UMass Football Adds Four Members To Coaching Staff

AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts football head coach Walt Bell officially welcomed four members of his coaching staff with the introduction of Jon Bills, Jim Jackson, Fredi Knighten and Jason Tudryn, on Tuesday. Bills serves as the team's recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach while Jackson fills the offensive line role. Knighten will tutor the running backs and Tudryn will work with the safeties.

Most recently, Bills worked alongside Bell at Florida State as an offensive analyst during the 2018 season following tenures at Adams State, South Florida, UCLA and Western Kentucky. He worked on the offensive side of the ball at each institution, primarily assisting in the development of the offensive line and tight ends.

"I am honored to be a part of Coach Bell's staff here at the University of Massachusetts," Bills said. "Having the opportunity to work alongside Coach Bell this past year, I was able to see first-hand his attention to detail, organization and emphasis on program culture. I am excited to get to work and continue to build on the rich tradition of UMass football."

Jackson joins Massachusetts following a successful five-year tenure at San Diego, during which he developed the USD offensive line into one of the most dependable units in college football. Jackson brings 11 additional years of college coaching experience with him, including FBS-level stops at Minnesota, Louisiana-Lafayette and Toledo.

"I am extremely excited to be working with the University of Massachusetts offensive line," Jackson said. "We are going to bring passion and positive energy every day. I look forward to working with Coach Bell to help our student-athletes achieve their goals, academically and athletically."

Knighten worked alongside Bell at Florida State one year ago and helped Bell orchestrate the No. 3-ranked offense in the ACC, which threw for an average of 270.1 yards per game. Knighten also previously worked alongside Bell as a graduate assistant at Maryland during the 2016 and 2017 seasons following a stellar playing career as the Arkansas State starting quarterback.

"Coach Bell gave me an opportunity to learn what it takes to be a good coach," Knighten said. "After being with him for five years now, I've had time to talk with him about his vision of what he wants UMass to be: a fun, family atmosphere where we are competing with a blue-collar attitude, and helping to influence and enhance the lives of our players."

A native of Western Massachusetts and a 1996 alumnus of the University of Massachusetts, Tudryn returns to the Commonwealth after most recently spending five seasons at North Carolina as Director of High School Relations. While at Carolina, Tudryn spearheaded the development of recruiting strategies for the Tar Heels' staff. He was the program liaison to high school coaches and organized the organization's recruiting database, official visits schedule and summer camps.

"My wife, Barbie (UMass '95), and I are excited to get back to Amherst," Tudryn said. "It's really a dream-come-true to be able to come home and do what I love. In 23 years of coaching I don't think I've ever been more excited to get on the field again. I'm thankful and forever grateful to Coach Bell for giving me the opportunity to represent for everyone that has ever worn the UMass logo on their chest."

Massachusetts previously announced the hiring of defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach Luke Paschall on Fri., Jan. 11.

Complete bio information on Bills, Jackson, Knighten and Tudryn follows below. Keep up-to-date with the UMass football program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and learn about all 21 UMass varsity programs via UMassAthletics.com.

Jon Bills • Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach • Michigan '11

In part helped by Bills, the Florida State passing offense ranked second in the ACC for passing yards per game (270.1) and 28th overall in the country during the 2018 season. Bills helped in the development of sophomore Tre' McKitty during the year as McKitty finished second in receptions and fourth in receiving yards by a tight end across the ACC with 26 catches for 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Bills trekked to Tallahassee from UCLA following a two-year stint as an offensive graduate assistant with the Bruins, during which he assisted with the development of the offensive line and the tight ends.

En route to the 2017 Cactus Bowl, the Bruins put together the Pac-12's third-best offense (457.8 yards per game), which also ranked No. 22 nationally. Bills worked closely with tight end Caleb Wilson, who totaled 38 receptions for 490 yards despite only playing in five games due to injury.

