The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Wide Receivers
A Texas native who has nine years of experience working with Tom Herman on offense, Drew Mehringer enters his third season as pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach at The University of Texas in 2019.
2018 was a standout season for the wide receivers, as three juniors started the majority of games at the position. Lil’Jordan Humphrey had 86 catches for 1,176 yards (third-most in school history) and nine touchdowns, Collin Johnson had 68 catches for 985 yards and seven TDs, while Devin Duvernay had 41 receptions for 546 yards and four touchdowns. Humphrey and Johnson became one of the most prolific pass-catching duos in school history, as their 2,161 combined yards ranked second for a single season.
In 2017, Mehringer’s group was led by underclassmen, as Johnson led the way with 54 catches for 765 yards and two touchdowns. He became just the 24th player in school history to reach 50 catches in a season. Humphrey garnered honorable mention All-Big 12 honors with 37 catches for 431 yards and a touchdown, while senior Armanti Foreman finished with a team-best four touchdown receptions.
Mehringer came to UT after spending the 2016 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rutgers where, at age 28, he was the youngest play caller in the Power Five conferences and worked to install a new offensive system under first-year head coach Chris Ash.
He joined the Rutgers staff after spending the 2015 season as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator under Herman at Houston. Besides UH, Mehringer has worked with Herman at Ohio State, Iowa State, and as a student assistant at Rice.
In 2015, the Cougars went to their first New Year’s Bowl in 30 years, had their second 13-win season in program history and won their 11th conference championship by claiming the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship. With a 38-24 win over No. 9 Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Houston ended the season ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, its highest finish since ranking No. 5 in 1979, and just the sixth time in program history to finish in the top 10.
The UH offense was one of three nationally to average over 235 yards per game in both rushing (235.8 yards per game) and passing (248.4 yards per game), as the Houston offense ranked 20th nationally in total offense with an average of 484.1 yards per game. The explosive Cougar attack ranked 10th nationally in scoring offense with an average of 40.4 points per game, an improvement of 47 spots from 2014 when it finished the year 57th nationally with an average of 29.8 points per game. Houston scored over 30 points in 12 games, over 40 points in six games and over 50 points in four games.
Under Mehringer’s tutelage, four receivers collected at least 25 receptions and 300 receiving yards, highlighted by first-team All-AAC selection Demarcus Ayers. Ayers led the conference and ranked sixth nationally with 98 catches for 1,222 yards (18th nationally) and six touchdowns. Chance Allen was second on the team with 56 receptions for 752 yards and tied Ayers for the team lead with six touchdowns.
Prior to arriving in Houston, Mehringer spent the 2014 season at James Madison as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. While at JMU, the Dukes advanced to the FCS Playoffs for just the second time in the previous six years. The offense ranked 10th nationally with 484.6 yards per game behind the arm of junior quarterback Vad Lee who finished fourth in voting for the 2014 Walter Payton Award, considered the Heisman Trophy of FCS football. Lee was also named third-team All-American by the Associated Press, and received the Bill Dudley Award, given to the best collegiate football player in Virginia.
JMU also set single-season program records with 1,060 offensive plays, 6,300 offensive yards, 315 first downs, 475 passing attempts, 286 passing completions, 30 passing touchdowns, 3,499 passing yards and 159 passing first downs. Lee set single-season James Madison records in passing completions (282), attempts (465), yards (3,462), touchdowns (30) and total offense (4,288 yards). He threw for more than 300 yards in five contests and had a streak of six games with at least 250 passing yards.
Lee also did it on the ground, ranking ninth in the league at 63.5 rushing yards per game and a team-high nine rushing touchdowns. He ranked fourth nationally in total offense with an average of 329.8 yards per game, while ranking sixth with 30 touchdowns and seventh with 3,462 yards.
Mehringer spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, working with the program’s tight ends and wide receivers in his first season before working with the offensive line in his second season in Columbus. With Mehringer’s assistance, offensive tackle Jack Mewhort was named first-team All-America in 2013 and first-team All-Big Ten, along with Corey Linsley and Andrew Norwell, as the Ohio State offense broke 12 single-season records.
He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Iowa State, where he worked with the wide receivers. During his time in Ames, receiver Aaron Horne was named the 2011 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
A native of Mansfield, Texas, Mehringer attended Rice as a quarterback before suffering a career-ending injury. He then served as a student assistant with the quarterbacks under Herman for three seasons, graduating in 2010 with a degree in political science. Mehringer earned a master’s degree in sports management at Ohio State in 2013.
DREW MEHRINGER COACHING ASSIGNMENTS
| Years | School | Position |
| 2017-present | Texas | Pass Game Coordinator/WRs |
| 2016 | Rutgers | Offensive Coordinator/QBs |
| 2015 | Houston | Recruiting Coordinator/WRs |
| 2014 | James Madison | Co-Offensive Coordinator/QBs |
| 2012-13 | Ohio State | Graduate Assistant |
| 2010-11 | Iowa State | Graduate Assistant |
