Jan. 13, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head football coach Hugh Freeze completed his first on-field staff with the Rebels Friday with the announcement of highly successful offensive veteran Dan Werner as co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Freeze also announced that offensive line coach Matt Luke will add the title of co-offensive coordinator, and linebackers coach Tom Allen will serve as special teams coordinator.

For Werner, this marks his second term at Ole Miss, having worked alongside Freeze on the Rebels’ offensive staff in 2006 and 2007.

 “There are few quarterback coaches in the nation with as proven a track record as Dan Werner,” Freeze said. “With his experience and our familiarity, he will provide tremendous leadership for our team.”

In his first stint in Oxford, Werner’s offense fueled BenJarvus  Green-Ellis to a record-breaking two-year run. The future NFL running back became only the second player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard single-season mark twice, and he ended his tenure No. 5 on the Rebels’ career rushing list.

As quarterbacks coach, Werner developed Seth  Adams from a walk-on to the SEC’s seventh-ranked passer with 1,979 yards in 2007. That season also saw future NFL receivers Mike  Wallace and Shay  Hodge each haul in six TD passes, while Dexter  McCluster and Marshay  Green were key offensive weapons.

Werner boasts 28 years of coaching experience, including a total of eight years in two terms at the University of Miami when he tutored outstanding quarterbacks and directed some of the best offenses in college football.

Werner helped Miami to eight bowls, four national championship games and three national titles during his combined tenure. He also played an integral part in the development of several of the Hurricanes’ greatest QBs, including 2001 Maxwell Award winner Ken Dorsey, 1992 Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torreta and Heisman candidates Steve Walsh and Craig Erickson.

Over his last five seasons (2001-05) at Miami, Hurricane quarterbacks threw for more than 14,500 yards and 114 touchdowns under Werner.

His second stint in Coral Gables was preceded by a spectacular 2000 season as offensive coordinator at Murray State. Werner built the Racers offense into one of the most potent on the FCS level, as the team ranked 11th nationally in total offense (452 yards per game) and 13th nationally in passing yardage (276 yards per game).

Werner’s other collegiate coaching stops consist of Northwestern State, Auburn, James Madison, Louisiana Tech, UNLV and Cornell. His prep experience includes time at Florida high schools Southridge, Countryside and Tarpon Springs.

Between his Ole Miss terms, Werner returned to the high school ranks for three years. Following the passing of his wife Kim in February 2009, Werner chose to keep his two young children, Maya and Ian, close to their Oxford home and accepted the head coaching position at North Delta in nearby Batesville. From 2009-11, he led the Green Wave to back-to-back district championships with a 27-7 record, including an 11-1 district mark.

Werner graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1983. He is a native of St. Louis, Mo., and attended Parkway Central High School.