TEMPE, Ariz. — Rob Likens, a 25-year veteran of the college football coaching ranks and a former assistant coach in the Pac-12 Conference, has been named wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Arizona State University, Head Coach Todd Graham announced Tuesday. Likens replaces Jay Norvell, who became the Head Coach at the University of Nevada on December 9.
"Rob brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our staff," says Graham. "He will work with Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Chip Lindsey with the coordination of our passing game. Rob has developed a long list of wide receivers in his career, seven of which are currently in the NFL and I look forward to him working with our special group. I'm excited about his Pac-12 Conference experience at Cal and his familiarity with the league."
"Rob has an unmatched passion and enthusiasm for coaching and mentoring young men that is unparalleled," says Lindsey. "He brings an energy to our coaching staff, both on the field and in recruiting. His track record in developing receivers is very impressive. We have collaborated over the years on many occasions."
Likens was Lindsey's position coach at North Alabama in 1993.
A veteran orchestrator on the offensive side of the ball, Rob Likens joined Kansas football head coach David Beaty's staff in the role of offensive coordinator in January 2015. Likens, who has 25 years of experience of collegiate coaching to his credit, has served as the offensive coordinator at five different schools prior to arriving in Tempe.
Likens went to KU in 2015 after completing his second season as the assistant head coach and outside receivers coach at the University of California with Sonny Dykes in 2014, and his first with the additional responsibilities of passing game coordinator.
In 2014, Likens' Cal passing game, led by the 2016 NFL Draft No. 1 pick Jared Goff, ranked sixth in the NCAA in passing yards with 346.0 yards through the air per outing on its way to rewriting the Golden Bear single-season passing yardage record in 2014 with 4,152 yards. Additionally, three of his top four receivers were Biletnikoff Award candidates in Chris Harper, Kenny Lawler and Bryce Treggs.
Cal's passing game during Likens' first season with the Golden Bears in 2013 set single-season school records for passing yardage (3,977), pass completions (368) and pass attempts (622), while also establishing new single-game marks during the campaign for passing yardage (521 vs. Washington State) and pass attempts (65 vs. Northwestern).
Treggs' 77 receptions in 2013 ranked fourth on the school's all-time list while Harper's 70 were seventh to give the duo 147 combined catches and make the duo the second-most productive single-season pass catchers in school history behind only the 160 recorded by current NFL players Keenan Allen (98) and Marvin Jones (62) in 2011.
Prior to his arrival in Berkeley, Likens served as an assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Louisiana Tech from 2010-12, including a final campaign in Ruston in which Louisiana Tech posted a 9-3 record and led the nation in scoring offense and total offense by averaging 51.50 points and 577.92 yards of total offense per game.
Likens coached 2012 second-team AP All-American and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist Quinton Patton, who was a major contributor to the team's prolific scoring offense and currently a member of the San Francisco 49ers after being selected by the professional team in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Likens directed one of the most potent wide receiver corps in the country in 2012 led by Patton, who paced the Western Athletic Conference in both per-game receiving yards (116.00 ypg) and receptions (8.67 rpg), while ranking fourth and fifth in the nation, respectively. He finished with totals of 104 receptions, 1,392 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches.
In addition to leading the country in scoring offense and total offense with an offense that posted the fifth-highest per-game scoring average ever by a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Louisiana Tech was among the NCAA's top 20 in 2012 in passing offense (3rd, 350.75 ypg), fewest sacks allowed (7th, 0.83 spg), turnover margin (10th, +1.08 per game) and rushing offense (18th, 227.17 ypg). The Bulldogs scored more than 40 points in 11 of 12 games and over 50 points on eight occasions.
Likens coached a group of receivers in 2011 that registered 3,229 receiving yards with 21 touchdown catches during a campaign that included a stretch of seven consecutive wins and a WAC championship. Patton, a 2011 Biletnikoff Award Watch List member, finished the season with 1,202 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches while becoming the first Bulldog receiver to reach 1,000 yards receiving since 2000.
