March 13, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – University of New Mexico head coach Rocky Long completed his 2007 coaching staff today, announcing Buzz Preston as the new running backs coach. Preston spent the 2006 season as the running backs coach at Stanford and served in the same capacity at Notre Dame from 2002-04. He replaces Cornell Jackson, who accepted a coaching position at Baylor last month.
Preston has 27 seasons of collegiate coaching experience, including two stints at Stanford (1999-2001, 2006). During his first three-year run with the Cardinal, Preston was part of two bowl teams that were also two of the best squads in Stanford history. He helped coach the Cardinal to the 1999 Pac-10 title on its way to the 2000 Rose Bowl. In 2001, Stanford put together a 9-3 record and was ranked among the Top 10 teams in the nation during the year before playing in the Seattle Bowl.
Following his three seasons at Stanford under former head coach Tyrone Willingham, Preston went with Willingham to Notre Dame for three more seasons (2002-04) to coach the running backs, helping lead the Irish to two bowl games with appearances at the Gator Bowl in 2002 and the Insight Bowl following the 2003 regular season.
Under Preston’s tutelage, Julius Jones rushed for 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior at Notre Dame in 2003. Jones also had 1,568 all-purpose yards and a school record three 200-yard rushing games in ’03 en route to Honorable Mention All-America honors. Jones went on to be selected in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Before coming to Stanford for the first time, Preston was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator/QB coach at UNLV in 1998.
Prior to that, he coached running backs at Washington State from 1994-97. During his four-year term at Washington State, Preston was part of a coaching staff that guided the Cougars to the Pacific-10 Conference championship in 1997 and its first Rose Bowl appearance in 67 years. The Cougar offense broke the Pac-10 record for most total yards in a single season. One of Preston’s pupils, Mike Black, gained 1,157 yards rushing and was named to the All-Pac-10 team. The Cougars finished 10-2 overall and were ranked ninth in the nation.
Preston also coached at his alma mater, Hawaii, from 1987-93. He had several roles during his tenure with the Rainbows, including coaching the offensive special teams, receivers and defensive backs, while also serving as the strength and conditioning coordinator. Preston’s seven-year stay at Hawaii was highlighted by the first two bowl games in school history and the first Western Athletic Conference title ever for the program. In 1989, Hawaii participated in its first bowl game, losing to Michigan State in the Aloha Bowl. The Rainbows won the WAC championship in 1992 and went on to defeat Illinois in the Holiday Bowl.
Preston’s first full-time coaching job came at Southern Illinois from 1984-86 when he coached receivers and the defensive backfield. During his three seasons in Carbondale, SIU’s defense improved dramatically – from eighth to second in the conference – while nine of his pupils received all-conference recognition.He was a graduate assistant at Hawaii in 1980 and 1981, a part-time coach at UH in 1982, and a graduate assistant at Washington in 1983.
During his career, Preston has also been a guest coach for the Toronto Argonauts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.
A native of Los Angeles, Preston received a Bachelor’s degree in Speech from Hawaii in 1982. He was a two-year letterwinner (1978-79) with the Rainbow football team.
Preston, 50, is a 1975 graduate of Banning High School in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Audrey, have three children: Amber (19), Evan (16) and Quinn (8).
The Preston File:
Full Name: Albert W. (Buzz) Preston
Date of Birth: November 9, 1956
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
High School: Banning
College: Hawaii, 1982 (B.A., Speech)
Wife: Audrey
Children: Amber, Evan, Quinn
Playing Experience: DB/WR, Hawaii (1978-79)
Coaching Assignments:
1980-82 Hawaii
Graduate Assistant (1980-81), Part-Time (1982)
1983 Washington
Graduate Assistant
1984-86 Southern Illinois
Defensive Backs/Receivers
1987-93 Hawaii
Defensive Backs/Offensive Special Teams/Receivers/Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
1994-97 Washington State
Running Backs
1998 UNLV
Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks
1999-2001 Stanford
Running Backs
2002-04 Notre Dame
Running Backs
2006 Stanford
Running Backs
Bowl Experience:
1989 Aloha Bowl Hawaii
1992 Holiday Bowl Hawaii
1994 Alamo Bowl Washington State
1997 Rose Bowl Washington State
2000 Rose Bowl Stanford
2001 Seattle Bowl Stanford
2002 Gator Bowl Notre Dame
2004 Insight Bowl Notre Dame