Baylor to add Troy OC Ryan Pugh as offensive line coach

WACO, Texas – Ryan Pugh has been hired as an assistant coach, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda announced Tuesday. Under new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, Pugh will coach the offensive line.

“Ryan is an up-and-coming coach,” Aranda said. “He’s a family man and he is a leader. Ryan has great football intelligence and great communication skills. More than that, I am impressed with the quality of person that he is. I also have a great appreciation for the way that he has been able to inspire his players, and build strong, cohesive and aggressive offensive lines. We are excited for Ryan to join us.”

Pugh comes to Baylor from Troy, where he served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 2019-20. He reunites with Grimes whom he worked under as offensive line coach at BYU in 2018, and as a graduate assistant at Auburn, Virginia Tech and LSU.

In his two seasons as offensive coordinator at Troy, Pugh engineered an offense that topped the 500-yard mark in total offense on seven different occasions and scored 35-plus points 12 times. In 2019, the Trojans finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2), 25th in scoring offense (33.8) and 18th in total offense (456.3).

Under Pugh’s guidance, Troy had 10 All-Sun Belt honorees on offense including five offensive linemen.

In his first season at BYU, the Cougars improved their scoring output by more than 10 points per game, their rushing total by more than 20 yards per game and their total offensive output by more than 39 yards per game. BYU finished 35th nationally with 27 rushing touchdowns on the season after finding the end zone just 12 times on the ground before Pugh's arrival. Additionally, center James Empey earned Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America honors, Brady Christensen earned Freshman All-America (second team) honors and tackle Austin Hoyt was named to the Phil Steele All-Independent Team.

Prior to joining the staff at BYU, Pugh spent the previous two seasons (2016-17) at UTSA coaching the offensive line. Pugh started his career with stints as a graduate assistant at Auburn (2012), Virginia Tech (2013), Cincinnati (2014) and LSU (2015).

A four-year letterwinner at Auburn from 2007-2010, Pugh earned All-America honors as a senior and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy. He was a three-time All-SEC selection and was the starting center for the Tigers’ 2010 national championship team.

A native of Hoover, Alabama, Pugh graduated cum laude with his bachelor’s degree in building science from Auburn in 2012. He is married to the former Cathey Lee Dalton and the couple has two daughters, Etta Graceyn and Ellen James.