In his first year at Tech in 2010, Likens oversaw a receiving corps that helped the Bulldogs improve from a No. 91 national ranking in passing offense in 2009 to No. 62 in 2010 despite a revolving door at quarterback through the first third of the season.
Prior to his three-year stint at Louisiana Tech, Likens served for four seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Central Connecticut State (2006-09) and led the Blue Devils to more wins than in any other four-year period in school history.
CCSU had winning records during each of Likens' four seasons, capped off with a 9-3 mark in 2009 that included a Northeast Conference title and an appearance in the Gridiron Classic, as he coached the ground game to a top-10 national ranking among Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools each year.
Under Likens' guidance, the Blue Devils led the conference in scoring offense two times, had three undefeated home records and averaged just under 30 points per game in four seasons (29.1 ppg). Likens coached a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, Walter Payton Award finalists, All-America running backs and NEC Offensive Players of the Year in Justise Hairston and James Mallory.
The Blue Devils averaged 239.18 yards per game on the ground in 2008 to rank seventh in the FCS when the team also paced the Northeast Conference in scoring offense, averaging 30.0 points per game. Mallory rushed for 1,520 yards and earned second-team All-NEC honors, becoming the second player in school history to crack the 1,500-yard mark in rushing.
In 2007, CCSU led the NEC in both per-game total offense (387.7 ypg) and rushing offense (257.6 ypg), ranking 10th nationally in the latter.
The Blue Devil offense set numerous school records in 2006, including single-season total yards (4,271) and rushing yards (3,150). CCSU led the nation in rushing yards per game (284.9 ypg) and finished 10th in total offense (386.8 ypg). As a team, CCSU set new single-season marks with 42 rushing touchdowns and 51 touchdowns overall in 11 games.
Hairston set the school's single-season record and was the nation's leading FCS rusher in 2006 with 1,847 yards. He earned AP All-America, AFCA All-America, Sports Network Mid-Major All-America and NEC Offensive Player of the Year honors that season. Hairston was eighth in the final Walter Payton Award balloting, played in the Hula Bowl and Texas vs. the Nation Game, and was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2007 NFL Draft.
In all, CCSU's offense produced eight team records and six individual and single-game marks under Likens. He coached four-first team All-NEC selections, four second-team All-NEC choices and five NEC Offensive Player of the Week honorees, giving him 13 all-conference picks in his four seasons.
Prior to joining Central Connecticut State, Likens spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri State (2004-05), where he also worked specifically with the team's quarterbacks and wide receivers. He spent six campaigns at both Temple (1998-2003) as the wide receivers coach and North Alabama (1992-97), where he worked with the running backs for the first season of his tenure and the wide receivers for his final five. At North Alabama, he helped the Lions become the first program in NCAA scholarship football to win three consecutive national championships, a feat that no other Division II school has ever accomplished and that has only since been replicated by FCS schools Appalachian State (2005-07) and North Dakota State (2011-13).
Likens played collegiate football as a wide receiver at Mississippi State, earning his bachelor's degree and graduating cum laude in 1990 in math education. He earned his master's degree in math education from North Alabama in 1995.
Likens and his wife, Soni, have one son, Cutter.
The hire is pending ASU Human Resources paperwork approval.
LIKENS AT A GLANCE
COACHING EXPERIENCE
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
BOWL GAMES - COACH
"Rob brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our staff," says Graham. "He will work with Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Chip Lindsey with the coordination of our passing game. Rob has developed a long list of wide receivers in his career, seven of which are currently in the NFL and I look forward to him working with our special group. I'm excited about his Pac-12 Conference experience at Cal and his familiarity with the league."
"Rob has an unmatched passion and enthusiasm for coaching and mentoring young men that is unparalleled," says Lindsey. "He brings an energy to our coaching staff, both on the field and in recruiting. His track record in developing receivers is very impressive. We have collaborated over the years on many occasions."
Likens was Lindsey's position coach at North Alabama in 1993.
"When I was at Cal, ASU was a school that I viewed as a place I would like to work someday," says Likens. "It's an elite program with great people, brand new facilities and its all part of a world-class university. I will have the opportunity to work with Chip, whom I believe is one of the brightest young offensive coaches in the nation. And when I met with Coach Graham and heard his vision for the program and especially for the development of young men I was completely on board. I can't wait to get there to begin recruiting and work with the players."
