BOONE, N.C. — App State Football has hired Ryan Pugh to be the Mountaineers' next offensive line coach, head coach
Dowell Loggains announced Wednesday.
An All-SEC center on Auburn's 2010 national championship team, the 37-year-old Pugh has been the offensive line coach for the last four seasons at Abilene Christian, which capped a nine-win season in 2025 with a second straight appearance and victory in the FCS playoffs.
"Ryan brings a championship pedigree as both a player and a coach, and we're excited to welcome him and his family to App State," Loggains said. "He is a well-regarded offensive mind who has experience as both an O-line coach and a coordinator. His time as a national championship-winning center at Auburn gives him instant credibility with our players as well."
Pugh began his collegiate coaching career at Auburn on Gene Chizik's staff before gaining more experience in the FBS ranks at Virginia Tech on Frank Beamer's staff, then working at Cincinnati and LSU. He took over as UTSA's offensive line coach in 2016 and has served in that role at BYU, Troy, Southern and Abilene Christian, with a Broyles Award nomination as the nation's top assistant while he was Troy's offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 2019-20.
"I am excited for the opportunity App State and Coach Loggains have given me to join such a tradition-rich program," Pugh said. "I cannot wait to get to Boone and get started working with the offensive line. App State has such a strong legacy of great offensive line play, and I look forward to working each day to build upon that foundation!"
A native of Hoover, Ala., Pugh was a four-time Academic All-SEC player at Auburn, delivering snaps to Cam Newton during the Tigers' unbeaten championship season, and he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in building science from Auburn in 2012. He has coached a dozen offensive linemen who have gone on to play in the National Football League.
Coaching on three conference championship teams in four seasons, including one season in which he also coordinated the offense, Pugh had six different ACU offensive linemen earn all-league honors from 2022-25: Reese Moore, Alan Hatten, Jacob Thielen, Tay Yanta, Luke Roaten and Colter Lynch.
The Wildcats won a playoff game, rushed for 26 touchdowns and averaged more than 400 yards of total offense per game while going 9-5 overall (including two losses to FBS opponents) and 7-1 in league play during the 2025 season.
In 2024, the Wildcats' line led the way for one of the most productive offenses in the FCS. ACU finished fourth in the nation in yards per game (469.6), seventh in passing yards per game (304.2) and 16th in points per game (33.8).
Prior to working at ACU, Pugh was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator at Southern University, where he produced five all-conference linemen in 2021.
In his lone season at Southern, the Jaguars led the SWAC with 197.8 rushing yards per game and ranked first with a third-down conversion rate of 41.4 percent. Southern's Kobe Dillon set a conference single-game record by rushing for 267 yards on just 14 carries against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Ja'Tyre Carter was named the league's Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Before coaching at Southern, Pugh spent nearly a decade at the FBS level.
During his time in the Sun Belt at Troy, in addition to the Broyles Award nomination in 2019, his offensive line was recognized by Pro Football Focus as the top-graded pass-blocking FBS program in the nation. Troy eclipsed 500 yards of offense a program-best six times that year.
As the offensive line coach at BYU in 2018, Pugh coached two Freshman All-Americans in James Empey and Brady Christensen, as well as All-Independent first-team selection Austin Hoyt. The Cougars found the end zone 27 times on the ground, an increase of 15 touchdowns from the previous season.
Prior to moving to Provo, Pugh served as the offensive line coach at UTSA for two seasons and helped the Roadrunners make the first bowl game in program history in 2016. UTSA turned in the highest-ranked signing class in Conference USA history in 2017 and allowed 40 percent fewer sacks in 2017 than in 2015.
Pugh and his wife, Cathey Lee, have two children: Etta Graceyn and Ellen James.
PUGH AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2012: Auburn (Graduate assistant)
2013: Virginia Tech (Graduate assistant)
2014: Cincinnati (Graduate assistant)
2015: LSU (Graduate assistant)
2016–17: UTSA (Offensive line)
2018: BYU (Offensive line)
2019–20: Troy (Offensive coordinator/Offensive line)
2021: Southern (Offensive line/Running game coordinator)
2022: Abilene Christian (Offensive line)
2023: Abilene Christian (Offensive coordinator/Offensive line)
2024-25: Abilene Christian (Offensive line)
Playing Experience
2007-10: Auburn (Offensive lineman)
Alma Mater: Auburn, 2012
Hometown: Hoover, Ala.
Wife: Cathey Lee
Daughters: Etta Graceyn, Ellen James
Bowl Experience
Coach
2013: Sun (Virginia Tech)
2014: Military (Cincinnati)
2015: Texas (LSU)
2016: New Mexico (UTSA)
2018: Famous Idaho Potato (BYU)
Player
2007 season: Chick-fil-A
2009 season: Outback
2010 season: BCS National Championship
