FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford announced the hiring of Aaron Prier to the coaching staff as running backs coach on Thursday. Prier joins Fresno State's staff from Eastern Washington where he coached the running backs for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Prier's career began at Idaho State, where he was a student-athlete, graduate assistant and a full-time staff member. He has experience coaching running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers, while also serving as recruiting coordinator and community relations at previous stops.
Prier has spent the past two seasons as the running backs coach and community relations coordinator at Eastern Washington. In 2021, Dennis Merritt ranked sixth in the FCS and led the Big Sky with 15 rushing touchdowns under Prier's tutelage. That season, Merritt averaged 71.8 yards per game and finished the year with 933 rushing yards to earn second team All-Big Sky honors. In 2022, two Eagles rushed for over 400 yards and five players scored rushing touchdowns.
While at Eastern Washington, Prier worked alongside current Bulldogs' offensive coordinator Pat McCann. At the time, McCann was the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator and served some time as the interim offensive coordinator.
At Idaho State, Prier spent the 2020-21 season coaching ISU inside receivers, tight ends and serving as recruiting coordinator. Before that, he was tight ends coach from 2017-19, and in 2016 was an ISU graduate assistant. In 2018, ISU junior tight end Austin Campbell earned honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors after catching five touchdown passes during the season.
Prier played for the Bengals from 2011-14, and received his degree from ISU in 2015 in business administration/business management. He earned his master's degree in physical education/athletic administration in the summer of 2017. He saw time at cornerback in the 2011 season then later that year moved to running back where he stayed much of the rest of his career. He also was a kick returner, earning a spot on the 2014 CFPA Kickoff Returner Award Watch List.
Prier's hiring filled another coaching staff vacancy on the offensive side of the ball. Tedford announced the hiring of Brian Armstrong to the staff as offensive line coach on Jan. 12, and named McCann (offensive coordinator) and Matt Wade (quarterbacks) to their new positions on Feb. 1.