Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football
Meadows, Luke
vs
Louisiana
Sep 20 (Sat)
3:30 p.m.
Luke Meadows
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Offensive Line
- Email:
- lmeadow4@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.2160
Entering his second year at EMU is Luke Meadows, who came to Ypsilanti after spending a year at Garden City Community College. Meadows has 20 years of college coaching experience, including 17 years of coaching the offensive line and seven years as a coordinator. At EMU, he coaches the offensive line and serves as the run game coordinator.
During his career, Meadows has coached one Academic All-American, five All-Americans, 25 All-Conference, 21 Academic All-Conference, and two All-Newcomer Awards at the offensive line position. In addition, he has coached 16 players that have been drafted or signed as free agents in the NFL .
Meadows overhauled the offensive line in 2017 to rank second in the MAC and 28th nationally in the fewest sacks given up. EMU’s offense ranked third in the MAC in passing offense at 257.3 yards per game through the air. The line also gelled down the stretch for the rushing attack, as EMU racked up 815 yards on the ground and four 100-yard rushers during the final four games.
Jimmy Leatiota earned Second Team All-MAC honors will also being a candidate for the Outland Trophy.
Meadows was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national champion Garden City CC in Garden City, Kan. The Broncbusters steamrolled through their 2016 schedule en route to an 11-0 record by outscoring the opposition by an average of 19 points per game (GC 28.7, OPP 9.1). The program captured its first Jayhawk Conference title since 2001 and finished off the program’s first-ever perfect season with a 25-22 victory over Arizona Western College in the NJCAA Football Championship Game. Overall, the offense racked up 194.8 yards and 15.7 first downs per game on the ground.
Meadows joined the Broncbuster staff after serving two years as the offensive line coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. He arrived after a 1-11 season and the team made a major jump to 9-5 in 2015 while winning the Conference USA West Division title. During his time at USM, the offense improved from 17.9 points per game to 39.9, the rushing offense jumped from 72.9 to 179.8 yards per game (leading the league in 2015), and the total offense improved from 315.5 to 509.5 yards per game. In 2015, USM became the second team in NCAA history to have a 4,000 yard passer, a 1,000 yard receiver, and two 1,000 yard rushers. In addition, USM had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, leading all schools with plays of 20+ yards (109) and second in plays of 30+ yards (54).
Meadows came to Hattiesburg with a wealth of experience after spending two seasons (2012-13) at Florida Atlantic University, where he was elevated to offensive coordinator midway through the 2013 campaign.
When he joined the FAU staff, Meadows was asked to build something from scratch for the first time in 10 years. While he returned several starters, the line was asked to protect for a new system and for the first time the Owls’ line had to work with a mobile quarterback, who finished fourth in the league in total offense and as the top rushing quarterback in C-USA with 767 yards.
Meadows began the year with two linemen that had earned significant playing time. He inserted a junior college transfer, as well as the emergence of two younger players, and the starting five remained intact except for one player missing an early season game in the schedule.
The stability paid off with more than a 100-yard improvement in FAU’s total offense and a national rank jump of 22 spots. The line’s pass protection saw the quarterback pass efficiency rating improve by 55 spots while the sacks allowed ranking jumped 21 spots. The running game maintained its production despite losing FAU’s all-time rushing leader. The offensive line helped by eliminating the sacks and a negative 179 rushing yards lost by the previous season’s quarterbacks.
Prior to FAU, Meadows worked at South Dakota State for 10 years, serving as an offensive line coach from 2002-05 before being promoted to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator (2006-11). He was the longest-tenured assistant on John Stiegelemeier’s SDSU coaching staff for 10 seasons, six as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.
In that time, four players earned All-American honors, one academic honor, 19 selected All-Conference and 16 received Academic All-Conference recognition, while two All-Newcomers were awarded to offensive linemen.
A Hot Springs, S.D. native, Meadows began his coaching career as an undergraduate student at SDSU. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1999, he continued as a graduate assistant with the Jackrabbits during the 1999-00 seasons, coaching the running backs, including Jackrabbit career rushing leader and All-American Josh Ranek.