Likens currently has seven former players in the NFL at the wide receiver position, including Bryce Treggs (Philadelphia Eagles/California), Kenny Lawler (Seattle Seahawks/California), Chris Harper (San Francisco 49ers/California), Maurice Harris (Washington Redskins/California), Trevor Davis (Green Bay Packers/California), Quinton Patton (San Francisco 49ers/Louisiana Tech) and Myles White (Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Louisiana Tech).A veteran orchestrator on the offensive side of the ball, Rob Likens joined Kansas football head coach David Beaty's staff in the role of offensive coordinator in January 2015. Likens, who has 25 years of experience of collegiate coaching to his credit, has served as the offensive coordinator at five different schools prior to arriving in Tempe.
Likens went to KU in 2015 after completing his second season as the assistant head coach and outside receivers coach at the University of California with Sonny Dykes in 2014, and his first with the additional responsibilities of passing game coordinator.
In 2014, Likens' Cal passing game, led by the 2016 NFL Draft No. 1 pick Jared Goff, ranked sixth in the NCAA in passing yards with 346.0 yards through the air per outing on its way to rewriting the Golden Bear single-season passing yardage record in 2014 with 4,152 yards. Additionally, three of his top four receivers were Biletnikoff Award candidates in Chris Harper, Kenny Lawler and Bryce Treggs.
Cal's passing game during Likens' first season with the Golden Bears in 2013 set single-season school records for passing yardage (3,977), pass completions (368) and pass attempts (622), while also establishing new single-game marks during the campaign for passing yardage (521 vs. Washington State) and pass attempts (65 vs. Northwestern).
Treggs' 77 receptions in 2013 ranked fourth on the school's all-time list while Harper's 70 were seventh to give the duo 147 combined catches and make the duo the second-most productive single-season pass catchers in school history behind only the 160 recorded by current NFL players Keenan Allen (98) and Marvin Jones (62) in 2011.
Prior to his arrival in Berkeley, Likens served as an assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Louisiana Tech from 2010-12, including a final campaign in Ruston in which Louisiana Tech posted a 9-3 record and led the nation in scoring offense and total offense by averaging 51.50 points and 577.92 yards of total offense per game.
Likens coached 2012 second-team AP All-American and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist Quinton Patton, who was a major contributor to the team's prolific scoring offense and currently a member of the San Francisco 49ers after being selected by the professional team in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Likens directed one of the most potent wide receiver corps in the country in 2012 led by Patton, who paced the Western Athletic Conference in both per-game receiving yards (116.00 ypg) and receptions (8.67 rpg), while ranking fourth and fifth in the nation, respectively. He finished with totals of 104 receptions, 1,392 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches.
In addition to leading the country in scoring offense and total offense with an offense that posted the fifth-highest per-game scoring average ever by a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Louisiana Tech was among the NCAA's top 20 in 2012 in passing offense (3rd, 350.75 ypg), fewest sacks allowed (7th, 0.83 spg), turnover margin (10th, +1.08 per game) and rushing offense (18th, 227.17 ypg). The Bulldogs scored more than 40 points in 11 of 12 games and over 50 points on eight occasions.
Likens coached a group of receivers in 2011 that registered 3,229 receiving yards with 21 touchdown catches during a campaign that included a stretch of seven consecutive wins and a WAC championship. Patton, a 2011 Biletnikoff Award Watch List member, finished the season with 1,202 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches while becoming the first Bulldog receiver to reach 1,000 yards receiving since 2000.
In his first year at Tech in 2010, Likens oversaw a receiving corps that helped the Bulldogs improve from a No. 91 national ranking in passing offense in 2009 to No. 62 in 2010 despite a revolving door at quarterback through the first third of the season.
Prior to his three-year stint at Louisiana Tech, Likens served for four seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Central Connecticut State (2006-09) and led the Blue Devils to more wins than in any other four-year period in school history.
