Scott Baumgartner

Scott Baumgartner begins his seventh season at The University of New Mexico and his fifth with UNM’s wide receivers.  He spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons coaching the running backs.  Baumgartner coached the wide receivers his first three seasons at UNM.

The 2018 Lobo receivers turned in terrific seasons, with UNM’s top four in receptions all wideouts.  Delane Hart-Johnson led the team in receptions and earned his way into NFL camps with his strong season.  UNM’s receivers in 2018 caught 16 of UNM’s 21 touchdown passes

His two seasons coaching the running backs at UNM were highlighted by the 2016 group.  They produced two 1,000-yard rushers in Teriyon Gipson (1,269) and Tyrone Owens (1,097).  It marked the first time in school history that UNM had ever produced two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.  Overall, UNM rushed for an NCAA-leading 4,550 yards, averaging 350.0 yards per game, which also led the nation.

The Lobos finished in the top 20 in rushing both seasons he was at the helm of the running backs.  Last season saw Richard McQuarley tied a long-standing UNM record with five rushing touchdowns in the same game.

In 2016, UNM’s 4,550 yards came out to 6.6 yards per carry, which also led the nation.  The rushing attack was explosive as well, leading the nation in rushes of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 yards or more.  In fact, UNM’s opening play of the season was an 84-yard touchdown run, the longest opening play in the history of the university, and tying for the fastest touchdown to start a season at UNM.

The 2015 season was a superb one for New Mexico wideouts, coached by Baumgartner.  Junior receiver Dameon Gamblin led the team with 35 catches, the most in the Bob Davie era.  Of similar note was the record breaking performance of Delane Hart-Johnson, who in his first season with New Mexico set a season and career record for 80-yard receptions, with catches of 86 against Utah State, 81 against Boise State and 92 against Arizona).

Overall, UNM’s receiving corps caught 78 passes, the most by the receiver group since 2011, and they accounted for 83.3 percent of all of UNM’s receiving touchdowns in 2015.

For the second year in a row, UNM’s receiving corps improved upon the previous season. In 2014, the receiving corps was led by Tyler Duncan, who recorded the longest touchdown catch of the Bob Davie era with a 75-yard haul. He led the team with a pair of touchdown catches, 293 yards, and a 24.4 yards per catch average. Baumgartner’s receivers also helped UNM spring an NCAA leading 14 rushes of 50 or more yards.

Perhaps no bigger play showcased UNM’s blocking abilities from the wideouts than Jhurell Pressley’s 69-yard touchdown run against Wyoming where Tyler Duncan decleated a potential tackler at the 10-yard line.

Baumgartner did a fantastic job with an entirely new starting unit in 2013. The young Lobo wideouts in 2013 produced 10 more receptions, 317 more receiving yards and four more touchdowns than the unit did in 2012.

Prior to UNM, Baumgartner coached for nine years at the University of Nevada.

Baumgartner spent nine years with the Wolf Pack, seven as the wide receivers coach. In 2012, Baumgartner coached All-Mountain West selection Brandon Wimberly, who had 63 receptions for 788 yards and five touchdowns.

While Baumgartner coached at Nevada, the Wolf Pack had seven finishes in the top 15 nationally in total offense. Nevada has ranked in the top 10 in total offense in each of the past five years, including No. 2 in 2009. The Wolf Pack were No. 8 in 2012.

Baumgartner helped develop Rishard Matthews into a two-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection and an NFL draft pick (2012, Miami Dolphins) from 2010-11. Matthews tallied 1,364 yards as a senior in ‘11, giving Baumgartner yet another 1,000-yard receiver. Baumgartner also saw another pupil head to the NFL as Tray Session signed (2012) with the Oakland Raiders.

With Matthews earning All-WAC honors in 2010 and 2011, it marked the fourth straight season that one of Baumgartner’s pupils earned all-league accolades as Wimberly was a second-team All-WAC pick in 2009. In 2008, Baumgartner mentored a 1,000-yard receiver for the second straight season as Marko Mitchell had 61 catches for 1,141 yards and 10 touchdowns. Mitchell, a 2009 draftee of the Washington Redskins, is now with the Detroit Lions. He was selected first-team All-WAC in 2008. That same year, Baumgartner had three receivers with at least 40 receptions and 500 yards in Mitchell, Mike McCoy and Chris Wellington.

In 2007, Baumgartner developed Mitchell into a 1,000-yard receiver, and the Wolf Pack wideouts caught 17 touchdown passes. Three different players (Mitchell, McCoy and Kyle Sammons) each had at least 30 catches, 600 yards and four touchdowns.

In the previous seasons, Baumgartner helped wide receiver Caleb Spencer earn All-WAC honors and finish among Nevada’s career leaders in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

In 2004, his first year in Reno, Baumgartner worked with the quarterbacks – including Jeff Rowe, who would go on to the NFL. Baumgartner has also been an integral part of the Wolf Pack’s special teams over the years. In 2005, punter Justin Bergendahl earned first-team All-WAC honors after ranking in the national top 50 in punting.

Prior to arriving in Reno, Baumgartner, who has more than 20 years of college coaching experience, spent eight years coaching receivers, quarterbacks and special teams at Central Missouri State.

A noted West Coast recruiter, Baumgartner hails from California and has many ties to high school and junior college coaches throughout the Golden State from his time as an assistant coach at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif., and as a player at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. He coached four years at West Valley College (1992-95), and spent four seasons at his alma mater, Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. (1988-91).