In 2005, Meadows coached an offensive line that helped pave the way for the leading rushing attack in the Great West Football Conference, averaging 227.4 yards per game. During Meadows’ time on staff, the Jackrabbits posted four of the top 10 single-season rushing totals in school history and five of the top 10 single-game rushing performances. In addition, SDSU recorded four of the top-10 scoring averages in the program’s history, including 35.6 points per game in 2008. The 2008 squad also set an SDSU single-season record with 427 points in 12 games, scoring 40 or more points in a game six times.
With Meadows on the coaching staff, SDSU established 11 team single-game and single-season offensive records, including rolling up 689 yards of total offense in the 2005 Hobo Day victory over Missouri-Rolla. Jackrabbit players he coached also established 30 new individual school records during his tenure. Under Meadows’ guidance, Jackrabbit offensive linemen combined for seven First-Team All-Conference selections, 10 Second-Team selections, and a pair of All-Americans. Mitch Erickson, who ended his collegiate career in 2007 with his third straight First-Team All-Great West Football Conference selection, was nearly a consensus All-America pick within the Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a senior. Likewise, center Ryan McKnight earned multiple All-America honors during his senior season in 2010, including First-Team recognition from the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Also during the 2010 season, the Jackrabbit offensive line ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision, yielding only six sacks the entire campaign. Erickson signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos and later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks. Casey Knips and Casey Bender, both starters on the Jackrabbits’ 2009 FCS playoff team, received invitations to NFL camps in 2010 with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, respectively.
After working as a graduate assistant for South Dakota State (1999-00), Meadows spent a season as offensive line coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.
Meadows and his wife Rochelle have three children, Daulton, Addyson, and Maclane.
During his career, Meadows has coached one Academic All-American, five All-Americans, 25 All-Conference, 21 Academic All-Conference, and two All-Newcomer Awards at the offensive line position. In addition, he has coached 16 players that have been drafted or signed as free agents in the NFL .
Meadows overhauled the offensive line in 2017 to rank second in the MAC and 28th nationally in the fewest sacks given up. EMU’s offense ranked third in the MAC in passing offense at 257.3 yards per game through the air. The line also gelled down the stretch for the rushing attack, as EMU racked up 815 yards on the ground and four 100-yard rushers during the final four games.
Jimmy Leatiota earned Second Team All-MAC honors will also being a candidate for the Outland Trophy.
Meadows was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national champion Garden City CC in Garden City, Kan. The Broncbusters steamrolled through their 2016 schedule en route to an 11-0 record by outscoring the opposition by an average of 19 points per game (GC 28.7, OPP 9.1). The program captured its first Jayhawk Conference title since 2001 and finished off the program’s first-ever perfect season with a 25-22 victory over Arizona Western College in the NJCAA Football Championship Game. Overall, the offense racked up 194.8 yards and 15.7 first downs per game on the ground.
Meadows joined the Broncbuster staff after serving two years as the offensive line coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. He arrived after a 1-11 season and the team made a major jump to 9-5 in 2015 while winning the Conference USA West Division title. During his time at USM, the offense improved from 17.9 points per game to 39.9, the rushing offense jumped from 72.9 to 179.8 yards per game (leading the league in 2015), and the total offense improved from 315.5 to 509.5 yards per game. In 2015, USM became the second team in NCAA history to have a 4,000 yard passer, a 1,000 yard receiver, and two 1,000 yard rushers. In addition, USM had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, leading all schools with plays of 20+ yards (109) and second in plays of 30+ yards (54).
Meadows came to Hattiesburg with a wealth of experience after spending two seasons (2012-13) at Florida Atlantic University, where he was elevated to offensive coordinator midway through the 2013 campaign.
When he joined the FAU staff, Meadows was asked to build something from scratch for the first time in 10 years. While he returned several starters, the line was asked to protect for a new system and for the first time the Owls’ line had to work with a mobile quarterback, who finished fourth in the league in total offense and as the top rushing quarterback in C-USA with 767 yards.
