Eric Kiesau named Fresno State football offensive coordinator

It’s been a busy week for Eric Kiesau.

The former Glendale High and Glendale Community College quarterback is currently an offensive analyst for the University of Alabama, which will meet Clemson in the NCAA Division I championship game on Monday in Glendale, Ariz.

On Thursday, Kiesau was named offensive coordinator at Fresno State. Kiesau, 43, takes over for Dave Schramm. Before moving to Alabama, Kiesau served as offensive coordinator for two seasons at Washington (2012-13). Washington averaged 499.3 yards and 37.9 points per game to finish second and third, respectively, in the PAC-12 in 2013.

“I’m really excited to be able to get someone of his caliber,” Fresno State Coach Tim DeRuyter told the Fresno Bee. “He’s a guy that has coordinated offenses in the PAC-12, in the Big 12. This past year he installed the (up-tempo) system at Alabama, was instrumental in them doing that, and I think the fact that coach [Nick] Saban hired him to do it speaks highly of how well he is regarded.”

Kiesau, who will remain with Alabama through the championship game, was also an offensive coordinator at Colorado (2006-10) and was the wide receivers coach at California (2002-05). Kiesau also was the offensive coordinator at Kansas for the last four games of 2014.

Fresno State finished 3-9 last season. It ranked eighth in the 12-team Mountain West Conference in passing offense (178.3 yards per game). The Bulldogs were 10th in conference in scoring offense (22.2), 11th in rushing offense (136.8) and last in total offense (315.2).