood. Michael Ezeike led the group with 20 catches for 226 yards and four touchdowns while becoming the first UCLA player to record three touchdown receptions in a single game since 2017 against USC. In addition, wide receiver Jake Bobo, who Faris coached at Duke before he transferred to UCLA, led the Bruins with 57 receptions for 817 yards and seven touchdowns while earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors. The Bruins' offense averaged 503.6 yards of total offense per game, the fourth-best mark in the NCAA and the first time in program history the Bruins had averaged more than 500 yards of offense per game. UCLA went 9-4 and earned a bid to the 2022 Sun Bowl where they fell to Pittsburgh.
Duke (2012-21)
2021: In his final season at Duke, Faris was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while also assuming play-calling duties. The Blue Devils passed for 2,855 yards and nine touchdowns, with quarterback Gunnar Holmberg leading the way with 2,358 yards – the most by a Duke quarterback since 2018 – and seven touchdown passes. Holmberg also completed 67 percent of his passes that season, which ranked second in the ACC and 22nd in the NCAA. In addition, Holmberg rushed for six touchdowns, while reserve quarterbacks Jordan Moore and Riley Leonard combined for two more passing and three rushing touchdowns. The Blue Devils averaged 418.2 passing and 180.3 rushing yards per game en route to 418.2 yards of total offense per game. In addition, running back Mataeo Duran earned 2021 First Team All-ACC honors after rushing for a Duke single-season record 1,241 yards – breaking a record that had stood for 49 years – and nine of Blue Devils' 22 rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Jake Bobo was also a Third Team All-ACC honoree after leading the Blue Devils with 74 receptions and 794 yards with one touchdown reception.
2020: In Faris’ final season as tight ends coach and offensive recruiting coordinator, the Blue Devils’ tight ends recorded 46 receptions for 479 yards and three touchdowns. Noah Gray led the group with 29 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns, ranking third on the team in yards and receptions and leading the Blue Devils in touchdown catches. Gray also ranked second in the ACC for a tight end in receptions and receiving yards. During his senior season, Gray broke a 57-yard-old Duke record for career receptions by a tight end. Jake Marwede added 13 receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown, his 55-yard scoring grab against Virginia was tied for the longest touchdown catch by a Blue Devil in 2021. After three seasons under Faris, Gray represented Duke at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and was invited to the NFL Combine before being drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
2019: During his second season under Faris, Gray recorded 51 receptions for 392 yards and three touchdowns – all career-bests – en route to earning Second Team All-America selection by The Walter Camp Football Foundation. Gray led the Blue Devils in receptions and ranked second on the team in receiving yards while also leading ACC tight ends and ranking second among Power 5 tight ends in receptions. Gray also ranked 13th in the ACC in receptions per game (4.25) and finished the season with the second-most receptions in a single season by a Blue Devils tight end.
2018: In his first season as tight ends coach, Faris was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FBS Assistant Coach of the Year. The Blue Devils’ tight ends combined for 60 receptions for 620 yards and 10 touchdowns, making them the only tight end unit in the ACC with double-digit touchdown catches in 2018. Daniel Helm, who earned Third Team All-ACC honors, led the group with 26 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns while Davis Koppenhaver added 14 receptions for 115 yards and seven touchdowns. Koppenhaver’s seven touchdown catches matched the Duke single-season record for TD receptions by a tight end and helped him break the Duke career record for touchdowns by a tight end with 12. Noah Gray also added 20 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown. Helm and Koppenhaver both earned Academic All-ACC recognition while Helm also picked up Google Cloud Academic All-District III honors. Helm represented Duke in the 2019 East-West Shrine Game before being chosen to participate in the NFL Combine and spent four years in the league with various franchises. The Blue Devils earned a bid to the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl, where they beat Temple. 56-27.