CCSU had winning records during each of Likens' four seasons, capped off with a 9-3 mark in 2009 that included a Northeast Conference title and an appearance in the Gridiron Classic, as he coached the ground game to a top-10 national ranking among Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools each year.
Under Likens' guidance, the Blue Devils led the conference in scoring offense two times, had three undefeated home records and averaged just under 30 points per game in four seasons (29.1 ppg). Likens coached a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, Walter Payton Award finalists, All-America running backs and NEC Offensive Players of the Year in Justise Hairston and James Mallory.
The Blue Devils averaged 239.18 yards per game on the ground in 2008 to rank seventh in the FCS when the team also paced the Northeast Conference in scoring offense, averaging 30.0 points per game. Mallory rushed for 1,520 yards and earned second-team All-NEC honors, becoming the second player in school history to crack the 1,500-yard mark in rushing.
In 2007, CCSU led the NEC in both per-game total offense (387.7 ypg) and rushing offense (257.6 ypg), ranking 10th nationally in the latter.
The Blue Devil offense set numerous school records in 2006, including single-season total yards (4,271) and rushing yards (3,150). CCSU led the nation in rushing yards per game (284.9 ypg) and finished 10th in total offense (386.8 ypg). As a team, CCSU set new single-season marks with 42 rushing touchdowns and 51 touchdowns overall in 11 games.
Hairston set the school's single-season record and was the nation's leading FCS rusher in 2006 with 1,847 yards. He earned AP All-America, AFCA All-America, Sports Network Mid-Major All-America and NEC Offensive Player of the Year honors that season. Hairston was eighth in the final Walter Payton Award balloting, played in the Hula Bowl and Texas vs. the Nation Game, and was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2007 NFL Draft.
In all, CCSU's offense produced eight team records and six individual and single-game marks under Likens. He coached four-first team All-NEC selections, four second-team All-NEC choices and five NEC Offensive Player of the Week honorees, giving him 13 all-conference picks in his four seasons.
Prior to joining Central Connecticut State, Likens spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri State (2004-05), where he also worked specifically with the team's quarterbacks and wide receivers. He spent six campaigns at both Temple (1998-2003) as the wide receivers coach and North Alabama (1992-97), where he worked with the running backs for the first season of his tenure and the wide receivers for his final five. At North Alabama, he helped the Lions become the first program in NCAA scholarship football to win three consecutive national championships, a feat that no other Division II school has ever accomplished and that has only since been replicated by FCS schools Appalachian State (2005-07) and North Dakota State (2011-13).
Likens played collegiate football as a wide receiver at Mississippi State, earning his bachelor's degree and graduating cum laude in 1990 in math education. He earned his master's degree in math education from North Alabama in 1995.
Likens and his wife, Soni, have one son, Cutter.
The hire is pending ASU Human Resources paperwork approval.
LIKENS AT A GLANCE
| Alma Mater: Mississippi State, 1990 |
| Hometown: Brookhaven, Miss. |
| Wife: Soni |
| Children: Cutter |
COACHING EXPERIENCE
| 2016-Present, Arizona State (WR/Passing Game Coordinator) 2015-2016, Kansas (Offensive Coord.) |
| 2014, Cal (Asst. HC/Passing Coord./Outside Receivers) |
| 2013, Cal (Asst. HC/Outside Receivers) |
| 2010-12, Louisiana Tech (Asst. HC/WR) |
| 2006-09, Central Connecticut State (OC/QB) |
| 2004-05, SEMO (OC/QB/WR) |
| 1998-2003, Temple (WR) |
| 1993-97, North Alabama (WR) |
| 1992, North Alabama (RB) |
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
| 1985-87, Mississippi State |
BOWL GAMES - COACH
| 2011, Poinsettia Bowl (Louisiana Tech) |
| 2009, Gridiron Classic (Central Connecticut State) |
| 1997, NCAA Division II First Round (North Alabama) |
| 1995, NCAA Division II Champions (North Alabama) |
| 1994, NCAA Division II Champions (North Alabama) |
| 1993, NCAA Division II Champions (North Alabama) |
| 1992, NCAA Quarterfinals (North Alabama) |