Meadows began the year with two linemen that had earned significant playing time. He inserted a junior college transfer, as well as the emergence of two younger players, and the starting five remained intact except for one player missing an early season game in the schedule.
The stability paid off with more than a 100-yard improvement in FAU’s total offense and a national rank jump of 22 spots. The line’s pass protection saw the quarterback pass efficiency rating improve by 55 spots while the sacks allowed ranking jumped 21 spots. The running game maintained its production despite losing FAU’s all-time rushing leader. The offensive line helped by eliminating the sacks and a negative 179 rushing yards lost by the previous season’s quarterbacks.
Prior to FAU, Meadows worked at South Dakota State for 10 years, serving as an offensive line coach from 2002-05 before being promoted to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator (2006-11). He was the longest-tenured assistant on John Stiegelemeier’s SDSU coaching staff for 10 seasons, six as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.
In that time, four players earned All-American honors, one academic honor, 19 selected All-Conference and 16 received Academic All-Conference recognition, while two All-Newcomers were awarded to offensive linemen.
A Hot Springs, S.D. native, Meadows began his coaching career as an undergraduate student at SDSU. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1999, he continued as a graduate assistant with the Jackrabbits during the 1999-00 seasons, coaching the running backs, including Jackrabbit career rushing leader and All-American Josh Ranek.
In 2005, Meadows coached an offensive line that helped pave the way for the leading rushing attack in the Great West Football Conference, averaging 227.4 yards per game. During Meadows’ time on staff, the Jackrabbits posted four of the top 10 single-season rushing totals in school history and five of the top 10 single-game rushing performances. In addition, SDSU recorded four of the top-10 scoring averages in the program’s history, including 35.6 points per game in 2008. The 2008 squad also set an SDSU single-season record with 427 points in 12 games, scoring 40 or more points in a game six times.
With Meadows on the coaching staff, SDSU established 11 team single-game and single-season offensive records, including rolling up 689 yards of total offense in the 2005 Hobo Day victory over Missouri-Rolla. Jackrabbit players he coached also established 30 new individual school records during his tenure. Under Meadows’ guidance, Jackrabbit offensive linemen combined for seven First-Team All-Conference selections, 10 Second-Team selections, and a pair of All-Americans. Mitch Erickson, who ended his collegiate career in 2007 with his third straight First-Team All-Great West Football Conference selection, was nearly a consensus All-America pick within the Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a senior. Likewise, center Ryan McKnight earned multiple All-America honors during his senior season in 2010, including First-Team recognition from the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Also during the 2010 season, the Jackrabbit offensive line ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision, yielding only six sacks the entire campaign. Erickson signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos and later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks. Casey Knips and Casey Bender, both starters on the Jackrabbits’ 2009 FCS playoff team, received invitations to NFL camps in 2010 with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, respectively.
After working as a graduate assistant for South Dakota State (1999-00), Meadows spent a season as offensive line coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.
Meadows and his wife Rochelle have three children, Daulton, Addyson, and Maclane.
| The Luke Meadows File | ||
| Name: | Luke Meadows | |
| High School: | Hot Springs H.S. - Hot Springs, S.D. | |
| College: | South Dakota State University - Bachelor’s degree in history - 1999 | |
| Family: | Wife - Rochelle; Children - Daulton, Addyson and Maclane | |
| Coaching Experience | ||
| Year | School | Position |
| 2017 | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Coach/Run Game Coordinator/OL |
| 2017 | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Coach/Offensive Line |
| 2016 | Garden City Community College | Assistant Head Football Coach/Offensive Line |
| 2014-15 | University of Southern Mississippi | Assistant Coach/Offensive Line |
| 2013 | Florida Atlantic University | Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line |
| 2012 | Florida Atlantic University | Assistant Coach/Offensive Line |
| 2006-11 | South Dakota State University | Assistant Head Football Coach/Offensive Coordinator |
| 2002-05 | South Dakota State University | Assistant Coach/Offensive Line |
| 2001 | Wartburg College | Assistant Coach/Offensive Line |
| 1999-00 | South Dakota State University | Offensive Graduate Assistant |
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