The 2015 season saw Bills coach the offensive line at Division II Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado. That came after he spent 2013 and 2014 at USF in a graduate assistant capacity under head coach Willie Taggart. During Bills' first year at USF he coached the tight ends and worked closely with Mike McFarland as McFarland developed into an all-AAC player who hauled in 23 receptions for 288 yards and two scores.

Bills followed Taggart to USF from Western Kentucky, where he earned his first graduate assistant experience in 2012.

In just the Hilltoppers' fourth year of FBS football, the squad won seven games and capped the season with its first-ever appearance in an FBS bowl game. Antonio Andrews was tabbed third team all-America (all-purpose) by Phil Steele as well as second team (all-purpose) and third team (running back) all-America by Sports Illustrated. Four players received Sun Belt offensive all-conference recognition during the program-defining season.

A native of Farmington Hills, Michigan, Bills played tight end at the University of Michigan and earned his bachelor's degree in sports management in 2011. He garnered a master's degree in physical education from South Florida in 2014 and a master's in social sciences and competitive education from UCLA in 2018.

Jim Jackson • Offensive Line Coach • Cornell '03

Jackson arrives in Amherst following a successful five-year stint at the University of San Diego, where he held roles as the offensive line coach and the co-offensive coordinator. During Jackson's five seasons as San Diego, the Toreros went a combined 47-13 (.783), including a unprecedented 38-2 (.950) in the Pioneer Football League (PFL). The squad won at least nine games in all five of Jackson's campaigns with the program, and went undefeated at 8-0 in conference play during the 2016-18 seasons.

"Jim is a fantastic coach who earned great success everywhere he has worked," Bell said. "He is going to be instrumental in the development of our offensive line and in building our offense overall."

Over the course of his tenure, the San Diego offense remained instrumental in the program's sustained success. With the offensive line providing the time for dynamic playmaking, USD reached four NCAA Division I FCS playoffs and advanced to the second round in 2016 and 2017, while it also appeared in the 16-team field in 2014 and 2018.

Jackson oversaw the development of the offensive line for all five years of his time with the Toreros, while he served as the co-offensive coordinator during 2018, when the team averaged 37.8 points and 470.6 offensive yards per game.

In particular, Jackson's guidance of offensive lineman Daniel Cooney's development saw Cooney collect three consecutive all-America accolades from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), one each his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

The Toreros offensive line developed into a well-round corps following Jackson's hire, highlighted by the group's ability to protect the quarterback. After USD ranked No. 7 in sacks against among all PFL teams with 23 in 11 games during Jackson's first year, the unit only allowed 36 total over 48 combined games during the 2015-18 season, and never finished lower than tied for second in the league. USD ranked among the nation's leaders for fewest sacks allowed during each of the last three seasons, including No. 2 nationally in 2017.

Over the course of the 2018 season, San Diego stood among the top-four within the Pioneer League in more than a dozen per-game offensive categories, including points, total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency, first downs, red zone offense and time of possession.

Six Toreros collected all-PFL recognition, including first team choices Michael Bandy (WR), Cooney, Anthony Lawrence (QB) and Jake Michaels (OL), and second team selections Emilio Martinez (RB) and Aidan Valencia (OL). With Jackson's guidance, Bandy earned five national all-America awards while Cooney collected three from the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press and STATS.

The 2017 season was another rousing success for San Diego, with the offensive line paving the way as USD averaged 36.4 points and 421.8 yards per game. The season culminated in an upset of No. 25 Northern Arizona in the FCS Playoff First Round as the team earned the school and PFL's second-ever postseason victory.

Jackson's offensive line fostered the team's balanced attack in 2017 as it allowed the passing game to post 254.2 yards per appearance while the run game added 167.6 over the 13-game slate. The year culminated in Cooney's second career all-America award from the AFCA.

2016 marked San Diego and the PFL's first-ever postseason victory when the Toreros went to No. 21 Cal Poly and took a 35-21 victory from the Mustangs on their home field. The offense put forth 473 total yards and averaged 5.8 gained per play against Cal Poly behind Jackson's offensive line. Cooney again led the blocking efforts for Jackson and won all-America as a result.

