2012 HOUSTON TEXANS MEDIA GUIDE - Parent Directory - NFL.com

COACHING STAFFLARRY KIRKSEYderson turned in a career year with 38 receptions for 370yards.In 2008, Johnson led the NFL with career-highs of 115receptions and 1,575 receiving yards. The franchise’sall-time leading receiver earned Associated Press fi rstteamAll-Pro honors and started for the AFC in the ProBowl. Johnson teamed with Walter for the most prolifi creceiving tandem in the League, combining for 2,474receiving yards. Walter’s 899 yards were a career highand he shared the team lead with Johnson with eighttouchdown receptions.In his fi rst year with the Texans, Kirksey oversaw agroup that had three players top 700 receiving yards,making Houston one of just four teams to achieve thatfeat. The unit’s depth was tested when Johnson missedseven games due to injury, but fellow receivers Walterand André Davis stepped up to fi ll the void. Walter setcareer highs with 65 receptions, 800 yards and fourtouchdowns. He led the team in receptions and he wassecond in receiving yards. Davis emerged as one of thebest deep threats in the NFL, averaging nearly 18 yardsper catch. Despite playing in just nine games, Johnsononce again led the team with 851 receiving yards andeight touchdowns.Prior to joining the Texans staff, Kirksey helped leadMiddle Tennessee State to the 2006 Sun Belt Conferencetitle and a Motor City Bowl win as the assistanthead coach and running backs coach for the Blue Raidersin 2005. He was a volunteer coach for the DenverBroncos in 2004.Kirskey spent 2003 as the wide receivers coach withthe Jacksonville Jaguars, where Jimmy Smith led theteam with 54 receptions despite missing four games.From 2001-02, Kirksey coached wide receivers for theDetroit Lions. In 2001, Johnnie Morton fi nished the year12th in the NFL with 1,154 receiving yards and the Lionsfi nished sixth in the league with 224.8 yards per game.A Kentucky native, Kirksey served as assistant headcoach and was in charge of the wide receivers at TexasA&M in 2000. That year, he helped lead the Aggies to aberth in the Independence Bowl while injecting hints ofthe West Coast offense.KIRKSEY AND THE TOP 50TOP 50 RECEPTIONS LEADERS COACHED BY KIRKSEYYearsRnk Player Rec. Yds Coached Team1 Jerry Rice 1,549 22,895 1994-99 SF6 Terrell Owens 1,078 15,934 1996-99 SF11 Derrick Mason 943 12,061 2011 HOU15t Jimmy Smith 862 12,287 2003 JAX34 Andre Johnson 706 9,656 2007-12 HOU42 Herman Moore 670 9,174 2001 DETIn 1994, Kirksey began his NFL coaching career withthe responsibility of coaching the NFL’s all-time receptionand receiving yards leader, Rice. Under Kirksey,Rice set an NFL record with 1,848 receiving yards, andhad a career-high 122 receptions in 1995. From 1994-99 Rice caught 606 passes for 6,666 yards. Kirksey’sreceivers helped set a Super Bowl record in Super BowlXXIX with six touchdown catches, including three byRice.From 1990-93, Kirksey coached running backs for Alabama,where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to a nationalchampionship in 1992. Kirksey’s running backs ledthe SEC with 252 rushing yards per game. He coachedrunning backs at the University of Florida under CharliePell and Galen Hall from 1984-88. During his tenure atFlorida, he coached star running backs Lorenzo Hampton,Neal Anderson, John L. Williams and Emmitt Smith.After leaving Florida, Kirksey spent one year as runningbacks coach at Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the Gators,Kirksey gained valuable experience by taking over headcoaching duties at Kentucky State in 1983.Kirksey got his start in coaching as the wide receivers/tight end coach at Miami of Ohio in 1974, and remainedthere for three seasons before joining the staff at Kentucky.He also coached wide receivers and tight ends forthe Wildcats from 1977-81, then spent the 1982 campaigncoaching the same positions at Kansas.Kirksey earned a bachelor’s degree from EasternKentucky in 1974, where he was a four-year lettermanand three-year starter at wide receiver. As a senior, heearned all-conference honors. He was out of coachingin 2005 while serving as deputy executive director of theKentucky Sports Authority.He and wife Anita have two children, Jessica andJared.KIRKSEY’S COACHING LEDGER2007-12: Wide Receivers, Houston Texans2006: Asst. Head Coach/Running Backs,Middle Tennessee2004: Asst. Special Teams/ Volunteer, Denver Broncos2003: Wide Receivers, Jacksonville Jaguars2001-02: Wide Receivers, Detroit Lions2000: Asst. Head Coach/Wide Receivers, Texas A&M1994-99: Wide Receivers, San Francisco 49ers1990-93: Running Backs, Alabama1989: Running Backs, University of Pittsburgh1984-88: Running Backs, Florida1983: Head Coach, Kentucky State1982: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, Kansas1977-81: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, Kentucky1974-76: Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers/Tight Ends,Miami (Ohio)HOUSTONTEXANS.COM 41