Football
Sterlin Gilbert
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Email:
- shgilber@syr.edu
- Phone:
- 6731
Sterlin Gilbert is in his second season as Syracuse’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. A Texas native well versed in the veer and shoot, Gilbert has run offenses and coached quarterbacks at the FBS, FCS and high school levels. He was most recently the head coach at McNeese State prior to joining the Orange.
His first season with the Orange was spent by molding some of the youngest players on ‘Cuse’s roster, priming the offense for year two. Freshman Sean Tucker had a breakout rookie campaign, where he tallied the third-most yards by an Orange freshman on the ground in just nine games (626). Taj Harris also earned All-ACC honors at wide receiver, finishing in the top-five of the league in receiving yards per game.
Tucker exploded in his second season, shattering decades old records in 2021 thanks to All-American running back Sean Tucker. As a team, Syracuse totaled the fifth-most rushing yards in a single season in program history (2,562), but it was Tucker who posted the most productive season by an SU back ever. The semifinalist for both the Doak Walker and Maxwell Awards, Tucker posted the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the country (124.7) and eclipsed Joe Morris’ 42-year old rushing record to finish with 1,496 yards. He also finished third nationally in yards from scrimmage (1,751) and scored 14 total touchdowns. He was the top vote getter on offense for the All-ACC Team.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader followed Tucker's lead on the ground, running for 14 touchdowns and 781 yards, both of which are the second-highest totals by an Orange quarterback in program history.
Gilbert previously worked with Syracuse head coach Dino Babers for three seasons. They first joined forces at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and the pair transformed the Panthers into a fast-paced juggernaut behind the play of standout quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. In his first season, Gilbert directed an EIU offense that ranked sixth in the nation in passing (334.9 ypg), seventh in total offense (470.9 ypg) and eighth in scoring (36.5 ppg). Garoppolo was seventh in the FCS in total offense (318.5 ypg), while receiver Erik Lora set the championship subdivision record for receptions (136) and led the country in receiving yards with (1,664) en route to being named the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
EIU was even better the next season, leading to Gilbert’s selection as the 2013 FootballScoop.com FCS Coordinator of the Year. The Panthers led the nation in total offense (589.5 ypg), scoring (48.2 ppg) and ranked second in passing (372.4 ypg). EIU posted a 12-2 record and won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. Garoppolo, now the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, won the 2013 Walter Payton Award (the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) as the nation’s best player. He led the country and ranked second in FCS single-season history with 5,050 passing yards, while ranking second nationally and fourth in FCS history with 53 touchdown passes. Garoppolo, who was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, passed for 8,873 yards and 84 touchdowns in his two seasons under Gilbert.
In addition to Garoppolo, five more Panthers were All-OVC First Team choices in 2013, including Lora, who was a two-time consensus All-American. Lora led the nation in receptions with 123, which tied for second in FCS history, trailing only his own record of 136 catches in 2012. Adam Drake was just behind Lora with 85 catches for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns to earn All-OVC Second Team recognition. Both signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams.
The EIU ground attack was equally impressive, nearly producing two 1,000-yard rushers. All-OVC First Team selection Shepard Little racked up 1,551 yards and 15 TDS, while All-OVC Second Team performer Taylor Duncan had 988 yards and 10 scores. Tight end Jeff LePak, offensive tackle Dominic Pagliara and guard Collin Seibert rounded out EIU’s All-OVC First Team selections and were named All-Americans.
In 2014, Gilbert accompanied Babers to Bowling Green. Gilbert served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for a unit that gained 432.9 total yards per game. BGSU achieved that production without starting quarterback Matt Johnson, who was injured and a year later would be named the 2015 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Gilbert mentored backup James Knapke, who threw for 3,173 yards despite only having 10 previous career passing attempts. The BGSU stable of running backs combined for 2,192 yards and 26 TDs, as the Falcons capped the season with a victory over South Alabama in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
Over the next four seasons, Gilbert coached at Tulsa (2015), Texas (2016) and South Florida (2017-18). Standout performances and elite offensive production highlighted each stop. Tulsa wide receiver Keyarris Garrett led the country in receiving (122.2 ypg), while quarterback Dane Evans was seventh nationally in passing (333.2 ypg) in Gilbert’s one year with the Golden Hurricane. At Texas, D’Onta Foreman led the FBS in rushing (184.4 ypg) and captured the 2016 Doak Walker Award as the top running back in college football. At USF, the Bulls ranked in the top 25 in eight NCAA statistical categories in 2017 on their way to a 10-2 record. The following year, the Bulls averaged 444.2 yards of total offense and 31.5 points per game to earn a spot opposite Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl. USF quarterback Quinton Flowers ranked in the top 30 in six NCAA statistics and set the school single-season record with 27 touchdown passes.