The year marked a season of renewal on the offensive line as the unit lost four starters from the 2015 campaign to graduation, including All-PFL First Team selections Pono Keni (left tackle) and right guard Jeff Starr (right guard). Despite the changeover, the unit limited foes to 4.0 sacks in 12 games, the third-fewest nationally and best among PFL teams. Additionally, as a whole, USD ranked in the top 10 nationally for time of possession (No. 1), third down conversion rate (No. 2), completion percentage (No. 5), winning percentage (No. 6), red zone offense (No. 7) and scoring offense (No. 10).

Prior to USD, Jackson coached eleven years for six collegiate programs, including Southern Illinois (2010-13), Minnesota (2007-09), Louisiana-Lafayette (2006), Toledo (2005), Lehigh (2004) and Methodist College (2003).

Jackson served as the tight ends coach at Southern Illinois for four seasons and spent the final two of his tenure as the team's recruiting coordinator.

During his time at SIU, Jackson played a key role in the development of tight end MyCole Pruitt, who earned first team all-America honors in 2013. Pruitt finished the regular season with 601 receiving yards and became SIU's all-time leader in career receptions (140) and receiving yards (1,740) by a tight end.

Prior to that, Pruitt was a third-team All-America selection by The Sports Network and named to the All-MVFC First Team in 2012. Additionally, with Jackson's guidance, Pruitt earned all-conference and picked up a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2011.

In 2010, his first year at Southern Illinois, Jackson's tight ends were instrumental in helping the Saluki offense average 30.1 points per game and 378.2 yards of total offense. The tight ends, playing a major role in run blocking, helped pave the way for the Saluki rushing attack that averaged 189.5 yards per game and scored 22 touchdowns on the year.

Kyle Harruff tied for the team lead with three touchdown receptions under Jackson's guidance in 2010 and Harruff had 17 catches for 294 yards - an average of 17.3 yards per reception. Fellow tight ends C.J. Robertson, Philip Schumacher and combo-tight end/fullback John Goode also hauled in touchdown catches in 2010. Goode was an All-MVFC selection in 2010 under Jackson.

Jackson arrived at Southern Illinois from the University of Minnesota, where he was an assistant offensive line coach from 2007-09.

In 2007, Jackson helped coach the Gopher front that ranked 10th in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (13 total). He worked directly with the Gopher centers, along with his various other coaching duties.

Prior to joining the Minnesota staff, Jackson spent one season as a defensive graduate assistant working with the defensive line at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Jackson spent the 2005 season as a graduate assistant working as a video coordinator and with the offensive line at Toledo, one year after he served as assistant defensive backs coach and assistant video coordinator at Lehigh in 2004. He started his coaching career in 2003 as the outside linebackers coach at Methodist (N.C.) College.

Jackson played football and baseball at Cornell. He was a three-year starter and a team captain on the baseball team and played two seasons of football.

A Mesquite, Texas, native, Jackson received his bachelor's degree in communications from Cornell in 2003. He earned his master's degree from Minnesota in sports management in 2009.

Jackson and his wife Michelle have one daughter, Mae, and one son, Grant.

Fredi Knighten • Running Backs Coach • Arkansas State '16

During his time in Tallahassee, Knighten worked primarily with the Seminoles' quarterbacks. In part under Knighten's guidance, Deondre Francois continued his ascent up the Seminole record book rankings with a strong 2018 season that included 2,731 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes after Francois missed all but one game in 2017 due to injury. FSU's passing offense ranked third in the ACC at 270.1 yards per game, as did Francois in completions per game (20.64).

"Fredi is an incredibly intelligent individual and I'm thankful he joined me in building this program here," Bell said. "He is a diligent, hard-working coach and a rising star in this profession."

Prior to his stint with the Seminoles, Knighten served two seasons in a graduate assistant capacity at Maryland. In his final campaign, the Terrapins rotated through four quarterbacks due to injuries, and was one of just two teams in the nation with three or more wins by three different starting quarterbacks. Despite the rotation, Maryland's offense ranked in the top-20 nationally for fewest turnovers (14), which tied a team record.

