Dartmouth hires Daft

HANOVER — Dartmouth has hired Kevin Daft as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Daft has more than a decade of collegiate coaching experience, most recently at his alma mater, the University of California, Davis.

Daft spent the last five years on the staff at UC Davis, serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the past four. Last fall, the Aggies averaged over 28 points and nearly 400 total yards — of which 238 came through the air — all of which were the highest totals for the program in eight years. UC Davis also ranked 14th among FCS schools in fewest interceptions thrown (7) and 10th in fewest turnovers lost (13) under his guidance in 2016.

The year prior, Daft’s offense ranked second in the nation in time of possession and 12th in completion percentage (.645) and fifth in red zone offense, scoring on over 90 percent of trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. His 2014 offense was also among the top 20 nationally in completion percentage (.644, 12th) and team passing efficiency (146.28, 19th). The top-two rushing totals at UC Davis of the past 14 years came during his watch as well.

Prior to his first season with the Aggies as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2012, Daft spent a season as the wide receivers coach and assisted on special teams in the United Football League with the Omaha Nighthawks under Joe Moglia, a former Dartmouth assistant coach and the current head coach at Coastal Carolina. There he oversaw the league’s leading wide receiver, Chris Davis, who averaged over seven catches and 60 yards per game.

Daft was on the coaching staff for seven seasons at California, the first three as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line as the Bears qualified for a bowl game each season, winning the Las Vegas Bowl in 2005 and the Holiday Bowl in 2006. He was elevated to the quarterbacks coach in 2007, helping Cal to a victory in the Armed Forces Bowl, then took over the duties of coaching the wide receivers for three years with another bowl victory along the way.

Among his former players that are currently competing in the NFL are Keenan Allen with the Los Angeles Chargers, Marvin Jones with the Detroit Lions, Jeremy Ross with the Arizona Cardinals and Kaelin Clay with the Baltimore Ravens.

A two-time captain and All-American quarterback at UC Davis, Daft set five NCAA Division II records while throwing for 7,601 yards and 68 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy, and was inducted into the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. He graduated from UC Davis with a degree in biology in 1999.

Daft was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft and was with the team during its run to Super Bowl XXXIV before signing contracts with the San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers before returning to the Titans in 2002. He saw action in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores and Amdsterdam Admirals, leading the Claymores to the World Bowl in 2000 and setting an NFL Europe career record with 30 touchdown passes. Daft was also a member of the San Jose SaberCats (2003) and Indiana Firebirds (2004) in the Arena Football League.

This fall, Daft will have the opportunity to work with rising-senior QB Jack Heneghan, who threw for 2,725 yards in 2016, the third most ever by a Big Green quarterback. Dartmouth returns nine of its 11 offensive starters as well, and will open the 2017 campaign at Stetson on Sept. 16.