Gilbert’s track record as a coordinator earned him the head coaching job at McNeese State in 2019. He brought the up-tempo spread to the Cowboys and they responded with a 7-5 season, including four wins in their last five games. McNeese State’s offensive output improved in nearly every statistical category from the previous year. The Cowboys averaged 382 yards per game of total offense (+92 yards from 2018), 220 yards passing (+40) and 163 yards a game rushing (+54). They also averaged 26 points per game (+6), passed for 24 touchdowns (+12) and rushed for 12 TDs (+8).
A former standout quarterback himself, Gilbert enjoyed a successful career as a Texas high school coach. He was head coach at his alma mater, San Angelo Lake View, from 2008-10 and earned West Texas High School Coach of the Year honors in his first season. He was also a highly successful offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Temple High School in 2011 and Abilene Cooper High School from 2006-07.
Gilbert began his career as an assistant coach at Springtown High School from 2003-04 before moving for one season to serve as a graduate assistant at the University of Houston.
A three-year starter and two-year captain for Angelo State University, Gilbert led the Rams to back-to-back Lone Star Conference South Division championships. He concluded his college career fourth on the school’s all-time total offense record list. In high school, Gilbert was a two-time all-state quarterback and the 1996 district MVP at Lake View, where he also earned Big XII Region All-America and All-West Texas 4A MVP honors.
Gilbert earned his undergraduate degree in kinesiology with a minor in history from Angelo State in 2002.
He is married to Teresa Williams and is stepfather to her two children – Sonia and James.
THE GILBERT FILE
Experience: 19th season/2nd at Syracuse
Hometown: San Angelo, Texas
Alma Mater: Angelo State '02
Family: fiancée, Teresa; stepson, James; stepdaughter; Sonia
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Angelo State (1998-2001)
POSTSEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE
2005 Fort Worth Bowl
2012 FCS Playoffs (First Round)
2013 FCS Playoffs (Quarterfinals)
2014 Camellia Bowl
2015 Independence Bowl
2017 Birmingham Bowl
2018 Gasparilla Bowl
PROMINENT PLAYERS COACHED
Eastern Illinois
Jimmy Garoppolo (New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers)
Tulsa
Dane Evans (Philadelphia Eagles, Hamilton Tiger-Cats - CFL)
Keyarris Garrett (Carolina Panthers)
Texas
Shane Buechele (2016 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year)
D'Onta Foreman (Houston Texas, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans)
USF
Quinton Flowers (Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Vipers - XFL)
Syracuse
Sean Tucker (All-American, First Team All-ACC)
His first season with the Orange was spent by molding some of the youngest players on ‘Cuse’s roster, priming the offense for year two. Freshman Sean Tucker had a breakout rookie campaign, where he tallied the third-most yards by an Orange freshman on the ground in just nine games (626). Taj Harris also earned All-ACC honors at wide receiver, finishing in the top-five of the league in receiving yards per game.
Tucker exploded in his second season, shattering decades old records in 2021 thanks to All-American running back Sean Tucker. As a team, Syracuse totaled the fifth-most rushing yards in a single season in program history (2,562), but it was Tucker who posted the most productive season by an SU back ever. The semifinalist for both the Doak Walker and Maxwell Awards, Tucker posted the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the country (124.7) and eclipsed Joe Morris’ 42-year old rushing record to finish with 1,496 yards. He also finished third nationally in yards from scrimmage (1,751) and scored 14 total touchdowns. He was the top vote getter on offense for the All-ACC Team.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader followed Tucker's lead on the ground, running for 14 touchdowns and 781 yards, both of which are the second-highest totals by an Orange quarterback in program history.
Gilbert previously worked with Syracuse head coach Dino Babers for three seasons. They first joined forces at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and the pair transformed the Panthers into a fast-paced juggernaut behind the play of standout quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. In his first season, Gilbert directed an EIU offense that ranked sixth in the nation in passing (334.9 ypg), seventh in total offense (470.9 ypg) and eighth in scoring (36.5 ppg). Garoppolo was seventh in the FCS in total offense (318.5 ypg), while receiver Erik Lora set the championship subdivision record for receptions (136) and led the country in receiving yards with (1,664) en route to being named the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
EIU was even better the next season, leading to Gilbert’s selection as the 2013 FootballScoop.com FCS Coordinator of the Year. The Panthers led the nation in total offense (589.5 ypg), scoring (48.2 ppg) and ranked second in passing (372.4 ypg). EIU posted a 12-2 record and won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. Garoppolo, now the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, won the 2013 Walter Payton Award (the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) as the nation’s best player. He led the country and ranked second in FCS single-season history with 5,050 passing yards, while ranking second nationally and fourth in FCS history with 53 touchdown passes. Garoppolo, who was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, passed for 8,873 yards and 84 touchdowns in his two seasons under Gilbert.
In addition to Garoppolo, five more Panthers were All-OVC First Team choices in 2013, including Lora, who was a two-time consensus All-American. Lora led the nation in receptions with 123, which tied for second in FCS history, trailing only his own record of 136 catches in 2012. Adam Drake was just behind Lora with 85 catches for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns to earn All-OVC Second Team recognition. Both signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams.