Also in 2017, DJ Moore broke the single-season school record with 80 catches, a conference-high average of 6.7 per game. Moore also led the Big Ten with 1,033 receiving yards in 2017, as he became only the program's third 1,000-yard receiver. Following the season, the Carolina Panthers selected Moore in the first round of the NFL Draft.

The previous year, Maryland scored a program-record 173 points in the first four games of the season. Maryland's 2,594 rushing yards created the program's seventh 2,500-yard rushing season ever and first since 2003, while the 26 rushing touchdowns were the most in College Park since 2007. Quarterback Perry Hills led the Big Ten in completion percentage and ranked second in the conference in passing efficiency.

Knighten enjoyed a decorated playing career as a dual-threat quarterback at Arkansas State (2012-15) for head coaches Gus Malzahan (2012), Bryan Harsin (2013) and Blake Anderson (2014-15).

As the team's starting quarterback, he finished fourth in program history with 6,986 career total yards and also posted a figure of 4,056 yards in 2014, a feat that then ranked second all-time. Knighten twice was a Sun Belt all-conference honoree as well as a two-time Little Rock Touchdown Club MVP.

In addition to his postseason accolades, Knighten was tabbed to a plethora of watch lists in 2015, including the Wuerffel Trophy, Johnny Unitas Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award and Maxwell Award.

Knighten was named MVP of the 2013 GoDaddy Bowl after recording a career-high 212 yards of total offense and leading the Red Wolves on a three-play, 55-yard game-winning drive in the final one minute, 25 seconds.

Knighten, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Arkansas State in 2016. Prior to college, he played scholastically at Pulaski Academy for Kevin Kelley, where he was twice chosen for all-America by ESPN while also collecting Parade and MaxPreps all-America.

Jason Tudryn • Safeties Coach • Massachusetts '96

While at Carolina, Tudryn spearheaded the development of recruiting strategies for the Tar Heels' staff as the team's Director of High School Relations. He was the program liaison to high school coaches and organized the organization's recruiting database, official visits schedule and summer camps.

"I'm excited to welcome a former all-American competitor at UMass who has incredible pride for this university back to his alma mater in Jason," Bell said. "Jason brings great success at the high school and college level aiding and directing modern college football recruiting."

During his time in Chapel Hill, UNC reached the Quick Lane Bowl (2014) and the Russell Athletic Bowl (2015), while it also appeared in the ACC Championship Game in 2015. That season, the squad set a school record with 11 consecutive wins and tied a team-best with 11 overall victories. The Tar Heels also ran the table in the ACC, going undefeated in conference play (8-0) for the first time since 1980.

Tudryn transitioned to UNC following seven years as the head coach at Carrboro High School in nearby Carrboro, North Carolina.

After founding the program in 2007, Tudryn guided the Jaguars to four consecutive playoff appearances in 2009-12 and advanced to the 2AA state championship game in 2012. Tudryn was awarded the NCHSAA's 2012 Homer Thompson Memorial Award, which is given annually to "Eight Who Make A Difference" in high school athletics.

From 2002-06, Tudryn worked under his father as defensive coordinator at Naples Gulf Coast High School in Florida. He made his initial foray into the head coaching world at Miami Coral Park High School (2000-01) and was an assistant at Immokalee High School in 1999.

Prior to his high school coaching stops, Tudryn spent three seasons in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an assistant coach at American International College (1997-98) and Curry College (1996).

Tudryn hails from nearby Northampton, Massachusetts. A four-year safety for the Minutemen, he graduated from UMass with a degree in sociology before earning a master's degree in special education from AIC in 1999.

He and his wife, Barbie have two daughters, Taliana and Ana, and a son, Phoenix. Tudryn's father, Frank, coached high school football for more than 30 years and is a member of the Massachusetts High School Hall of Fame.

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