2017: In his fourth and final season as the wide receivers coach, Faris added offensive recruiting coordinator to his title before the 2017 season. T.J. Rahming, an Honorable Mention All-ACC performer, led Duke with 65 receptions and 795 receiving yards, marking the third-straight season he had topped both the 40-catch and 500-yard plateaus under Faris. Rahming also eclipsed the 2,000-receiving yard mark in just his third collegiate season. Duke closed the season at the Quick Lane Bowl, beating Northern Illinois, 36-14, at Ford Field in Detriot.
2016: In his second season working with Faris, T.J. Rahming broke out for a team-leading 70 receptions and 742 yards while also recording one touchdown catch. Johnathan Lloyd, who Faris helped transition from a defensive back to wide receiver in Spring 2016, added 34 catches for 301 yards and a team-best three touchdown receptions. Anthony Nash also recorded 29 receptions for 398 yards and two touchdowns in just seven games before suffering a season-ending injury, he would later go on to sign an NFL free agent contract with the Denver Broncos.
2015: During his second season as the Blue Devils’ wide receivers coach, senior Max McCaffrey led the Blue Devils with 52 receptions for 643 yards and five touchdowns – all team highs for the season. McCaffrey, who signed an NFL free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders in 2016, played his final two seasons under Faris and finished his collegiate career with 117 receptions for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. In addition to McCaffrey, T.J. Rahming ranked second on the team with 43 receptions for 571 yards and two touchdowns while setting the Duke single-game records for receptions (12) and receiving yards (190) against Virginia. Before the 2015 season, Faris helped Duke sign quarterback Daniel Jones (2015-18), who would finish his Blue Devils' career with 8,201 passing yards and 52 passing touchdowns in three seasons, while also rushing for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jones would later go on to be drafted sixth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. After earning a bid to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where they beat Indiana, 44-41, to earn their first bowl victory since 1960.
2014: In his first full-time season as the Blue Devils' wide receivers coach, Faris guided senior Jamison Crowder to a record-breaking finish to his career. Crowder led Duke with 85 receptions and 1,044 receiving yards while ranking second on the team with six receiving touchdowns and was a First Team All-ACC selection. Crowder was a fourth-round pick by the Washington Redskins in the 2015 NFL Draft – Duke's first wide receiver selected in the draft since Clarkston Hines went to the Buffalo Bills in the ninth round of the 1990 draft. In addition to Crowder's exploits, Faris helped wideout Issac Blakeney turn in his best year as a Blue Devil with 47 receptions for 559 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. After the season, Blakeney would sign as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. Max McCaffrey also totaled 37 receptions for 385 yards and three touchdowns during his junior season. Duke closed the season by earning a bid to the Sun Bowl, where they fell to Arizona State.
2012-13: Faris served as a graduate assistant at Duke for two seasons. Duke won the ACC Coastal Division championship during the 2013 campaign with Faris working alongside Scottie Montgomery with the team's wide receivers. The Blue Devils' offense ranked among the ACC’s leaders in scoring (5th; 32.8 ppg), total offense (4th; 426.1 ypg), and passing offense (6th; 248.1 ypg) in 2013 while setting the program record for total points (459) and becoming the first team in school history to post 25-plus rushing touchdowns and 25-plus passing touchdowns in the same season. In Faris’ two seasons as a graduate assistant, the Blue Devils earned bids to the 2012 Belk Bowl against Cincinnati and the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl against Texas A&M. The 2012 bowl appearance marked Duke’s first bowl game since the 1994 season.
COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER (2008-11)
Faris played safety at Duke for four seasons and earned the Mike Suglia Award in 2009, an honor that is annually presented to the sophomore member of the Duke football program who best exemplifies the academic and athletic qualities of the late Mike Suglia. In 2011, Faris received the Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award, which is presented each season to a Duke player who displays the traits of a true teammate – character, unselfishness, compassion, and pride. Faris also was honored by the ACC with a Top 6 For Service award in the spring of 2011. Before his time in Durham, Faris was a four-year letterwinner at Knoxville Catholic High School.