The EIU ground attack was equally impressive, nearly producing two 1,000-yard rushers. All-OVC First Team selection Shepard Little racked up 1,551 yards and 15 TDS, while All-OVC Second Team performer Taylor Duncan had 988 yards and 10 scores. Tight end Jeff LePak, offensive tackle Dominic Pagliara and guard Collin Seibert rounded out EIU’s All-OVC First Team selections and were named All-Americans.
In 2014, Gilbert accompanied Babers to Bowling Green. Gilbert served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for a unit that gained 432.9 total yards per game. BGSU achieved that production without starting quarterback Matt Johnson, who was injured and a year later would be named the 2015 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Gilbert mentored backup James Knapke, who threw for 3,173 yards despite only having 10 previous career passing attempts. The BGSU stable of running backs combined for 2,192 yards and 26 TDs, as the Falcons capped the season with a victory over South Alabama in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
Over the next four seasons, Gilbert coached at Tulsa (2015), Texas (2016) and South Florida (2017-18). Standout performances and elite offensive production highlighted each stop. Tulsa wide receiver Keyarris Garrett led the country in receiving (122.2 ypg), while quarterback Dane Evans was seventh nationally in passing (333.2 ypg) in Gilbert’s one year with the Golden Hurricane. At Texas, D’Onta Foreman led the FBS in rushing (184.4 ypg) and captured the 2016 Doak Walker Award as the top running back in college football. At USF, the Bulls ranked in the top 25 in eight NCAA statistical categories in 2017 on their way to a 10-2 record. The following year, the Bulls averaged 444.2 yards of total offense and 31.5 points per game to earn a spot opposite Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl. USF quarterback Quinton Flowers ranked in the top 30 in six NCAA statistics and set the school single-season record with 27 touchdown passes.
Gilbert’s track record as a coordinator earned him the head coaching job at McNeese State in 2019. He brought the up-tempo spread to the Cowboys and they responded with a 7-5 season, including four wins in their last five games. McNeese State’s offensive output improved in nearly every statistical category from the previous year. The Cowboys averaged 382 yards per game of total offense (+92 yards from 2018), 220 yards passing (+40) and 163 yards a game rushing (+54). They also averaged 26 points per game (+6), passed for 24 touchdowns (+12) and rushed for 12 TDs (+8).
A former standout quarterback himself, Gilbert enjoyed a successful career as a Texas high school coach. He was head coach at his alma mater, San Angelo Lake View, from 2008-10 and earned West Texas High School Coach of the Year honors in his first season. He was also a highly successful offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Temple High School in 2011 and Abilene Cooper High School from 2006-07.
Gilbert began his career as an assistant coach at Springtown High School from 2003-04 before moving for one season to serve as a graduate assistant at the University of Houston.
A three-year starter and two-year captain for Angelo State University, Gilbert led the Rams to back-to-back Lone Star Conference South Division championships. He concluded his college career fourth on the school’s all-time total offense record list. In high school, Gilbert was a two-time all-state quarterback and the 1996 district MVP at Lake View, where he also earned Big XII Region All-America and All-West Texas 4A MVP honors.
Gilbert earned his undergraduate degree in kinesiology with a minor in history from Angelo State in 2002.
He is married to Teresa Williams and is stepfather to her two children – Sonia and James.
THE GILBERT FILE
Experience: 19th season/2nd at Syracuse
Hometown: San Angelo, Texas
Alma Mater: Angelo State '02
Family: fiancée, Teresa; stepson, James; stepdaughter; Sonia
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Angelo State (1998-2001)
| COACHING LEDGER | ||
| Years | School | Position |
| 2003 | Springtown HS (Texas) | Running Backs |
| 2004 | Springtown HS (Texas) | Quarterbacks |
| 2005 | Houston | Graduate Assistant |
| 2006-07 | Cooper HS (Texas) | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2008-10 | Lake View HS (Texas) | Head Coach |
| 2011 | Temple HS (Texas) | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2012-13 | Eastern Illinois | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2014 | Bowling Green | Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2015 | Tulsa | Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers |
| 2016 | Texas | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2017-18 | USF | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2019 | McNeese State | Head Coach |
| 2020-21 | Syracuse | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
POSTSEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE
2005 Fort Worth Bowl
2012 FCS Playoffs (First Round)
2013 FCS Playoffs (Quarterfinals)
2014 Camellia Bowl
2015 Independence Bowl
2017 Birmingham Bowl
2018 Gasparilla Bowl
PROMINENT PLAYERS COACHED
Eastern Illinois
Jimmy Garoppolo (New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers)
Tulsa
Dane Evans (Philadelphia Eagles, Hamilton Tiger-Cats - CFL)
Keyarris Garrett (Carolina Panthers)
Texas
Shane Buechele (2016 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year)
D'Onta Foreman (Houston Texas, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans)
USF
Quinton Flowers (Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Vipers - XFL)
Syracuse
Sean Tucker (All-American, First Team All-ACC)
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Saturday, November 08
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Friday, November 07
Fran Brown Show
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Fran Brown Press Conference | Miami Week
Monday, November 03
