Utes Hire Bumphis as New WR Coach
SALT LAKE CITY—Utah head football coach Kyle Whittingham has named Chad Bumphis to coach the wide receivers, it was announced Monday. Bumphis, 31, was a Utah graduate assistant coach in 2018, working with the wide receivers.
“Chad Bumphis is an excellent addition to our coaching staff," Whittingham said. "We're very familiar with Chad from his year with us in 2018, and we're elated to be able to bring him back to Utah. A very successful wide receiver in his own right, he has an impressive ability to teach and to motivate his players and we look forward to having him join our staff."
Following his one year at Utah, Bumphis was hired in 2019 to be the wide receivers coach at Austin Peay. He recently accepted a position as wide receivers coach at Central Michigan in Feb. 2021 before the opportunity emerged to return to Utah.
"Nataly and I are very excited and extremely blessed to be back here at the University of Utah," Bumphis said. "After spending 2018 here as a graduate assistant, it didn't take me long to know I eventually wanted to be back here as the wide receivers coach. It just feels like home. I can't begin to explain the excitement we've been feeling over the last couple of days. This program and the way these guys attack every day is exactly what you're looking for when you're joining a new program. We want to thank coach Whittingham for such a great opportunity, and also for believing in me enough to allow me to coach and mentor the young men in that receiver room. I'm beyond grateful and excited to get rolling."
At Austin Peay in 2019, Bumphis was part of a coaching staff that helped the Governors to a record of 11-4 and an average of 34.5 points per game. His wide receivers played a key role in the team ranking 20th nationally in passing yards (3,208 passing yards). Under Bumphis's guidance, DeAngelo Wilson led the FCS in receiving yards (1,564) and earned second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors.
In his lone season at Utah, Bumphis helped the 2018 Utes win the Pac-12 South divisional title and compete in the Holiday Bowl. Current Utah wide receivers Britain Covey, Jaylen Dixon, Solomon Enis and Dylan Slavens were on the 2018 squad and were mentored by Bumphis.
Prior to his year at Utah, Bumphis served as an offensive graduate assistant at Buffalo in 2017 following his first coaching position as the wide receivers coach at Iowa Wesleyan in 2016.
A 2013 graduate of Mississippi State with a bachelor's degree in communication, Bumphis was Mississippi State's leading receiver three of his four seasons from 2009-12. He holds the school record for receiving touchdowns (24), ranks second in career receiving yards (2,270) and third in receptions (159). Bumphis was named to the Freshman All-Southeastern Conference team by the league's coaches in 2009 and was a second-team All-SEC receiver by the AP as a senior in 2012.
Bumphis signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins in 2013 and spent time with the practice squads of the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars before finishing his professional career with the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos in 2015. He is a native of Tupelo, Miss.